Who’s going skiing and where 2019
Discussion
MattW said:
Can anyone recommend a good resort for families with young children within Europe?
Our kids have just started getting to grips with skiing, this was their 2nd year; last year they spent all their time in the ski school area and on the low 'baby slopes' (i.e. no need to be lifted up the mountain, just a small drag lift). This year they ski'd down the mountain (with an instructor) for the first time which I think was the equivalent of a red in France and they didn't really enjoy it as it was too busy and too steep for them.
We usually go to a resort in Switzerland (Les Diablerets) but they have closed almost all the beginner runs hence having to ski the 'bigger' runs.
Ideally we would like to find a small quiet resort where we can ski together as a family on some nice long gentle runs (preferably through trees), while they get their confidence levels up. I am an ok skier and can easily help them out on gentle runs but when the runs get steeper I wouldn't have the confidence to help them if they got into trouble.
Want to make the most of the few years we have with them before they leave us for dust!
Any advice gratefully appreciated! - The wife prefers Switzerland but I would be happy with anywhere that fits the above criteria.
Les Gets in France has a nice beginner areas, with some long gentle runs through trees. Our kids have just started getting to grips with skiing, this was their 2nd year; last year they spent all their time in the ski school area and on the low 'baby slopes' (i.e. no need to be lifted up the mountain, just a small drag lift). This year they ski'd down the mountain (with an instructor) for the first time which I think was the equivalent of a red in France and they didn't really enjoy it as it was too busy and too steep for them.
We usually go to a resort in Switzerland (Les Diablerets) but they have closed almost all the beginner runs hence having to ski the 'bigger' runs.
Ideally we would like to find a small quiet resort where we can ski together as a family on some nice long gentle runs (preferably through trees), while they get their confidence levels up. I am an ok skier and can easily help them out on gentle runs but when the runs get steeper I wouldn't have the confidence to help them if they got into trouble.
Want to make the most of the few years we have with them before they leave us for dust!
Any advice gratefully appreciated! - The wife prefers Switzerland but I would be happy with anywhere that fits the above criteria.
And if your skiing holiday doesn’t go to plan… Travel insurance for a week’s skiing – best £26 I ever spent.
Stretcher off the mountain – 130 Euro, insurance paid and/or recovered.
Check over in the medical centre, assessment, x-rays etc… at the bottom of the ski slope – 185 Euro, insurance paid and/or recovered.
Ambulance to hospital, 3.5 days in a hospital in Andorra + a MRI scan– 3,500 Euro, insurance paid. Apparently the bill was paid before I had left the hospital. First class treatment.
Cost of 4 extra days in the hotel for my partner - £800, not recovered, despite the insurance company stating they would pay it, they never did. I wrote it off, I was sick of dealing with them - as there wasn’t another option.
Dealing with the insurance company to get travel organised back to the UK = the most monumental pain in the backside imaginable. 17 phone calls to their call centre, every single one to a different person that the whole story up to that point had to be relayed to once again. My partner had tears of frustration dealing with them. I had to take names and ask for supervisor’s names before anything got done on this one. Their logistics knowledge of how to get injured people home seemed non-existent.
Off-piste = not covered
Traces of alcohol, drugs etc. = not covered
Out of date ski pass, someone else’s ski pass, etc… = not covered, how on earth do they check?
As it was Andorra, and they use the Euro etc… they aren’t in the EU, hence the EIHC was worthless.
Stretcher off the mountain – 130 Euro, insurance paid and/or recovered.
Check over in the medical centre, assessment, x-rays etc… at the bottom of the ski slope – 185 Euro, insurance paid and/or recovered.
Ambulance to hospital, 3.5 days in a hospital in Andorra + a MRI scan– 3,500 Euro, insurance paid. Apparently the bill was paid before I had left the hospital. First class treatment.
Cost of 4 extra days in the hotel for my partner - £800, not recovered, despite the insurance company stating they would pay it, they never did. I wrote it off, I was sick of dealing with them - as there wasn’t another option.
Dealing with the insurance company to get travel organised back to the UK = the most monumental pain in the backside imaginable. 17 phone calls to their call centre, every single one to a different person that the whole story up to that point had to be relayed to once again. My partner had tears of frustration dealing with them. I had to take names and ask for supervisor’s names before anything got done on this one. Their logistics knowledge of how to get injured people home seemed non-existent.
Off-piste = not covered
Traces of alcohol, drugs etc. = not covered
Out of date ski pass, someone else’s ski pass, etc… = not covered, how on earth do they check?
As it was Andorra, and they use the Euro etc… they aren’t in the EU, hence the EIHC was worthless.
bucksmanuk said:
As it was Andorra, and they use the Euro etc… they aren’t in the EU, hence the EIHC was worthless.
EHIC not much use in many countries for this type of event.My mate did his cruciate on a run and I ended up accompanying him to the hospital - he was in agony and didn't have his details with him and couldn't get hold of anyone to give them to him. It transpires he also didn't have enough on his credit card so if I hadn't been with him to pay (and it was a few K even at this stage) he would have been left in the waiting room until someone did.
Bill said:
desolate said:
EHIC not much use in many countries for this type of event.
It was all they needed in Switzerland. Which was a stark contrast with France where they wouldn't give my friend with an ankle fracture any analgesia until they'd seen a credit card!Bill said:
It was all they needed in Switzerland. Which was a stark contrast with France where they wouldn't give my friend with an ankle fracture any analgesia until they'd seen a credit card!
We were in Austria and the bloke with the sled took us to the nearest hospital which was private MattW said:
Can anyone recommend a good resort for families with young children within Europe?
Our kids have just started getting to grips with skiing, this was their 2nd year; last year they spent all their time in the ski school area and on the low 'baby slopes' (i.e. no need to be lifted up the mountain, just a small drag lift). This year they ski'd down the mountain (with an instructor) for the first time which I think was the equivalent of a red in France and they didn't really enjoy it as it was too busy and too steep for them.
We usually go to a resort in Switzerland (Les Diablerets) but they have closed almost all the beginner runs hence having to ski the 'bigger' runs.
Ideally we would like to find a small quiet resort where we can ski together as a family on some nice long gentle runs (preferably through trees), while they get their confidence levels up. I am an ok skier and can easily help them out on gentle runs but when the runs get steeper I wouldn't have the confidence to help them if they got into trouble.
Want to make the most of the few years we have with them before they leave us for dust!
Any advice gratefully appreciated! - The wife prefers Switzerland but I would be happy with anywhere that fits the above criteria.
I'm biased as I live here but I think the skiing here in the Engadin is good for beginners if you pick the right area.Our kids have just started getting to grips with skiing, this was their 2nd year; last year they spent all their time in the ski school area and on the low 'baby slopes' (i.e. no need to be lifted up the mountain, just a small drag lift). This year they ski'd down the mountain (with an instructor) for the first time which I think was the equivalent of a red in France and they didn't really enjoy it as it was too busy and too steep for them.
We usually go to a resort in Switzerland (Les Diablerets) but they have closed almost all the beginner runs hence having to ski the 'bigger' runs.
Ideally we would like to find a small quiet resort where we can ski together as a family on some nice long gentle runs (preferably through trees), while they get their confidence levels up. I am an ok skier and can easily help them out on gentle runs but when the runs get steeper I wouldn't have the confidence to help them if they got into trouble.
Want to make the most of the few years we have with them before they leave us for dust!
Any advice gratefully appreciated! - The wife prefers Switzerland but I would be happy with anywhere that fits the above criteria.
My preference would be to stay in Celerina. There are two lifts (one a chair, the other a t-bar) in the village which are used almost exclusively by the ski school and then a gondola up to the rest of the slopes of Corviglia (which links Celerina and St. Moritz). The piste through the trees back down is very comfortable.
We stayed in Celerina before moving here and ours learnt to ski there. Our preferred hotel was Inn Lodge, which is a hostel-type place but with large self-catering studios in the roof. It's where the athletes stay when there is a bobsleigh race.
Alternatively the Cresta Palace hotel is close to the slopes. I've never stayed there but the communal spaces are nice. There is a little hotel called the Hotelino Petit Chalet right next to the lifts / ski school. Celerina has a free shuttle bus between slopes and hotels.
If you did want to come to St. Moritz then the ski school takes the children up the first train from the centre and then to the school via a horse & cart ride which ours loved when they were small.
Skiing here is mostly above the trees though Celerina is below them.
Like anywhere in Switzerland it's not cheap but it doesn't have to be really expensive. This year the ski pass was about CHF 38 a day if you stayed in a hotel for more than a few days. I'm not sure what is happening next year as the lift company changed their pricing recently.
Aaah, ski insurance...
I dislocated my shoulder in BC gapping a bank between two groomed runs. Managed to ski down and get myself to the local hospital, spoke to the woman on the desk and she got the triage ball rolling while I looked for my insurance documents. Having arranged winter sports cover the day before leaving I brought out the certificate, only it took the receptionist five seconds to notice that it said EU and Turkey only. f
k. I'd forgotten to check if I had worldwide cover. It would have cost an up front $700 just to see a doctor, treatment could have then run into the thousands depending. I got up and left, went to the pharmacy and bought as much codeine as I could get away with. Lesson learnt, check and double check insurance certificates.
I dislocated my shoulder in BC gapping a bank between two groomed runs. Managed to ski down and get myself to the local hospital, spoke to the woman on the desk and she got the triage ball rolling while I looked for my insurance documents. Having arranged winter sports cover the day before leaving I brought out the certificate, only it took the receptionist five seconds to notice that it said EU and Turkey only. f
k. I'd forgotten to check if I had worldwide cover. It would have cost an up front $700 just to see a doctor, treatment could have then run into the thousands depending. I got up and left, went to the pharmacy and bought as much codeine as I could get away with. Lesson learnt, check and double check insurance certificates.housen said:
Bill said:
desolate said:
EHIC not much use in many countries for this type of event.
It was all they needed in Switzerland. Which was a stark contrast with France where they wouldn't give my friend with an ankle fracture any analgesia until they'd seen a credit card!Young son damaged his knee, got quickly ski rescued down to resort, x-rayed and saw a great Doc all within a few hours of the accident. Only then did they ask how I wanted to pay. Was surprised to be given a bill for only €400.
j_4m said:
Aaah, ski insurance...
I dislocated my shoulder in BC gapping a bank between two groomed runs. Managed to ski down and get myself to the local hospital, spoke to the woman on the desk and she got the triage ball rolling while I looked for my insurance documents. Having arranged winter sports cover the day before leaving I brought out the certificate, only it took the receptionist five seconds to notice that it said EU and Turkey only. fk. I'd forgotten to check if I had worldwide cover. It would have cost an up front $700 just to see a doctor, treatment could have then run into the thousands depending. I got up and left, went to the pharmacy and bought as much codeine as I could get away with. Lesson learnt, check and double check insurance certificates.
To be fair, thats a pretty big mistake considering you took it out the day before you went on holiday to an non EU place. I dislocated my shoulder in BC gapping a bank between two groomed runs. Managed to ski down and get myself to the local hospital, spoke to the woman on the desk and she got the triage ball rolling while I looked for my insurance documents. Having arranged winter sports cover the day before leaving I brought out the certificate, only it took the receptionist five seconds to notice that it said EU and Turkey only. f
k. I'd forgotten to check if I had worldwide cover. It would have cost an up front $700 just to see a doctor, treatment could have then run into the thousands depending. I got up and left, went to the pharmacy and bought as much codeine as I could get away with. Lesson learnt, check and double check insurance certificates.Tuna said:
After paying for insurance religiously before holidays for years, I finally figured out my bank account has free insurance as a 'perk'.
Still check the documents every time before we go - seems to good to be true.
Luckily, we've not had to test it out the hard way.
Yep, mine too. I still call them before every trip to check and confirm they cover ski holidays and put of EU ski holidays.Still check the documents every time before we go - seems to good to be true.
Luckily, we've not had to test it out the hard way.
Fortunately never had to use it so can’t comment on how comprehensive it would be.
housen said:
Bill said:
desolate said:
EHIC not much use in many countries for this type of event.
It was all they needed in Switzerland. Which was a stark contrast with France where they wouldn't give my friend with an ankle fracture any analgesia until they'd seen a credit card!By contrast, I only claimed once on travel insurance and was unfairly refused payout. Got the money some years later after the ombudsman got involved. Then the insurer sought a judicial review of their decision (and lost)!
Edited by Amateurish on Friday 22 March 09:48
Policy certificate clearly said EU and Turkey only, maybe I could have argued with the insurance company and gotten them to dig up the phone tapes but it was a lot of money I couldn't really afford should they not pay out. I managed to pop the shoulder back in myself, thankfully it wasn't a nastier injury.
I now check my policy very carefully before every holiday
I now check my policy very carefully before every holiday
last minute long weekend to Garmisch leaving on thursday! finally getting to the snow this winter, so very excited. not expecting amazing powder conditions. but cannot wait to get back on the snow for a few days.
Anyone been to Garmisch and got any tips or pointers for good places/ runs? friends have organised everything and I've literally just said- yep i'll go and gone and booked my own flights!
Anyone been to Garmisch and got any tips or pointers for good places/ runs? friends have organised everything and I've literally just said- yep i'll go and gone and booked my own flights!
housen said:
just booked wknd in zermatt in 2 weeks never been but im goin for that 3500m ski !!!!!!!!
can i have restaurant picks pls ? village and piste if possible ?
thank you guys :-)
Congrats, you should enjoy it.can i have restaurant picks pls ? village and piste if possible ?
thank you guys :-)
My favourite restaurant on the slopes is Chez Vrony. Not cheap but lovely terrace and decent food (note it's a few years since I last went so hopefully nothing has changed).
I've eaten well at 1818 in the village (again not cheap). The Snowboat looked after us well when we turned up with 4 tired, rowdy children on Valentine's Day a few years ago.
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