Family ski holidays are the best ski holidays, but what to do if the little ones are too young or not interested in skiing? Luckily, there exist many creches in the Alps where you can drop the kids off for a few hours or for the whole day and set your mind at rest knowing they will be well taken care off. If you’re looking for options where the kids can have a blast while the parents get in some well-earned turns on the slopes, look no further. We’ve compiled a list of nine ski resorts with affordable childcare where you can be confident the children will have a great holiday.
Non-skiing childcare at the Austrian ski resort of Mellau is available seven days a week for children between the ages of 1-6. Childcare is free on weekdays and conveniently located at the gondola’s mountain station. Mellau shares a ski area with Damüls, which has a reputation for being the snowiest village in the world. The linked ski area has over 100km of pistes.
The ski area of Golm is located in the Montafon valley and is accessible from the nearby villages of Vadans and Tschagguns. With more than 40km of red and blue slopes, this is a very family-friendly ski area. If your tots are still too young to ski, you can leave them in good hands at Golmi Kindergarten at the gondola mountain station. Non-skiing childcare is available Sunday to Friday from 9:30am to 3:30pm for children between the ages of 3-6. Childcare is free and you can choose whether to eat lunch with your kids or add a lunch option.
Next to the children’s learning area in Fieberbrunn by the gondola valley station you’ll find the ‘Krabbelstube’, the ideal indoor playground where children 5 months old and up can play, take a nap or watch their brothers and sisters learning to ski just outside the window. The Krabbelstube is open from Sunday to Friday from 10am to 3pm and you can choose whether to pay by the hour or by the day, with a lunch option. Fieberbrunn is the latest addition to the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, which boasts over 250km of pistes.
The Asilo in Neve at the Italian ski resort of Alta Badia a provides a creche from Sunday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm. The Asilo in Neve accepts children from 6 months of age and rates are available per hour (€ 10) or per day (€ 59). As an added bonus, children (as long as they can eat solid food) can enjoy delicious authentic Italian pasta for lunch! In addition to its own extensive offering, Alta Badia has access to about 500km of slopes in the huge linked Dolomiti Superski area.
Adults with a valid Grächen ski pass are entitled to two free hours of childcare for the little ones at the Kinderhort SiSu Spiel und Schlafnest. The nursery is located in the middle of the ski area, right next to the Hannigalp mountain restaurant, and accepts children from 2-6 years old. If 2 hours won’t be long enough, longer stints are available for CHF 20 an hour. Lunch is CHF 15 including drinks. The ski area at Grächen has some 40km of pistes.
The family-friendly village of Fulpmes lies in the middle of the Stubai valley, next to the Schlick 2000 ski area with its 26km of pistes. At the middle station of the Froneben gondola you’ll find a large children’s area and a daycare called BIG Ron’s Spiel- und Aufwärmstube, for children 3 months old and up. The creche is open from Sunday to Friday, 9:30am to 3:30pm and costs € 22 for half a day, € 32 for a whole day and € 8 for lunch.
The new Croniworld children’s area at the gondola valley station in Reischach in Kronplatz accommodates children between the ages of 6 months and 11 years. While parents nip off for a few hours of skiing, children can discover the climbing wall, trampolines and a host of other exciting activities. Childcare is available daily from 10am to 3:30pm (2pm on Saturdays), with the option of adding lunch. Children under 2 years old pay € 15/hour and older children pay € 12/hour; lunch costs € 20. The ski area at Kronplatz boasts about 120km of slopes.
Berta’s Kinderland is found at the middle station of the gondola up from Fiss or Serfaus. This is without a doubt one of the best places in the Alps for children to learn to ski. Meanwhile, Berta’s Kindergarten will take care of tiny tots 3 months old and older. They can also play outside in Berta’s Miniland when the weather is nice. Childcare is available from 9am to 4pm, Sunday to Friday, at € 61/day or € 32 for half a day, plus an optional € 17 for lunch. Parents can ski carefree on the 200km of pistes knowing the children are well taken care of.
Scheffau am Wilder Kaiser is centrally located within the popular SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental. At an altitude of 1650m, at the mountain station of the Brandsadlbahn, you’ll find the Schneepiraten KidsClub, which welcomes kids from 0-4 years old. Daycare is available from Sunday to Friday and costs € 9.50 per hour, plus € 5 for lunch. For families with more than one child, the second child can benefit from a 50% discount. The SkiWelt is one of the largest ski areas in Austria, with about 280km of slopes.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
