Resort mid-Jan for mixed ability family, one of whom is beginner

Wife and I are intermediates (she full of grace and style, me like an ox - strong as one, but with an ox's balance)

9 year old has 1 week under belt and can snowplough anything (as only kids can)

7 year old is a beginner and has a tendency to wuss

Preferably short transfer (kids tend to barf on long coach trips)

Cost not a major issue (since mid-Jan should be relatively cheap...I know it's all relative when it comes to skiing)

Cheers

Dobby

If you can fly into Innsbruck, then it is a one and a quarter hour transfer to Niederau. Some super runs for inters, (have a squint at my www vids above), and one of the best ski schools in Austria.
Niederau voted Austria,s "Best Small and Fine Ski Village" two years running by ADAC, Germany's equivalent of the AA.

I would suggest staying at the Hotel Harfenwirt, very child friendly. Herbert, the owner organises a childrens choir near the end of the week. Nursery slope directly over the road, 50m to the lift that will take you down into the village.

Some good inter runs at Auffach, at the end of the valley, (ski bus)

Ski well.

Cheers, Dave Mac.

I saw that Niederau was recommended in several ski brochures for beginners. What's the snow record like? Resort is quite low (700-800m), isn't it?

Dobby

Snow record is good, gave it out here a couple of weeks ago for last few years. Go to IGLU/Snow/Snow History and fill in the details. There was a bad year in 2007, but is was bad right through the alps.
Niederau has north facing slopes, captures the Kitzbuhle Alp snowstream, has tree-lined runs, ~ they induce light powder fall just beside the trees.
Like other resorts, you can get bad weeks, but the whole of the alps operate on machine-made snow from late November.

There are downsides to high altitude skiing, like bad weather, and where do you meet the kids?
The other place I would recommend for being child friendly are La Thuile, just soooo Italian child loving folk, and Borovets, mainly for the quality of it's ski school.

I would still go for Niederau, but then you have to understand that I have been skiing there for over 40 years, I may be biased!

Cheers, Dave M. Must say that I liked La Thuile - excellent instruction from huge teddy bear of a woman who was great fun. And great bikers' bar (not with the kids, though....). Shame that there was a blizzard that lasted for most of the week (can happen anywhere - too much snow!).

Dobby

My lads were slightly older than yours in La Thuile. Apartment was about three times larger than the one we had in Flaine the previous season. When we visited the shop for a Pizza, the old lady smiled at the boys, and taught them how to ask in Italian. After 3 days, she wouldn't serve them unless they asked in Italian!

Bikers cafe ~ you are a pedal pusher? My ski buddy is such.

Hi - I was going to recommend Les Gets - but I've already done that in one of your earlier posts.

We started skiing there with friends when all our children were little & we have some great memories of happy childen enjoying all the child-friendly things Les Gets has to offer. There is a real Christmassy feel to the village & our children used to enjoy a ride on the free petit train which travels around all day.

We used to go mid January, & apart from the 2007 season which was poor everywhere, we've had fantastic conditions. Also, it's only just over 1 hour from Geneva which should suit you.

The area around Les Chavannes has plenty for beginners & children, including the Grand Cry Territory & The Mappy's Area (see http://www.lesgets.com/en/accueil/index.html for more details). From here it would be easy for one parent & your older child to go further afield, but quickly return so the parents can swap over.

If you fancy France, I think it would be a great choice. BASS are an excellent ski school & our son loved his lessons with them.

Good look with your choice!

Dave Mac wrote:Snow record is good, gave it out here a couple of weeks ago for last few years. Go to IGLU/Snow/Snow History and fill in the details. There was a bad year in 2007, but is was bad right through the alps.
Niederau has north facing slopes, captures the Kitzbuhle Alp snowstream, has tree-lined runs, ~ they induce light powder fall just beside the trees.
Like other resorts, you can get bad weeks, but the whole of the alps operate on machine-made snow from late November.

There are downsides to high altitude skiing, like bad weather, and where do you meet the kids?
The other place I would recommend for being child friendly are La Thuile, just soooo Italian child loving folk, and Borovets, mainly for the quality of it's ski school.

I would still go for Niederau, but then you have to understand that I have been skiing there for over 40 years, I may be biased!

The only thing I would mention regarding La Thuile is the runs back to resort can be a tad difficult for beginners, you have a couple of options a very steep black/red and I mean steep, or a snow covered what is a mountain road which is I think is blue but very narrow and can get congested, the other option a run back to the village via petit st bernard which is very flat and requires an awful lot of poling.
But at the top there is some loverly beginner and intermediate skiing to be had and the option to return on the gondola.