Activity Holidays

Specialist Reports Activity Holidays Activity Holidays Operators Offering Extra Childcare 

The following organise activities of various sorts for adults and children but also provide childcare for younger ones.

360 Sun and Ski

360 Sun and Ski, La Ruche, 306 route de Serveray, 74300 Les Carroz d'Ar?ches, France.
(France) + 33 4 50 90 31 80; from UK 0870 068 3180
360sunandski
Catered alpine chalet run by a family with two children of their own, looking to provide the sort of service the owners themselves appreciate.
Location Based in Les Carroz d'Arache, 40 minutes from Geneva on the road to Chamonix.
Dates June through October.
Activities Nothing is laid on by the chalet itself but the resort offers a swimming pool/leisure complex, walking, bike trails, mountain hiking and potholing, donkey trekking and pony/horse riding, all of which can be arranged for guests on demand. Lakes Geneva and Passy are close by, with sailing and swimming.
Ages Newborn upwards.
Accommodation Five decently sized suites with double bed plus bunk beds.
Childcare Full or half days, from newborn upwards, for as many days as wished, bookable in advance, or bookable by the hour in resort, to allow parents to change plans for example depending on the weather. The charge is €95 for six half days per child, or €175 for six full days, including lunch. Hourly rates, subject to availability, are €9 per child.
In addition in July and August Monday to Friday there is English-speaking care run by the resort for children 4-12 years with, for example, hikes, trips to the pool, nature activities, and indoor activities if needed.
Extras The chalet has been made safe for children, is equipped with baby equipment such as sterilisers and listeners, and has a range of entertainment options including videos, toys and books. Infant formula and nappies can be provided at cost unless you prefer to bring your own brand from home. Baby food can also be provided at cost if required unless you have a preferred brand from home, or the kitchen will 'blitz veg or other food to make a home-made baby mulch'. Meals for older children include breakfast (will try to get favourite cereals but can't guarantee it),afternoon tea and a two-course high tea. They will do their best to cook requests but standard items include homemade pizza and pasta, chickennuggets and sausages, plus fruit, vegetables, yoghurt and desserts.
Sample Price €585 per adult per week, accommodation and half board. Travelthere would be either by self-drive or flight to Geneva in which case a transfer can be arranged at €70 return per adult, children free. Alternatively the nearby stations of St Gervais le Fayet or Cluses are both on the TGV system, easily reached from Paris, with transfers available at €60 from St Gervais or €40 from Cluses. All children under 16 at the time of travel stay free of charge. This is generally limited to two children per adult but deals for more are negotiable. Food is payable at €40 per week for 1-3 years, €47 per week for 4-6 years, €55 per week for 7-10 years, €63 per week for 11-13 years, and €70 per week for 14-16 years.

Crystal Active

(0870) 888 0266; brochures (01235) 824 324
crystalholidays
A new programme for 2006, offering a wide range of activities in five different countries. The resorts are aimed at all ages and abilities, from novice to practising enthusiast. Crystal works with Carbon Neutral, encouraging clients to pay an extra £5 per person (£10 to north America and south Africa) to compensate for the carbon dioxide emissions from the holiday flight and pay for planting trees in UK woodland and invest in a renewable energy project on the Continent.
Location France (two resorts), Austria (six resorts), Italy, Andorra and Slovenia. Crystal childcare is available in Val di Fassa in Italy and Kaprun in Austria for children aged from 6 months to 5 years.
Dates May to September.
Activities The choice includes mountain-biking, windsurfing, paragliding, white water rafting, climbing, horse riding, summer skiing and more. Children can participate in some of the activities from 4 years. The two resorts offering childcare also provide kids' bikes for general use.
Ages Children are catered for from 6 months to 5 years at the resorts in Les Gets in Val di Fassa in Italy and Kaprun in Austria.
Accommodation Club Active properties are exclusively for Crystal guests, run by Crystal staff, and with a Crystal Active bike and hiking guide in every hotel who organises a daily programme of events. 'Specialised' bikes are kept in each hotel for the use of the guests. Crystal Active hotels, meanwhile, are based in resorts with a range of activity options and mountain bike hire is included in the holiday price. However, the hotels are not exclusive to the Crystal Active programme so suit those who prefer a quieter holiday or want to mix activity with sightseeing.
Childcare Pepi Penguin Club, for children aged 6 months to 5 years, operates in Val di Fassa in Italy and Kaprun in Austria. The cost is £25 for 4 morning or afternoon sessions, £50 per child for 4 full days (lunch not included). Activities include treasure hunts, picnics, adventure walks, games, painting and more. All children receive a Pepi Penguin pack, mid morning and mid afternoon snack.
Extras All the resorts offering childcare can also provide high chairs, cots and children's meals. Babysitting can also be arranged locally with the Crystal staff, subject to availability.
Sample Price A week in August at the Crystal Club Active Le Cairn in Chamonix, France, costs £639, including flights, transfers, full-board accommodation, use of mountain bikes and one additional activity. Kids aged 2-16 years get £200 off the brochure price when sharing a room with two adults.

Crystal Active Beach

(0870) 405 5038; brochures (0870) 402 0291
crystalholidays
Location France (West coast and Corsica), Turkey and Spain (Majorca).
Dates May to end September
Activities Include windsurfing, sailing, waterskiing, sea kayaking, surfing, diving, beach volleyball, yoga, biking (on- & off-road), hiking, tennis, table tennis, horse riding, canyoning, canoeing, wakeboarding and waterskiing. Some activities are included in the price, others cost extra. Check before booking.
Ages From babies up
Accommodation Varies from resort to resort. All Club Active resorts are exclusively for Crystal guests, run by Crystal staff.
Childcare Children are catered for from 6 months to 10 years at the Club Active Capicciolo near Propriano, Corsica, and at the Club Active Tamarisk Beach in Otakent, on the Bodrum peninsula in Turkey. The kids' club costs from £40 for 5 morning or afternoon sessions, £80 per child for 5 full days (lunch not included), and the cr?che costs from £70 for 5 morning or afternoon sessions, £100 per child for 5 full days (lunch not included).
Extras All the resorts offering childcare can also provide high chairs, cots and children's meals. Babysitting can be arranged locally with the Crystal staff, subject to availability.
Sample Price £229 per person, based on 4 sharing a Vivaldi mobile home in Le Vieux Port Campsite in Messanges, France, including 7 nights self-catering, scheduled return flights from Gatwick to Bordeaux, car hire and a free surf lesson. Discounts for children vary according to the resort.

Esprit Alpine Sun

185 Fleet Road, Fleet, Hampshire GU13 8AA
(01252) 618 300
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Part of the same operation as Esprit Ski. Commendably, special needs children are welcomed. The resorts have apparently been chosen to offer a range of styles from lively and active to laid back and relaxed. Short breaks are available in May, June and September. As with the ski programme a childcare guarantee means that if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the care and tell the operator why and what you consider a fair reimbursement, the amount will be paid back within two weeks of a written request. Extras on offer include free packed lunches, free drinks and ice lollies, free Esprit Welcome Wander, free entry to local swimming pools and free 'Snow Fun' on Kaprun's summer ski area.
Location Resorts in Austria, France and Switzerland.
Dates Mid-June to end August.
Activities Summer tobogganing and skiing, white water rafting, swimming, mountain biking, golf and paragliding along with hiking, including guided hikes with the resort-based Esprit Walking escorts.
Ages From 4 months.
Accommodation Catered chalets or hotels.
Childcare An Esprit Nursery operates in each resort for children aged four months to 3 years, five days a week (Tuesdays off), staffed by qualified British nannies. The nurseries are in dedicated rooms in either one of the chalets or hotels and cost £105 per child for three days or £160 for five. Staff to child ratios are under 1s, 1:2; 1-2s, 1:3; over 2s 1:4. Short break guests can book places by the day at £38. For older children (aged 3-11) Children's activity clubs - Alpies - operate three days a week throughout the season from 9.30am to 6pm including lunch. There are two Alpies clubs to ensure age-appropriate activities: Minis, for 3-6 year-olds, costing £95 for three days, and Maxis for 7-11 year-olds, at £109 for three days. Activities vary from resort to resort but may include nature trails, scavenger hunts, mini Olympics, rock climbing, husky walking, rollerblading, pirate treasure hunts, face painting, donkey walk, and picnics. Children aged 7-11 can try rock climbing and mountain biking, each resort offering a slightly different programme. A new club, ‘Teen Rangers', is a fun and active club for teenagers aged 12-15, with full days out white water rafting, ice climbing and snowblading. Six nights a week there is a free Cocoa Club where between 7.30 and 9.30pm an Esprit member of staff supervises all children of 3-plus not yet asleep. Activities will depend on the children's wishes but might include board games, videos, a mini disco and hot chocolate. There is free babysitting for children from 4 months staying in chalets or chalet hotels 7.30-11.30pm on the hosts' day off - generally Tuesday. For hotel guests babysitting can also be arranged one evening a week.
Extras An early high tea is served to children under 13 in all the chalets, with parents dining later. There's also free ice cream and free soft drinks all day for children.
Sample Price For a week in August prices start at £379 per adult and £159 per child in a catered chalet, half board. Price includes a Fast Ferry crossing for a car and five passengers. Free holidays for children on selected dates, but in most cases prices range from £99 to £309 per child depending on whether they share with parents or not and at some properties prices vary also between a first child and subsequent children.

Manor Adventure and Chateau Adventure

The Manor, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9BY(01584) 861 333
manoradventure;
chateaudubroutel
Manor Adventure offers four or seven-night all-inclusive activity holidays for families and unaccompanied children at its main base in Shropshire and at Chateau du Broutel in Picardy, France.
Location Shropshire in the UK and Picardy in France.
Dates Easter and summer in Shropshire, summer only in France.
Activities Archery, pottery, computing, tag rugby, face painting and discos are just some of the options for children. Adults can choose walking, golfing, or multi-activity holidays featuring climbing, caving and survival skills. On-site facilities in the UK include arts and crafts, and kite-flying for the youngest, and abseiling and assault courses for teenagers. In France family activity holidays offer a comparable range of non-competitive options, which family members can opt out of, and a Discover Picardy programme designed to let visitors explore the local area. In addition, lessons in conversational French are offered for over-7s, often including visits to local markets and shops.
Ages 3-plus can participate in activities with a Nursery Adventure (in France known as Chateau Mini Club) for 3-5 years.
Accommodation In the UK accommodation is in monitored dormitories for older children or for under 8s Woodland Village chalets with the family. In France it's a three-star chateau hotel with a mixture of single, twin, double and family rooms.
Childcare From 3-plus all activities are supervised - generally from 9am to 5pm. Under that age babies and toddlers are welcome but parents must stay to take care of them. At the Chateau the mini club operates for 3-5 years and 6-7 years.
Sample Price Vary according to age and activities. Seven nights in Shropshire, in summer, would be £389 per adult and £309 for children on a Kids' Adventure. Under 3s stay free. In France a week on the family activity holiday in summer would cost £379 per child and £549 per adult, including all meals and return ferry crossing with car.