Family ski holidays part one - How to find family friendly ski resorts and accommodation

For those of you planning your first ski holiday with children, here are a few guidelines to help make your lives and holiday as simple and hassle free as possible. We have written this article in two parts - this first part covers finding a suitable family friendly ski resort and accommodation, and the second part covers ski school and lift passes.

Finding a suitable resort for your family ski holiday is important and the resort and accommodation you choose can make or break your holiday. Many families find that once they discover a resort they are happy with they will return year on year to allow their children to progress through the ski levels and be able to explore the familiar ski terrain as they grow in confidence.

Accommodation in ski resorts can vary widely depending on your budget. Many ski resorts offer a range of private chalets which offer a home from home setting and are available to rent on a catered or self catered basis. This type of accommodation is great for ski holidays and provides a comfortable environment for you to relax together in the evenings after a busy day on the slopes.

A standard catered chalet deal would normally include transfers to and from the airport, afternoon tea, pre dinner drinks and canapés, breakfast and evening meal for 6 nights (the staff would normally have a night off) and transport to and from the slopes. The benefits of this type of ski holiday allow you to enjoy your holiday without the hassle of buying and cooking food or finding your way around a new resort, and it will also give you maximum time on the slopes. When booking an all inclusive chalet holiday, check to see if there are any child discounts available and if the hosts can provide an early "high tea" option as kids are often exhausted after a day's skiing. Also check if cots, high chairs and car seats are available if you are travelling with babies - it saves a lot of hassle (and baggage allowance) if the chalet can supply cots and car seats.

Some chalets provide a more luxurious holiday with hot tubs, jacuzzis, massages and childcare to allow you maximum relaxation time and some time away from your little darlings.

Chalets and apartments can also be available on a self catered basis allowing you more flexibility to enjoy your holiday independently. It will also allow you to make your budget stretch a little further. Often added services can be offered by your tour operator if you do require an element of hand holding or local information to help you find how to get about the resort. Some packages may also include optional catering if you do fancy a night off.

Hotels and larger tour operators can often provide the perfect solution as holiday packages often come with on site crèche facilities, children's activities and entertainment and in house bars and restaurants, so all you holiday needs are catered for under one roof. Check to see if the child care is included or an added extra.

Once you have your resort and accommodation arranged, the next important thing is to ensure you get the right tuition booked. This is covered in our second article "Family ski holidays part two - Finding the best ski lessons".