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Enfants

An Insider's Guide To Val d'Isère With Family Ski Expert Victoria Collins

Former international ski racer turned instructor, Victoria Collins shares her insider’s guide to Val d’Isère, her home, along with some top tips for family ski trips.

Gold medal winning, British mum-of-four, Victoria (affectionately known to her many followers as Tori Ski) lives in the beautiful French resort of Val d’Isère and has been teaching children to ski for over 20 years – starting her own kids before they were two! Her book If They Can Walk, They Can Ski is a comprehensive guide to skiing with little ones and every day she runs private lessons in the Alps, giving those as young as two their first lessons on the piste. Here she tells Citizen Enfants why her home resort is so wonderful for families and shares tips and advice on how to help kids navigate the slopes with ease.


When is the best time to visit Val d’Isère with children?

Val d’Isère is a high resort with a great snow record, which means you can ski from early December all the way through to the end of April. I would advise avoiding the peak holiday times if possible, but if you are skiing with school-age kids then Christmas, February half-term and Easter are all good times to go. Yes the pistes are busier and the prices are higher, but it’s a huge resort so you should be able to find something to suit your budget and also not feel that it’s unpleasantly crowded. Lots of parents prefer April as it’s warmer and there’s more chance of nice sunshine, but with that comes more slushy snow which isn’t great. Weather is always unpredictable in the Alps so you can’t ever fully guarantee what the experience will be like.

Which hotels should we check into for a family-friendly stay? 

If you have children then a chalet is super easy to stay in and feel at home. There are tons of companies such as VIP Ski and Bramble Ski that offer super catered properties, and can also help you plan your holiday and arrange things like ski passes, ski hire and child care. Otherwise opt for a hotel that is very close to the ski slopes. There’s plenty to choose from, but one I really like is Hotel Le Yule with huge family suites complete with bunk beds for kids and a large swimming pool with a lovely spa for adults. Plus, it’s very close to the ski piste so it’s easy to get going with young children in the mornings. Hotel Les Barmes de l’Ours is another great option as it has a kids’ club and a games room that older kids and teens will like.

What are the most important things to know about the resort?

ValKids at the top of the Solaise ski bubble is a dedicated children’s zone with fun activities. There is a snow play park and a very family friendly cafe, picnic area and boot room. It’s where most families take kids who are learning to ski as it has a very easy beginner’s area. The hardest run to ski in Val d’Isère is ‘La Face’. It’s a super-steep black, so you don’t want to go anywhere near this with kids unless they are very advanced skiers. If you are not with a guide then the best thing to do is plan your route carefully with a piste map to make sure you are only skiing on runs that all members of the family can manage. There are plenty of easy runs – 25 green runs and 67 blue ones – so stick to those if you are unsure.

What’s the best way to get kids learning to ski? 

With a private ski teacher who is either a parent themselves or is very happy to ski with children and has plenty of experience teaching that age group. This one-to-one or small-group tuition is the best, safest and quickest way for them to become skiers. All ski instructors in France have a diploma in ski teaching and are trained to the highest level achievable world wide. If they aren’t yet fully qualified then they are classed as a trainee instructor, called a ‘stagier’. If you’re booking private ski lessons with a ski school it’s good to ask who is best with children, or to be recommended a ski teacher by someone who has skied with them before.

What are your top tips for skiing with kids?

When skiing with children there are some key points to remember. Ski time is play time – it should be fun and they should be enjoying themselves. We should keep our expectations of them low as they are learning something new that can feel tricky, so be patient with children and give them lots of encouragement. Your connection and positive vibe is everything and will rub off on them. Always remember to stop for snacks and drinks because that little break to refuel is so essential for everyone. Skiing is a full on sport and we need to keep our energy levels up.

Make sure you research the resort if you’ve never been before. Not all are great for beginners and some are much more child-friendly resorts than others. Do your homework and you’ll have a much better holiday. One of the most important points is to book everything early – from accommodation and restaurants to nannies and lessons. All of these things are snapped up quickly in popular resorts, particularly during school holidays, so book as far in advance as you can.

What made you want to become a ski instructor? 

As a child I started skiing early and I loved it. I progressed to become a FIS ski racer, raced internationally and loved to help coach and care for the younger children on the team. The moment I was old enough, I qualified to officially become their race coach and travelled around Europe with them. I then went on to become a ski teacher for the disabled and learnt skills on how to include everyone in skiing, which is something that’s really important to me. This gave me the confidence to share my dedication and spirit for skiing with my four children.

My oldest son Ossie started on skis at just six months old, just little plastic skis in the house and then on snow when he was one. That was back in 2006 and I’d never seen anyone teach kids that young before, but I believed that he was capable to participate, and I invented all the ways that I possibly could to include him on the slopes. Ossie was skiing on flat terrain at 18 months, and then controlling his speed and line by two and a half. He showed me that it was possible, safe and worth it, and ever since I’ve been helping other families to do the same.

Two more sons and a daughter joined our family in 2018, 2020 and 2022 and I’ve so enjoyed introducing each to home skiing. Over these years I have studied everything that I possibly can to come up with the best philosophies and methods to make children’s experience of learning to ski as comfortable and successful as possible. I believe that ‘we ski because we love it’ so I have my own unique approach to teaching young children to ski in a happy and fun way, where they are free to lead the way as the future of skiing.

Where can we take them to play in the resort when they aren’t on the slopes?

Val d’Isère has a lovely family friendly sports centre with a climbing wall, swimming pool and small indoor play areas. There is also an outdoor ice skating rink, sledging areas and fun activities that you can book, like husky dog sledging in nearby Tignes.

Your favourite family-friendly restaurants?

Val d’Isère is very much set up to accommodate children almost everywhere. I love eating at Airelles, it’s also a great hotel all round and very family-friendly. It’s worth noting though that it’s normal in in France for restaurants to open at 7pm when most parents are wanting to get their kids to bed. So, if you are travelling with young children, then hiring a chalet and having a chef or self catering might be easier than trying to eat out – especially as kids will most likely be really tired after a day on the slopes.

For lunch, take the kids up to the restaurants at La Folie Douce via the La Daille ski bubble. There are three fantastic restaurants and it’s best to pre-book these. It’s great to eat on the mountain and take in the views. One of my favourite spots is Le Refuge Hotel and restaurant which is right at the bottom of the Val Kids ski slope making it really handy for families. The food is great quality and you can grab something quite quickly if you are short on time.

Your favourite places to shop for children in Val d’Isère? 

Val d’Isère has great shops and even a few children’s clothing specific shops such as Poivre Blanc that sells some great kids’ ski kit. For shopping before you go check out Little Skiers for everything your children will need.

And to shop for yourself?

I love the Patagonia shop. There are also plenty of little boutiques dotted around and inside some of the five-star hotels where you can pick up anything you might want to wear on the slopes, plus plenty of other fashion options too.

If mums have a few hours sans enfants where should they go? 

There are some fantastic spas in hotels in Val d’Isere that you can often use even if you are not staying there if you book a massage or treatment. Try the spa at the Expérimental Chalet Val d’Isère. It’s a truly relaxing little haven after a busy day on the slopes.

Top tips for visiting Val d’Isère with children? 

I find that the busiest time to start skiing is 9-9.30am so if you can start later than this then you miss the queues and crowds. You will also find the same between 11.30am and 12.30pm when everyone heads to the restaurants. Maybe bring lots of morning snacks, book a later lunch and enjoy the quiet lunch time pistes. Especially good for when kids are learning.

Why is Val d’Isère a wonderful family destination?

As well as the outstanding skiing and picture-perfect views, this resort offers lots of very family friendly chalets and hotels along with plenty of other non-skiing activities. It’s a really great all rounder that’s easily accessed by driving from the UK (about a 16-hour journey with stops factored in) or flying into Geneva and taking a four-hour transfer by car or coach. It’s for all those reasons that families flock here year after year.

What are some little essentials to take with you on a day skiing?

There are definitely some items every mum should have in her pocket when skiing. Tissues are a good idea as everyone seems to get a runny nose at some point. A little tube of SPF50 because even when it’s not sunny it’s still really important to have sun protection on and to reapply through the day. A pack of playing cards or UNO cards are a great way to keep kids entertained at lunch, especially if the weather isn’t great and they can’t play outside in the snow. And last but definitely not least, snacks! I can’t emphasise enough how glad you will be to have a packet of sweets or some chocolates to hand when your child is starting to get tired and maybe doesn’t want to ski any more…but you still have to get them down the mountain. That little treat can work magic and give them the boost they need – you might enjoy some too! In my family ski guide If They Can Walk, They Can Ski I list every item that a child needs to ski and everything that a parent or ski teacher might consider having in their ski bag.



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