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Ski holidays with children: the complete family ski guide
Planning a ski holiday with your children is one of the most epic experiences you can give them. Learning to ski or snowboard as a family can build a lifelong love of the mountains, lasting much longer than your half-term holiday.
This is a guide to skiing with children: when to go, what's included, and how a Mark Warner family ski holiday takes the stress out of skiing with kids.
Why choose a Mark Warner family ski holiday
Chalet Hotel L'Ecrin is in the highest village in Tignes, Val Claret. Sitting at a lofty 2,100 metres, just a five-minute walk or short bus ride from the main lifts.
It's a 51-room chalet hotel and operated like the catered chalets you may remember. Breakfasts, afternoon teas and evening meals with wine are included served by a team who know exactly what skiing with children involves. You can also book proper childcare with the Mark Warner team, where the nannies will even drop off and pick up your kids from ski school.
Staying at the chalet you have access to 300km of pistes across the Tignes-Val d'Isère ski area, with glacier skiing up to 3,456 metres with fabulous views from the top.
See what's included with your stay at Chalet Hotel l'Ecrin, with Childcare, lift passes, ski hire and lessons or ski school are all available to book. Each can be pre-booked in advance and priced separately from your holiday. Sorting these before you travel means one less thing to think about on arrival.
Childcare and ski school, from babies to teens
Our childcare flexes with your family, as we know skiing with young children is different to skiing with teenagers. Yes, childcare is an additional cost and can be added onto your holiday booking, but it can be a game changer for your ski holiday.
Our nannies hold either DCE, NNEB or NVQ qualifications, or have at least two years' relevant experience. They can look after children from 4 months to 12 years old and even take them too and pick them up from ski school if they’re booking in with Evolution 2. There are supervised lunches, outdoor snow play, toys and games, and an evening listening and babysitting service so you can enjoy a dinner alone if you fancy it.
High tea is served daily at 5pm, and there's a parents' kitchen for bottles and baby food. During the school holidays there’s also an early dinner slot for children at 7pm.
If you’re looking at ski school, we work with Evolution 2, whose English-speaking instructors teach children from age 4 in small, encouraging groups.
You can book your lift passes, ski hire and ski lessons with Mark Warner either online or over the phone with our team.
Family rooms and easy transfers
Chalet Hotel L'Ecrin has 51 rooms and multiple room types to suit most family make-ups. 12 room configurations in fact. From standard twins to interconnecting rooms and family suites. A lot of the rooms also have balconies to enjoy the crisp air and mountain views. It's worth booking early for half-term and Easter, when the family rooms go first.
Flights are direct from UK airports, transfers are included - taking around 3 hours with a stop at a service station halfway through to grab a snack and stretch your legs.
When to go
Early December
Early December gives you arguably the best value of the season. And if you're planning on skiing more than once this winter, it can be a great opportunity to spread out those holidays and get a week in for a fraction of the cost of February half term, for example.
Mark Warner's chalet hotel is up in Tignes Val Claret at a lofty 2,100m. You have the glacier and some seriously high altitude skiing all combining to make Tignes one of the best resorts in the Alps for an early December break.
Early December doesn't come without its risks, though. As you need snow to ski, and no one can control that. But that said, with the glacier at Tignes, it's one of the few resorts with guaranteed skiing early season and if the snow is good you're in for a real treat, so it's well worth the risk.
Many people book the first few weeks of December late to make sure the snow is good before they book, but you often miss out on the best deals this way. So just something to consider.
Best for: those wanting to squeeze in more than one ski trip this winter. Or if you're looking for a bargain week with the chance of it being spectacular with empty pistes and snow-filled slopes.
Christmas & New Year
The season opens with fresh snow and a festive atmosphere. Christmas is a fantastic time to be in the mountains and is one of the best value weeks if you're tied to school holidays. Let's face it, who doesn't crave a White Christmas? And in Tignes a White Christmas is as good as guaranteed.
You'll have Christmas markets and Santa Claus on the slopes, with plenty of people dressed up as Santa as well, most likely. The resort looks magical with the Christmas lights twinkling and the views across the lake are magical. In Tignes you're high up and surrounded by mountains, which really emphasizes that White Christmas feel. Ski down to the lower chocolate box style villages like Brevieres for a fantastic atmosphere.
Best for: Young families wanting to experience the magic of Christmas in the mountains
New Year can be a little busier, but if it's a lively celebration you're after, you can't go wrong. With huge light displays, fireworks and parties spilling out onto the streets, New Year is a fun time to ski. Apres bars are buzzing and there's a festival atmosphere both on and off the slopes. It can be a pricier week than Christmas, but you get the parties and huge celebrations up the mountain thrown in. It's so much better than squashing into central London to see the New Year lights.
Best for: Families with adult children, groups and friends
January
The quietest weeks of the winter are in January. Once the Christmas and New Year crowds have gone home, the slopes can be practically empty - great for families with younger children not yet confined to school holidays.
You may even find yourself alone on the piste, super peaceful and a real luxury. In general you'll have a lot fewer learners and ski schools snaking down the mountain which gives you more space to do your own thing.
The trade off is that it can be cold. But wrap up and take an extra layer in your bag and some thick socks - cold sorted. It makes those cosy hot chocolate breaks next to roaring fires in a mountain hut that bit more exciting. And when you get those super crisp bluebird mornings after a fresh snowfall, January is unbeatable.
On a price point, January tends to be less expensive than other months of the season, often on a par with early December or April. So all in all a great value time to ski.
Best for: Serious skiers or older children
February half-term
February half-term is historically when Alpine skiing is at its most reliable. The snow is often at its deepest, having had months to build up under colder temperatures, so brown spots shouldn’t be a problem and piste conditions will be decent.
A typical half-term day is structured around the children. Mornings start with ski school: If you’ve booked childcare, our nannies can take your children to ski school, where they head off with their instructor and group while you either join a lesson yourself or have some free time on the slopes.
Lunch is either supervised by our team once they’ve picked them up from ski school or with you all together as a family. Then afternoons are yours to shape; family skiing, a walk round town, or downtime back at the hotel with the pool. Don’t forget afternoon tea at the chalet, and evenings bring a three-course dinner with wine for the adults. There’s a listening service on hand if you want that dinner without the kids.
Ski school gives children independence during the week. They build confidence with their instructor and often surprise themselves with how quickly they progress. Meanwhile, you get properly uninterrupted time, knowing they're safe, active and having fun.
Because February half-term is Mark Warner's busiest ski week, if you are looking for childcare and lessons, it's worth booking well in advance. Families who plan early tend to get the exact setup they want, rather than whatever's left closer to the date.
Best for: Families looking for ski school and childcare
March
March tends to be a slightly quieter shoulder period between half-term and Easter, much quieter after half term and the temperatures are slightly warmer than the depths of January.
It’s most people’s favourite month to ski.
You get exactly the same offering at Mark Warner's catered Chalet Hotel; the childcare is still running and can drop the kids off and pick them up from ski school if you book with Evolution 2. You just get shorter lift lines and a less crowded mountain at a less expensive price point. If you can ski outside the school holidays, March can be a real winner.
Like February half term, the snow has had months to build up before the temperature start to rise, meaning the conditions underfoot are usually at there best this time of year, before warmer days start to bring spring skiing conditions. You should get nice crisp conditions all day long with the added bonus of plenty of bluebird days if you're lucky.
Best for: Families with pre-school children or groups of friends
Easter & April
Easter can be a fabulous time to ski as a family. Especially when it falls early in March or the first week in April as the last few years have seen fantastic conditions in these weeks.
At 2,100 metres, Mark Warner’s high-altitude chalet hotel will get great conditions even as the season warms up. You’re as close as guaranteed snow at that height, snow continues to fall at higher altitude well into April. Tignes has one of the most reliable snow records on the Alps.
With several months of snowfall in the bank, the pistes will be firm underneath and soft on top, creating ideal conditions for skiing. Our family-friendly Chalet Hotel L'Ecrin Resort is situated on the outskirts of the village Tignes Val Claret, and only a short walk to the 5 main lifts, meaning you’ll be on the slopes in no time.
Spring skiing brings warmer temperatures and plenty of sunshine. There's less risk of the sharp, cold snaps that can catch you out midwinter. There are fewer underlayers to pack, and fewer tears over cold hands and faces on the slopes. Plus longer days! Meaning you get more time on the slopes skiing, admiring the scenery, sipping on hot chocolate or après-ski fun. Brucie bonus - You can have lunch out on sunny terraces - something that can be to cold in earlier months.
The mountain is quieter with the slopes are less crowded than the rest of the season. In other words, shorter lift queues equal more time on the slopes. If you are travelling with a beginner skier or children, having fewer people around will give them the space to learn how to ski without being overwhelmed.
When you want to take a break from your snowy adventures, you’ll also find that mountain restaurants are quieter. Enjoy a more leisurely lunch and take in the beautiful snow-capped mountains and blue skies outside on the restaurant terraces and ski holidays at Easter tend to be less expensive than other school holidays, especially if you go in the second week of the holidays. If you’re stuck with school holidays, Easter is the best value ski break.
Best for: Spring skiing and making family moments - First turns down the mountain, fireside hot chocolates, an Easter egg hunt in the snow, making snow angels, this is often the last big ski week of the season, meaning you’re much more likely to catch live music and end-of-season celebrations.
Family ski planning tips
You can get caught out on family ski trips; let’s face it, there’s a lot to organise. But we’ve been organising them for over 50 years. Here are our top tips:
Booking ahead
• Choose a high-altitude resort. That’s why we have a chalet hotel in Tignes, it’s about as snow sure as it gets.
• Book childcare, lift passes, ski hire and lessons early. You could book lift passes in resort but it’s much more of a faff then having them waiting for you in resort. Lessons and childcare in the school holidays are like gold dust. You’ve been warned. Book them as early as possible - speak to our team over the phone when you book and they can help sort everything out if it’s not clear.
• Make sure you get the right rooms. There are 51 rooms in 12 different configurations at Chalet Hotel L’Ecrin. But there’s not many of each type. Bagging those interconnecting rooms can make your stay so much easier.
Before you travel
• Check passports and book travel insurance when you book your holiday (not just before you leave). Insurance can help if anything unexpected happens before you travel as well.
• Pack layers rather than one heavy coat. Skiing can be cold. Especially at altitude. And layers are easier to take off and put on than trying to regulate one thick jumper.
• Bring sunglasses or goggles with strong UV protection and plenty of sun cream. Not only do you get the rays from the sun, they also reflect off the snow. And no one wants a goggle tan when school or work comes around.
• Talk to younger children about ski school before you go. Knowing they'll be with an instructor and a group, not skiing solo, helps first-timers feel ready rather than nervous.
Once you're there
• Use the evening childcare. A listening and babysitting service is included when you book childcare; it means you can have dinner together as adults.
• Build in downtime; you don’t have to ski every waking hour. The indoor pool and sauna are there for the afternoons when little legs, or big ones, have had enough of the slopes.
• Let ski school do the teaching. Children often progress faster and with less friction when learning from an instructor than from a parent.
• Keep hydration and sun cream part of the daily routine. Altitude and snow glare both catch people out, especially on cooler or overcast days.
Ski holidays with children FAQs
Is childcare included?
Childcare is not included in your holiday price, however you do have the option of booking it when you stay at Chalet Hotel l'Ecrin in Tignes with Mark Warner. Childcare is split into age groups::
• Baby Club, 4mths - 11mths.
• Toddler Club, 1yr - 2yrs.
• Mini Club, 3yrs - 5yrs.
• Kidz Club, 6yrs - 12 yrs.
They are all pre-bookable in the UK and subject to availability.
What are the meal times for children?
• Breakfast: Children are to be supervised by parents.
• Lunch: Children booked into our clubs and having lunch at the Chalet Hotel are supervised by the childcare team
• High Tea: At 5pm a supervised high tea is served to the younger children; this is supervised by the parents (not available on the dine-out evening).
If your child has special dietary requirements, you will be asked to complete a form which will ask you about any requirements.
Which ski school do you use?
We have reserved ski school places with Evolution 2. Ski school is pre-bookable in the UK, for school holidays in particular pre-booking is essential as spaces book up well ahead of time.
Children booked into our Mini and Kidz clubs will be taken to/from morning ski school lessons, if you have booked into Evolution 2 through us. During peak season this will be extended to include full day lessons.
Where's the best place to ski at Easter in the French Alps?
High-altitude resorts hold their snow the longest. Val Claret is the highest village in Tignes at 2,100 metres, and part of the Tignes-Val d’Isere ski area with 300km of piste on your doorstep. It’s one of, if not the best late season ski resort in the Alps.
How do you choose a resort for an Easter family ski holiday?
Altitude is the main thing to check, since higher resorts keep their snow longer into spring. After that, look for easy access to beginner slopes, family-friendly accommodation close to the lifts, and childcare that covers the ages of your childcare
Ready to plan your family ski holiday?
From childcare for babies to ski school for teens, a Mark Warner family ski holiday is built around what makes skiing with children actually work. Find your week, and let us handle the rest.
