This summer, we went back to Copenhagen as a family for a sailing competition for Ticoeur. It was our second time in the Danish capital. The first time, we visited Copenhagen when Ticoeur was only 2 years old! Just a baby! This year, we experienced Copenhagen with two older children (aged 12 and 15). Because of their ages, we didn’t quite have the same sightseeing wishes. So this trip was a mix of places we wanted to revisit and new ones we were keen to discover. Here’s a roundup of our family visits to Copenhagen, 2024 edition!
Copenhagen with kids: 10 ideas for visits
1 – Nyhavn: we never tire of it! It’s the little harbour everyone recognises from photos. With its colourful houses, it’s extremely photogenic. It was the first place we wanted to take the kids. Ticoeur obviously didn’t remember it. Last time, he was in his pushchair. And for Titpuce, it was her first time. Returning to a city years later gives you quite a sense of how time flies – softened, fortunately, by a lovely nostalgia for us happy parents. The facades haven’t changed; only our children have grown a lot! Last time, we took a one-hour cruise from this harbour. It was perfect and family-friendly. Highly recommended.
Discovering the Caminito del Rey as a family was a truly wonderful experience during our trip to Andalusia with the children. A few years ago, I had already wanted to venture onto this famous Andalusian path, but it was extremely dangerous at the time as it had no safety measures. It was probably the most dangerous via ferrata in the world! But after many years of closure and extensive renovation work, the Caminito del Rey reopened to the public in 2015, now fully secured. There’s no longer any reason to worry. The path is very well laid out and feels solid! We even found it easier and safer than we had imagined! Easier than other via ferratas we’ve done in the Alps.
The “King’s Path” gets its name because King Alfonso XIII of Spain walked it in 1921 during the inauguration of the dam. During the construction of the dam and the El Chorro hydroelectric power station, workers tragically fell using this makeshift and unsafe route. In the years that followed, bold hikers occasionally ventured onto this abandoned caminito, leading to some unfortunate accidents. In short, that chapter in the history of the Caminito del Rey is well and truly closed. You can now walk this path with your eyes closed — well, almost! From the new route, you can still glimpse the old one: you’ll see it’s a world of difference!
To plan your family trip to the Caminito del Rey, a bit of forward planning and organisation is definitely needed, so I hope this article provides you with all the useful information for your visit.
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Caminito del Rey with kids: be aware of the age restrictions!
This is a very important point! Before including the Caminito del Rey in your Andalusia holiday plans, you should know that children under 8 are not allowed on the trail. Children’s ID is checked at the entrance. The rule is strict. In fact, even if your children are over 8, make sure you have their ID with you. It would be a shame to be turned away when your children are the right age. When we visited, Titpuce was 10 and Ticoeur was 12. (more…)
We have just spent 3 days in Florence as a family. It wasn’t our first time in the Tuscan capital but it was the first time with our two children. We chose the February school holidays because it is a period with less tourists in Florence. In the spring or summer, I found the city oppressive. Indeed, Florence is ultimately a fairly small city. There quickly is too high a density of tourists because it attracts a lot of people with all the artistic beauty it concentrates!
During these three days in Florence as a family, we took our time. We certainly made a few cultural visits but very few so as not to overwhelm the children with too many museums and too many paintings. I prefer that they remember a few essentials. We therefore alternated visits and walks in the city. Obviously, we tasted la dolce vita, tasted good ice creams and dined in small trattorias. Here I share with you our program for discovering Florence with children, a program that we wanted to be as balanced as possible, between culture and strolling to please the whole family!
Age of children: Ticoeur 14 years old and Titpuce 12 years old. Ticoeur has been learning Italian at college since last September and Titpuce is our little budding artist so Florence was a destination that seemed interesting for both of them.
Travel period: February school holidays. We were very lucky with the weather: bright sunshine every day!
3 days in Florence as a family: our program
Day 1: stroll in the old center, first ice cream and sunset over the city
As I said in the introduction, the historic heart of Florence is not that big. You can discover everything on foot. I would say you can explore the historic heart of Florence from east to west or north to south in just half an hour. In addition, as is often the case in Italy, traffic is extremely limited in the center. Only local residents are allowed to drive through. It’s really appreciable in terms of noise and safety. Florence is a city where it is good to walk with children, without the stress of traffic.
Piazza del Duomo and Piazza di San Giovanni:
For our first walk, we walked near the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), Giotto’s campanile and the baptistery: a harmonious set of three matching buildings, with impressive architecture marking the beginnings of the Renaissance. And what a pleasure since our last visit: the facades are all beautiful, all clean!
A stone’s throw away, we taste our first schiacciata. It is a specialty of Florence. This is a light, crunchier foccacia served like a sandwich with your choice of filling. Ticoeur and Titpuce really liked it so we chose this snack for each of our on-the-go lunches in Florence (see our good addresses section below). Taking advantage of the sun, we stayed to admire the Duomo square while having a great lunch.
Then, it is time for us to cross the Arno, the river which cuts the city in two, to reach our accommodation located on the other side (Oltrarno).
The Ponte Vecchio:
To go from the historic center to the Oltrarno district, we choose without much surprise the Ponte Vecchio, so known for its small shops on either side. Since the Renaissance, there have been jewelers there because Cosimo I de’ Medici had chased away butchers and other food businesses for a more chic and more hygienic bridge. But it is above all the architecture of the bridge which is interesting with the Vasari corridor above, a passage which allowed Cosimo I to pass from the Offices (his administrative offices) to his Pitti Palace in complete safety. It would be nice to be able to cross this corridor to immerse yourself in the world of the Medici. I love secret passages!
Once in the Oltrarno district and free of our luggage, we walk along the river and taste our first ice cream at the Carraia bridge . We cross back to the other side of the Arno at the Santa Trinita bridge which offers a very beautiful view of the Ponte Vecchio:
Piazza della Signoria:
Head to another unmissable place in the city: the Piazza della Signoria where the buildings from the middle ages are concentrated. We enter the courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio to admire the frescoes and sculpted columns (this part is free).
We opt out of taking tickets for the Hall of the 500 because there is already so much to see! In the square, we enjoy the sculptures of the Loggia (it’s also free). We admire the Neptune Fountain, the statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici (the Medici star who had the Uffizi built) and of course Michelangelo’s immense David! In the square, it is a copy of the real sculpture which is in the Accademia Gallery but it really has its effect, especially since we do not plan to visit the Accademia.
Piazzale Michelangelo and the Basilica of San Miniato:
After this artistic and medieval tour, we begin the climb towards Piazzale Michelangelo, famous for its view of Florence. Even though Florence is not very visited in February, everyone present seems to meet in this square to admire the sunset.
But I have a tip for you! You have to go even higher, to the level of the Basilica of San Miniato. Up there, there were very few people: the view is calm and even more romantic in my opinion! We took the opportunity to take some family photos, having learned the lesson from 2023 when we forgot to take photos of the four of us!
As it is Titpuce’s birthday, we return to the hotel to blow out a candle and open the presents. What class to celebrate your 12th birthday in Florence! We then have dinner in a trattoria in the old town to discover Tuscan pasta recipes (see our good addresses section below).
Day 2: the market, Santa Croce and the Uffizi
In the morning, we decide to go to the central market by zigzagging through the northwest of the old town: we pass through Republic Square, then in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella with its beautiful colored marble facade:
A stone’s throw from the basilica, for the pleasure of the eyes, we enter an old pharmacy, currently a perfumery: the officina profumo, farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella.
The San Lorenzo district:
We then go to the San Lorenzo district, stronghold of the Medicis. Next to the San Lorenzo church is the building of the Medici chapel but we did not plan to visit it because the afternoon will already be busy! We just want to enjoy the atmosphere of the central market and the leather market, located in this same area. The leather merchants are outside, all around the central market hall. Inside, we look at the different food stalls. If to your taste, this is a place to try tripe sandwiches, another specialty of Florence.
As we still have a little time before our visit to the Uffizi booked for 3 p.m., we make a detour to the Santa Croce church. It is a very pleasant and lively neighborhood.
We return to the banks of the Arno to go to the Uffizi for the great artistic visit of our stay!
The Uffizi in Florence:
It can be complicated to take children to such a large museum. How to interest them without boring them? Ticoeur and Titpuce love museums and exhibitions and have been used to these kinds of visits since they were little. I still made sure to adapt the visit for them. As a student, I took a course at the Ecole du Louvre and luckily I learned quite a bit about Italian painting. I therefore took it upon myself to comment on the best-known works of the Uffizi in a simplified manner. Therefore, we did not try the audio guide. I played the role of children’s guide!
We mainly went from famous painting to famous painting, which already took us 2h30! I think 2 hours in the Uffizi would have been perfect for a family visit. The last half hour, Ticoeur and Titpuce were getting a little tired. For adjusting the visit, I recommend lingering in the rooms of the corridor on the east side where the works of Botticelli can be found. In the west corridor, you can go faster so as not to tire the children but you should definitely not miss Caravaggio ‘s Medusa located at the end of the route.
Practical information for booking Uffizi tickets:
We had purchased our tickets in advance to avoid the queue at the ticket office: see the official Uffizi website. Booking online adds a commission of €4 per person but we were afraid of the queue for this famous museum so we preferred to anticipate and I think it’s a good idea. At least the entrance tickets are not very expensive for such a rich museum! The normal price is €12 per adult and it is free for under 18s (excluding €4 commission). Good deal in February: there was a great special offer out of season for a combined ticket Uffizi + Palazzo Pitti + Boboli Gardens + marquetry museum for €18 per adult and free for children! It was perfect ! Please note that you must visit the Offices first to validate the ticket.
The Uffizi in Florence
Piazza Santo Spirito:
After leaving the Uffizi, we had a drink on the terrace on Santo Spirito square in Oltrarno. A place whose atmosphere we really liked. We then had dinner in this same area.
Day 3: the marquetry museum and Palazzo Pitti
Opificio delle Pietre Dure:
In our combined ticket, there was the possibility of visiting this small marquetry museum. Papa Voyage and Titpuce are particularly fans of this technique and working with stones so it was especially a museum for them! In any case, it’s pretty, sophisticated and the museum is not very big. A pleasant visit for a quiet morning.
As we are in the San Lorenzo district, we return to the market because I had spotted a small handbag that I fell for! After all, it was my birthday!
Palazzo Pitti and its Boboli gardens:
This is the second major visit of our stay. The Pitti Palace, located in Oltrarno, is the great Renaissance castle, home of the Medici.
It is very imposing so not necessarily very elegant seen from the outside but what richness inside! The royal apartments are decorated with pomp, a little too much perhaps ;-).
The part called Modern Art didn’t really appeal that much to us. So we picked up the pace and lingered in two other sections which we really liked. First of all, the costume gallery and its fashion museum:
Then, on the ground floor, we were charmed by the immense trompe l’oeil paintings on the walls of the “Treasures of the Grand Dukes” section:
In total, we spent two hours in Palazzo Pitti. We also walked the paths of the Boboli Gardens. These are the palace gardens. It looks more like a large public park than a palace garden but it was nice for the views of Florence:
View from the Boboli Gardens, looking out of town
We were lucky enough to have a combined ticket but if that’s not the case for you, I would say that the gardens are not a must-see and you can just buy the tickets for the palace.
Since we were already on the south side of the Arno and I wanted a beautiful sunset for my birthday, we returned to the viewpoint of the Basilica San Miniato. The light was even more beautiful than the first day!
Florence as a family: our good addresses
Ice cream parlors in Florence:
La Gelateria La Carraia: nice, lots of choice, well located on the river and only €2.50 per cone.
La Sorbettiere: few flavors but it was very good and a stone’s throw from Santo Spirito square which we really like!
Restaurants in Florence:
We mostly ate pasta, so Primi. Fresh pici are a specialty that we particularly appreciated and ate in every variation!
Casalingua: a family and economical trattoria located in Oltrarno.
I’Brindellone: an institution in Florence, also an economical address in Oltrarno (better to reserve a table in advance).
Ristorante Le Cappelle Medicee: a slightly more upscale trattoria located in the San Lorenzo district. Everything was very good but therefore more expensive than the two previous addresses.
To taste the schiacciata :
There are small schiacciata sellers all over the city but I will give you three central and economical addresses. Each time, it is possible to have a glass of Chianti really cheap but we stayed serious for lunch 🙂
I Girone de’ Ghiotti: the most famous spot! The best schiacciata of our stay. At midday, there were few people but just a few minutes later the queue was getting quite long!
I fratellini: right next to the previous one with a little less waiting.
Lo Schiacciavino: in the Santa Croce district
Accommodation in Florence:
We had booked a quadruple room in an exceptional building, rich in period paintings. The room is very dark because it overlooks a small interior courtyard but what a decor! A very Florentine historical setting! It’s a high-end address, more expensive than what we’re used to booking but we had two birthdays to celebrate so we treated ourselves to this luxury!
I should point out that our quadruple room was €200 per night (the maximum of our usual range) but be careful: by doing a few simulations of dates, I saw that the same room could cost more than double per night! In this case, I really don’t recommend it! It’s beautiful but still! What a budget! It’s not worth double. In short, I let you control the price for your dates and personally I would not spend more than €200 per night: Palazzo Giucciardini quadruple room. Otherwise, generally speaking, Florence is not very big so any location in the center or Oltrarno will be suitable for your stay. I have a preference for the area around Santo Spirito Square, a favorite place! For breakfast, the ideal is to do like the locals and enjoy a coffee and a cornetto in a small bar or a pasticceria. Near our accommodation, we liked the freshness of the croissants at Pasticceria Marino but there are lots of similar little places everywhere!
The advantages of visiting Florence in February:
There are fewer people in Florence in February! Nothing to do with our previous visits at Easter or in summer. The city quickly becomes too full because it is ultimately small. In February, Venice attracts more people with its carnival. Florence is not deserted, far from it, but it’s just right!
Winter is the best way to avoid the extreme heat that Florentines suffer from. It is a city that regularly experiences heatwaves and lack of water.
In February, it’s cheaper: I told you above about the great promotion on the combined ticket that we bought to visit the Uffizi + Pitti/Boboli.
It is easier to find accommodation and prices are considerably lower than in warmer months.
Even in February, we are not safe from big blue skies! However, weather-wise, we were just lucky. Don’t go to Florence in February if you’re absolutely looking for the sun.
What are the disadvantages of visiting Florence in February? Some sites, monuments or museum rooms may be closed for renovation or maintenance. For example, during our stay, Brunelleschi’s famous dome, which covers the Duomo, could not be visited. Our program was already full without being too busy, but if I had had to choose another paid visit, I would have opted for the dome. I visited it a long time ago and it left an impression on me. Finally, there are also some restaurants and ice cream parlors closed but frankly, there are enough left!
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And after Florence?
After our three-day stay in Florence with family, we followed up with two days in Siena. I will soon tell you about our stay in Siena and our tour in the Tuscan countryside! And if you are tempted by other city trips in Italy, you can reread Venice with kids.
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And you ? Are you planning to visit Florence with your family?
Choose Les 3 Vallées for a family stay? Les 3 Vallées is the largest ski area in the world! A whole program, a whole promise and a question: which resort to choose to enjoy the 3 Valleys with your family? In December, we spent a week skiing there with the children. Ticoeur and Titpuce have been skiing since they were little. They are now 14 and 11 years old. We thought they had the level to take advantage of the incredible 3 Valleys ski area. However, some resorts in the 3 Valleys are more suitable for families than others. I will therefore share our experience with you to help you enjoy the 3 Valleys during a ski trip with the children. And I hope to enlighten you on the resorts that we found to be more family oriented.
The 3 Vallées are made up of the Courchevel valley, the Méribel valley and the valley which is home to Les Ménuires and Val Thorens. The 4 stations that I have just mentioned are the main resorts. If we add the small resorts of Brides-les-Bains, Saint Martin de Belleville and Orelle, that makes 7 resorts in the ski area. In total, Les 3 Vallées offers 600km of slopes! It is enormous ! We skied from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with just a quick break for lunch in picnic mode. Suffice to say that we took full advantage of the ski area and the ski pass! Here is our feedback on each of the 3 valleys and the main resorts…
The Méribel valley: the advantages and disadvantages for skiing with the family
The advantages of Méribel:
Méribel is located in the central valley of the area. That’s probably why this station is symbolized by a heart. It is in the heart of the 3 Valleys and this is its greatest asset! This therefore means that if you stay in Méribel, you will have as much ease in going skiing towards the Courchevel valley to the east as towards the Ménuires valley/Val Thorens to the west. The connections are very simple and effective.
The pretty trees! In the Méribel valleys, we see a lot of fir trees. The landscape is therefore particularly beautiful thanks to the vegetation. The other two valleys have few fir trees in comparison and therefore offer whiter and more deserted landscapes.
The family atmosphere: we found that there was a family atmosphere in Méribel and that it was very pleasant.
The slopes we liked in Méribel:
the blue slopes “Fawn”, “Biche”, “Mont Vallon”, “Combe du Vallon”, “Venturon”
the red slopes “Marcassin” and especially “Chamoix”
The green trail of animals. Indeed, even if it is really very easy for good skiers, it offers a beautiful slope, quite long, with animal sculptures to admire along the way.
Note that the “Legends” chairlifts are truly incredible in terms of comfort and efficiency.
The disadvantages of Méribel:
The only downside concerns certain slopes: there are slopes that we did not like on the Méribel-Mottaret side and that we could hardly avoid (for example, the green slope “Perdrix”). Also, we found more icy tracks than in the other two valleys. Perhaps just due to weather conditions we had. Finally, on the main slopes of the “Pas du Lac 2” and “Saulire express 2” lifts there were often a lot of people.
In conclusion, Méribel is a very good choice for a ski trip with children, between its family atmosphere and its central location with a pretty fir tree decor as a bonus!
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The Ménuires valley/Val Thorens:
Val Thorens is the highest station. Les Ménuires is a resort located in the same valley but lower down. As these two stations are really very different, I will devote a section to each.
Les Ménuires: the advantages and disadvantages for skiing with the family
The advantages of Les Ménuires:
Les Ménuires, great resort for families : we found that Les Ménuires was the most family-friendly resort in the 3 Vallées area. This is where we encountered the most children during our stay. Other people confirmed to us the family spirit of the resort. The resort’s slogan is “friendly Ménuires” and we honestly found that the station deserved its nickname! We felt very good there.
ESF lessons: only Titpuce took ski lessons with the ESF in Les Ménuires and she found that it was her best ESF experience! The ski instructor was great! There is obviously a bit of chance in terms of instructors but I must say that the welcome at the ESF office in Les Ménuires was very warm and the director very friendly!
The proximity of Val Thorens: as Les Ménuires and Val Thorens are in the same valley, it is very easy to go from one to the other. And the peaks of Val Thorens are an experience not to be missed in terms of high altitude landscape and snow quality (see below).
On the slopes: big favorites in Les Ménuires!
the “Pointe de la Masse” in the morning, with the beautiful view of the summits (black, red and blue slopes to vary the pleasures – for example, we liked “Bouquetin” and “Petit Creux”). At the top you can see how the gondola works, this allows you to take a little informative break when you arrive at the station. There was also a whole Lego model!
the slopes of the “Becca” chairlift: we loved the red “Becca” slope and there were surprisingly few people there! We took this one quite a lot! The blue slope “Lac des Combes” was very good too.
The blue slopes “Grand Lac” and “Pâturage”
Antigel mountain restaurant: really very good! So yes, it’s still expensive (compared to the restaurants we were used to when we eat on the Italian side in Montgenèvre) but for now, all the restaurants are expensive in the 3 Valleys (if you have any good deals, let me know in a comment!). We mainly had a picnic at the bottom of the slopes but our experience of one lunchtime at Antigel was quite positive: very friendly service and good food. I particularly recommend the trout with Beaufort.
The disadvantages of Les Ménuires:
Further from Courchevel: based in Les Ménuires, it will be more difficult to enjoy the Courchevel part of the 3 Vallées area. Let’s say that without the constraints of the ESF courses it is entirely doable. On the other hand, for only half a day it’s tight. Obviously, there is already plenty to do in Val Thorens and Méribel which are quickly accessible.
What about architecture then? I had often been told that Les Ménuires was very good skiing but not beautiful at all. Well, in the end, I was pleasantly surprised because yes, there are some residences that are not very elegant but they have held up well over the years. There’s nothing really too naughty and it’s not very dense. I also think that the snow front part was well thought out and I liked the sculpture in the shape of a modern bell tower as well as the charm of the little baskets, very vintage ski lifts!
In conclusion, Les Ménuires is a big favorite for us and therefore a very good choice for a ski trip with children, between its family atmosphere and its slopes!
Val Thorens: the advantages and disadvantages for skiing with the family
Val Thorens is the highest resort in the 3 Valleys. It is located at an altitude of 2300m. Besides, we had a bit of a headache when we arrived all the way from sea level. Val Thorens is the resort where we stayed because we found an economical apartment there. But, as you will see below, I do not recommend staying in Val Thorens. Ski there yes, but not sleep there.
The advantages of Val Thorens:
The quality of the snow thanks to the altitude: the snow at the summits really has a different texture! Velvety cotton that crunches under your skis! It’s divine!
The panoramas from the summits: There are many peaks over 3000 meters. We found that the most dizzying view was at Cime Caron. Just the arrival of the cable car is impressive!
Access to the Orelle slope: a pleasant surprise is this very pleasant resort with very good slopes. You have to allow time to pass over to Orelle and come back but it’s worth it!
The possibility of starting very early: as Val Thorens is located above Les Ménuires, we started at 8:30 a.m., before the ski lifts and we descended to the bottom of Les Ménuires where we showed up for the opening of the lifts at 9 a.m. It was perfect for optimizing our long ski days!
Our favorite slopes in Val Thorens: a lot! With a particular crush on the slopes of the Peclet funitel.
The blue slopes “Hermine”, “Tétras” and “Tête rond”
the red slopes “Boismint”, “Col de l’audzin”, “Lac blanc” and especially “Christine” which was often deserted and yet great (its name is a tribute to the Olympic skier Christine Goitschel).
the slopes of the Orelle resort
The disadvantages of Val Thorens:
Not really a family resort: in Val Thorens, there were mainly young students, often very good skiers but frankly dangerously fast on the slopes. Of the entire 3 valleys area, this is where we encountered the most “crazy people”! Titpuce is not yet fast enough or alert enough to anticipate complicated situations at certain track intersections. We preferred to enjoy Val Thorens and its attractions while Titpuce was in ESF lessons in Les Ménuires. With Ticoeur, it was simpler because he has more experience. Even on the green slopes, there were a lot of young adults on snowboards: I don’t think this is ideal if you have children learning to ski on these same green slopes. Finally, in Val Thorens, the party starts very early and we didn’t like having to return to the resort (because we were staying there) in the company of skiers who had drunk too much at Folie Douce and who were no longer very attentive on the slopes back down. Without even the problem of sobriety, the return to the station at the end of the day is truly chaotic: too high a density of skiers on the slopes which lead to the station. Finally, there was too much noise and parties in the residence where we were staying (and in many other residences I think). Fortunately, our immediate neighbors were calm but we could have really been right next to all night parties! I would like to point out that we were in the 3 Valleys a week before the school holidays in France. No doubt there are more families during school holidays. However, it was clear to us that there was not the same atmosphere in Val Thorens as in the other resorts of the 3 Valleys. In conclusion, Val Thorens offers exceptional ski conditions! If your children are very good skiers, we recommend taking advantage of the 3 Valleys pass. On the other hand, we do not recommend sleeping there during a family stay.
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The Courchevel valley: the advantages and disadvantages for skiing with the family
The advantages of Courchevel:
Courchevel beyond the clichés: we had already stayed in Courchevel when the children were younger and we really liked it! We only took the Courchevel package (not the 3 Valleys) and it was more than sufficient at the time. Courchevel is the 3 Valleys resort with the most slopes (108 slopes). In any case, we felt that the density of skiers was lower even when, the previous time, we were there in the middle of the February school holidays. Overall, there are fewer people on the slopes than in the other resorts in the area. There are a lot of very wide slopes with a lot of blue slopes. In short, very pleasant ski areas for children whatever their level.
The slopes we liked in Courchevel:
the blue slopes: “Creuse”, “Altiport”, “Pralong”
the red slopes: “Marmots”, “Saulire”
And as always, art comes to Courchevel. Currently, we can see works by Jimenez Deredia, an artist from Costa Rica.
The disadvantages of Courchevel:
As it is the easternmost station, it is very well connected to Méribel. But going skiing in Val Thorens and Les Ménuires would take way too much time if you have to juggle your children’s ESF lessons. Moreover, there are several sites in Courchevel: Courchevel village is central and the connection around 1850 is very fast. Courchevel 1850 is perfectly located but even more unaffordable than the rest of the resort. Courchevel-Morind is really too far away in our opinion and in Courchevel La Tania, we did not have good snow because it is much lower.
The difficulty in finding accommodation: When we stayed for a week in Courchevel, we took advantage of a good deal through my family. Since then, I have often looked at the apartments on offer in Courchevel and I have never found anything within our budget (by far!). But who knows? I’ll keep watching in the future just in case…
In conclusion, Courchevel is a resort that we liked and which offers enough skiing space for the whole week if you don’t want to take the 3 Valleys pass. All you have to do is find affordable accommodation!
The 3 Valleys: which resort to choose for family skiing?
In conclusion, the 3 Valleys is an exceptional ski area to discover with the family! Depending on the age and skiing level of your children, a single resort pass is enough to really enjoy a week of skiing, but the pricing is such that you don’t have to add that much to the family pass to have access to all of Les 3 Vallées. In any case, the extra cost is clearly worth it if your children are good skiers.
Which resort should you stay in in Les 3 Vallées?
To enjoy the 3 Valleys in a family atmosphere, we recommend Les Ménuires (our favorite) then Méribel to be in the center of the area. Finally, Courchevel is the resort that can best be considered without a 3 Valleys package (if you have better luck than us in finding affordable accommodation). As for Val Thorens, it’s a great ski adventure but it’s not ideal with young children.
Our budget:
Here, for information only, are our main expenses during this week of skiing in Les 3 Vallées. Please note: we were there before the French school holidays. 2 bedroom apartment = 880€. ESF lessons for 6 mornings: €217. Rental of all the equipment for the 4 of us: €278 (at Ski Republic in Val Thorens, very good and very friendly). Les 3 Vallées family package ski pass for 7 days: €1,247.
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Finally, and most importantly: we will return! For sure ! Especially since we are often lucky enough to have English school holidays later than those in France. Clearly, this is a major asset for enjoying the 3 Vallées without the crowds and on a smaller budget!
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And you ? Do you know the 3 Vallées? What is your favorite station?
During the autumn term-break, we went to Mallorca to hike as a family on this Balearic island that we already knew and that we wanted to discover in a different light. Hiking with the kids in Mallorca was a really good idea! There are easy hikes in Mallorca, suitable for children, but also some more difficult hikes for families used to walking. The climate at the end of October was ideal. We had 22-23°C every day. These are seasonal norms. Obviously, weather is not an exact science so we are delighted to have had very good weather during our week of hiking in Mallorca!
Our 7 hikes in Mallorca as a family:
Torrent de Pareis: hiking in a gorge
A magnificent hike in a very impressive gorge. To get to the start of the hike, the road which goes down to the sea is quite winding and very beautiful (be careful of travel sickness!). At the bottom, we arrive at the sea at Es Calabra. There is then a small path which leads to this mouth marking the arrival of the Torrent de Pareis riverbed:
At this location, there are still tourists who come to see this very photogenic beach. They swim, take photos and leave. However, the most beautiful part is at the back, when you start to go up the riverbed, venturing into the gorge. At the beginning, there are two or three passages where you have to take off your shoes. There are lots of small stones at the bottom of the water… it hurts a little so we take it slowly. Ideally, bring swimming slippers for the start of the hike. (more…)
