Global Resorts Blog Network

Planning a ski vacation for the entire family can be a challenge. Many resorts are focused on adults or experienced skiers and do not offer the variety of slopes and experiences that new and younger skiers enjoy. When looking for a family friendly resort, the challenge is often to find a combination of facilities and slopes that will offer both challenge and adventure to the members of the group.

Taking a few steps before making a commitment will result in a great vacation. Comparing different resorts and finding out the type of slopes they have is an important step in meeting the needs of all the skiers in the family. In addition, you can gauge the resorts ability to provide for young skiers when you find out what type of alpine skiing equipment the resort rents. If the resort advertises for families but does not have equipment rental for young children, they are not a family friendly resort.

There is nothing worse for a person learning how to ski than an instructor that is constantly checking their digital sport watch. These instructors are usually do not have the necessary expertise to work well with children and beginners. Asking about the ski instructors and their experience will be another way to gauge the family friendliness of the resort.

An excellent ski instructor will insist that students wear a full face helmet when they are learning to ski. Many injuries can be avoided when a new skier has head protection when they are learning the intricacies of falling properly when skiing. This is especially important if a person is learning how to snow board.

Staying at a family resort will provide many opportunities to participate in local activities when you are not on the slopes. In most cases there will be an ice skating rink near the resort that will offer both free skating time and skating lessons. A family will also enjoy other activities to local events and festivals that may be occurring near the resort.

When you have narrowed the list of family friendly resorts, it will be important to make reservations early. Excellent family resorts often have long waiting lists and are full throughout most of the ski season. By calling early to make a reservation, you can take advantage of any discounts or vacation packages that the resort is offering to families. This can save money on the total cost of the trip.

Another benefit offered by some family resorts is baby-sitting services. This is a great advantage if you enjoy skiing on challenging slopes and would like to spend some adult time without children on your vacation. The resorts usually have a baby-sitter on site that is available to watch children in the lodge or engage them in an activity while you are skiing.