Helpful tips for family ski breaks in La Plagne

If you’re planning a skiing holiday in France with the kids, La Plagne is a brilliant destination to choose. You’ll find it in the gorgeous Savoie region, next to the famous resort of Les Arcs. La Plagne has pretty much everything a family could desire but, as with any break, it’s important to plan carefully to get the most out of it as possible.

So, with that in mind, here are my top tips for having a family skiing break here.

Book a chalet

First things first, you really need to take the time to pick the right accommodation. Yes, this could be said of any holiday, but it’s even more important when you have kids in tow. My top piece of advice is to choose a chalet, rather than a hotel, since this will have the cosiest, most home-like atmosphere – and so is perfect for children.

My next tip is to select one that’s designed with families in mind. Companies like Snowchateaux offer chalets kitted out with Xbox 360s, UK satellite TVs and DVD players as standard, while some also have their own games rooms. No child (or adult!) is likely to be unhappy with that.

It is also worth investigating how close each chalet you’re considering is to lifts and slopes, since little legs can quickly tire of long treks back and forth each morning and evening. Similarly, if you’re planning on sending your child to a ski school, the chalet should be as close as possible to this.

Pack the right clothing

Once you’ve got your accommodation sorted, you need to get the clothing side of things right. If you’re a seasoned skier, chances are you’ll have everything you require, but it’s good to have a checklist for kids. This should include:

• A snowsuit or a waterproof ski jacket with a snow skirt
• A warm hat
• Waterproof ski gloves
• Lots of layers – this is especially important, as it means your kids can keep warm, but can also take off a layer or two if they get too hot.

Decent socks (to prevent nasty blisters) and a helmet are a good idea too, while you should also remember to pack goggles or sunglasses and a high-factor sun cream.

Getting ready in the morning

To make sure you and your children have a good day on the slopes, you need to get off to a good start. One of the most important parts of this is ensuring everyone has a decent breakfast, since both you and the kids will need lots of energy to stay warm and lively.

Then, check your kids are dressed in several layers, as discussed above. This is also the time to put sun cream on – but remember you’ll need to bring this with you to be reapplied throughout the day. Otherwise, you and your youngsters are likely to have to deal with painful sunburn.

Skiing and snowboarding lessons

One final thing you need to think about before you set off is whether your little ones would like to have skiing and snowboarding lessons. If they would, you should book these as far in advance as possible.

Fortunately, La Plagne is home to several great places to learn, including Ecole du Ski Francais (also known as ESF), which is France’s national ski school. It offers lessons in English, so there’s no need to worry about your children having to decipher instructions given in another language.