“Why do we ski”? asks my youngest child as we sit on a chairlift, snowflakes coating the landscape infinite white. Silence fills the air, our voices the only sound. Suddenly the clouds part and we glimpse blue, shards of sunlight sprinkle the trees – sparkling rays sending the world into a twinkling winter wonderland.

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3 Reasons to Love a Ski Holiday

Skiing is a pastime that can be enjoyed as a family, irrespective of age.

As a family we have enjoyed numerous holidays on the slopes and I have to say that each time we go I get better at the planning and execution. Because I won’t lie – skiing holidays are hard work. From the amount of gear you need to pack to keeping tabs on differing needs and ability within your group.

We try to go to a new ski destination each trip, with this comes another host of challenges – where to stay, what ski schools to use, how to get there.

However there are a few constants.

At this time every year I begin to plan our next family overseas ski holiday. Four things top my list;

Book ski accommodation early – the best options disappear fast (ski-in ski-out or a handy shuttle bus is our preference).

Get fit – aching limbs are one thing, but inadequate physical fitness (cardio and strength) can quickly render you sitting this holiday out. Take some time pre-trip to get fit.

Ski Gear – packing for a ski holiday with kids (I have written before about the mistakes I have made, what you should pack to make every attempt to have happy, warm and dry kids).

Travel Insurance – this is one holiday where all travel insurance is not created equal – accidents can happen and this is one holiday you really need to be certain your needs are going to be met. You don’t need to be a high speed downhill skier to become injured.

Touch wood we have not sustained any family injuries, however I have numerous friends who have slipped on ice (there may or may not have been a glass of lunch time wine involved), or kids have taken a jump into snow and twisted a limb, cold weather can bring on bad colds (even local GP’s can cost a fortune overseas) – and we all have lost luggage stories.

Read the fine print and make sure you are adequately covered; one provider who offers an add-on is Cover-More Ski Travel Insurance. 

Exhilaration, beauty, peace, luxury, fresh air, food – this is why we ski.

STAY

There is something magnificent about waking to a world of white. Cosy Chalets – with views of the Alps – nestle on the mountainside. Feather soft beds, crackling fires, nights spent with a glass of wine, family board games replacing electronics. Looking for inspiration?

Our recent favourites:

Les Eglantines – a stunning private, luxury Chalet in Les Gets (the Portes du Soleil region of the French Alps). Pictured in the images below.

Lions Square Lodge – Lionsquare Vail, a true ski-in, ski-out Condominium Hotel.

The Ridge – Hakuba, Nagano Region, Japan. Western luxury with  Japanese flavour.

Prior to booking I research whether a property is in close proximity to the ski school meeting place and lift ticket offices – paramount for a family ski holiday (one too many times I have been subjected to lugging several pairs of skis, while trying to hold hands of children slipping on the ice). Are supermarkets close by (skiing makes you hungry), a cosy bar (what is being in the snow without Apres Ski), a drying room (having been down the path of drying sodden mittens with a hairdryer), and a spot where the boys can hang with other kids – because everyone needs their space.

EAT

Here’s a skiing food story: my sister and I have just walked a kilometre through sub-zero termperatures, leaving our husbands and children in the cosy chalet. My limbs ache, the dull throb that comes from hours of excursion for a body more accoustomed to spending the day at a computer.

Stamping the snow from our boots, we push open the door of the restaurant. Music is playing and the blast of warm air tingles. We are seated fireside and I let my sister take charge of ordering the meal – my French is embarrassing and hers is fluent – no contest.

Fifteen minutes later I am introduced to a taste sensation – local ‘Savoyard’ cuisine. Tartiflette – a bowl of steaming potatoes, Reblochon cheese, creamy sauce and lardons – popular in the French Alps for hundreds of years – magnificent on a cold night. I go back every night for the next 10 days – it is so very good.

I confess, I ski to eat. There are some foods that need cold weather and exertion to truly enjoy the indulge. A typical days skiing can burn up to 3,000 calories – the perfect excuse to say Bon Apetite – and enjoy…

DO

I need Apres with my Ski. Soaking in a hot hub as snow falls on your head. Crossing glacier fed streams at high speed on Ski Mobiles. Shopping for fashions that would look bizarre any where except for on the slopes (moon boots and fluffy hats spring to mind).

Do you believe in the magic of a Ski Holiday?

Do you always leave home with Travel Insurance?