I'm looking into taking my family away for Christmas this year. I have two children which will be 8 and nearly 6 and I want to go somewhere really magical at Christmas time. Where would people suggest? It needs to be as snow sure as possible which i know is never guaranteed, however ideally Id want the boys to experience a white Christmas at resort level so relatively high up with plenty of Santa and Christmas activities going on (it may be the eldest last in which he believes!).
Also the resort would need to be family/kid friendly with good kids runs, as they are both still very much learning.
Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks
Mike
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Tignes le Lac
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Any preference over mode of travel, type of accommodation etc?
Norway I’d say is best bet for snowsure - but cold and short days at Xmas
High French resorts aren’t known for being scenic - possible exception of Arc 1950
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thank you for all the responses.
Me and my wife have been lapland before (Finland) and loved it and is still an option, however when we went it cost £350pp for a week over new year!!! It was just before lapland went crazy!
To do the same now and take the boys it would cost the same as a catered chalet in the alps! Hence my thought process to go catered chalet over Christmas, longer days, not in the minus 20s, great food and drink, lots to do including santa, dog sledding, skidoo etc without even mentioning skiing inbetween!
Will fly there wherever we go.
After all it is free
After all it is free
I think the premise is questionable.
We've been most Christmases since 2009 (France).
Ski resorts are not per see Christmassy. Though I guess it depends what Christmassy is to you.
Snowy - yes, for sure if you go high it will be. But high can also be bleak - with no trees, short days. In lower resorts (with trees) more 50/50.
Santa - don't recall much Santa activity but then we didn't go searching. Bear in mind I believe for most of continental Europe Christmas Eve is the big meal/present opening. My wife is German so that is when we do it. But talking of presents, by going skiing, you limit your scope for present giving/opening.
Food - A turkey roast on Christmas Day ain't happening. As above Eve is the big one - though we've never done it - but it wouldn't be turkey anyhow.
Decorations - resorts tend to be have lights, be quite showy all season - it's not a big transformation. We took a mini artificial tree and lights with us. But we drive.
Things like dog sledding or skidooing are available (in some places) all season.
Some places do hand out chocolates at the lifts on Christmas Day.
You do see a few people in costumes skiing.
Some places might do a welcome drink Vin Chaud type thing on Christmas Eve rather than their normal day.
For us we would ski Christmas Eve, try to cook something a little bit special, have a few presents and that would kind of be that. Christmas Day was a normal ski day. But we are not big Christmas people and just liked being in the mountains and skiing.
Our experience is France, I think Austria may be a bit more Christmassy but others would know better than I on that.
I don't wish to poo poo the whole idea just talk of our experience, set the expectation.
Last edited by After all it is free on Tue 5-03-24 12:03; edited 1 time in total
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Head to Finland, lapland, what ever you would like to call it, but DO NOT book it as one of the 'Santa Deals'!
In the past, 5 of us have gone to Levi Finland for a weeks 'Ski holiday' and it's cost circa 5K. Call it a 'Santa holiday' and the TOs whack the price right up.
This year we are scrapping the TOs and doing ourselves at essentially 2 weeks for the price of one. OK, it means not having a direct flight, but it only adds an hour on to the journey with a connection through Helsinki.
Levi is only 20muns tops from the airport which is a huge advantage, plus it keeps you further away from the screaming hoards of kids .
Still extremely magical and we see it as a winter holiday rather than a ski holiday. We spend half the day skiing, and the other half sledging, snow shoeing, snow mobiling, huskies, pony rides, reindeer, ice fishing, so on and so on. Again, don't book these through a TO, book them in resort - I find the Scandinavian Travel Group the best value for money. Other advantage of booking yourself is greater flexibility, and again, you tend to stay away from the snotty kids and irate parents who have booked through the TOs
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Santa is not a continental thing. Often considered 'too commercial' as well, not fitting for the major religious event Christmas is. Anglo-saxon Santa Claus originates from St.Nicolas. But in Europe the feast of St.Nicolas is celebrated on his name day December 5., not during Christmas.
Christmas in Central Europe is a much more solemn event. Traditionally the Christmas tree would be put on the morning of December 24., not earlier. And in many (smaller) hotels it still is like that today.
Skidoo: hardly available, mostly used by professionals. Often simply not allowed because of safety.
Best traditional village with best snow chances is Lech am Arlberg in Austria. And yes, it is glorious during Christmas, with plenty of Christmas lighting, horse drawn sleighs and its beautiful church in the middle of it all. And a stunning cable-car served toboggan run between Oberlech and Lech! http://youtube.com/v/57dP-4fY1xM
Other good options are Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I'd throw Avoriaz in the mix. Quite good looking (for a purpose built resort), completely car free with horse drawn sleighs for taxis and even a normal week they light up the sleighs one evening a week so I'd imagine there's more of that Christmas week. Oh and as for snow I think it's fair to say snowfall's been poor this season - but was in Avoriaz at Christmas and there was still snow everywhere.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Lech is a nice place to go but if it's anything like it used to be you will have to book very early for Christmas it's a very popular resort at that time.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Quote:
you will have to book very early for Christmas
and pay a great deal of money.....
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Magical, snowsure at village level, inexpensive - choose any two. If you want all 3, the options are really limited.
Arc 1950 (someone mentioned above) ticks all the boxes:
- completely pedestrian
- chalet style buildings
- Christmas tree and lights everywhere
- English xmas music playing in the main square
- lots of space to mess in the snow and sledge for kids within sight of parents relaxing with vin chaud in one of the bars.
Expensive and if you want turkey, bring one with you and be prepared to cut it up for cooking - not all apartments have ovens.
We go skiing for Christmas every year and when the kids where at the believing age, we had a standard procedure:
Make kids write a note to Santa to bring the smaller presents to us in France and leave the big ones under the home tree. Evening before departure put the mince pies, carrots, milk and the note under the tree. When everyone is in the car ready to go, while doing the last checks around the house, I would pull out the presents, munch the pies, durink the milk and hide carrots back in the fridge, making a reasonable amount of mess.
This way kids get the small presents on the Xmas day and have something to look forward to on the way back.
Of course this works best if you drive, then you can take mini tree with you, basic decorations, etc.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 5-03-24 13:15; edited 2 times in total
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
bring one with you and be prepared to cut it up for cooking - not all apartments have ovens.
Reminds me of taking a shepherd's pie for a weekend on a boat which, I was assured, had an oven. It didn't (and no microwave either). My pie, which had looked very appetising, wasn't the same after it had been heated up in two separate saucepans with lots of stirring to stop it sticking to the bottom. But hungry sailors will eat anything, unlike 6 and 8 year olds.
The important thing with young kids, in my experience, is to be somewhere with snow right outside your door, so they can play in the snow (take a few little plastic buckets and spades) whilst you sit in the warm, ready to sort them out when they come in wailing with freezing little pink hands and snow which their brother put down the back of their neck.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Mjit wrote:
I'd throw Avoriaz in the mix. Quite good looking (for a purpose built resort), completely car free with horse drawn sleighs for taxis and even a normal week they light up the sleighs one evening a week so I'd imagine there's more of that Christmas week. Oh and as for snow I think it's fair to say snowfall's been poor this season - but was in Avoriaz at Christmas and there was still snow everywhere.
+1 Avoriaz was my initial thought as well. High enough to be pretty snow sure, but close enough to the trees in case the weather comes in. We went there for the kids first ever trip and the kids found it really magical - the lack of cars, horse drawn sleighs, ice rink, carousel - and the kids will love Aquariaz!!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
you won't get a more magical Christmas experience than somewhere like Levi in Lapland
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
But might it be very cold? Not to mention dark? I've never been to Avoriaz but it does sound interesting, and the lack of cars very attractive. They are such an eyesore and encumbrance in almost all ski resorts.
I've never been to Avoriaz but it does sound interesting, and the lack of cars very attractive. They are such an eyesore and encumbrance in almost all ski resorts.
Thankfully in Avoriaz you aren't trading eyesore cars for eyesore buildings, the case in many of the pre-2000 era French mountain top resorts!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I'm not sure anywhere in the Euro alps is going to deliver a guaranteed white Xmas that is also magical! Val Thorens maybe the most snowsure for the Xmas week, but can be very bleak in a storm and far from magical!
I'm not sure anywhere in the Euro alps is going to deliver a guaranteed white Xmas that is also magical!
This is it, really, as @Oleski, said. Christmas also features short days and it can just be rather drizzly and murky. Still a big improvement on sitting at home in front of the wretched telly though.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I’m going to suggest Livigno which should hit all three of your requirements. High enough and usually snowy in December. Pretty, fairly lively village with a Christmas market. And its tax free status means it’s good value compared to a lot of resorts. Downside is long transfer from the Italian airports such as Milan but if you fly to Innsbruck it’s around 2 and half hours.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Origen wrote:
Still a big improvement on sitting at home in front of the wretched telly though.
To be fair I used to love Christmas at home. Family get togethers, feasting, used to be a few Christmas specials/movies on the telly, joyous atmosphere in the pub. And, I suspect for some/many people that is still the case.
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Christmas in the Alps (we did a lot of them) involved a lot more socialising, and games of various kinds, than at home, when the telly really did come to dictate events. And, of course, there's the snow and the skiing! I can't cope with more than an hour or two of TV at a time. My Dad was the same. He would typically sit in the kitchen, reading and smoking. He lit a special candle to spare my Mum (who watched quite a lot of telly) the smell of the tobacco smoke.
I enjoy feasting but only for a couple of days. Can't cope with a binge straddling Christmas/New year. I always volunteered to work between Christmas and New Year, which a lot of people wanted off, and then the second long weekend seemed like a real treat. We never went skiing at Christmas when my kids were small - far too expensive. We took them out of school in the lowest season cheap weeks in January - which isn't really an option now.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
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Reminds me of taking a shepherd's pie for a weekend on a boat which, I was assured, had an oven. It didn't (and no microwave either). My pie, which had looked very appetising, wasn't the same after it had been heated up in two separate saucepans with lots of stirring to stop it sticking to the bottom. But hungry sailors will eat anything, unlike 6 and 8 year olds.
