Luxury Ski Resorts

This week I thought I would focus on Europe's favourite luxury ski resorts from a family ski perspective. Firstly, lets start with listing alphabetically what we would consider to be the best luxury ski resorts, and then assess them from a family perspective:

• Chamonix
• Espace Killy (Tignes and Val d'Isere)
• Three Valleys (Courchevel, Meribel, La Tania, Les Menuires, and Val Thorens)
• St Anton
• Verbier
• Zermatt

Whilst their luxury ski resort status can not be questioned, the question here really is whether they are family ski resorts, so here is our analysis of the pros and cons for a family ski perspective:

Chamonix

Pros: Some of the best skiing in the world, high altitude but also some resorts the childrens areas are lower so great for younger skiers

Cons: Not a linked ski resort, runs can border on the extreme

Stick to the family ski resort of Les Houches and avoid Chamonix and Argentiere. La Tour is another alternative but not as pretty as Les Houches.

Espace Killy (Tignes and Val d'Isere)

Pros: High altitude skiing, extensive network ideal for intermediates and advanced.

Cons: Tignes isn't the prettiest resort and Val d'Isere which is, isn't the cheapest for a family ski holiday. High altitude resorts so not always ideal for young children in terms of altitude and cold.

Three Valleys (Courchevel, Meribel, La Tania, Les Menuires, and Val Thorens)

Pros: High altitude skiing, extensive network ideal for all abilities.

Cons: Val Thorens isn't the prettiest resort although Meribel's villages are. Courchevel isn't the cheapest for a family ski holiday. High altitude resorts so not always ideal for young children in terms of altitude and cold.

La Tania and Les Menuires are great well priced Three Valleys family ski resorts and offer great value for money.

St Anton

Pros: Some of the best skiing and nightlife in the world!

Cons: Unless your family ski holiday involves children in their late teens, this isn't a family ski resort. This luxury ski resort is one of the best in the world, but it is such a party town it is best left to singles and young couples.

Verbier

Pros: Sunny resort, extensive skiing, great family ski areas as well as advanced skiing. Lively chic town that is great for family skiing groups as well as singles and couples.

Cons: Some of the skiing leans more to the good intermediate and advanced skier

Zermatt

Pros: Traffic free centre, great well pisted ski runs, resort height great ffor children, good snow record

Cons: The price

Half Term Ski

The ski half term week, along with the ski New Year week, are the two busiest ski weeks of the year and therefore an early booking is strongly advised if you want to secure a great family chalet for your half term ski week.

In terms of great family ski chalets for the half term ski week, Ski In Ski Out Chalets have some great ski in ski out chalet ski rentals that are ideal for family ski chalet holidays being located on the piste. If money is no object, take a look at their luxury catered chalets in Val d'Isere or for great value catered chalets in Les Menuires or La Tania. The latter two options really are unbeatable in terms of their Three Valleys locations and exceptional price.

New Year Ski

If you have an older family ski group, New Year ski resorts such as Chamonix, Val d'Isere, or Verbier might be ideal, whereas for younger family ski New Year holiday groups might want to avoid the party places, and opt for great chalets just off the beaten track.

If your persuasion is the latter, and a nice celebration in front of the log fire is more than enough for your New Year skiing holiday, other option to the main New Year ski destinations include La Tania, Les Menuires, and Tzoumaz in Verbier's 4 Vallees.

Family Ski Chamonix

If you are looking for a great family ski chalet in Chamonix, you might want to take a look at Chalet Prarion, widely acknowledged in the Chamonix Valley as the best ski in ski out chalet. Sleeping 12 people in 6 en-suite bedrooms, its facilities include high definition cinema projection, a Games Room with Wii, Home Cinema, and a full sized pool table, and for the parents leather sofas, a south facing decking, and a luxury hydro therapy hot tub.

Being on the piste its the ideal ski in ski out chalet for family ski holidays and the Guestbook suggests that they aren't just a great family ski chalet operator, they're really one of the best!

Ski Christmas

What better way to spend Christmas than skiing in your favourite ski resort. If you choose a reputable catered, or even better, a luxury catered chalet, then it still comes with all the trimmings in terms of the traditional Christmas dinner, the decoration, the Christmas tree, you name it, it just means that the children won't get bored after five minutes, and the parents celebration limited to one day - of clearing up.

Being a catered chalet holiday, the ski Christmas holiday is literally given to you on a plate, which means, everything is done for you, except the skiing! And if this isn't enough, just think, assuming you choose a high altitude resort, this year you can forget praying for that snow flake on the BBC Weather station to claim a "white Christmas", as this year there is going to be bucket loads of it outside the door!

So, choose a high altitude resort, a great luxury ski chalet, and have a very merry ski Christmas!