We are thinking about taking the children to their 1st skying holidays, but budget is a big issue.
I am looking for recommendations on affordable places and tips, friendly to children who never skied before, me and hubby not skied for over 10 years too.
So far i been told:
Send the children to sky school, an expense which must not be skipped.
Hire the skys and other material at our local sport shop instead of the place we skying at.
Rent an apartment, far cheaper than a hotel, since the slopes normally close around 5pm, its easy to cook afterwards.
No recommendations of were to go apart from expensive resorts so far, we are willing to drive for a few hours.
Any help, experiences or tips welcomed, thanks in advance.
Come on guys, you know she means skiing. OP, sorry I can't help (I don't ski at all so no idea where the cheap places to do it are), I'm sure others will be along soon though.
Ýes, I would definitely recommend ski school for the little ones. Not only will it allow them not to develop bad habits like older DIY peeps tend to pick up (i.e. me) they will possibly meet friends for the week as well as give you parents some time off to get some skiing in yourselves.
I am not sure rental costs for children, or whether it is perhaps provided as part of the course in some places. But I would personally consider purchasing the equipment, if only second hand. It would be a lot less hassle and possibly cheaper or just as expensive but with more usage.
I use http://www.homeaway.com/ as a place to find chalets or apartments, you can filter for your needs and budget.
I find French resorts are a cheaper than Swiss ones, both skiing wise and out and about for food and entertainment. Not been to Austria yet.
Does it have to be Switzerland or you open to resorts elsewhere?
Ye-es, but there's ski school and then there's ski school. Some aim more to keep the kids occupied, rather than actually teaching them to become independent skiers. How old are yours anyway?
And if you've not skied for such a long time you may benefit from some brush-up lessons yourself. I know you say budget's a priority, but the investment may be worthwhile just in terms of your ability to walk at the end of each day
Skis. But yes, certainly. There's this shop in Laufen that many Baslers use - renting for the whole season generally costs less than just for one week in resort. Book early to avoid disappointment, and look carefully at the location. One that's half an hour away from the lifts may not be as good value as it first seems.
I'm not going to plug our own services and location here, as it may not be best suited to your needs, but if you do want to know any more about Engelberg or Prime Ski School then please let me know.
Having said that, if you're looking for somewhere to learn at weekends, before committing to a whole week away, then it probably is, given its proximity to Basel. And the Ski Academy is a great way to learn.
Austria is definetly cheaper thne Switzerland and from the pricing I have been informed its also cheaper than France. In Austria budget 500Euro for an apartment for a week for 4 people, then 30-40euros a day for an adult. Food is arouund 10 Euros a day (per person) on the ski field for pommes, gulash, drinks, bratwurst type meals
First thing I would recommend is NOT going to Switzerland for budget skiing, since all countries around are cheaper, accommodation, skipass and food wise.
Second, timing is also important, outside main season (= usually spring) prices drop (ie Saas Fee has 50% reduction in certain days, and that's some skiing there!)
Third, it's summer. Only skiing now I know of is above Zermatt and Saas Fee.
Fourth - now is maybe a good time to shop summer discounts in Germany/France, rather than renting for a longer period. In case you actually like the sport, which is not that hard
Fifth - it's not a cheap sport to do for a family, initial and continuous expenses wise. Can't avoid that much. If you want to cut continuous part, consider cross-country skiing (but it's more exercise than fun & adrenalin), or ski-touring (initial costs are even higher, but it's the BEST sport I ever did, and I had my share of fun with various sports out there
There a plenty of really good value ski resorts in Switzerland - but not Verbier or Zermatt fgs! How old are the children though- most ski schools do not take kids under the age of 4, and some 5- so check carefully.
One really good value resort for Switzerland is Torgon, at the start of Portes du Soleil. The ski area is huge, linking to Chatel, Chapelle d'abondance, Morgins, Champoussins and all the way to Champery-Les Crosets and Avoriaz, for very experienced skiers. But the local area alone is great. The Greenwich based Ski Company www.skicompany.net - has apartments, some for families, close to the beginners area- and the ski School. Very small village, just a couple of restaus (one right by beginners area and the beginners' area) a sports shop and a small supermarket.
Depends on dates too. When would you like to go? It could make a big difference to price and how busy the resort is.
Another really reasonable resort just over the French border, near Pontarlier, in the Jura, is Métabief/Jougne/Mt d'Or. Plenty of flats for rent near the Métabief beginners area and ski school (they take little ones from 4) and a good intermediate area on 3 sides of the mountains. Few of the instructors speak English, but our grand-kids just don't mind at all and love it there, and will be coming back next year in Feb.
I would argue that this might be a major investment in terms of being able to ski at all for the rest of the holiday, i.e. broken leg, twisted knee, colar bone etc... take your pick. New skis are very different to a while back, and may give you a false impression of your skills...
The sports shop that Ace mentions is Karrer sports ( http://www.sportshopkarrer.ch/ ). I reckon that about 75-50% of NW Switzerland hires their skis from there... (myself included... well my kids' stuff that is.).
The other thing to do is work out if it is cheaper to fly and ski, rather than to stay in CH and ski. The cost differential is so great, that heading to France, Italy and Austria (all achievable by train or car) and/or the Pyrenees (flying) can actually be cheaper - or at least you'll get more bang for your buck.
Correct. And you can change during the season if it's not right for you, which is particularly good for beginners, when it comes to properly-fitting boots.
And you can rent season-on-season and they buy the kit. Useful if you have no more growing to do.
If you have children, you can rent season-on-season but exchange as they grow. I think you can then also buy once the rent is over (i.e. you lease the skis).
I'm not a complete beginner (can get down most pisted runs even if i don't always look that good), but was a bit wary of buying my own skis straight away as I might grow out of them. So this would be perfect. Probably will buy my own boots though.