Skiing Operators

Specialist Reports Activity Holidays Skiing Skiing Operators Ski Famille 

	Ski Famille
Unit 2, Clare Hall, Parsons Green, St Ives, Cambs PE27 4WY			MAP
tel: (0845) 64 437 64

A company catering only to families at Les Gets and Portes du Soleil (just over an hour from Geneva), established in 1989. Overall 1:3 staff to client ratio. Accommodation is in chalets chosen for ski to door locations and equipped with hi-fi, videos, tape libraries, hair dryers, washing machines, irons and range of childcare equipment. Some have small playrooms. Reports that many guests come with another family and take over one of the smaller chalets as a party.

No-smoking chalets or rooms

Yes.

Care in same chalet or hotel

Yes, in small in-house nurseries.

British-qualified staff

A childcare manager, staff with childcare or nursing qualifications, plus experienced nursery helpers. All attend a paediatric first aid course and are Criminal Records Bureau checked.

Staff to child ratio

1:3 average but may vary according to children's ages.

Ages to qualify

From newborn, principally for younger children but up to 12. Warns that older children usually want to ski so an escort service to and from ski school is offered.

Childcare

Nurseries staffed 9am to 4.30pm except Wednesday when ski school escort is offered, and Saturday. Child care service free. Children's snack lunches €4 each. Nurseries can be used unsupervised in the evenings.Playrooms include toys for all ages, books, games, paints, paper, small chiars, small table, TV, video player, children's films, cartoons, and sledges for use outside.

Exclusive child ski lessons in English

Yes, ski safaris, called Freeriders, run by Ski Famille director Tim Scott, are offered for a minimum of three hours, five days a week. Aimed at more experienced young skiers of 8-plus with at least four weeks of skiing experience, they are designed to broaden ski experience, covering bump runs, snowblades, or learning to ski in powder. There is no predetermined format, this being based on the class abilities and weather conditions.

The fee of about £75 per child for five days is reported to compare with a price around double that for an equivalent amount of time in ski school.

For less experienced children recommend the resort's British-run and staffed ski school British Alpine Ski School (BASS). There is also the French ESF and 360 International though here in particular the English-speaking instructors may be fully booked at peak times.

Babysitting

Yes, €8 an hour per nanny. The number of nannies required, depending on age and number of children, will be decided by the childcare manager.

Other

Children's evening meals at 5pm. There is an effort to produce healthy, balanced set meals for children though because of problems with availability fruit may not always be available.
Tailormade children's rooms with night lights, children's books and decor.
Free cot linen and sterilisers, bottles, bibs, high chairs, feeder cups, baby foods, and intercoms.
Nappies sold at cost price.
Almost all rooms have basins, soap and hand towels and each family usually has a bathroom or shower room for exclusive use.

Adult guide price

£492 in a chalet.

Child offers

Under 2s £295, to 12 years aprox 15% discount off adult price.