Skiing is one of the most exciting vacations that I have had in recent years and it is a very family-friendly vacation to choose. I always thought that skiing was a ridiculously expensive vacation idea but in recent years these prices have come right down and those like us, can finally afford to take such a trip.
Since that first skiing trip, we have been to various resorts for the last 3 years consecutively. Throughout this time, we have made some mistakes in terms of the places which we chose, but thankfully we have now learned exactly what to look out for. The type of resort which you decide upon is entirely dependent on what kind skiing vacation you are after. If you plan to spend a lot of time outside make sure you bring the right outdoor gear. Here are the things which you should be considering before heading off to the pistes.
Ski Level
Your ability, or lack of ability, to ski, plays a huge part in the choosing your resort. If you have no prior experience, it makes sense to pick a large resort with ski schools and plenty of other beginners. If you are more of an expert skier then you should make sure that you avoid places such as this as the pistes are moderate in difficulty, and they are full. When you go with the family, it is likely that you’ll have mixed abilities and so a large resort with many different runs, makes the best sense.
Apres-Ski
Two years ago we picked a resort which we were really looking forward to and whilst the ski was great, we hadn’t counted on the pares-ski being quite so rowdy. As it turns out, we picked a resort which the students loved and each night it was a party central. This didn’t spoil our vacation, but it did make me think twice about which resort we would pick next time around. Make sure that you think seriously about what kind of thing you want to do at the end of the day, as it will have a big impact on where you go.
Location
Few ski resorts are super easy to get to, given that they sit at the feet of mountains, but there are some which are very, very remote. In our second year of skiing, we found a budget deal and snapped their hands off, only to discover that there was probably more chance of finding the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, than our chosen resort. Make sure that before you book, you know exactly how to get to the resort which you have chosen to avoid making the sam mistake as us.
Price
Whilst prices have most certainly come down in recent years, this is not by any stretch of the imagination a cheap trip. Once you rent equipment and give the kids a good time, the costs can really rise. Thankfully, there are more and more ski resorts hoping up all over and if you choose wisely, you can really keep costs down. In Europe for example, France and Italy have hefty prices attached, but if you go to a country like Croatia, you can have a great trip, and keep the costs down.
