Ski resorts with a baby

Rippeditup

Hey,

Looking for advice on good resorts for families (6 month old baby).

Things we are worried about

• child minders
• transfers
• quality of the skiing
• access to the slopes (preference is ski to door)

Anyone any experiences?

Preferene is France but open to change..

Thanks

Fattes

Call Mark Warner best in the business for family holidays in France

a148pro

My bro recommends flaine - quite close to Geneva airport too, says it was quite family orientated but his youngest was 3 at that point

I went last year with a 8 month old to argentiere in the chamonix valley, I only skied 3 days in the end, and the missus didn't ski at all so I can't comment on child care. Depending on age and tastes of the baba I can recommend staying in a place with a decent, and warm, pool if at all possible as provides an easy diversion.

Rippeditup

Thanks guys.. The pool idea is great as he loves the water and will give us something to do in the afternoons with him.

dzer2

Hi Have a list of recommended baby sitters from KItzbuhel if thats any good for you dont think the snow is great at the moment. We have used both the creche and a personnel sitter who came to the apartment. We took the children at 6 wks, 6 months and a yr old never had a problem. Also check out crystal ski as they have creche facilities at some resorts.

Hope you get sorted,

olaola

I am thinking the same thing as we're going to be in this situation next year! Hoping to go back to Saalbach (Hotel Panther) as it's very central & they've a lovely heated pool.

Any info you get this year would be greatly appreciated - I'm just thinking how am I going to sterilise bottles in the room etc! So many things to figure out...

dzer2

olaola wrote: »

I am thinking the same thing as we're going to be in this situation next year! Hoping to go back to Saalbach (Hotel Panther) as it's very central & they've a lovely heated pool.

Any info you get this year would be greatly appreciated - I'm just thinking how am I going to sterilise bottles in the room etc! So many things to figure out...

No problem you can buy a tablet in the chemist and dissolve it it hot water and leave the bottles in for an hour. A lot of the places in Austria have rooms for breast feeding and offer them to you when you go in.

olaola

Any recommendations on what to do in a ski resort while pregnant?
I'm going in 2 weeks (fingers crossed!) and will be about 28 weeks. Might try a hike, snow shoeing or even some cross-country skiing. Depending on how I feel on the day. I have days where I'm full of beans, and others I'm happy to snooze and lounge.

Fattes

I would stick to the snow shoeing, cross country skiing is actually quite tricky! Plenty to do around most resorts, most do day trips to near bye bigger towns!

olaola

Fattes wrote: »

I would stick to the snow shoeing, cross country skiing is actually quite tricky! Plenty to do around most resorts, most do day trips to near bye bigger towns!

We're renting cars, so might pootle around the different villages. And there's a train station in Westendorf, so Kitz etc are only a few mins away if the roads aren't clear.

a148pro

Re sterilizing there are some bags you can get that do that too rather than bringing the whole sterilizer, maybe google that and if not get back to me and ill ask my missus how it was done

a148pro

Also possibly some useful info here - though I haven't read thread, or do a search on that forum generally for other people's recommendations

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=106084

olaola

a148pro wrote: »

Re sterilizing there are some bags you can get that do that too rather than bringing the whole sterilizer, maybe google that and if not get back to me and ill ask my missus how it was done

I saw those alright! I'd need a microwave though, I could always ask the hotel to put one in the room I suppose!

I bought a cheap & cheerful ski rigout in Aldi today. Softshell men's jacket & ladies salopettes for about €51, keep me warm and dry for when I'm swanning around town drinking LOTS of hot chocolate

fannymagee

If you're 26 weeks now Olaola you mightn't need sterilising equipment at all by next season? Baby will hopefully be on solids etc by then, and crawling around chewing all sorts of unsterile things! A good wash in hot water should do for most things, and the sterilising tablet for the rest :-)

Enjoy your hot chocolate for two!! ;-)

olaola

fannymagee wrote: »

If you're 26 weeks now Olaola you mightn't need sterilising equipment at all by next season? Baby will hopefully be on solids etc by then, and crawling around chewing all sorts of unsterile things! A good wash in hot water should do for most things, and the sterilising tablet for the rest :-)

Enjoy your hot chocolate for two!! ;-)

That's what I'm wondering. TBH I don't really have a clue when I need to stop sterilising.

I. CANNOT. WAIT. For my hot chocolates with MOUNTAINS of whipped cream! I've been researching mountain huts that are easy to get to for walkers so I can meet the guys for lunch etc.

fannymagee

Ah you'll figure it all out when the baby comes, its different for everyone but they usu start on solids somewhere between 4-6 months, earlier for bottle fed, later for breastfed, and the sterilising gets less and less as they get stuck into more 'regular' food. It'd be very hard to plan this far in advance! Maybe stick up a thread on one of the parenting forums closer to the time, if you're weaning abroad it's helpful to have a good idea of what you're going to mash up/puree at dinner time!

In the meantime, enjoy this trip!! Sounds lovely

Fattes

olaola wrote: »

I've been researching mountain huts that are easy to get to for walkers so I can meet the guys for lunch etc.

Why walk plenty of them in Saalbach at the top of the bubbles

olaola

Fattes wrote: »

Why walk plenty of them in Saalbach at the top of the bubbles

We're going to Westendorf Ah yeah, I mean ones within walking distance of a gondola. Not the ones only accessible by skiers.

flikflak

There is a big restaurant at the top of the main gondola in Wesite so you can meet them there - plenty of sun chairs outside too if the weather is good.

If you have a car then you can also head to Kitz, St Johann, Kufstein or Worgl for a potter around the towns. Or hop on the train to Innsbruck for a look around.

Also there is the indoor/outdoor pool in St Johann which might be nice for the afternoon (not sure if there is a pool in Westie and not sure if there is an indoor one in Kitz, I know there is an out door in the summer).

Ski schools usually have a creche service and I am sure they will also have staff who will babysit after hours for a fee.

coley

olaola wrote: »

I saw those alright! I'd need a microwave though, I could always ask the hotel to put one in the room I suppose!

I bought a cheap & cheerful ski rigout in Aldi today. Softshell men's jacket & ladies salopettes for about €51, keep me warm and dry for when I'm swanning around town drinking LOTS of hot chocolate

We have used these http://www.mothercare.ie/mothercare-cold-water-steriliser-bags-7-pack.html before while away skiing. Worked out fine.

-Coley.

olaola

flikflak wrote: »

There is a big restaurant at the top of the main gondola in Wesite so you can meet them there - plenty of sun chairs outside too if the weather is good.

If you have a car then you can also head to Kitz, St Johann, Kufstein or Worgl for a potter around the towns. Or hop on the train to Innsbruck for a look around.

Also there is the indoor/outdoor pool in St Johann which might be nice for the afternoon (not sure if there is a pool in Westie and not sure if there is an indoor one in Kitz, I know there is an out door in the summer).

Ski schools usually have a creche service and I am sure they will also have staff who will babysit after hours for a fee.

Yup, have a car - so plan to spin around Kitz etc. Might take the train too, just for a bit of an adventure! Our hotel has a pool, so I can use that. I'm hoping for a bit of sun, so those sunchairs sound like the biz. I never thought about Innsbruck - good idea!

olaola

coley wrote: »

We have used these http://www.mothercare.ie/mothercare-cold-water-steriliser-bags-7-pack.html before while away skiing. Worked out fine.

-Coley.

Ah, perfect! Thanks a mill

Rippeditup

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

We went with Highlife who seem to get great reviews and a catered chalet with other families so it should be quite enough.

Now for the end of February to roll on as I cannot wait to hit the slopes.

olaola

Rippeditup wrote: »

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

We went with Highlife who seem to get great reviews and a catered chalet with other families so it should be quite enough.

Now for the end of February to roll on as I cannot wait to hit the slopes.

Oh lovely, we went with them a few years ago and it was lovely. Really nice staff, food etc. And it was so handy for being picked up & dropped off. Where you going?