Since having the boys we have been very lucky and managed to ski every year. Initially we booked a holiday independently, as we had done before starting our family. This was great until it came to wanting to ski together, when we had to rope in my parents and sister to take turns babysitting. In practice this worked but it led to feelings of guilt and we weren’t able to completely relax knowing that we were expecting others to miss out on skiing.

We since found Esprit Ski who provide wrap around childcare and have a wide choice of chalets across numerous resorts in the Alps. The childcare they offer includes nursery, snow club, ski lessons, supervised lunch and baby listening during the evening. This allows us to enjoy skiing together safe in the knowledge that the boys are having a great time building snowmen, sledging, crafting, singing and playing with new friends. In the evening we can enjoy our meal with other adults in the chalet while the snow rangers provide a baby listening service and alert us if they wake. This results in a guilt free holiday where we feel that we get a break and the kids have the time of their lives. Win win!

However, holidays like this do not usually come cheap. Esprit have Baby and Toddler (BAT) weeks during the season where there are significant discounts on child places and childcare. Taking advantage of these deals is how we manage to afford our family ski holidays.

The booking process was simple, once you have come to an agreement on which resort and chalet you want to go to. As with other package holidays Esprit booked our flights, transfers, ski carriage and accommodation. The total cost of our holiday for a family of four was £2670.50. 

For more information about our week in La Rosiere and the elements of the holiday please read on.

Airport Parking

Our flight was scheduled to leave Gatwick at 7am which meant a very bleary eyed drive to the airport at 4am. We contemplated staying at a hotel the night before but decided it wouldn’t really provide us with much more sleep so opted for meet and greet parking instead. We have never done this before as assumed it was very expensive. It actually only cost us about £10 more than our quote for having the car at the long stay car park. A total of £59.01 for eight days parking.  We booked through APH which is a Gatwick Airport approved booking agent. The company our parking was actually with was I Love Meet and Greet. The booking process was very easy and we were sent instructions and a voucher to print and put in the windscreen of our car. Things to note which were not explained to us are that meet and greet parking is located in the right hand lane of airport drop off. Signage for meet and greet is very much lacking. If you go into the left lane you will have to go all the way round again to get into the right lane.  Also, you need to call the company you booked through when you are ten minutes away from the airport to ensure they are there to meet you when you arrive. Other than these points the drop off process went very smoothly. When we returned from our holiday we called APH once we were in the arrivals hall and by the time we had walked out to the meet and greet area our car was waiting for us. 

Using meet and greet worked very well and saved us the hassle of transferring two tired boys, ski equipment and backpacks between long stay and the terminal. 

Flights

Our flights were with charter airline, Titan Airways, and part of our holiday package. We have flown with this airline previously and while they are certainly no frills, and very little leg room, they are perfectly adequate for the short hour and a half flight to Chambery. Unfortunately on this occasion they only had two members of staff on the desks to check in two full flights of passengers. This led to it taking nearly two hours to check in and a subsequent race through security to the departure gate where our plane was boarding. 

Coming into to land at Chambery Airport

Transfers

Organised by Esprit we met the coach to La Rosiere in the coach parking bay. The downside of a pre-organised coach transfer is that often you will have to wait for passengers from other flights before you can get going. However, once you are on the road you can relax and catch up on some sleep.

When we arrived in La Rosiere we were met by Esprit hosts and our bags transferred to the chalet by mini van while we made the short walk down the piste.

The transfer back down to Chambery airport was a little more difficult with many of the kids on the coach suffering from travel sickness. We recommend taking plenty of bags and wipes with you and keep a change of clothes accessible in your luggage in case anyone needs to change before boarding the flight. Once the coach reaches Bourg St Maurice in the valley little tummies seem to settle down.

The transfer bus is a great opportunity to catch up on some sleep from an early morning

La Rosiere village

La Rosiere is renowned as a family friendly ski resort, with gentle runs and plenty of sunshine, so where better to take our two boys for a week on the slopes. 

A traditional chalet style village, with strict building controls,  retains is alpine charm. It is a popular resort with British holiday companies so the shops, restaurants and ski school cater to English speakers. 

The views from the village and surrounding ski area are some of the best I have seen. You can see across the valley to the ski resort of Les Arcs and down towards Bourg Saint Maurice in the valley. The sunsets are spectacular. 

There are a few shops in the village, the obligatory ski rental and sales shops, gift shops, bars and restaurants, a boulangrie, deli and supermarket. 

During the winter the road between La Rosiere and La Thuile is closed so the village is a dead end. This limits the amount of traffic entering the village as the road finishes at the car park for the lift station.

La Rosiere is a one of the prettiest ski resorts in the Alps

Chalet Braconnier

A ski in ski out chalet with fantastic views over to Les Arcs. We were in rooms 4A and 4B on the same floor as the kitchen and lounge. This was a great selection as it meant we could keep the kids contained to one floor. 

Both rooms had two single beds. Our room (4A) had an en suite with shower and a balcony too. There was plenty of storage space in the wardrobes for clothes. Skis and boots were stored in the garage on the next floor down.

The chalet also had a sauna and hot tub just outside the front door.

The view from our balcony was spectacular during sunrise and sunset

Ski rental

Esprit have a link up with Sport 2000 but we have rented through Skiset both times we have been to La Rosiere. We cannot recommend them enough. 

We rented a mini kids package (€41.40), kids package (€50.40) and women’s evolution package (€86.10). Prices shown are for seven days rental.

We are usually sceptical of the additional equipment insurance but Skiset’s rates were very reasonable at €2 for adult packages and €1.50 per day for kids packages. We didn’t hear of any ski theft but it is always wise to lock your skis when leaving them at lunchtime and at the bottom of the lifts, or at least separating pairs. 

Alex at Skiset is fantastic with the kids and they couldn’t have been happier with their boots and Star Wars skis.

Lift tickets

It is possible to buy lift tickets for the full Espace San Bernardo ski area which includes La Thuile (€45.50 per day), or the La Rosiere area which limits you to skiing on the French side only (€40.50 per day). There is the option to buy multiple consecutive days with the Espace San Bernardo pass which offers a discount on the day rate. Eg €222 for six days (equating to €37 per day). Lift tickets are free to children under five.

Ski lessons

The boys ski lessons were arranged through Esprit and delivered by Evolution 2 instructors. Our six year old was in Improvers and taken on the button lifts on the nursery slopes and over to the La Foret green runs. This was his third time skiing and he was filled with confidence in his ability from the minute he put his skis on. What he hadn’t considered was that he hadn’t done it for a year and while his speed was impressive his control was very much lacking. He had a two hour lesson every morning in a group of about eight children, an instructor and a snow ranger from Esprit. His control through snowplough turns and then parallel turns improved dramatically during the week. By the end of the holiday he was skiing down red runs with us.

Our three year old was in Spritelets which is a class for first time skiers. There were 18 kids in the group being taught by three instructors and three snow rangers. The first day was purely about getting the kids on their skis and letting them slide a short distance. This was pure comedy value! A bunch of uncoordinated three year olds, their vision and movement impeded by helmets, goggles, oversized ski suits and gloves being released from one instructor and caught by another. It seemed unlikely that much progression would be made during the week. Well, I was very wrong. By the end of the week he was going up the magic carpet, skiing down the slope and stopping using a snowplough…or avoiding capture from an instructor by turning in the other direction!

The improvement they both made was impressive, but most importantly they loved their lessons, loved being on the snow and cannot wait to go again next year. To me that is a great success!

The kid’s ski area is the perfect place for spritelets to master their first snowploughs

Childcare

Our eldest was booked in for supervised lunch after his lesson which was from 11.30 – 14.00. He was met by a snow ranger after his ski lesson, taken to a chalet for lunch and then did singing and games outside for an hour. We collected him at 2pm and skied with him for the afternoon.

Our youngest was in snow club each morning. We dropped him off at the nursery at 8.30am where he did a range of craft activities and games, and was taken outside for tobogganing, snowman building and yeti hunting. He was a little unsettled at being left the first couple of mornings but by the end of the week was racing in to see his new ski friends. He was given lunch which usually consisted of baked potato and a selection of fillings, sandwiches or pasta. In the afternoon the snow rangers got the children ready for their ski lesson which was from 14.30 – 16.30. We collected him from his lesson but could have had him brought back to our chalet in time for kids tea at 17.30 by a snow ranger.

The childcare staff were all brilliant. The fact that the kids had such a great time is testament to how safe and cared for they feel. 

The snow rangers leading the singing to pump everyone up for their day

The Espace San Bernardo ski area

The Espace San Bernardo ski area comprises of the slopes of La Rosiere in France and La Thuile in Italy. The French slopes are mostly gentle blues and reds and ideal for beginner and intermediate skiers. In good weather they are bathed in sunshine the whole day and have spectacular views down to Bourg Saint Maurice.

If you want something a little more challenging then head over to North facing slopes on the Italian side of the resort. Here the runs in the bowl above the resort of La Thuile are cruisey reds and blues with lots of opportunity for off piste in the right conditions. If you head into the resort you will find three challenging black runs. Our personal favourite is run number five!

The connection between France and Italy is often closed when there are high winds or heavy snow so be sure to check before you set off. 

When the link is open it involves a very long button lift to the Italian border. 

Meals on the mountain

Our strategy for lunch on the mountain was to start skiing early and break for lunch around midday. This avoided the bulk of the lunchtime rush, which seemed to start about 12.45. On mountain restaurants on the French side of the ski area are more limited and we noticed generally more expensive. We ate mainly on the Italian side due to skiing most mornings over in Italy. We budgeting around €20 for lunch for the two of us. Below are a few of our top picks.

Burger Bar, Eucherts

Not technically on the mountain, but very close to the bottom of the Eucherts Chairlift. Burger Bar serves burgers (no surprise), paninis and tacos (more like burritos) and is a great lunch stop. The portions are enormous and very reasonably priced. If it is sunny there is a terrace out the front and if not then inside is like a tardis with plenty of tables. 

Eucherts in general is a good place to meet non-skiers in your party for lunch as it is a short bus ride from La Rosiere village.

We recommend the tacodio which contains savoyard sausage, raclette cheese, fries and salad

Bar Du Lac

Located at the bottom of Piccolo San Bernardo Express lift this bar serves local home cooked food such as polenta with stew, a selection of charcuterie and cheese, and paninis.  It is open winter and summer. We have visited in both seasons and it is a great lunch stop when skiing between La Thuile and La Rosiere, or in the summer after a walk around Lake Verney. 

Restaurante Roxy

Situated at the bottom of the Fourclaz Express lift this restaurant turned out to be a little more expensive that we are used to. We shared a plate of stew and polenta which was absolutely delicious and plenty for the two of us, a beer and a bombadino, totalling €35. 

Sitting at the bottom of a fairly steep black run there was plenty to watch while enjoying a drink in the sun. 

Le Foyer Bar Restaurant

Next to the Chaz Dura chairlift this restaurant is in the heart of La Thuile’s ski runs. It is a perfect location when the sun is shining due to it’s large terrace with plenty of tables, as well as deckchairs on the snow at the front. If the weather is unsuitable for alfresco dining then there is a large dining area downstairs with an expanse of windows letting light and the amazing view into the building.  We recommend the pizzas (we are in Italy after all!) and of course the Bombadinos. If you have not yet encountered this Italian drink then you need to put it on your bucket list next time you are in Italy. It is a combination of brandy, egg liqueur which is warmed and then topped with whipped cream. It is truly amazing after a day on the mountains and will power your tired legs for the final runs home.   

Enjoying a bombadino and awesome view

Eating in resort

Meals were provided in our chalet on five of the seven nights. These consisted of beef stew, coq au vin, cod and chorizo, pork and roasted vegetables, and duck breast. All the meals were lovely and just what was needed after a day on the slopes. On the two staff nights off we had the opportunity to try a couple of the local restaurants. 

Genepi

This restaurant is located upstairs in Le Centre. Currently it holds the number one spot on Tripadvisor and in our opinion for good reasons. The food is delicious and staff very friendly and helpful. There is the option to eat from the a la carte menu or from set menus with varying prices catering to most budgets. We ate from the €35 set menu which included three courses. The owners are a lady from the UK who works front of house, and her French husband who is the head chef. They are full of local knowledge and interesting to talk to. Due to it’s popularity Genepi gets very booked up, especially on a Thursday evening when it is staff night off for a lot of the chalet companies in the resort. It is best to book a table early if you would like to eat here. 

Le Comptoir

On the second staff night off we decided to try something a little more casual and suitable for the kids to eat with us. Le Comptoir is a pub located in the heart of the village. It seems to be a popular apres bar for the local ski instructors which is often a good sign. With a deck out the front and another upstairs there is plenty of space to enjoy a sunny afternoon. DJ’s and live bands provide entertainment. The kids menu is €5.99 and includes pizza, chicken goujons, and pasta. Both our boys loved their food. The drinks are reasonably priced and the burgers are amazing.  

Our verdict

If you are looking for a family friendly ski holiday that keeps everyone happy you can’t go far wrong with La Rosiere and travelling with Esprit. If you are flexible with dates then look out for last minute deals on their website. If you need to secure dates early and have preschool kids then check out their BAT weeks. 

The nursery area in Eucherts was the perfect place to ski altogether at the end of the week