So let me kick this off with saying that if you have never considered going overseas to ski then you definitely should as it is magical! I ended up booking our kids first ever ski trip in the French Alps because once I ran all the numbers on going out west to Utah, Colorado, California I realized I actually could give my family an out of country experience rich in European culture for actually less (like $10,000 less — yep I ran the numbers and my mind is blown!).
I had a girlfriend of mine help me with the cost comparison as she went the same week with did but to Breckenridge so I can show you guys what she spent versus what we spent. *you of course could make the accommodations less expensive if you don’t stay at a 5 star property and you could spend more if you do first class/business class on flights.
How I found the town: I am so thankful that one of my cousins was in the French Alps during the summer time and happened to stumbled upon the picturesque town of La Clusaz. A HUGE this to note is you must make all lunch and dinner reservations (especially if you go during a busy season) because it is NOT a walk in type of town. We made this mistake and thankfully were still able to get in to places but it was quite the headache scrambling to find spots. Also, there were a few spots I really wanted to go that we could not get in so that was a bummer SOOO don’t be me and make sure to make all the reservations. You do also want to make the reservation for lunch at the restaurants up on the mountain unless you are okay with waiting for hours to sit.
To get to La Clusaz — We flew from Miami into Geneva and then took a 1.5 hour car transport into France (yes, this is basically on the country line).
Also, I know some of you are HUGE skiers / snowboarders like my hubby so I do want to note that the mountain was amazing!! Tons of runs — greens for kiddos, blues, blacks etc. The neat part was the mountain is so big that you can take the lifts up and then when you ski down you can go to the base of a neighboring town if you wanted to then go explore the town there some.
Where we stayed: Hotel au Couer de Village — the location of this property was perfect! Right across from the street from the ski lifts and the drop off area for the kids’ ski school. It was a 5 star property complete with a Michelin star restaurant but I will say it was not as 5 star-ish as in the US properties that we are used too but it was also way less expensive then traditional 5 stars. We loved the suite we got and it was so nice for the kids to have a separate area to sleep as well as a separate bathroom. I also loved that Cole’s and my room had a balcony. A few room quirks to know when booking — one of the bathrooms in the suite will only have a tub and the other will have a shower. Another thing is the toilet closets do not have fans so make sure you pack that poopouri lol
Where to eat: So this is my favorite area to always talk about because you guys know I LOVE my foodie spots and there is a reason the term Apres Ski was born and Europe takes the term to heart! We had some truly amazing meals and even my kiddos who can be picky found tons of dishes they loved! Here’s a list of some of our favorite spots. Again, I cannot stress the importance of making lunch and dinner reservations (even for the mountain top places).
Le Freka — such a cute little restaurant! The acorn squash soup was maybe one of Cole’s favorite dishes of the entire trip!
Bistro Les 2 Mules — we actually ate here two different times for dinner (yes it was that good!). One time we ate with the kiddos then the other Cole and I went on a date night for NYE and did a 9 course tasting meal that had a lobster dish that blew my mind!
Chez Moi — another small local spot with a fun atmosphere. We sat at a high top and ordered a few dishes which all were so good and I’m still dreaming about the yummy salad I ordered.
A few travel tips….
- Always look at the expected weather for your trip during the time you want to visit — making sure there is usually snow when you will be there
- When booking flights through our domestic carriers (Delta, United, American etc) check to see who their travel partner airlines are that will be actually taking you overseas (AirFrance, ITA etc) and then check their websites as sometimes they have better rates.
- If you are traveling with young kids overseas check to see if your hotel has a kid’s club. We did this and it was so nice as a few dinners my girls went to kid’s club so Cole and I could have a date night. They had a blast in the club too as they met new friends, learned new games and had yummy meals.
- We booked a transport to and from the French Alps which I would book again –driving in a foreign country, with icy conditions plus dealing with border patrol is nothing something to mess with if you ask me.