Anyone done DIY short break with childcare?

a148pro

Would like to take the kids skiing but 7 days too long given ages and given wife probably won't ski

Wondering if anyone has ever sourced accommodation with child care themselves? The only way I could sell this is if there was very nice accommodation where wife can enjoy being and where there was some help with the 2 younger kids (1 and 2 and a half)

Anyone any tips?

aconnor

Try Zell am See or Bad Gastein. They are spa towns as well as ski resorts. Your first question would prob be, will your wife leave the kids in a strange creche in a foreign country. Check out the travel agents sites and see if any of their resorts cater for toddlers. I think there's a creche called Pepi in Zell am See. Some hotels offer childcare as part of their deal too. I'd say its not cheap though.

Rew

The last 2 years found a local nanny to take the kids during the day and many of the bigger resorts have creches becareful of your dates as everything sells out during local school holidays.

dzer2

In the bigger resorts Crystalski and top flight will have creche facilities available.
But if you book a resort contact the tourist board there and they will have a list of registered child minders. If your eldest is toilet trained the ski school in Kitzbuhel will take children from 3 onwards.

a148pro

From further research the kinder hotels in austria look to be best bet - every thing on site with austrian efficiency - full board, wellness, childcare, ski shop, ski school, shuttle bus. They will take a few days booking but not at peak season.

olaola

a148pro wrote: »

From further research the kinder hotels in austria look to be best bet - every thing on site with austrian efficiency - full board, wellness, childcare, ski shop, ski school, shuttle bus. They will take a few days booking but not at peak season.

We're staying in Hinterglemm, the hotel has childcare until 10pm! Separate dinner time for the nippers too, if you want. They'll take any amount of days for the booking, not just a week. And the good thing about it, there's two hotels in one (a 3* & a 5*) with the facilities of the 5*. So you can suit your budget. Ski in/ski out. And right beside the lift. Have own ski school/rental etc.

Flippyfloppy

olaola wrote: »

We're staying in Hinterglemm, the hotel has childcare until 10pm! Separate dinner time for the nippers too, if you want. They'll take any amount of days for the booking, not just a week. And the good thing about it, there's two hotels in one (a 3* & a 5*) with the facilities of the 5*. So you can suit your budget. Ski in/ski out. And right beside the lift. Have own ski school/rental etc.

Do you have any idea how much extra childcare costs?

olaola

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

Do you have any idea how much extra childcare costs?

It's free!! All included in the price. We're paying about €30 a day for him for half board & accommodation. He's sharing our room (he's 4) but there are loads of room types to suit. If you want to add lunch to the daytime care, it's €3.50 a day. He's going to be in ski school during the day, so they're going to bring him for lunch.

Flippyfloppy

olaola wrote: »

It's free!! All included in the price. We're paying about €30 a day for him for half board & accommodation. He's sharing our room (he's 4) but there are loads of room types to suit. If you want to add lunch to the daytime care, it's €3.50 a day. He's going to be in ski school during the day, so they're going to bring him for lunch.

That’s great! I had a look and the rooms left for when I want are quite pricey, but it’s still worth considering with half board and everything else included.

a148pro

And kid has no problem with presumably mainly german speaking child care? I assume they all speak english also anyway

Rew

a148pro wrote: »

And kid has no problem with presumably mainly german speaking child care? I assume they all speak english also anyway

Ive always found the Austrians have better English than the French, its been a struggle with ESF and the kids the last 2 years.

olaola

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

That’s great! I had a look and the rooms left for when I want are quite pricey, but it’s still worth considering with half board and everything else included.

There's a 3* star attached too, (https://www.stammhaus-wolf.com/) which uses the facilities of the 5* (pool, childcare, restaurant etc) There's 26 of us going, and the group is about half and half in each hotel.
The un-renovated rooms look a bit dated, but the new ones look quite nice!

olaola

a148pro wrote: »

And kid has no problem with presumably mainly german speaking child care? I assume they all speak english also anyway

Yep, they all speak English (along with a few other languages), so no problems at all.

olaola

Back a few weeks from Hinterglemm and we had a fantastic time. Both the hotel and the ski school were excellent for kids. The hotel was well located, a short walk to the school. But there was a little train that picked up the kids in the morning, which was a bit of a novelty. Can't fault the ski school, the teacher was kind and patient and the kids really enjoyed going (there were 4 from our gang) It was an English speaking class, so there was one other girl and few kids dropped in and out during the week. It was €256 for 6 full days, incl equipment rental. Lunch & supervision was an extra €13 a day. They really piled on the entertainment for the kids.

The hotel was really fab, on arrival, the kids got a branded toy - either a wolf teddy, or one of those plush pillow thingies. Small robes & slippers in their bedroom/chocolates on their pillows. There was a special kids buffet, which had pasta/schnitzel etc. It was different every night and had about 4/5 options. You could also get them food from the other buffet if you wanted. Big highlight was the self service ice cream counter.

The playroom was extensive and we were the only people with kids at the time, so the childcare was only open when we requested it. They made cookies, painted t-shirts and other activities. They seemed to really enjoy it. TBH we barely saw the little fella from one end of the week to the next! He is still going on about going back to 'finish his doggie' (some make and do thing they were doing) a few weeks later. The pools & spa area were also great.

Seriously considering booking next year again. It ticked so many boxes and even if you stayed in the 3* part of the hotel (which was dated, but spotless) you could avail of all the hotel had to offer. And it was right beside the Reiterkogel lift for us to get away in the morning. The Goasstall was just behind the hotel too.

We might head back this summer for a hiking holiday in the same hotel.

Flippyfloppy

It sounds amazing OlaOla, I will definitely look into it at some point in the future. Sounds like you guys had an amazing time!

Rew

We're not long back from Söll. Flights acom and transfer were with Direct Ski. We did a self catered apartment that was very central and 10 meters from the skibus stop. 2 year old went to kiko which is beside the gondola at ground level. He did 2h in the morning and 2h in the afternoon with 1.5h for lunch. Older 2 (4 and 5) did the same in skis school at the top of the gondola.

We did adult ski passes on the bus with Direct Ski and kids under 5 are free (they don't give them passes which is a bit annoying as not all the lifts had a child gate. Gear was rented in snow and fun which was beside the bus stop and our apartment. We took storage in the ski depot at the top under the gondola. Its quieter and cheaper up there then at the ground, so perfect for families and we didn't have to bring skis up and down every day.

First day was a hassle to get everyone and thing done, collected and deposited partially because we were running a little late our selfs. Every day we would grab the bus (they are pretty regular), we would split up and deposit the youngest to Kiko and the other 2 to ski school then ski for 2h then split up again to collect them all for lunch. We opted to do packed lunches most days as my wife and one of the kids have some food allergies but actually it worked out really well as it was much more relaxed then trying to get a table in a busy restaurant and feed 3 kids things they want to eat and saved a fortune in the process. The ski school and kiko will feed and supervise over lunch for €12 extra per day also. They give the kids drinks during the day and jellies, we have them a treat./snack in their pockets also.

There were lockers beside the ski depot so we dropped lunch in there first thing every morning. There were toilets, seats, heating, outside seats etc all in the depot area so it was perfect to camp out with the kids and when they were done eating they could play in the snow just outside the door. We would split up and drop them back and then ski for another 2h. At the end of the day we would split agin for pickups and one of us would take the 2 older ones skiing for an hour or so before depositing skis and heading down for the bus. Bus's home are a scrum and we did walk it once or twice but for a 2yr old its a bit far.

Loads of eating out and eating in options and we did both. There are 2 big well stocked supermarkets available one at either end of the town. Opening times at the weekend were crap though, that was a frustration. We did the sledding but its not suitable for young kids so once was enough! They could do with a sledding option for younger kids. Ski school is only 5 days so you do you own thing on the Friday. We had time to ski sat be opted not to this time.

Having been to France twice with the kids Austria was lightyears better for the family. Instructors were great, the kids progressed way more in the week, 2 older kids were out of the dedicated kids area on the slopes very quickly. We saw 5/6yr olds who had been there the year previous and they were brilliant skiers. The childcare options were better for 2yr old as well (we had to get a nanny in France). Kiko was a beautiful building with great staff and if we had wanted the 2yr old to do a bit of skiing they do that too but we opted not to this time.

olaola

Flippyfloppy wrote: »

It sounds amazing OlaOla, I will definitely look into it at some point in the future. Sounds like you guys had an amazing time!

It definitely ticked a lot of boxes!!

pgibbo

We were in Les Arcs this year with the 2 kids (2 & 7). It worked out really well. The 7 year old had been skiing in L2A 3 years ago. He was in Ski school (ESI) from 9:30 to 12. All the other kids in his class were French but he still loved it. The instructor had good English and he was flying at the end of the week.


We sourced a nanny using Safe Hands France. I have to say the service was excellent.



Our routine was nanny arrived at 9am. I brought the 7 year old out to ski school, which was beside our appartment. Myself and herself went went skiing until 1. The nanny met the 7 year old from ski school. The afternoons were a mix of family time and one of us going skiing with the 7 year old. I have to say it all worked really well.


We were lucky in that we hopped on a transfer that was sorted by friends of ours that were in the resort at the same time.


P.

a148pro

a148pro wrote: »

From further research the kinder hotels in austria look to be best bet - every thing on site with austrian efficiency - full board, wellness, childcare, ski shop, ski school, shuttle bus. They will take a few days booking but not at peak season.

OK so managed to do this trip now and would update as follows:-

Went DIY to Hinterglemm, place called the Ellmauhof. I think when I looked at Olaola's recommendation they couldn't give me a room with two beds in the hotel for the dates I was looking at, either way it didn't work out as well for my dates so didn't go with it, but as above it comes strongly recommended

Cost:

Flights for 5 were €600
Car rental, petrol and tolls €100 approx, 2 hr 40 transfer
Hotel - €2600 for four nights full board including kids club, not including ski school, lift passes or gear

Went on the Lufthansa flight which left and arrived both days at a reasonable time so kids weren't up late. The consequence was lost an extra day's skiing by not flying home late on the day of departure but would have been too much hassle

The hotel was absolutely superb, best place for kids I've ever stayed in. Little touches like crocodile shaped soaps, changing tables in every room and toilet, low sinks for kids in the toilets etc., they ask you what accessories you want brought to the room (bed guards for instance). It was also decorated really well in Alpine wooden style. Its perched on one side of Hinterglemm with a view of the other side, the bar faces that way which is nice. It has a small enclosed play are great for toddlers so you can enjoy a drink or coffee and they will entertain themselves. There was a very nice pool area with lylos and beds facing out onto the snow.

Kids club was very good and ran from 9 - 9 included in the price. Breakfast was superb, best I've had in the Alps, porridge and freshly squeezed OJ (neither of which I've ever seen in Alps) and reasonable coffee. There was a decent lunch and afternoon buffet. The usual suspect kid options.

There was loads to do in the hotel even without kids club or skiing. They had sledges out the back which you could bring the kids on, an activity room downstairs with slides, climbing frame etc, much like a pay in activity place in Ireland on a smaller lever. There was a nice petting area with rabbits and a little wooden house and slide and horses which you could apparently take for walks. There was a fussball air hockey and pool table on free play. Films every evening and pool with waterslide.

Downsides were the quality of food at dinner which was hit and miss. Also the adult wellness area downstairs wasn't great. I love my food and wellness but even this wouldn't prevent me going to this place again.

Hotel was ski in and out, BUT, this involves a T-bar and skiing a relatively tricky blue back to the hotel. Neither of these options are ideal for absolute beginners. If thinking of booking this place also bear in mind that it is entirely self contained and you wouldn't really be walking from the hotel down to the town.

The major problem with the trip was as follows:- we arrived on a Thursday and no ski school in the area would take our kids on the Friday, as it was the gala race novelty photo day, or on the Saturday as they aren't open on a Saturday. This was really frustrating in the circumstances. I wasn't sure if I was going to put one or both of the kids in to be honest but then had no choice.

The plus side of this was that I got to teach my 7 year old myself which was a joy. There is a little known, in fact, totally unknown free drag lift in Saalbach called the Kreuzkapell. I took him here to fall around for a few hours and saved us 70 euro on lift passes. Very frustratingly there were no magic carpets anywhere in the resort which could be used by people who weren't in ski schools. So I had nowhere to gently teach the 7 year old or the 3 year old.

Even more frustratingly there was a magic carpet at the back of the hotel where you could do a "try ski" session for 40 euro for 2 hours each day with the kids. I basically booked the hotel on this premise as wasn't sure if kids would like it and thought this was convenient. But it was the same gig with them - couldn't join on the Friday and it wasn't running on the Saturday.

Leaving this aside there are two nice beginner slopes with button lifts in the centre of Hinterglemm which were good with the kids, the 7 year old thankfully mastering the button lift immediately. Beyond this there was little you could take a total beginner on but to be honest I can't say how this compares to other resorts as I haven't really paid enough attention until now.

Another thing worth knowing for anyone heading out here is that they do a 10 euro lift pass for kids on a Saturday. Finally, from reading online reviews it seems while there is kids club all day they wont bring your kids to or take them back from ski school so you'd have to do that.

So the upshot:-

• if doing a DIY break with kids and planning on putting them into ski school make sure the school will actually take you on on the given days
• while teaching the kids yourself has its rewards, it is also frustrating and difficult and you can only really teach one at a time (unless you had a magic carpet maybe and older / very tolerant kids)
• if teaching them yourself might be an idea to try and find out if there is a magic carpet or other free / cheap lifts in resort and work out how to get there in advance
• I didn't ski without kids at all on this holiday so if you want to go skiing, maybe go without the kids!

On foot of the above, the advantage of this trip was that it was relatively cheap and there was lots to do in the hotel apart from skiing. If you're unwilling or unable to commit to a full week this is a viable chance to expose the kids to skiing.

The negative is there is a limit to how much kids would learn and retain over three days and if you go on a standard package ski holiday with ski school built in they will most likely make friends on the first day and then not bother you for the rest of the holiday as they just play with their friends in the hotel.

Rew

Were back to Soll again this year as they cater so well for very young kids.

Did it all DIY and all in for everything except food and drink, (1 week, 2 adults, 3 kids, passes x 3, gear x 5, ski school x 3) its €3.5k.

a148pro

That's super value, is that in an apartment? How does it Work with ski school and you skiing on your own, do you have to come back for them at lunch?

dzer2

a148pro wrote: »

That's super value, is that in an apartment? How does it Work with ski school and you skiing on your own, do you have to come back for them at lunch?

Its probably an apartment. In Austria the ski school is for the full day. 10 am to 3.30 pm. You pay 10 euros a day for the lunch and the instructor takes them to set restaurants at lunch time. You then ski away for the day and meet up at the end of class. This yr we used to arrange to meet at the top of the mountain and ski for an while with the little one before skiing down.
We done air bnb this yr. Apartment for 15 people was 1150 euro for the week including taxes and cleaning. We done 2 shops in the week for 435euro. This included wine and beer. Ski passes were on a deal by one and get 20% off another. When 2 adults rent skis the children are free. Thought the lessons were expensive 270 euro for 5 days. Luckily only one in lessons and she won her mini race on Thursday. Flights to munich were 45 euro return booked in May and car hire was 320 euro for a VW Caravelle. There are 2 families and a solo skier in the group.

Hope this helps

Rew

Yeah a 2 bed apartment in a good location (~900). Lessons are 2h in the am and 2h in the pm for all the kids in 3yr old. Were not doing the lunch option but as dzer2 says its 10 per day. 5 yr old and 3yr old are free for ski pass. Ill look at booking earlier next year to try bring some of the prices down (mainly flights). If we shared bigger acom with another family would def be cheaper also. We have used the family trips the last few years as a chance to get lessons for our selfs and improve our own skiing. Ill do another trip in March with the lads which will be full on 80-100km a day.

a148pro

To be honest its great to know that it can be done that reasonably. Anyone I'd talked to recently was dropping 7k plus on the week (albeit all inclusive) which is just not viable

Rew

a148pro wrote: »

To be honest its great to know that it can be done that reasonably. Anyone I'd talked to recently was dropping 7k plus on the week (albeit all inclusive) which is just not viable

Another big money saver is my wife and one of my kids have some food allergies so we picnic lunch. Makes the lunches pretty pleasant, no scrumming for a table in the restaurant and trying to figure out what the kids will half eat. We chuck the lunches in a locker in the morning, there is indoor and outdoor seats and toilets in the picnic area. For dinners we will cook half the nights and eat out the other half. We know all the supermarkets and their opening hours.

We store the skis and boots at the top so getting up there isn’t an ordeal trying to lug kids skis etc.

We just found the Trunki booster seat backpacks too. Much handier then trying to rent boosters with a car and safer on bus transfers.

I def think I can get it closer to 3k next year without any compromise in quality.

olaola

We're going back to the same hotel this year, but staying in the 3* part, as we're heading in February, and it's a lot more expensive!
We also went back in summertime, and it was really fantastic too.

Regarding the ski school, you're probably best to try and be on the snow for the Sunday. All the schools run Sun - Fri (with some private lessons on Sat) and the ski races will be taking place most of the day on Friday.

We're bringing the little one too, she's 3. So she'll do 1/2 days skiing, lunch with the ski school and then they look after her in ski school creche until we collect them both. Can't wait!