GOING TO SCHEFFAU IN 4 WEEKS, tips please for skiing with LOs

[noonar]

i already posted about skiing in austria...

dh has just booked a last minute holiday with esprit. we are staying at the hotel alpin, (anyone been?)the first week of the season. got a free child place, which was good.

dds are 2 and 4 so am probably mad to even consider this. too late now...am nervously excited about it. at least we have a good family orientated hotel with creche, baby listening, pool etc. (which means there'll be something to do if there's no snow!)

i'd be glad of any tips about what to pack for the girls. plus recommendations on ski wear- where to buy it and what type. (all in one vs salopettes vs separate jacket/trousers) Do we need thermals?

umm, what else...just general tips for a successful holiday with LOs in the snow please.

TIA

[lapsedrunner]

Don't want to be the bearer of bad news but the weather here in Austria is unseasonably mild at the moment, there is not alot of snow falling.

www.scheffau.net gives todays forecast as a high of 14'C (in the valley admittedly)

All I'm saying is be prepared to enjoy a lovely alpine pre Christmas break but don't get too excited about skiing.

Lets all cross our fingers for snow .

[lapsedrunner]

As far as kit is concerned try H&M or TK Max, also Tchibo (also online).

Assuming the 2 year old is in nappies an all in one suit is fine. You might want salopettes/trousers for the 4 year old as perhaps easier to go to the loo in a hurry.

Layers are best, thermals are good or if you can't get them just use tights (for boys as well!).

Would recommend taking a couple of pairs of gloves for each child as they get wet very quickly.

[noonar]

oh no, don't say that! is it possibe that there will be no snow at all, do you think??? ie all pistes closed???

[LIZS]

It is perfectly possible there will be limited runs and lifts open pre Christmas, sorry. Scheffau is not very high and we've been in that area when there was little snow in the villages in January(admittedly many years ago!). Tchibo have their kids and adults stuff this week, Lidl have accessories iirc from 23rd, plus try TK Maxx, Gap (they've got lovely snow pants to go with the down jackets), Blacks, M and S and H and M. We've done both jacket/salopettes and all in ones - doesn't really make much difference unless it is warm and you can go without a jacket but an all in one might be less bulky and wind resistant especially for the 2 yr old. Yes you will need thermals (again try Tchibo, Blacks or Milletts), gloves, hats, sunglasses/goggles, long socks and proper snow boots (NOT WELLIES!). If the children will be indoors much of the time put them in thermals/cotton poloneck, leggings or jogging bottoms and slippers indoors and then they can just add a fleece and outer layer as required.

[noonar]

thanks liz. i'm prepared for some piste closures, but would be devastated if we cant ski at all. hope thats not a likely scenario.

great tips for ski wear, thanks. esp about leegings underneath, wouldnt have thought of that.

will keep an eye on snow reports.

[LIZS]

oh and just remembered m and s had girls thermal underwear last week ! An alternative to thermal legging is tights but less comfortable for use with ski boots.

[noonar]

thanks. at this rate, with the mild weather, a bikini might be more appropriate!

[binkacat]

To be honest I think h&m skiwear is very thin and doesn't look like it would be warm enough. I've always got Next trousers, I know they're more expensive but an extra £10 is well worth it if it means the difference between a miserable kid or a happy kid.

Asda usually sell good gloves/mittons and ski socks. I've always gone for trousers rather than salopettes as easier to get off (for the 4yo anyway). The younger one would be fine in an all in one as would get more toilet assistance from the nannys. The 4yo spritelets still get helped if needed, but I never took the risk.

I've always put dd in tights, then thick tracksuit bottoms, then the ski trousers. Then on the top its been a thermal top, normal top, fleece, ski jacket.

[noonar]

thanks, binka. we have h&M, next and tkmax locally, so will compare.

any ideas on boots? next directory have them but prob better to try on.

[crunchie]

I might have some gear I could sell you. Used once for my DD when she was 4 - I will look it out. I had an all in one and some trs/jkt combo

Would you like me to see what I have for the 4 yr old?

[crunchie]

Our stuff is H&M and it waa really warm tbh

[LIZS]

ds has had H and M ski trousers and tbh they are as good if not better than many more expensive ones. You see an awful lot of local kids kitted out in H and M , Tchibo and their equivalent of our big supermarkets ! Decathlon is another place to try if you have one handy.

[noonar]

i am def interested, crunchie, but we are going quite soon. am popping into town on saturday so might be more straight forward to buy something she can try on first. can i get back to you on that one?

[binkacat]

last year I got boots from Lidls, this year from Next.

I'm only going on what I saw in h&m the other week and it was a lot thinner than Next stuff. With Next you have to order it though, its not in store.

[Pollyanna]

I got ski stuff for my children from M&S last year. I think I got thermals from Young Explorers and also from M&S. I also picked up long sleeved tops (for wearing over thermal vests) from Gap - for the last couple of years they have had sales of 2 for 1.

You don't need to take many clothes for your 4 year old other than ski stuff. Most of the children come down to breakfast in their thermals and then might get changed at tea time, but not all do.

Is your 2 year old going to be in the nursery? If so, all you need is a snow-suit and hat/gloves plus normal clothes.

If your dd is quite tall, I have a ski jacket and salopettes that you can borrow - it is for a 5 year old.

[LIZS]

Gap had their polonecks on something like 2 for £12 2 weeks ago ! Nice patterns too

[noonar]

more good advice, thanks.

hi pollyanna, that's really kind of you . i may well take you up on that, if i don't have any luck in town.

i saw your posts on another thread about esprit, and wanted to say 'hi'. glad to hear you've had no problems with them as a company. dd2 is going to be in the creche, yes. but the way she's behaving at the mo, she'll probably freak out and dh and i will have to share looking after her!

[lapsedrunner]

Agree that H&M are just fine, it's one of the main sources of childrens ski kit here in Austria (many more Branches than UK).

You need to go to Lidl (www.lidl.co.uk) on Thu 23 Nov.

I was at our local Hofer(Aldi to you) this morning to buy DS ski gloves (2.50 euros)and 2 pairs of ski socks for 2.99 euros.

[Pollyanna]

dd2 was just 3 last year when we went, and we really struggled to get her in the creche. We took her out most afternoons and played with her, and put her in in the morning so we could get some skiing in. (she was always ok when we had gone).

I've not had a bad experience with Esprit (and we are going again with them next year too).

I'm sure we've got Goggles and other stuff that you can borrow (polonecks etc). There is a good ski shop, although expensive, just near the North Laine (can't remember what the street is called).

[Pollyanna]

sorry I was meant to say that the ski shop is just near the Library

[LIZS]

pollyanna are you talking Brighton there ? Surf and Ski iirc (still much missed in Reigate )

[noonar]

that's really kind, thanks.

i know just where you mean. will look there, and tkmax.

[Pollyanna]

yes Brighton LIZS.

[crunchie]

noonar you ar enot going for another few weeks I'll go look in the garage!!

[crunchie]

noonar I have loads of stuff. 2 x all in one suits, one for 104-110 cms and one 92-98cms My kids were small so these fitted great. I have thermal trs aged 3-4 and 5-6. I have sallopette aged 3-4 and 5-6. Kids goggles/socks/gloves etc etc.

Now some stuff I neeed to try on my kids to see if they fit for this year, however other stuff I am sure you can buy off me if you want. Some perhaps we can arrange to lend you and you could retrun as we may go skiing in January

It is up to you, but I bought the all-in-ones off someone via a MN link a couple of years ago!! and so this is just useful recycling

ANyway let me know as I can take photos and send pics if you want