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Your guide to Ski-ing with children from Carhire3000
Car hire France, Italy, Spain & Canada

3. Soldeu, Andorra

Height: 1710m to 2640m
Airports: Barcelona (193km, approx 2.5 hours), Perpignan (144km, approx 2 hours 20 minutes), Carcassone 202 km, approx 2.5 hours), Toulouse (167km, approx 2 hours)
Season:  December - April
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Hidden in the Pyrenees, Andorra is a small principality sandwiched between France and Spain.  Offering fantastic views and quieter slopes than the French Alps, the lively resort of Soldeu is unsurprisingly becoming more and more popular for a ski holiday. The resort has a youthful feel with a good choice of bars and restaurants – and, as it’s duty-free, everything tends to be that little bit cheaper too.

The resort is spread out along the main road that snakes through the principality and there is plenty of self-catering accommodation available, offering a more flexible alternative for a family holiday.  This arrangement also means that nowhere is very far from the ski lifts or restaurants.

The slopes here are well suited for beginners and intermediates but there are a couple of more interesting runs for experienced skiers.

car hire FranceFrom a family and beginner’s perspective, Soldeu’s main advantage is its ski-school – one of the best in the world with plenty of English-speaking instructors teaching all abilities from beginners to advanced.  Class sizes tend to be smaller than average to ensure you get the attention you require and there are children’s classes available as well as a kindergarten on-site for those aged 1-3 years.

Also on the plus side, there are easy-to-ride lifts taking you to the nursery slopes at Espiolets and, with a height of 2250m, you’ve a good chance of decent snow too.  Despite the height of the slopes, the resort has also invested in snow cannons to guarantee a good base on which to ski.

The wintersports area covers over 100km – the largest in the Pyrenees – with a competition park, children’s area and access to neighbouring pistes in Pas de la Casa, el Tarter and Grau Roig.

For those who are a little more adventurous there are helicopter rides to unspoiled parts of the mountains, skidoo rides and dog-sledging.

4. Cavalese, Italy

Height: 1000m (ski altitude 1000m-2600m)
Airport:  Verona (161km, approx 2 hours), Bergamo (241km, approx 3 hours) and Milan (288km, approx 3.5 hours)
Season: December - April
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This family-friendly resort can be found in the Val di Fiemme within the giant Dolomiti Superski area.  The resort itself has direct access to 70km of downhill skiing - the pistes can be found directly above the resort on the Alpe Cermis which can be accessed via gondola (approx 500m from the town centre). The slopes are north facing, meaning they have a good snow record but the Superski lift passes will also provide access to several other nearby ski areas including some high altitude pistes for guaranteed skiing.

The resort has a number of wide beginner’s slopes (some accessed via the ski bus) where youngsters can gain their confidence and there is a good ski school (http://www.scuolascicermis.it/) close by with English speaking instructors who make the learning experience great fun. 

Intermediate skiers will be in their element with a good choice of runs – some accessed via cable car which again offers spectacular views along the valley.  The resort is also an important centre of cross-country skiing.

Should you desire a new challenge during your holiday, a hire car enables you to easily tour the region’s other ski resorts.  However, many of the local ski areas are also linked by a shuttle bus.

Many visitors are attracted by the resort’s beautiful setting within the Dolomites, offering stunning views of the surrounding peaks. The medieval old town is also picturesque with cobbled streets and a range of attractive craft shops and restaurants.  There is also a regular Tuesday market.

Apres-ski is fairly relaxed and quiet, although there is a choice of eateries and a few bars.  There are also a number of activities on offer which will appeal to families including a sports centre, indoor swimming pool, children’s play area and ice rink.

5. Passo Tonale, Italy

Height: 1883m (ski altitude 1257m-3010m)
Airport:  Verona (185km approx 2.5 hours away)
Season: December - April
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This purpose built resort is an excellent choice for families and beginners, located on a sunny pass with 100km of pistes on both sides of the valley.  The main advantages here are quick and easy access to high altitude slopes thanks to a modern lift system and new gondola so that queuing is almost unheard of.

Beginners can choose the sunny south facing slopes whilst the more advanced can head to the northern slopes and the glacier – ensuring something for everyone. One of Italy’s highest resorts, Passo Tonale has a good snow record but there are also 150 snow cannons on hand just in case.

car hire FranceThe beginners slopes (accessed via the 6 lifts in the centre of the resort) are wide and shallow – enabling younger skiers to quickly gain more confidence and there is a good ski school offering lessons for all abilities with English speaking instructors.  Children’s lessons are available for 4-12 year olds and the resort also has a ski kindergarten.

There are plentiful cafes and restaurants, providing a lively atmosphere should you wish to enjoy some après-ski and restaurants can also be found on the mountain slopes and near to the glacier so mixed-ability families are able to meet up for lunch.

Passo Tonale is, however, fairly limited in terms of non-skiing activities but there is a regular shuttle bus to nearby Ponte di Legno where there are more shops and a sports centre with an indoor swimming pool.  There is also an ice rink and toboggan run in the locality.

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