Keep them warm.
Think snow and kids and the vision of the bundled toddler barely able to walk with all of the padding comes to mind. While warmth is essential, ease of mobility is now key as well.

• When choosing those adorable little snow duds, consider potty access. The all-in-one full zip snowsuits can be tricky, especially in chilly bathrooms. Ski bibs are a great alternative for easy access and keeping the snow out. Check labels to ensure your pants and jacket are water-proof, or at the very least, water-resistant.

• Think layers. A well dressed kid is one with multiple layers enabling you to adjust to changing temperatures. Start with a lightweight base layer to keep body heat in. Socks should provide warmth and wick sweat away from the feet.  Synthetic materials are better than their cotton brethren, which will hold moisture and cause your little one to feel chilled. In colder weather, add a long-sleeve T-shirt and sweatpants over the long underwear.

• Don’t forget a comfortable pair of goggles or sunglasses to protect eyes from glare, wind, and sprays of snow. Many manufacturers make specific child sizes for a better fit.

Get the right gear.
A good thing to remember when you first introduce young children to skiing is that it should be fun and at this stage, it’s more about getting them comfortable then actually skiing. Seasonal rentals are a great cost effective way to have your child in the proper sized equipment as they grow bigger. Buying gear isn’t a bad option either, especially if you have multiple kids. With it’s typical light use, beginner ski gear can be used many times.

So how do you measure your child for proper fit?

• Kids 3 and under should have skis that come up to roughly, between their shoulder and their chin. This length lets them feel the sensation of sliding yet still able to get around, get up easily, and side step or slide and glide. In general kids do better on skis they feel comfortable on.

• If your child is 4 or 5 years old, both weight and height need to be considered when choosing skis for beginners. A good rule of thumb is to pick skis that stand between their chin and nose. Skis are measured in centimeters and most children starting out are comfortable on skis that are 88-90cm.

• The ideal way to find the proper sized boots is to actually try on some different sizes at a shop. Remove the liner from the boot before they step in so that you can check the length and width directly. Ski boots are measured in what is called Mondo Point sizing, which is the length (in centimeters) of the sole of the foot. Have your child stand on a tape measure, being sure to read the centimeter side of the ruler from heel to toe. Most young kids will measure between 15 and 21 cm, which is translated as size 15.0 and 21.0.

• Don’t forget to cover that noggin with a properly fitting ski helmet! You can buy or rent, but helmets are critical gear since most head injuries happen at low speeds.

Have some fun inside first.
No doubt about it, those stiff boots, clunky helmets, bug goggles, and giant boards attached to your feet can be scary business! Avoid the tears and let your little ones have some fun inside gearing up and sliding across the carpet with some help from mom or dad. Let them practice putting on and taking off the boots and be sure to demonstrate binding use. Our 3 year old felt much more comfortable once he realized the loud “click” of a binding did not mean the skis were now permanently attached to his feet.

Consider enrolling in school.
Ski school is the best way for your child to get a comfortable introduction on how fun skiing can really be in a fun and low pressure environment. Child specific ski instructors are the experts on handling an army of pint sized snow-monsters and by the end of a couple of days most are able to actually get their gear on and off, be familiar with a tow rope or chair lift (with help of a grownup), go straight (french-fries), slow down, stop (pizza), and even turn a little. Most programs are half or full day and require advanced reservations. We found a couple of half days in a row was the best way to really introduce the kids to the concept.

Get your own gear ready.
The most practical thing a parent skier should own is some kind of  hydration backpack. Pack it with snacks, extra layers, extra gloves, and sunblock. The water is probably the most important item though, since a dehydrated kid is a cranky kid. If you are teaching your child to ski yourself there is a variety of gear that can help with this endeavor. We tried several of these contraptions, but the Lucky Bums Ski Trainer was by far the favorite. The grab handle on the back is perfect for loading kids on and off the chair lifts and it also has a handy self enclosed backpack to stash the straps.

Got any other tips that helped your little ski bunnies hit the slopes? Share them with us in a comment below.

*Disclaimer: Ski at your own risk. Take the time to familiarize and educate yourself about the potential risks and dangers associated with the sport of skiing. The content of this article in no way is intended to be a substitute for a parents judgment. Red Tricycle does not assume any liability for any of the information contained in this article. The advice provided herein is strictly advisory in nature. The reader assumes full responsibility for the right to consider or disregard anything written herein, either in part or in its entirety.

photos courtesy of: AnneCN via flickr, *clairity* via flickr, Squaw Valley via flickr, eric.surfdude via flickr, the Brave Ski Mom

Here’s some words of wisdom from them on what to think about before you go:

What to think about when taking the children skiing:
• Flight times out of UK – are they a civilised hour for children?
• Check distance/time from arrival airport resort.
• Choose an operator with plenty of experience and that offers a choice, not just limiting families to a particular resort where they “do” child care.

Child care questions to ask:
• Is it the resort’s or the Tour Operator’s?
• Are the child carers qualified?
• Is the nursery in the chalet or do you have to traipse your child round the resort?
• Activity clubs – what do they do, are they just video clubs or do the children get out and about?
• Any evening activities for children?
• Any babysitting provided?
• What are the age ranges for nursery or child care?
• What are the catering arrangements?

Nursery Care for babies and toddlers
Not many Tour Operators offer their very own Nursery care and attention needs to be paid to what exactly you are booking for your infant.  If it is a local resort nursery, do the carers speak English?  Will they follow your child’s routine? What will they do?

Ski School for children
Many holiday packages offer children’s ski classes but it is important to know whether or not the classes are just the local ski school’s or if the operator has any special arrangements.
Some operators just book children into the local classes, which may then have anything up to 16 children in them and be taught in the local language!  Also worth checking is whether the parents have to take to and collect their children from ski school.  It can severely restrict a parent’s time on the slope.
Another factor is whether to have all day skiing for your child or just the morning.  Younger children or beginners benefit from half a day skiing and half a day having fun bum-boarding/snowman building/snowball fighting etc.  Older and more experienced children want to be out most of the day.    Does the operator offer such combinations?

Location of properties
Where the chalet or hotel is situated will have a big impact on the enjoyment of the children.   Ski in/out is ideal for parents but for children who will be in ski lessons it may be advisable to look for properties where the ski school meeting point is close by.

Prices
Skiing with children can be expensive.  Some child friendly operators do not have child friendly prices!  Check the discounts according to children’s ages and up to what age they are applicable and also the number of children allowed.
Many operators only allow 2 children at a child’s price and thereafter charge adult prices.  Always work out the whole package price before deciding which is better value – an operator with the most expensive adult price may turn out to offer the best whole family cost.
Often sharing the parent’s room gives the greatest discount for children but if you want separate rooms for the children you will not get much of a discount from some operators.  Brochures/websites that do not give any child prices are questionable – do they make them up as they go along?!
Booking certain dates with some companies may give good offers – free children’s places etc but again  I suggest you work out the whole package before getting excited about a great deal!

About Esprit Ski
Esprit Ski is a family specialist of 30 years and knows what makes children happy!  Their extensive child care programme is run in 14 top alpine resorts.  They make taking children a pleasure not a stressful experience.

Esprit Ski offers discounts for all children aged 2-17 years.  Discounts vary by resort and departures date but thousands of free places are available on 10 weeks of the season.  50% for children aged 2-4, 40% for 5-10, 30% for 11-13 and 25% for 14-17 year olds.  They also don’t mind how many children you have!

Esprit Ski offers a dedicated and exclusive Esprit Nursery in each resort, staffed by British qualified Nursery Nurses and managed by experienced Child Care Managers.
Lunch and all refreshments are included and a daily diary is kept to ensure you can keep up to speed with your child’s day.  Children are taken outside when weather is suitable and given every opportunity to experience the mountains, subject to their age and parental consent.

Esprit Ski has chalets and Chalet Hotels in superb locations for children and they will collect your children from your chalet every morning to take them to the meeting point and make it full of fun and games so that any physical activity is minimised.  Any resort where walking is involved they offer a minibus service.
You don’t want your children being put off the sport by having to struggle to walk in big clumpy ski boots!

Esprit Ski also organises slopeside fun in the afternoons for older experienced children during which the children enjoy a less formal ski session and spend time having fun out on the slopes with a qualified guide.  Price £199.

Esprit Ski has exclusive ski classes – Sprites – for children aged from 3-12.  They contract instructors from the local ski schools to teach Esprit Ski children in English and with only a maximum of 6-8 in a class.  They also operate a take to and collect for the lunch and afternoon activity service. Price £199. Esprit Ski runs afternoon activity clubs – Snow Clubs – which include pick up from ski school, lunch and fun-filled afternoons of outdoor and indoor activities. Price £199.

visit http://www.espritski.com/

Granted, some people don’t have the desire to add skiing or snowboarding to their list of hobbies, but a percentage of these people just find skiing too expensive to take part. Here at Level Nine Sports, we do care about the more core skiers, but we try really hard to supply equipment to the folks not trying to lose an arm and a leg just to get to the mountain and enjoy some turns. Especially those families that have to pay for 3 or more people every time they go to the resort.

If your family is planning to ski more than two or three times per season, or are taking a vacation to ski for a week and don’t already have your own equipment, paying for rentals on top of lift ticket prices these days can lead to an empty bank account. That is why Level Nine Sports has taken the time to put together some pre built Ski Packages. These packages include Skis, Bindings and Boots, for a killer deal.

We have great deals on packages for the whole family, from kids to adults:

Ski packages that cater to children, Children Ski Packages. These children’s ski packages range from 169$ to 209$, which as you can see is an insane deal, and will end up being much cheaper than a rental package for any more than 2 days.

Ski packages that cater to adults, Adult Ski Packages. These packages range from beginner/intermediate to intermediate/expert, being able to suit a Mom or Dad looking to keep up with their kids or parents that are looking to have their kids keep up with them.  These packages range from 249$-709$, a bit more expensive than the child packages, but remember, they include skis, boots, and bindings!

There are a few different reasons to go with a ski package,

1. We already did the hard work of figuring out great products that are also compatible, so it is easy to find a package that fits your needs.

2. They are CHEAP! Especially for beginner to intermediate skiers, who only ski a few times a year, getting your own ski package saves money and time by not having to rent.

Take a look around at the different packages we have to offer. If you are having trouble picking what package is best for you, check out the Learning Center, or give us a call at 1-877-589-7547 and chat with our insanely knowledgeable, and helpful customer service representatives.

Winter is here, snow is falling in the mountains, and another exciting ski season is at hand. For those who were BK Skiers (before kids) the dream of the day when you are able to delight in the winter sport again and share the experience as a family might be a reality this year. Here are some great tips for getting your little ones out on the slopes.

Keep them warm.
Think snow and kids and the vision of the bundled toddler barely able to walk with all of the padding comes to mind. While warmth is essential, ease of mobility is now key as well.

• When choosing those adorable little snow duds, consider potty access. The all in one full zip snowsuits can be tricky, especially in chilly bathrooms. Ski bibs are a great alternative for easy access and keeping the snow out. Check labels to ensure your pants and jacket are water-proof, or at the very least, water-resistant.

• Think layers.  A well dressed kid is one with multiple layers enabling you to adjust to changing temperatures. Start with a lightweight base layer to keep body heat in. Socks should provide warmth and wick sweat away from the feet.  Synthetic materials are better than their cotton brethren, which will hold moisture and cause your little one to feel chilled.   In colder weather, add a long-sleeve T-shirt and sweatpants over the long underwear.

• Don’t forget a comfortable pair of goggles or sunglasses to protect eyes from glare, wind, and sprays of snow. Many manufacturers make specific child sizes for a better fit.

Get the right gear.
A good thing to remember when you first introduce young children to skiing is that it should be fun and at this stage, it’s more about getting them comfortable then actually skiing.  Seasonal rentals are a great cost effective way to have your child in the proper sized equipment as they grow bigger. Buying gear isn’t a bad option either, especially if you have multiple kids. With it’s typical light use, beginner ski gear can be used many times.

So how do you measure your child for proper fit?

• Kids 3 and under should have skis that come up to roughly, between their shoulder and their chin. This length lets them feel the sensation of sliding yet still able to get around, get up easily, and side step or slide and glide. In general kids do better on skis they feel comfortable on.

• If your child is 4 or 5 years old, both weight and height need to be considered when choosing skis for beginners. A good rule of thumb is to pick skis that stand between their chin and nose. Skis are measured in centimeters and most children starting out are comfortable on skis that are 88-90cm.

• The ideal way to find the proper sized boots is to actually try on some different sizes at a shop.  Remove the liner from the boot before they step in so that you can check the length and width directly. Ski boots are measured in what is called Mondo Point sizing, which is the length (in centimeters) of the sole of the foot. Have your child stand on a tape measure, being sure to read the centimeter side of the ruler from heel to toe.  Most young kids will measure between 15 and 21 cm, which is translated as size 15.0 and 21.0.

• Don’t forget to cover that noggin with a properly fitting ski helmet! You can buy or rent, but helmets are critical gear since most head injuries happen at low speeds.xxx

Have some fun inside first.
No doubt about it, those stiff boots, clunky helmets, bug goggles, and giant boards attached to your feet can be scary business! Avoid the tears and let your little ones have some fun inside gearing up and sliding across the carpet with some help from mom or dad. Let them practice putting on and taking off the boots and be sure to demonstrate binding use. Our 3 year old felt much more comfortable once he realized the loud “click” of a binding did not mean the skis were now permanently attached to his feet.xxx

Consider enrolling in school.
Ski school is the best way for your child to get a comfortable introduction on how fun skiing can really be in a fun and low pressure environment. Child specific ski instructors are the experts on handling an army of pint sized snow-monsters and by the end of a couple of days most are able to actually get their gear on and off, be familiar with a tow rope or chair lift (with help of a grownup), go straight (french-fries), slow down, stop (pizza), and even turn a little.  Most programs are half or full day and require advanced reservations. We found a couple of half days in a row was the best way to really introduce the kids to the concept.xxxx

Get your own gear ready.
The most practical thing a parent skier should own is some kind of  hydration backpack. Pack it with snacks, extra layers, extra gloves, and sunblock. The water is probably the most important item though, since a dehydrated kid is a cranky kid. If you are teaching your child to ski yourself there is a variety of gear that can help with this endeavor. We tried several of these contraptions, but the Lucky Bums Ski Trainer was by far the favorite. The grab handle on the back is perfect for loading kids on and off the chair lifts and it also has a handy self enclosed backpack to stash the straps.

* Disclaimer: Ski at your own risk. Take the time to familiarize and educate yourself about the potential risks and dangers associated with the sport of skiing. The content of this article in no way is intended to be a substitute for a parents judgment. Red Tricycle does not assume any liability for any of the information contained in this article. The advice provided herein is strictly advisory in nature. The reader assumes full responsibility for the right to consider or disregard anything written herein, either in part or in its entirety.

photo courtesy of the Brave Ski Mom

Esprit Ski have some amazing family ski deals left for departures this weekend and next weekend, with prices starting from £899 per family. If you’re looking for that last minute get away.

With incredible snow across the Alps all of our ski deals are being snapped up fast, many resorts have had over 3 metres of snow in the past couple of weeks leaving perfect ski conditions as the sun starts to shine…

Our friendly Reservations Team are happy to help with your enquiries so please call for more information and to book!  Call us now on 0121 213 0012

l

When I told my partner to pack his bags I didn’t think he’d take me seriously. After years, years of talking about spending an entire winter in the French Alps, I’d finally got sick of all the chat and told him it’s now or never, we go this winter or we Never Mention It Again. So we’re going. We’re actually going.

We have to. We’ve told everyone who’ll listen that we’re off. And we’ve rented out our house in south London. It’s been on the market since September and as we hadn’t had much interest we’d started to think we wouldn’t be able to afford to go, that’s it, we were off the hook, we’d tried our best but we’d been thwarted by economics and we’d just have settle down to family life in the UK once again.

But earlier this week a nice family came round and agreed to take the house. The only problem is they want to move in straight away – next weekend if possible – but we haven’t even been to the Alps to find anywhere to live yet.

We’ve got two children, aged 8 and 10, so we need to live close to a school. We want to do lots of skiing – otherwise why would we be moving to the Alps? – so we’d like to be within 30-40 minutes’ drive of a decent ski area, but apart from that we haven’t a clue where to go.

Chamonix would be nice. It’s a proper town, with schools, hospitals, shops etc, but it’s eye-wateringly expensive. We’ve searched for accommodation on natives.co.uk and seasonalaccommodation.co.uk but a two-bed shack costs about £2,000 per month – that’s as much as we’re getting for our 4-bed house so by the time we’ve paid letting agency fees and tax we’ll be considerably out of pocket. We were hoping that the income from our house would more than cover our rent in France.

So we can’t afford Chamonix. We’ve broadened our search and found a place called Saint Gervais les Bains – it’s about 30-minutes drive from Cham (as we would-be-seasonnaire’s like to call it) but it has it’s own ski area, linking into Megeve. It’s a proper town with a couple of primary schools, so ticks all of our boxes.

Trouble is there isn’t a lot of long-term accommodation available here either, at least not during the winter. Property owners obviously prefer short lets over the ski season, because they bring in more cash, or long-term lets of a year or more.

However, I’ve stumbled across a couple of Brits on holidaylettings.co.uk who have apartments available for winter-only lets within our budget. Woo-hoo. We’re parking the kids with Nana for the weekend and flying out to look at them. Saint-Gervais here we come!

Last year when we booked our chalet, we plodded along with no advice from our friends, hence why I am writing this…I want to make sure young families have the right tips to book a holiday. We stumbled across a catered chalet specialist who had some chalets who focused on families and childcare. We ended up staying in a Chalet Hotel in La Plagne called Les Deux Domaines, we got a really good price because our youngest went free. We pre-booked all of our lift passes, ski hire and childcare with them, which made everything so much easier. We stayed in a suite so we had plenty of space and the best thing about it was that the childcare was all in-house. We dropped little Oscar off at the nursery every morning in the knowledge that he would be looked after by the qualified nannies. Our eldest was picked up by the childcarers along with the other children and took them to ski school, which meant my husband and I could ski straight out to the glorious mountains. I was confident that the boys would pick up skiing quite quickly as they are both quite active with George being great at most sports that he tries; but also La Plagne was where I learnt to ski all of those years ago so I know that it is great for beginners and families.

The week was really enjoyable with us all enjoying the swimming pool and other facilities as well as the excellent snow. The staff at the hotel could not have done enough for us, and they really looked after the boys. It of course helped that there was plenty of snow, but then there normally is in La Plagne in March! The boys made some new friends, because there were so many other children there. Because this hotel is only somewhere you can go with children, it meant that there were no annoying students on a lash or anything like that! I think maybe next year I would go back to a larger property like this one again. When the children are older and there is a larger group to go, we might try going in a smaller catered chalet for families but in the meantime I am very content with this set-up. I would definitely return and I definitely recommend it to anyone with small children. I would also recommend speaking to the right people before you go, it makes the whole experience a lot easier and less stressful; your best bet is to speak to an experienced, specialist agent who know what they are talking about!

Special offers valid only for a stay on Friday March 11 and Saturday March 12, 2011

These offers are valid only for online reservation, made before 8 am Friday, March 11, 2011, for 2 nights on Friday March 11th and Saturday March 12th 2011.
MENTION “BLOG SPECIAL” TO GET THESE SPECIAL RATES
(Click on the picture or name of the room to book online now!)

With these rates, make your own ski package by adding:

- Cranmore Lift tickets, for $50 per adult, $41 per teen and $35 per youth
- Wildcat Lift tickets, for $50 per adult & teen, $35 per youth and senior
- Black Mountain lift tickets, for $36 per adult and for $26 per kids under 17
- Bretton Woods Vouchers, for $68 per adult for Alpine or $14 for nordic
- FREE vouchers for x-country skiing and/or snowshoeing and/or tubing at Great Glen Trails, at the base of Mt Washington

ROOM 6 – $99/night + tax (instead of $114/night + tax)

On the second floor of the main lodge, 2 double beds, private shower bath, nice view on the backyard and pool patio. Maximum occupancy: 4 – Rate is double occupancy and include cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, children 10 and under stay for free, each additional person in the room over 10 pays an additional $20/night + tax

ROOM 20 – $109/night + tax (instead of $119/night + tax)

On the second floor of the loft building, 2 double beds, private shower bath, cable TV, refrigerator, microwave, nice view on the backyard and pond. Maximum occupancy: 4 – Rate is double occupancy and include cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, children 10 and under stay for free, each additional person in the room over 10 pays an additional $20/night + tax.

ROOM 23 – $109/night + tax (instead of $119/night + tax)

On the second floor of the loft building, 2 double beds, private shower bath, cable TV, refrigerator, microwave – Maximum occupancy= 4. Rate is double occupancy and include cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, children 10 and under stay for free, each additional person in the room over 10 pays an additional $20/night + tax.

SUITE 12 – $179/night + tax (instead of $199/night + tax)

On the second floor of the main building with private entrance. Two bedroom suite. Master bedroom offers a queen size bed and 2 twin beds, second bedroom with a double bed, den with a double sleeper sofa, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, cable TV/VHS. Large private bathroom with combo shower/tub and double sink vanity. Maximum occupancy= 7. Rate is 4 people occupancy and include cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, children 10 and under stay for free, each additional person in the room over 10 pays an additional $20/night + tax. This is a dog friendly room (add $15/night + tax per dog in the room – maximum 2 dogs).

SUITE 24 – $179/night + tax (instead of $199/night + tax)

On the first floor of the loft building with private entrance. Master bedroom with queen size bed, second bedroom with bunkbed set (double size bed at the bottom and twin at the top). Large living room with queen sleeper sofa, kitchenette with refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker. Private bathroom with combo shower/tub. Maximum occupancy= 7. Rate is 4 people occupancy and include cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, children 10 and under stay for free, each additional person in the room over 10 pays an additional $20/night + tax. This is a dog friendly room (add $15/night + tax per dog in the room – maximum 2 dogs).

Events this weekend :

• Cranmore Mountain, Beach party themed Cranapalooza with fireworks, Hannes Schneider Meister Cup
• M&D Production, The Wizard Of Oz
• MWV children’s museum, Thomas the Train Miniature Train Exhibition for Kids
• Great Glen Trails, Carl Johnson Memorial Ski-A-Thon, Granite State Snowshoe Championship, Ski with a Naturalist
• Wildcat Mountain, Ride & Ski Card Weekend Event

All it requires is for you to take your family to a ski resort during the Christmas vacations and enjoy the various winter sports activities like skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and tubing.

If you do not know any of these sports, a skiing vacation is the best time to learn them. You can also teach these sports to your kids – after all there is no better time to learn than childhood. Family ski vacations are not just about skiing and other sports. There are other fun things that you can do with your kids, like getting them to enjoy the snow.

Why would you want to plan your family ski vacation during the Christmas holidays?

Because, with the onset of the winter, many people experience the winter blues. The best antidote for these blues is sitting down and coming up with some great Christmas vacation ideas. Family ski vacations during your Christmas holidays can be great therapy, and can give you the chance to recharge your batteries for the coming months ahead.

Another practical reason for planning family ski vacations during the Christmas holidays is that during these vacations, you get enough time off, no matter which walk of life you come from. School-going kids get a long holiday during this period. The more time you get to stay away holidaying, the fresher you will feel. Also, this will give you more time to learn and hone your skiing skills.

So does planning the ideal family ski vacation difficult? While family ski vacations may be great Christmas vacation ideas, the next thing to do after deciding to take one is to plan for it.

The first step in planning such a vacation is to identify a good ski resort in a scenic locality, a place that is child-friendly and has good accommodations. All ski resorts may not be suitable for families and skiers who are at the beginners’ level. While some resorts may have lovely accommodations, the skiing slopes may not be suitable for beginners.

However, it will not be difficult for you to find such a resort, as there are plenty of resorts that are great for new skiers.

Once you have identified a few such ski resorts, you now need to look at which of these offers the best holiday package.

Your idea behind a skiing vacation is to pack in skiing with having fun with the rest of the family as well, and the resort you choose should fulfill that objective.

If there are beginners in your family, choose a resort that has all the required conveniences, and has slopes that are specially oriented so as to enable the newcomers to come back to the top easily. The resort that you choose should provide you, as well as other beginners, with all the required equipment, such as boots, skis.

The resort would also provide you with poles and training sessions. You can learn skiing with your own family here.

Now days, there are numerous ski resorts, all of which provide custom or specially-designed slopes and facilities for profit in their business, by providing their customers good facilities. Also there are numerous ski resorts offering free tickets for kids.

There are other incentives as well – some offer free tickets and free lodging while buying a ticket for you. Again, some of them have childcare facilities, also. They take special care of those children who are raw in this sport and easily get tired on the slopes.

However, family ski holidays can quickly become a very expensive holiday. Think of things such as – booking travel, accommodation, ski gear, lessons, and lift tickets for an entire family. The cost can add up and you end up with a very expensive undertaking.
Fortunately, you can save a lot of money on a family ski holiday if you plan carefully. You can enjoy a memorable family ski holiday without breaking the bank.

Take Your Family Ski Holiday During Off Peak Time

When exactly is the best time to take your family on a ski holiday? That depends on where you plan to spend your family ski holiday. Ski season can last from Thanksgiving to April, and there is a lot of opportunity to benefit from off peak ski deals. It’s really simple. Just book your trip on an off peak week, and watch your savings add up. You can save hundreds of dollars on lodging, equipment rentals, and lift tickets. Focus on the earliest and latest weeks of the season, since those weeks often offer the best pricing and your chances of getting a great deal is virtually guaranteed. On the other hand, you should avoid the busy weeks of Christmas and New Years. In addition to higher prices during that period, the weather is often the coldest at this time and the slopes are the overcrowded.

If you are able to book your vacation at the beginning or end of the season you should be able to get a good deal, but don’t give up hope if your schedules do not allow this – just shop around, and try to find the lowest ski lift prices you can – as a rule of thumb, if the ski-lift prices are lower, you can usually assume that the rest of the prices will be lower too.

Don’t Forget Food

Food is one of the biggest ‘hidden expenses’ when it comes to a ski holiday – eating out at a restaurant or lodge can quickly add up. If you can, rent a condo and go the self catering route – this will save you a lot of money over the course of the trip.

Also, if you pick up a coupon book for the area you should be able to get a lot of discounts on restaurants and attractions in the area. Quite often charities and community clubs sell these books for a low price – $10 or $20, and a family dining out should find that the book will pay for itself on the first day.

Ask For Special Offers

When you book, and when you arrive, ask if there are any special offers going. Usually, there are various unadvertised offers such as free ski lessons for kids. Often there are also discounts offered for first time visitors. It never hurts to inquire. Think about it. If you don’t ask, you most likely won’t be told about these, so you have nothing to loose by inquiring.

One good resource to tap into is the local chamber of commerce. Try calling them to see if they know of any offers or discounts that are available. Often, there are great savings just waiting to be claimed and the local chamber can direct you to these savings.

• C A N A D A > BC
• BIG WHITE
• GROUSE MOUNTAIN
• WHISTLER
• U S > WA
• MOUNT BAKER
• L O D G I N G
• U S > CA
• LAKE TAHOE
• K I D S   G U I D E
• L O D G I N G
• S K I I N G: All about the deals
• SFGate: Travel: Reno-Tahoe
• SUNNY DAY GUIDE
• MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN
• Great ski spot just got closer
• E U R O P E
• France > Alpe d’Huez > Club Med
• Back from the cold!

Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as your ski poles, you will roam throughout the ski resort, exploring every twist and turn different ski runs.

Buy Now with Amazon – Wii

Wii:

Sonic y el caballero negro
Rock Band: AC/DC
Tenchu 4
Trivial pursuit
My sims party
Anatomia de Grey
Cabelas dangerous adventures
Job island
Famili ski and snowboard
Lost in blue shipwreckerd

Xbox 360:

Resident evil 5
Cabelas dangerous adventures
Trivial pursuit

Playstation 3:

Resident evil 5
Trivial pursuit
Cabelas danferous adventures

Nintendo DSi:

Bleach dark souls
Littles pet shop: primavera
My sims party
Anatomia de Grey

PSP:

Patapon 2
Coded arms: contagion

I am doing some research for my families ski vacation, I cannot believe how high lift tickets have gotten:

• Vail – $89
• Breckenridge – $87
• Snowmass – $87

Allow me to weep for the days for the $30 lift ticket.

If Canada was in the plans for this year, it seems like it would be WAY cheaper. $1 USD get you 1.23 CDN dollars:

• Banff is $59 USD
• Fernie is $59 USD
• The might Whistler is only $63 USD

If I were in a border state, there is no question where my vacation would be headed. It is tough to beat whistler at those prices.

Por el momento no se han dado detalles, así que tendremos que esperar un poco más para conocer algo del juego. Seguramente esté en el próximo TGS.

Fuente: Dswii

Además de mostrar nuevas imágenes, Namco Bandai anunció que el juego que usará la Balance Board (la tabla del Wii Fit), llamado Family Ski en Japón, llegará a Estados Unidos con un cambio de nombre.

Así que de ahora en adelante lo conoceremos de este lado del charco como We Ski, en donde podremos jugar hasta cuatro personas y saldrá a la venta en nuestro continente a mediados de año (en el verano…raro…)

Creo que hubiera sido el juego perfecto de este tipo de deportes para el Wii si hubieran decidido echarle un poquitito más de ganas y crear personajes un poco menos caricaturescos… Hacerlos un poco más reales no hubiera ahuyentado a los jugadores casuales, que no inventen…Porque vean la nieve y el paisaje, se ven bien gráficamente a pesar de las limitaciones del sistema…

O ustedes qué opinan?

Family Ski: Usando en Wii Fit como tabla de nieve el Nintendo Wii nos promete mucha diversión

Family Stadium: Nuevas imágenes de el nuevo vídeo juego de carreras de Namco-Bandai para Nintendo Wii

Trauma Center – New Blood: A tan solo unos cuantos días de salir nos muestran nuevas imágenes.

Yakuza 3 o Ryu ga Gotoku

Devil May Cry 4: Varias cosas onteresantes como ese enemigo similar al jefe final de DMC 1

Street Fighter 4: Nos muestran un personaje totalmente nuevo

El título se llamará Family Ski y además de controlar los esquis con el nuevo controlador de Nintendo utilizaremos el mando de Wii y el nunchako para impulsarnos como cual palilleros en Vaqueira.

Las imagenes tras el salto.

Interés: 8

El juego se llamará Family Ski, será desarrollado por Namco y lo más importante; no trata de hacer tareas del hogar ni de ejercitar nada, sino de esquiar por la nieve. El lanzamiento de este título se sitúa para el 31 de enero en Japón.