Setting off on a family holiday can be a trial at the best of times, but when that holiday involves outdoor activities, cold weather, different people wanting to do different things and frequently high cost, it can become a headache many wouldn’t even consider. So, a ski holiday for both parents and children can be a challenge, and a potentially expensive one.
Finding the right resort is crucial. Les Gets in the Haute Savoie region of France is renowned for being family friendly, and with good reason. A compact, living, breathing year-round town with genuine alpine charm, rather than a purpose built ski resort, Les Gets prides itself on being friendly and accessible. A free of charge small motorized ‘train’ transports visitors around the resort, and there are also free shuttle buses, thus removing the need for driving which helps to gives the semi-pedestrianized village centre a more relaxed feel.
Access to the vast majority of ski runs is from either the Chavannes cable car or express chair lift, or from the Mont Chery cable car on the other side of the resort. The busier Chavannes side offers access to the whole of the Portes du Soleil’s massive 650km of pistes, made up of 12 linked resorts, straddling France and Switzerland. With the vast majority of runs in the blue/red band of difficulty, it’s a ski area perfect for families. Les Gets itself has plenty of beginner and intermediate graded pistes, easily linked together for straightforward full days.
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At the top of the La Croix chairlift is the children’s ‘Grand Cry’ green graded adventure trail, with all manner of wild west entertainment as they progress down the slope. On days when the kids are at ski school, or with daycare, there’s a wealth of trails for all levels of experience to be explored, and it’s easy to ski over to Morzine or even one of the further resorts, for a change of scene, if you’re up to it.
For non-skiers, or those looking for alternative activities, there are snowshoeing trails, cross-country skiing, ski-joering with horses, dog-sledding and even parapenting. There are plenty of non-active options too. At the heart of the village is a picturesque ice rink, just one of the many non-ski activities available in the resort, and great for both children and adults alike.
Other attractions for all the family include the Mechanical Music Museum, where you can see a huge collection of different musical boxes and mechanical music devices, La Fruitiere cheesemakers who do guided tours on a Wednesday morning, there are farms to visit, a pottery with demonstrations on a Wednesday afternoon and a street market. For children, there is a chocolate workshop every Thursday at 2pm and tobogganing near the ‘Vieux-Chene’ drag lift.
There are a variety of options for ski school and tuition in Les Gets, with the E.S.F (www.esf-lesgets.com) team delivering private or group lessons for both adults and children from 5 years up. E.S.F also run Club Piou-Piou for beginners from 3-4 years old, which combine ski tuition with outdoor and indoor games, and Ourson classes for 4 year olds and above, to learn to ski in a specially reserved area.
The 360 degrees International Ski School (www.ecoledeski360.com) offering introductory classes for children as young as 4, with a maximum of 5 children per group, as well as group or private lessons for children and adults and lessons where you can make up your own group from friends or family. Ile des Enfants (www.iledesenfants.com) also offer group and individual lessons for children from age 4. For really keen youngsters there’s ski instruction, including slalom, freeride and avalanche rescue from Ski Plus (www.skiplus-lesgets.com)
Accommodation in the resort is plentiful and varied, ranging from inexpensive self-catering apartments, to high quality chalet board and hotels. Most accommodation in the village is in attractive traditional Savoie style buildings.
Specialist family ski operator Ski Famille offers fully catered chalet holidays in eight chalets in Les Gets. Prices per person include 7 nights accommodation, breakfast, afternoon tea, children’s evening meal, pre-dinner drinks and three course evening meal with wine. 5 days of professional childcare. Channel crossings or rail/airport transfers. March departure in Chalet Negritelles or P’tit Pierre adults £760, child £650.
Visit www.skifamille.co.uk or call 0845 64 437 64.
Geneva is the most convenient airport for Les Gets, with a transfer time of just an hour. Flights to Geneva are available for as little as £115 per person return with Swiss (www.swiss.com) from Heathrow. Ski Transfers (www.skitransfers.com) offer transfers from Geneva to Les Gets for 240 Euros return for four people.
A 7 day ski pass for Les Gets and Morzine starts at 168.50 Euros for adults and 127.40 Euros for children between 5 and 15. For the full Portes du Soleil pass 7 days costs 232 Euros for adults and 165 Euros for children.
More info: www.lesgets.com
Lara Dunn, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
