Family vacations are some of the most special occasions that family can have together. You get a chance to spend interrupted time with your loved ones, exploring new places and making new memories together.
Many families choose to go to tropical climates where they can have fun in the sun, hit the beaches, and do water sports. These types of holidays are mainly about relaxing, and taking your mind off your everyday life and the struggles that come along with it.
But there are times when you want to go with the family on a vacation where you can do lots of fun activities together, and share fun experiences. The best type of vacation to go on with your family when this is your goal is a ski vacation.
Going on a ski vacation with the family will be an unforgettable experience for everyone. There’s something about the snow, and hitting the slopes that brings families closer together and makes everyone open for a cool and exciting adventure.
If your plan is to take your family on a ski vacation, there are few things that you need to be aware of and prepare for in order to make sure that your entire clan has the best time possible. Here are some top tips to make sure that your family has an amazing ski holiday.
Plan out Your Trip in Advance
The most important thing you can do for your family ski trip is to create a plan for the entire trip. You have to call on your best organization skills to plan out your holiday. When you travel with children you need to be aware of every issue from safety to keeping them entertained throughout the trip and even when traveling there and back.
You also need to fully work through the complete travel itinerary and be able to discern in advance if everything is feasible and if it is really how everyone wants to spend their time. Having unhappy kids on a family holiday is the worst. So, make sure you plan age appropriate activities so your kids don’t get bored.
Think through any special issues you might have as a family. Are you traveling with very young or handicapped children? If so, they will need extra time to get through airports and may need special equipment to get into and out of hotels and be seated in restaurants. Make sure you also have the right transportation that can accommodate wheelchairs or strollers. You also need to be sure that the slopes you choose can accommodate your children. This information will likely be on the website of the places you will stay and visit. Do your homework in advance and if you have any questions, call the business and get them answered.
Have Someone to Call in Case of an Emergency
Skiing is fun and exciting but it can also be dangerous. Although the odds are that nothing will go wrong, in case it does, you need to be prepared. Give a copy of your itinerary to someone close to you before you leave. Make sure that they have all the important numbers and that they know where you will be and when to expect you back home. Also alert that person to any emergency services including hospitals, fire and police near the resort. You should provide the hotel with this person’s number and let staff know to make contact in the event of an emergency. This person can be a safety back up if you or someone in your family is hurt and can provide important information to the proper personnel in the event that you cannot.
Make Sure the Resort You Choose is Right for Your Family
It is likely that the hotel or resort you will be staying it is also where you will be skiing. If not change your plans to stay at a resort where you and the family can do your skiing and other activities. With kids it makes everything much simpler than having to travel a distance to the slopes. You should ideally look for a resort is that all-inclusive, with its own ski chalets and in-room childcare allowing everyone to focus on the trip rather than babysitting. The great news is that there are companies that provide all of these services in one complete package. One call to them and they can arrange your entire ski trip. To book your family ski trip with one of the top family-friendly ski holiday companies, click here.
Make your plan flexible
Planning is a necessary part of your trip, but because you have children with you need to have some flexibility in your plan. Be sure to give time off during the holiday or maybe even a day off in the event that someone is tired or has slight aches and pains and is not able to participate in the activities on ongoing days. Also keep in mind the kids are fickle and are likely to change their minds about the activities they want to undertake on any given day. Be sure to have backup plans and be able to cancel activities that are planned on back-to-back days. This way a needed rest day will not ruin your holiday.
Check the Weather
When you’re traveling with kids the weather is an important element for your holiday. Because you are going to a place which snow is common, you need to make sure that the weather is agreeable. Check to see if there are any snow storms or other inclement weather forecast during your holiday. In the event that there is poor weather predicted, it might be best to postpone your trip to a time when there will be good weather.
Pre-Book All of Your Ski Activities in Advance
Most of the popular ski areas will be very busy during the times when there is snow. When the slopes are too full no one can have an enjoyable time. For this reason ski slope operators limit the amount of people on the slopes. In order to be sure that your family gains access to the slopes on which you want to ski or snowboard, you should buy any lift tickets and reserve any ski equipment that you would like to rent in advance. Additionally if anyone in your family needs lessons, make sure that you also book these in advance so that an instructor is available. If you wait until you arrive, there is a likely chance that you will have to wait in long lines, miss some days on the slopes, or even not be able to ski. To avoid this make your bookings well in advance of your trip.
Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Vacationing with the kids can be enjoyable but if you are the type to worry, it can also be a lot of work and take away from your holiday fun. Kids going down the slopes and up lifts alone can cause some stress and sometimes they choose to go their own way rather than listen to parents. Do your best to relax and have some fun. Lean on the ski holiday company to take some of the stress off and enjoy yourself.
Follow these common sense tips and you and your family will have a fantastic ski holiday.
