Skiing With Children in Samoens

What Makes Truemanalp Ideal for Family Ski Holidays ?

Introducing children to skiing is a wonderful experience for parents and children alike, and seeing snow for the first time through a child’s eyes is a special moment, to be cherished forever!

Skiing is also one of the rare family holidays that the whole family can continue to enjoy together, year after year.  As children become teens and young adults, families can continue the tradition of an annual ski holiday, making those early years a real investment for life.

The logistics of a family ski holiday with young children does involve a lot of organisation.  The more thought you can put into it in advance, the more you’ll enjoy the holiday when the time comes.

Here at Truemanalp we are fully equipped to assist parents in making family ski holidays as easy and enjoyable as possible.  Here’s how:

Accommodation in an Ultra-Convenient Location

Located directly across the road from Samoens’ Grand Massif Express cable car, Truemanalp boasts a prime location in central Samoens.  This makes getting around easy, without the need to pack up a vehicle and negotiate snowy roads every time you leave the front door.

One of the few properties that allows you direct pedestrian access to both the medieval village centre and the ski area, Truemanalp’s location is second to none in Samoens.  From your apartment door, you’ll walk just 100 to board the Grand Massif Express cable car.  No need to scrape icy car windows and battle for a car park each morning – you’ll simply stroll across the road to access the slopes.

In-House Childcare

Here are Truemanalp we work with a trusted selection of English speaking nannies and babysitters that we know and recommend personally.  We can offer you a list of childcare providers who’ll come for daytime or evening child minding in the comfort of your apartment.

They can also do ski school drop-offs and pick-ups, bringing your children back to the apartment after their lessons in order to allow you a precious extra bit of ski time.

Get in touch to discuss your childcare needs and for advice on what might suit you best.

Walking with a Buggy from Truemanalp

If you have children who’re too young to ski, grandparents, parents or childminders will enjoy being able to push a buggy directly out the front door for a stroll on flat terrain in all directions.

Many alpine properties are on sloping terrain that makes winter walks a challenge, but here at Truemanalp we are lucky enough to be safely nestled on the flat valley floor.  This allows you to easily and safely enjoy a number of scenic walks with your little one snuggled up in a buggy or baby carrier, directly from your front door.

We do recommend bringing an all-terrain buggy if you have one as it’ll allow you more freedom, particularly when there’s snow on the ground.  All-terrain buggies can easily be rented here in Samoens from Sport 2000 ski shop (advance booking recommended during European school holiday periods).

Fully Equipped Self-Catering Kitchens & Meal Delivery Options

Each of Truemanalp’s apartments offers a kitchen fully equipped to enable you to prepare your own meals.  Stocked with high quality kitchenware and appliances, families will delight in cooking up a storm together using local French produce.  Read more about our kitchens here.

When you’d prefer not to cook, you can also order meals for delivery to your apartment door, hot and ready to eat.  Just ask Debbie for more information about the range of delicious meal delivery options.

Child Friendly Restaurants in Samoens

For family-friendly meals in Samoens, we recommend the following restaurants:

€   Le Serac – early opening hours, pizzas, local Savoyard options – booking recommended
€   La Cannette – early opening hours, burgers only, basic and friendly – booking recommended for large groups
€   Bar Le Savoie – early opening hours, burgers, crèpes, salads, steaks – no booking required
€   La Fandioleuse – charming little crèperie (crèpes only), open lunch and dinner – booking essential
€€   Le Relais Septimontain – old fashioned, friendly bistrot style French restaurant – booking recommended
€€   Le Rouet (Sixt) – 10 minutes’ drive from Samoens, lovely family restaurant – booking recommended for large groups
€€   La Louisiane – pizza restaurant – booking recommended

Ski Holidays in Samoens with a Baby

For our youngest guests, we are pleased to offer travel cots and high chairs as required.  Just ask upon booking and we’ll prepare a cot set up with sheets and bedding all ready for baby to sleep in.  All-terrain buggies are available for rental (see above), and if you need any other baby-specific equipment just let us know.

There is a lovely toddler-friendly park within 5 minutes’ walking distance from Truemanalp, at the Samoens Lac Aux Dames.

Samoens is about to open a new crèche facility at the bottom of the Grand Massif Express cable car, conveniently situated just 100m from our front door.  We’ll publish more information about Samoens tourist crèche services as it becomes available.

Skiing with Children in Samoens

During the winter months it’s all about skiing!  We recommend contacting the friendly, English speaking team at ZigZag Ski School to assist with the organisation of children’s ski lessons.  Ski lessons are available for children from 3 years of age, with private and group lesson options adapted to different ages and levels of ability.  We particularly recommend ZigZag’s small group lessons, which offer excellent value for money.

Skiing with Teens in Samoens

Children’s group lessons are open to kids up to around 13/14 years of age.  After this age, teens are generally enrolled in adult group lessons.

If your teenagers are a bit too cool for ski school, why not book a private instructor for a half day of all-terrain ski adventure!  An instructor can take experienced teenage skiers off-piste, teaching them about mountain safety as they go.

ZigZag Ski School also offers a fabulous “Steep N Fast” group for advanced teenage skiers.  This group runs for 5 mornings, Monday to Friday, and is designed especially for confident and capable adolescent skiers.  A fun, English speaking instructor takes the group over all kinds of adventurous terrain, while teaching teens to ski in a safe and responsible manner.

Samoens for Non-Skiers

Here at Truemanalp we regularly help families to get the most from their winter breaks, whether they ski or not.  There are a load of lovely activities and experiences for grandparents, expecting mothers and anyone else who simply prefers not to ski.

Here are our top personal recommendations :

• A peaceful winter walk along the forest trails bordering the Giffre river
• Crepes for lunch at the quaint La Fandioleuse crèperie in the medieval streets of Samoens
• A massage or beauty treatment (please enquire for details)
• A ride up the cable car for Lunch at Lou Caboëns mountain restaurant
• A guided snowshoeing outing (contact ZigZag Ski School to book)
• A visit to the Wednesday morning local produce market
• A cosy mulled wine at one of Samoens’ bars
• La Jaysinia patisserie for divine pastries and Samoens’ best hot chocolate
• Ice skating at Samoens’ patinoire (ice rink)
• Wine tastings at one of Samoens’ speciality wine shops
• Beer tastings at the Brasserie du Giffre

For more information about holidaying in Samoens with children, please do n’hésitez pas à nous contacter.  We’re happy to help however we can!