Planning to take the kids skiing this winter? You’ll need to act sooner than you think, especially if you want guaranteed snow. The memory of last winter’s poor start to the season — lower resorts in the western Alps were brown and snowless at Christmas — has led many families to book early for Easter and February half-term this time around. Popular chalets and chalet-hotels, particularly those with the all-important nurseries or kids’ clubs, are filling up fast. On top of that, tour operators are braced for the usual September spike in demand: for a decent range of choices, you’ll need to get in now. Here’s the best of what’s left, across the season.
Easter
The two key weeks start on March 26/27 and April 2/3, and it doesn’t matter which you pick as long as you aim for a high-altitude resort. The more skiing it offers above 2,400 metres, the better.
Tignes, in France, serves up a fabulous mix of intermediate and expert skiing right up to 3,460 metres. What’s more, Mark Warner still has rooms in its buzzy and convenient chalet-hotel, the Aiguille Percée. A week from April 3 starts at £1,304 per adult and £1,054 per child — that works out at £1,179pp (0844 417 2326, markwarner.co.uk).
In neighbouring Val d’Isère, the posh chalet specialist Scott Dunn has a week from April 3 at the ski-in, ski-out Nepenthe for £2,400pp, including childcare (020 3627 4862, scottdunn.com).
Half-term
Yes, it’s the most expensive school-holiday week, but February half-term is also the most reliable for snow — despite the prices, it’s madly popular. Some of the smaller family specialists are reporting full programmes, but Ski Hillwood has space in the friendly, easy-skiing resort of Zauchensee, in Austria. A week from February 14 at the four-star Zauchenseehof costs £1,256pp, half-board, including childcare (01923 290700, familyskiholidays.com).
Advertisement
Ski Famille has rooms at Chalet Nicole, in La Plagne, France, which offers a mix of gentle pistes and challenging powder runs. A week from February 13 costs £1,609pp, self-drive, including Eurotunnel crossings (01252 365495, skifamille.co.uk).
New Year
Esprit has rooms in its Crystal 2000 chalet-hotel, on the edge of an easy piste at the top of Courchevel, France. Beginners take a bus down to the nursery slopes, but for everyone else, it’s the perfect springboard into the vast Three Valleys ski area. A week from December 27 costs £1,329pp (01483 345803, espritski.com).
The Family Ski Company has £300pp off a week in the French hamlet of Ardent, which is relatively low-lying, but offers lift access to the more snowsure slopes of Avoriaz. From December 27, a week costs £919pp, excluding flights (01684 540333, familyski.co.uk).
Christmas
It’s always been the least popular and cheapest school-holiday ski week, and more so after last year. Another snow drought is unlikely, but this far out, high-altitude snow offer extra peace of mind. Neilson has a week from December 19 in Les Deux Alpes, France — topped by a broad, intermediate-friendly glacier — for £690pp, staying at the Le Crêt chalet-hotel (0333 014 3351, neilson.co.uk).