Family skiing in the French Alpes…simply stunning
Emirates has direct flights daily from Dubai to Lyon. For Serre-Chevalier, Turin airport would have been closer but as there are no direct flight from Dubai we opted for Lyon, while you can also land in Geneva and Milan. While landed in Lyon, the ClubMed representative was waiting for us with a luxury minivan and some other passengers that had arrived earlier. We had about 3 hours drive from the airport to the resort with a little stop over to shake our legs just before starting the climb to the station.
We finally arrived at the resort around 6pm, just in time to collect our room keys. The check-in process couldn’t have been easier as there were several desks set up in the lobby with staff waiting for you, to hand over the keys and guide you through the next “Must do” before you indulge in nice French diner and an early night sleep. You are then invited to visit the skiing school (“Ecole Francaise de Skii”) also located in the lobby. The skiing instructors are they to guide you and recap on your skiing classes’s bookings made via the ClubMed app, prior your arrival. This isn’t mandatory as you may want to ski by yourself but if you are looking for some companions with similar level than you and an experimented guide and instructor, this is brilliant. Honestly, for me, this was the USP of the package as my husband and I don’t have the same skiing level and I don’t really enjoy skiing on my own….
The classes and language level initially booked from the app, can be amended at that time to fit your needs better. Next stop is the equipment room in the basement of the resort…. Yes!!! you don’t need to put on your coats….it is all in the same building?? I had pre-booked and paid all the equipment, from the ClubMed app prior to our arrival. This made our life much easier on the day of arrival at the resort. Professionals gear you up and show you the lockers allocated to your family, in the same basemen. A small corridor takes you then from the locker to a few slops and the shuttle access to the main skiing lifts of the domaine. Now, bear in mind that Serre-Chevalier is due for an extensive renovation where it is planned to include a direct access to the station lifts. And now you are set to simply enjoy your well deserve mountain break. The girls started their classes by 7:50am and were getting ready in the locker room with their team and their coach while adults started around 8:30. That leaves you enough time to indulge with a cup of coffee on the terrace overlooking at the mountains.
As the girls were coming back from classes, earlier than us, we decided to let them have lunch with their friends, and the staff of the kid’s club. Personally, we used to pick them up right after we had our lunch to take them skiing on the easy slopes near by the hotel, but you can leave them in the afternoon club where many activities are organized in English and French. Snacks and beverages are available throughout the day, in self-service manner and evenings are filled with lots of activities for young and not so young…bingos, game nights, quiz night…
The last Saturday is with no classes, for families to ski together, enjoy a hike around the mountain with a guide, take a private skiing class, indulge in a high-altitude lunch, visit the spa, do a yoga class…anything you want to leave this retreat refresh and renewed. Honestly, we can not wait to go back to try another ClubMed in the mountains. It catered all our family needs, and no one felt left behind. We felt safe and look after at all time.
So get ready for the skiing season and contact me so that I can help you book, your dream skiing trip.
By Sophie Anchan