Skiing with a baby or toddler creates a slightly strange problem: you have travelled all the way to the mountains to ski, but your youngest child cannot ski yet. So how do both parents actually get onto the slopes?
We have now tried several different ways of organising ski holidays with very young children. Some were cheap but meant skiing much less. Others required planning months ahead. And the most comfortable option was also the most expensive. What we have learned is that there is no single perfect solution – but choosing the right set-up before you book the accommodation can completely change your holiday.
The 3 ways we have managed to ski with babies and toddlers
| Option | Cost | How much you can ski together | Planning needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resort crèche | €€ | Depends entirely on the childcare slots you secure | High – book very early | Families who want an apartment but some childcare |
| Family hotel/club with childcare | €€€ | Potentially every day | Low once booked | Parents who want maximum ski time and minimum logistics |
| Parents take turns | € | Limited | Low | Groups, larger families and budget-conscious trips |
Option 1: Use a public resort crèche
One option, particularly in French ski resorts, is to look for a local crèche or garderie that accepts children from visiting families. This can be an excellent compromise because you can still rent the apartment or chalet you want rather than choosing your accommodation around childcare.
We tried this in La Chapelle-d’Abondance. The childcare itself worked well. The problem was availability.
These places can fill up extremely quickly, and you should not assume that because a ski resort or village has a nursery you will automatically get a place. During our week we only managed to secure three half-days. That gave us some time to ski together, but our overall skiing was still quite limited.
Book the crèche before you book around it
If childcare is essential to your ski holiday, our biggest lesson is simple: check availability as early as possible and ideally secure the childcare before relying on it in your holiday plans. Also check the minimum age, opening hours, whether lunch and naps are possible, whether visitors can book, and whether bookings are full days or half-days. Rules differ from one resort to another and can change between seasons.
Option 2: Choose a family ski hotel with childcare
This has been the most expensive solution we have tried – but also by far the most comfortable.
At Belambra Flaine Panorama, childcare was part of a much bigger package that removed many of the logistical jobs from our ski week. We could ski every day and still spend time with our children in the afternoon. Just as importantly, we were not using those non-skiing hours to shop for groceries, cook meals or organise the apartment.
That completely changed how much time the holiday felt like family time. Paying more for the accommodation did not simply buy us childcare. It bought us time.
Why all-inclusive can make more sense with very young children
Before having children, we might have looked at the price difference between an apartment and an all-inclusive family hotel and immediately chosen the apartment. With a baby or toddler, the calculation is different.
If breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are taken care of, ski equipment is easy to organise, childcare is nearby and the slopes are easy to reach, you remove hours of practical work from every day. In our case, that meant we could ski as a couple while the children were looked after and then actually be with them afterwards.
For us, this was the option that came closest to having both a real ski holiday and a family holiday at the same time.
Option 3: Take turns skiing
The simplest solution is also the one that requires no childcare at all: one parent stays with the baby or toddler while the other skis, and then you swap.
This works particularly well if you are staying in an apartment and travelling with several families. Instead of every couple organising childcare separately, one or two adults can stay with all the children while the others ski, and the groups rotate.
The obvious advantage is the cost. You do not need to pay for childcare and you have complete control over your child’s routine. It can also be lovely for the children if they are spending the week with friends or cousins.
The disadvantage is equally obvious: every adult skis considerably less, and the whole group is rarely on the mountain together.
Half days sound ideal, but ski passes can complicate the plan
At first, splitting each day into two can sound like the fairest arrangement: one parent skis in the morning and the other in the afternoon. In practice, lift-pass pricing does not always make that the easiest or cheapest solution. Half-day and short-duration products vary considerably between ski areas.
We have found that it can make more sense to divide the holiday into full ski days: one parent skis one day and the other the next. Before booking your passes, check the exact resort tariff rather than assuming that two parents can cheaply split a single day’s skiing.
Travelling with grandparents or other adults changes everything
If grandparents, relatives or friends who do not want to ski every day are joining you, the taking-turns option becomes much easier. Even one or two periods when another trusted adult is happy to stay with the baby can give the parents a chance to ski together.
We would still plan this before the holiday rather than simply assume somebody will volunteer once you arrive. A ski holiday should also be a holiday for the grandparents.
What about a private babysitter?
Another possibility in some ski resorts is private in-resort babysitting or a nanny service. We have not personally used this option yet, so we cannot compare it from experience. It can, however, be worth investigating when the resort crèche is full or when your accommodation does not provide childcare.
If you consider it, check exactly who provides the service, qualifications and insurance, where the childcare takes place, the minimum booking period, cancellation conditions and whether the sitter is comfortable caring for a baby in an unfamiliar holiday apartment. We would treat this as a separate childcare decision rather than simply booking the first service that appears online.
Our experience: which option gave us the most skiing?
Of the options we have personally tried, the family hotel with childcare was clearly the easiest way for both of us to ski regularly. It was also the most expensive.
The public crèche was a very good middle ground when we could get a place, but limited availability meant that it only solved the problem for a few half-days. Taking turns was the cheapest and most flexible solution, particularly in a group, but inevitably meant less skiing and less time skiing together.
That is why we now think about childcare at the same time as we choose the ski resort – not after we have booked it.
What to check before booking a ski holiday with a baby or toddler
Before paying for accommodation, we would check the minimum childcare age, whether non-residents can use the resort crèche, how far ahead reservations open, full-day versus half-day availability, meal and nap arrangements, and the distance between the childcare, accommodation and lifts. We would also check lift-pass options if the parents plan to alternate ski days.
And do not underestimate the value of convenience. Ski-in/ski-out access, an equipment room close to the slopes, meals included and childcare in the same building may look like luxuries when comparing prices online. With a baby or toddler, they can be the difference between spending your non-skiing time doing chores and actually spending it together as a family.
Can you still have a real ski holiday with a baby?
Yes – but the holiday needs more planning than it did before children. Babies and toddlers may not be skiing yet, but that does not mean the parents have to give it up for several winters.
For us, the key has been deciding what matters most for each trip. If budget is the priority, taking turns can work very well. If you want an apartment but still want some time on the slopes together, a resort crèche can be an excellent solution – provided you book early. And if your priority is to ski together every day while keeping the rest of the holiday as easy as possible, paying more for a family hotel with childcare can be worth it.
We will keep updating this guide as we try new ways of skiing with our children – and, eventually, as the youngest ones start skiing with us.