Where to go with non-skiing toddler?

It's too many years since we went skiing... Next season our son will be
2.5; probably just too young to want to put him on skis, but I'm hoping old
enough for him to enjoy playing with snow, being pulled around on a sledge,
etc. Question is where to go... We don't want to put him in a playgroup
(he's in full-time nursery generally, so it seems important not to do yet
more of that on holiday) but we would both like to get *some* skiing in. We
could use day passes and alternate days. I seem to remember hearing,
though, that some resorts offered a single lift pass that could be shared
between two parents, for just this purpose. That would give us greater
flexibility, which would be nice. Does anyone know which resort(s) do this?

Besides that, any suggestions of good places to go for this kind of
holiday, i.e., some skiing but also quite a lot of general hanging around
and snow play? Some criteria I can think of for the ideal place, in no
particular order:

- slopes, village centre and accommodation all close together

- car-free village centre

- fun intermediate skiing without having to do half an hour on lifts to get
to it (we're both intermediates, plus or minus)

- easy to get to, train or short coach transfer (we won't be driving)

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 17:23:02 +0100, Sidheag McCormack
wrote:

I seem to remember hearing,
though, that some resorts offered a single lift pass that could be shared
between two parents, for just this purpose. That would give us greater
flexibility, which would be nice. Does anyone know which resort(s) do this?

I'm going to suggest Flaine, always a stand-by favourite of mine. The
lift pass there is electronic with no photo attached, so there'd be no
problem at all with buying a week's one and swapping it around. As
long as you didn't mention that you were doing so, of course :-)

Besides that, any suggestions of good places to go for this kind of
holiday, i.e., some skiing but also quite a lot of general hanging around
and snow play? Some criteria I can think of for the ideal place, in no
particular order:

- slopes, village centre and accommodation all close together

Check. Two nursery areas, one at the upper (Foret) level and one lower
down at Flaine Forum, where they run a creche facility.

- car-free village centre

There is access for cars, but the 'centre' (i.e. the Forum area) is
not accessible to them Even on what roads there are, it's very light
except on transfer days.

- fun intermediate skiing without having to do half an hour on lifts to get
to it (we're both intermediates, plus or minus)

Plenty of access to all levels of skiing

- easy to get to, train or short coach transfer (we won't be driving)

1.5 hours from Geneva.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!

Sidheag
^^^^^^^
I have to ask - how is that pronounced? Most Irish-spelt names have
some English spelling alternative, but I can't for the life of me work
that one out.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

Ace writes:

I'm going to suggest Flaine [...]

Thanks! I'll look into that.

Sidheag
^^^^^^^ I have to ask - how is that pronounced? Most Irish-spelt names
have some English spelling alternative, but I can't for the life of me
work that one out.

SHE-ack. It's Scottish Gaelic actually, not Irish Gaelic; dunno if that
makes a difference in this case. (It's a screen name.)

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003

What about Austria.??
They are very children friendly.You could try Wagrain or Maria Alm or
Filzmoos. Unfortunately we don't have any where for you to book yet . We are
moving to Austria from UK to buy a Bed and Breakfast or self catering
apartment house.

Nigel

--
Winter and Summer holidays in the alps!!!
www.austrianfamilyholidays.co.uk

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:15:57 +0100, David Mahon
wrote:

I don't know that any of the resorts have photo-ID now, at least for
visits of less than 10 days. Usually you have an electronic card that
never comes out of your pocket and is read by the lift from 20-30cm
away.

So you can buy one lift pass and share it, virtually anywhere.

You need to be careful, though. In several Swiss resorts (and the
French part of P. de Soleil?) they do take a picture of you which is
stored on the card, even if you can't see it, and is flashed up on a
monitor every time you pass the gate. The only ones I can be sure of
this are Verbier and Meiringen/Hasliburg, but it may also be true in
others.

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ace" wrote in message
...
So you can buy one lift pass and share it, virtually anywhere.

You need to be careful, though. In several Swiss resorts (and the
French part of P. de Soleil?) they do take a picture of you which is
stored on the card, even if you can't see it, and is flashed up on a
monitor every time you pass the gate. The only ones I can be sure of
this are Verbier and Meiringen/Hasliburg, but it may also be true in
others.

In Zermatt they do this for the (free for under 9) child pass but not for
the adult pass. Presumably because you have to prove the child's age when
you get the free pass.

"Ace" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 21:15:57 +0100, David Mahon
wrote:

I don't know that any of the resorts have photo-ID now, at least for
visits of less than 10 days. Usually you have an electronic card that
never comes out of your pocket and is read by the lift from 20-30cm
away.

So you can buy one lift pass and share it, virtually anywhere.

You need to be careful, though. In several Swiss resorts (and the
French part of P. de Soleil?) they do take a picture of you which is
stored on the card, even if you can't see it, and is flashed up on a
monitor every time you pass the gate. The only ones I can be sure of
this are Verbier and Meiringen/Hasliburg, but it may also be true in
others.


No photo required for PdeS last year - so I'd suggest trying Avoriaz which
is car free and where they organise quite a few fun sessions in the centre
of the town - also good for tobogganing . It's mainly self catering
apartments which may or may not suit. Like Flaine it's quite close to Geneva
so transfers are not too long.

--
Paul Schofield

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana

Paul Schofield writes:

No photo required for PdeS last year - so I'd suggest trying Avoriaz
which is car free and where they organise quite a few fun sessions in
the centre of the town - also good for tobogganing . It's mainly self
catering apartments which may or may not suit. Like Flaine it's quite
close to Geneva so transfers are not too long.

Ah, that's another good thought, yes. Self-catering is probably what we
want, thought ideally there'd be lots of informal restaurants as well so
that we wouldn't actually have to self-cater that much.

Thanks everyone for the thoughts about lift passes without photos! I'm a
pathological rule-follower though, so probably wouldn't want to do that:
it'd ruin my holiday because every time I went on a lift I'd worry that
someone was going to stop me this time :-/

Sidheag
DS Colin Oct 27 2003

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 10:28:08 +0100, Sidheag McCormack
wrote:


Thanks everyone for the thoughts about lift passes without photos! I'm a
pathological rule-follower though, so probably wouldn't want to do that:
it'd ruin my holiday because every time I went on a lift I'd worry that
someone was going to stop me this time :-/

Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it (except for photo-ones, as
mentioned). Not only could they not tell who it was issued to, they
wouldn't care either. They don't even associate a name with the lift
pass (in Flaine, at least).

--
Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"David Mahon" wrote in message
...
In article , Sidheag McCormack
writes
snip
I don't know that any of the resorts have photo-ID now, at least for
visits of less than 10 days. Usually you have an electronic card that
never comes out of your pocket and is read by the lift from 20-30cm
away.

Just to be picky, in the La Clusaz area last season (Feb 2005) you needed a
photo-ID on the six-day lift pass, and it was checked at the gates quite
frequently. My advice would be to ask about parents sharing when buying any
'anonymous' pass, so as to avoid nasty surprises later.

Steve