One of the best holidays i’ve ever had was our Ski trip to Austria. Of course, this was before children so we could make the most of the apres ski and have hours and hours of fun skiing down the slopes. I think what made it so good was that it was so different to our usual trips and the whole experience was just really good healthy fun.
Since we have had kids I’ve been really keen to take them skiing, but unfortunately I just haven’t been able to get together the funds. Its not that its any more expensive than a foreign holiday, its just that with three children to support its an extravagance booking a UK holiday cottage for us. However, if you have similar issues that doesn’t mean you cant enjoy the fun of the slopes here in the UK and I was thrilled when we were asked by Crystal Ski Holidays if the children would like to come and have a go at skiing at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.
Crystal Ski hosted a day of Skiing at the Snow Centre and provided childcare alongside lessons for the children to give the adults a flavour of their holidays. I know Crystal Ski are great operators for this sort of holiday because they hosted our Ski holiday. I was really looking forward to the day, if a little apprehensive about whether little Ned would be able to manage on ski’s without his mummy to cling to!
I didn’t have anything at all to worry about, the instructor was clearly used to three year olds and after a short while Ned was skiing a bit like a pro for someone his age. The boy and Fifi were simply enjoying the fun. I have to admit it was really awesome seeing them all enjoying themselves whilst learning a really healthy fun skill. They also got the chance to do a bit of sledging in the snow garden which was a great way to introduce them to the snow after a long hiatus here. In fact, I suspect this might actually be the first time that Ned can even remember any snow at all since last winter failed to deliver here in the UK.
I have to say that if you want a great fun day out with the kids which is a bit more unusual then a trip to an indoor Ski Centre is one of the best things you can do. Its good old healthy team building fun and something which I vow to do far more of after I saw them at The Snow Centre.
One of the things we got the chance to experience was Crystal Ski Holidays Childcare- the children’s hosts. I was very impressed because they all managed to get some words out of my incredibly shy children and by the end the kids were actually joining in with the activities and chatting away. If this is anything to go by I think they would be a valuable asset out on resort and enable the adults to get a bit of much needed ‘me time’ without any worry.
A family holiday away in the mountains has to be one of the best experiences you can give your children, not only will they learn a life skill, they’ll get a bit of exercise and see some amazing sights. If its something that you might consider then Crystal Ski have produced this really helpful guide. I was surprised to hear that it can be much more economical than I thought, average prices for a family of four can start from around £1500. I’m currently saving up as we speak!
Crystal Ski Holidays offer some great deals so its worth checking out what they offer. They fly from 23 airports and you can even travel by the Eurostar which could be very exciting. Here is the information they gave me, reproduced as I thought it would be useful:
Free places for kids
Take advantage of the free kids’ places on offer, there are great value family ski holidays to be had – the earlier you book, the more dates and accommodation you have to choose from.
- 81 properties offer free kids places for children under 11
- 135 properties offer free kids places for children under 15
Different ways to travel to your ski resort
Direct flights from 23 UK airports
Aberdeen
Belfast City
Belfast International
Birmingham
Bournemouth
Bristol
Cardiff
Doncaster/Sheffield
East Midlands
Edinburgh
Exeter
Gatwick
Glasgow
Heathrow
Isle of Man
Liverpool
Leeds/Bradford
London City
Luton
Manchester
Newcastle
Southampton
Southend
Stansted
Eurostar ski train (direct)
From London St Pancras or Ashford, Kent directly to the Alps
For a travel alternative that’s friendly on your wallet, your schedule and the environment, you can’t beat the Eurostar ski train:
- Check in one hour before departure.
- Baggage allowance of two medium-sized suitcases, one item of hand luggage and free ski carriage.
- Travel overnight on Friday for eight days of skiing – remember to grab an eight-day lift pass too.
- Shorter transfer to your resort – usually under 60 minutes.
Watch this video to see why kids love train travel to the Alps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxldHyoJ8rQ
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