Lakes & Mountains Active Holidays

Lakes and mountains active holidays offer lots of adventure with thrilling activities such as white water rafting and mountain biking as well as lots of places to see - follow in the footsteps of 'The Sound of Music' film cast, visit an alpine zoo, travel on a mountain train and so much more. 

Resort choice
Choose from the pretty villages of Niederau and Kirchdorf or the bustling lakeside towns of Zell am See and Peschiera. Pick between the cheese and chocolate of Switzerland and the pizza and pasta of Italy. All the selected resorts have a lot to offer, each with its own character and lots of activities the whole family can enjoy. Part of the attraction of summer holidays in lake or mountain resorts is that a family can have so much fun together - the summer lifts make exploring the mountains fun and easy, even on little legs!

What to take
On each page you'll find a climate guide to give you an idea of the kind of weather to expect. You may be surprised to see how warm it can get in the mountains in July and August so don't forget your swimming things for swimming in mountain lakes and resort pool complexes. The summer sunshine helps keep the mountain pastures a lush green with a helping hand from a fairly generous amount of rain so also remember to pack raincoats. Don't worry though, the weather in the mountains changes quickly so when you get rain it rarely lasts for long. One last thing to remember - your camera! - so you can capture the moments when you all try new adventurous activities for the first time.

Travel options
Choose between charter flights from a wide number of regional airports to our lake and mountain destinations so that you have the convenience of travelling from an airport close to home. On arrival you have the option of transfers, or you can choose to hire a car, giving you the freedom to explore further afield during your holiday.

Instead of flying, driving can also be an attractive option, allowing you to pace your journey to suit your needs, and to stop along the way at places of interest. We can also arrange for  you to have an overnight stop on the way.

Activities
Lake and mountain resorts have lots of activities on offer. As the summer goes on, the lakes can get surprisingly warm and you can enjoy a range of water activities from sailing and windsurfing to hiring a pedalo and swimming from the lakeside bathing areas. Many of the winter's ski lifts are open in summer so that you can get easily up into the mountains to enjoy exploring on foot or by bike. You'll also find a lot of resorts offer more adventurous activities such as climbing, river rafting and canyoning. Or why not head to the local riding stables and discover more of the area on horseback. Before you travel, please make sure that your travel insurance covers all the activities you'd like to do. Please also note that some activities have a minimum age requirements and children participating in activities will have to accompanied by an adult (unless they are with one of our children's clubs).

If staying in a Crystal Club Active hotel (in Les Gets, France or Kitzbühel, Austria) you will receive a free activity (subject to the activity's minimum age requirement). Your reps will also offer a programme of guided walks and bike rides during the week. In addition there will be a fleet of Specialised mountain bikes for hire which will include a selection of children's bikes as well as cycle helmets for everyone.

Place to see
Everywhere you look the mountain sights are beautiful but there is a lot more to see than mountain scenery. This impressive landscape is full of natural sights of wonder - watch rainbows jump in the spray of cascading waterfalls, build a summer snowman on a glacier or explore the depths of an imposing gorge. A day in a city can also be a fun day out and cities are packed with things to do and see - visit Salzburg and follow in the footsteps of the cast of 'The Sound of Music' film, visit Venice and explore the canals on a gondola. You'll also find a wealth of other attractions in and around the resorts ranging from educational visitor attractions to some of Europe's best theme parks.

Childcare
In Zell am See and Kaprun in Austria you'll find Crystal-run Pepi Penguin Crèches in the resort centre. These are available for children from 6 months to 5 years and are run by our team of qualified, experienced nannies. You can pre-book  as many sessions as you want, to give you the freedom to try activities and go on 'away days' that may not be suitable for a young child. The session times are flexible to allow you to fit them around what you want to do.

In addition to our Crystal crèches you'll also find that a lot of our selection of hotels and resorts offer their own kids' clubs and many are free of charge. Unless otherwise stated, you don't have to pre-book - you can just decide as a family when the children want to go to the club as the week goes on. Hotel and resort kids' clubs will be open to all nationalities of children but will always have some English speaking staff.

Plan your holiday!
In many resorts you can pre-book activities, 'away day' excursions and Crystal childcare before you go on holiday. Pre-booking makes it easier for you to plan and budget for your holiday and often represents a saving on the price you would pay for the item in resort. Pre-booking is essential for Crystal childcare as places are strictly limited in order to adhere to staff:child ratios.