Destination suggestion for kids snowboarding lessons in Alps

[jammy-git]

Looking to book for a ski/snowboard holiday over Christmas next year (2024). It seems there are very, very few ski schools that offer snowboard lessons for kids, so if anyone knows of any that do offer snowboard lessons and hire for a 6 and 9 year old that would be most appreciated!

[malks222]

No experience of them, but ‘mint snowboarding’ in morzine seem to offer lessons and also the ESF in morzine or les menuires have lessons for 6yr olds on their website

maybe a bit more expensive (but when added in to the cost of a ski holiday, all relative!) contact some smaller/ private ski/ snowboard schools who might be able to do private lessons?

[Castrol for a knave]

Aim for somewhere a bit French and a bit more family..

Les Saises, between Megeve and Beaufort is excellent. aimed at families and not full of braying Brits. There is an EDF kids ski school and village

Lots of other stuff that keep kids entertained.

Close by is Hauteluce and a single cabin that gets you into Les Contamines

Geneva or Chambery are about 90 minutes

I don't have kids but know the area very well, for ski mountaineering and ice climbing. It is also a great base for summer biking.

[WelshRich]

We took our kids boarding for the first time when they were slightly younger than yours. We booked them in for a crash course at the snowdome before we went and bought them boards/boots (ebay) which we then sold again as they outgrew them - This was a few years ago but we struggled to find anywhere that would provide lessons for 5 year olds in the Alps… Currently typing this from the the slopes in Italy but the kids are 16 and 18 now and have been better boarders than me for a while…

[jammy-git]

WelshRich said:

We took our kids boarding for the first time when they were slightly younger than yours. We booked them in for a crash course at the snowdome before we went and bought them boards/boots (ebay) which we then sold again as they outgrew them - This was a few years ago but we struggled to find anywhere that would provide lessons for 5 year olds in the Alps… Currently typing this from the the slopes in Italy but the kids are 16 and 18 now and have been better boarders than me for a while…

I was thinking along these lines too, that we'd go up to an indoor slope near London in the Feb half term for a couple of days and then they could do one day boarding and one day skiing to see which they preferred.

Definitely thinking of getting second hand gear too as I've not had much luck with rental boarding stuff in the past.

[jammy-git]

malks222 said:

No experience of them, but ‘mint snowboarding’ in morzine seem to offer lessons and also the ESF in morzine or les menuires have lessons for 6yr olds on their website

maybe a bit more expensive (but when added in to the cost of a ski holiday, all relative!) contact some smaller/ private ski/ snowboard schools who might be able to do private lessons?

Thanks for the advice! I might look at getting them 3 days of private and 3 days of group lessons. Would you say private lessons first, before group lessons would be the best way around?

[jammy-git]

Castrol for a knave said:

Aim for somewhere a bit French and a bit more family..

Les Saises, between Megeve and Beaufort is excellent. aimed at families and not full of braying Brits. There is an EDF kids ski school and village

Lots of other stuff that keep kids entertained.

Close by is Hauteluce and a single cabin that gets you into Les Contamines

Geneva or Chambery are about 90 minutes

I don't have kids but know the area very well, for ski mountaineering and ice climbing. It is also a great base for summer biking.

Les Saises looks like a great option, although would snow conditions at Christmas be a little hit and miss?

[malks222]

jammy-git said:

Thanks for the advice! I might look at getting them 3 days of private and 3 days of group lessons. Would you say private lessons first, before group lessons would be the best way around?

Going to be honest and say- I don’t know! i’ve only been involved in private lessons with mrs malks (skiing), no experience of group lessons. I would say that we only ever done 2-3hrs lessons in the morning, nice lunch, then whatever we felt like in the afternoon (maybe 1-2hrs more skiing). private lessons are quite a lot of work, there’s a lot to take in, my mrs always felt doing a full day would be too much!

[vindaloo79]

My cousin went to tignes the other week and he said the lower slopes had free lifts for beginners. Which would help save some money towards instructors.

He said he used ESF for his family of four for three days but hasn’t got back to me on prices they paid for that. He had about four weeks boarding and suggested his boys (9 and 6) are now better than him at skiing after starting from scratch together.

Update: they paid £500 for three half days for mum dad and two boys to learn to ski with ESF.

[Dg504]

Portes du soleil and I’ll go for Chatel as a recommendation for this. As above - either the esf classes (maybe a bit French for young English kids (maybe not!) and not cheap) or I know of two English run schools there who do boarding lessons.

This must also be available in avoriaz, morzine and les gets too if those resorts suit you better