Looking for the perfect resort for your family skiing holiday? You'd be hard pressed to find a better location than Alpe d'Huez, in the southern French Alps.
The skiing
The first question anyone asks when planning a skiing holiday - is the skiing any good? Alpe d'Huez provides a resounding "yes!" to that question. With 42 green runs, 37 blues, 39 reds and 17 blacks (including the infamous Sarenne, the longest black run in the alps!) skiers at every level are literally spoilt for choice! For tiny tots the local ski schools operate excellent ski gardens where their first nervousness at strapping on skis is easily overcome by skiing to, around and under various fun characters. Once you've found your feet, the huge area of linked green runs is a fabulous playground for beginners. Steep enough to get the feel of being on a real mountain piste, but wide enough to inspire confidence, even the most nervous first-timer is guaranteed to be whizzing down yelling "wheee!" by the end of the week! With a fantastic range of blue, red and black runs also on offer, across a literally huge skiing area, every level of skier can have a blast. And if different members of the family are at different levels - no problem! Most routes offer at least one easier/more challenging choice which then converge at the bottom, so whether you prefer to go slowly and gently or whizz down jumping the moguls, by choosing the level of run that suits each of you best and meeting up at strategic points, you can still enjoy skiing as a family. And if the 250km of pistes aren't enough for you, you can get a bus to neighbouring Les Deux Alpes for the day and give their skiing a whirl too!
The location
Only 2 hours from Grenoble, its one of the shorter transfers available in the Alps, which makes life easier for those with young children. The route also takes you up the famous 21 hairpin bends much loved by the Tour De France - get the kids to count them on the way up and they will be so occupied they will forget to say "are we there yet?" Alpe d'Huez also has the good fortune to be almost totally south facing, making it one of the sunniest ski resorts around. Its also one of the easiest resorts to get around in. A free gondola lift goes from the old town at the bottom to the foot of the pistes at the top, with a handy stop in the centre of town in the middle, and saves small legs (and the very unfit) from having to trek up the hill. Good flat streets and an armada of free, disabled-friendly buses makes it easy to get around town even with a pram or a wheelchair.
What if we can't ski?
A fairly large place as ski resorts go, any non-skiers in the family will have plenty to explore. Even in bad weather or (unfortunately it does happen) a lack of snow, there's enough going on in Alpe d'Huez that you will still have a great family holiday. No matter what age your family are, from 0 to 101, there will be plenty to keep you all entertained!
High quality, flexible childcare
If your tour operator does not provide childcare or you are travelling independently, there are excellent private nannies based in resort. Snow Angel Nannies is a small company providing high quality childcare and a great range of fun activities, tailored to meet your specific needs as a family. Whether you need us to pick the kids up from ski school or take care of the baby, we can ensure that while you make the most of your time on the slopes, your children will be having the time of their lives as well! And if you want a quiet evening to yourselves (or want to sample the excellent night life!) look no further - we offer babysitting services as well. Want to know more? Check out the website.
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