06/11/2017
Want the ski holiday of a lifetime on a tight budget? Why not plan a driving holiday to Switzerland this winter and bring the kids? Taking a roof box and some second hand ski gear from eBay is a much cheaper way to get the ski trip you always wanted.
I can tell you from experience (taking my three kids) that La Fouly is perfect for skiers of all abilities. Hotel Maya Joie (others are available but this is right next to the slopes): http://www.mayajoie.ch/en (or look them up on TripAdvisor or Expedia). La Fouly has slopes for toddlers, beginners, all the way to pro skiers, it's small enough so you can split up into abilities without getting lost, and it's a quick ski back to the chalet! Combine that with reasonably-priced instructors who are onsite and available at short notice, and you've got the perfect winter holiday!
The trip from Calais to La Fouly according to Google Maps is 9 hours and 531 miles. I would conservatively add about 2 hours to this due to stopping time, unless you are happy to drive that distance non-stop. With kids, I would generally opt to stop somewhere on the way for the night, in a cheap AirBNB. You can get somewhere to sleep a family of 5 comfortably for about £60 for the night
If you're interested in tips for how to make this the perfect holiday on a budget, give Leon a call on 07786385814, or see below:
Indicative Costs:
- Roof box hire - £35 including roof bars for 7 days, £5 for each additional day (see me!)
- Ferry Dover - Calais return - about £100-£200 depending on when you cross
- Fuel - about £200 - £300 depending on your car, weight, etc - check out https://www.viamichelin.co.uk/ for an estimate
- Road tolls:
- "Payage" road tolls in France - about £50. Make sure you order a Sanef Tolling transponder before you go so you don't have to queue for the toll booths! - see https://www.saneftolling.co.uk/. You will feel like a VIP cruising through without stopping whilst waving to all the people waiting in the queues!!!
- "Vignette" sticker for the motorways in Switzerland - £32 (it lasts for 12 months) - see http://www.swisstravelsystem.co.uk/en/products/motorwaysticker
Accommodation (2 adults + 2 kids) about £110/night - see https://www.expedia.co.uk/Valais-Hotels-Maya-Joie.h16302303.Hotel-Information
- Food - Maya Joie serve food and they also allow self catering in their big kitchen. There is a supermarket in the village and several restaurants, and you can drive down the valley for more options. It is recommended to bring all your food from the UK or buy it in France, as food in Swiss supermarkets isn't cheap, and they aren't open on Sundays! I suggest a budget at least £10/person/day if you are self-catering, more if not.
- Ski lessons - 1:1 from CHF35 for 30 mins, CHF40 for 2 hours at "Ski School". See http://esslafouly.ch/ (French only) - google translate link: http://translate.google.com/translate?u=esslafouly.ch
Skiing:
- Passes - CHF99 / £75 per-person for the whole year - see http://www.lafouly.ch/en/ for information about the area and to book the passes.
- If you are trying out skiing for the first time, you might want to hire skis, poles, boots and helmet. Budget about CHF100 (£76) per adult and about CHF55 per child (for 7 days hire) - see https://en.snowell.com/super-bernex-sport-ski-hire-bernex/
- If you want to buy your ski gear, get measured for it or take note of the sizes and models you hired the first time, especially the boots. Be aware that not all ski boot sizes are created equal, and if for example you have wide feet like me, you may have some trial and error to find the right fit. The boots need to be quite tight, but not so tight that your toes lose circulation or you get pain. The better you become at skiing, the more tight and direct you want the boots to feel, so you get more control of your skis.
- I have bought quite a lot of second hand ski gear from Ebay. Kids aren't so picky about boot, ski or clothing sizes as they are much lighter. Adults, I suggest buy exactly the same model and size of boots as you were wearing when you rented, so long as they were a good tight but comfortable fit.
- If you don't want to trawl the second hand market then I suggest a visit to Decathlon before you go - you can get fully kitted out pretty cheaply and they have a huge range. See https://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-33118-ski-equipment
- If you have children aged from 2-6, I suggest renting ski clips (I have a pair or you can rent them from the ski shop onsite). These make snow-plow much easier for younger, weaker legs!
What you need to buy / bring:
- Proper waterproof ski jackets with lots of pockets and a "snow skirt" to stop the snow going up your back. Try to get ones which allow you to hold your contactless ski pass in a sleeve or chest pocket
- Proper waterproof ski trousers / salopettes, with legs which can tighten around your ski boots
- Proper waterproof ski gloves - don't go cheap on these (especially for kids) as when the cheap ones get wet they don't keep your fingers warm. If your kids like to play in the snow, I suggest bring spares!
- Proper ski helmets with insulation and ventilation. Make sure they are the right size for you and your children to wear comfortably without slipping off or being too tight. You can't use helmets for other sports as they don't have any protection against the cold
- Ski goggles that fit over your helmets. When it is snowing, it isn't pleasant skiing without goggles - you get snow in your eyes and you can't see! Polarised ones are best but these are more expensive.
- Proper long and thick ski socks - these must be longer than your ski boots and with padding around the toes and heels
- Sunglasses for everyone. The snow makes the sun much stronger and you will need these if you aren't wearing your goggles.
- Woollen hats to wear when you aren't skiing
- Layers - bring thin long-sleeved tops, t-shirts, thick socks and thermal longjohns, depending on the weather. If you go on a nice day you wont need these, but when its cold the kids will shiver really quickly.
- Really good sunblock - mandatory! You will burn in the snow, even with just a small amount of sunlight!
- A large waterproof backpack or two, where you can put food, drinks, spare clothes, etc, for when you are on the slopes. People usually leave all their stuff in a pile at the foot of the slopes, which is perfectly fine, but it should be waterproof.
- Visor defogging spray - useful for people who sweat a lot (you do when you are skiing, especially when wearing heavy layers and on sunny days!). I find my ski goggles fog up and I cant see well, and the spray helps a lot.
On the day:
- Have a good big breakfast
- Pack lunch and lots of snacks, drinks, sunblock, hats, spare gloves (for the smaller kids who want to get their gloves wet building snowmen), etc. Even though it might be 300 meters to the hotel, walking in snow is slow going, so you want to be well prepared!
- Ski passes for everyone. The ski slopes use automated gates so you need to put your pass in a chest or sleeve pocket.
HAVE FUN!!!
Car roof boxes for rent/hire, from £45/week. Gravesend and surrounding areas, fitting included
