Ski & Snowboarding Holidays

Winter sports make a great family holiday. The whole family can enjoy the magic of winter in the mountains with ski and snowboard tuition for children from as young as 3 years old and a selection of childcare for younger children. In addition to skiing and snowboarding you'll find all sorts of other fun winter activities from dog-sledding to tobogganing, snow shoe walks to skidooing!

Resort choice
We have selected the very best resorts for families throughout Europe and North America from Crystal Ski's programme of over 140 resorts, the largest choice in the UK market. All the resorts offer Crystal crèches and children's clubs or excellent local childcare facilities as well as superb ski and snowboard schools and a selection of fun winter activities suitable for the whole family.

These resorts have been chosen by taking into account a whole host of criteria that we know are important for families, such as ease of transfer, availability of family rooms, accessibility of the slopes and provision of first class childcare.

Your first family ski and snowboarding holiday
All our selected family resorts offer fantastic facilities for 'first time' skiers and snowboarders with excellent English speaking ski and snowboard schools and gentle nursery slopes on which to learn.

To help you along we've put together a number of special 'First Time' packages which include equipment hire, tuition and sometimes a lift pass (if required from day one of your lessons. In all other resorts you will need to buy a lift pass locally on arrival). These packages offer a considerable saving against local prices. On arrival your Crystal rep will be on hand to help you organise everything you've booked.

Here are some top tips for planning your holiday:
• Bear in mind when packing that lots of thin layers of breathable clothing are warmer than one thick layer
• Make sure everyone has warm and waterproof jack and salopettes (ski trousers) or all-in-one ski suit and ski gloves (even infants!)
• You'll all need sunglasses or goggles. If children are going to wear a ski helmet, goggles are easier and more comfortable
• Take lots of high factor sunscreen - even on cloudy days you can get burnt. Make sure each child has their own small sunscreen to take with them to ski school/kids' club
• Get fit before your holiday - lots of gyms offer 'ski fit' classes and family swimming, cycle rides and running around are all good for ski legs!
• If you book your holiday directly with Crystal Family you'll receive a 'peace of mind' call from one of the Crystal reps or nannies in your resorts in the week before you go on holiday so you can ask them any last minute questions you might have

Give it a go! Free 'SNO' time at SNO!Zone
With real snow in the SNO!Zone indoor ski slopes they are the perfect place to give skiing or snowboarding a try for the first time, or on which to practice and get your legs into shape before you go on holiday. Buy 1 hour and receive a second hour absolutely free on recreational slope time at any of SNO!Zone's three UK slopes.

For further details and terms & conditions visit www.crystalski.co.uk/snozone or call 0871 222 5670 (Milton Keynes), 0871 222 5671 (Castleford) or 0871 222 5672 (Braehead/Renfrew).

October Half-term - Ski in Tignes!
You don't have to limit your ski holidays to the winter months. For 2008 we are also offering October half-term skiing in the French resort of Tignes. Tignes has a glacier so you can ski all year round. Have a look on the Tignes page for more details.

FREE child's ski helmets!
In Italy and Slovenia the wearing of ski helmets is now compulsory for children. Many ski schools in other countries also encourage it. We are therefore pleased to again offer FREE child ski helmets when you book your Crystal Family ski holiday to any of our destinations and pre-book skis and boots for your child (one helmet per set of skis and boots booked).

All you need to do is send your name, address and departure date along with a copy of your Crystal Family holiday invoice and state the number of helmets required. Helmets come in 4 sizes (so you will need to measure your child's head): XXSmall (51-52cm), XSmall (53-54cm), Small (55-56cm), Medium (57-58cm). You can also buy a child's helmet for just £19.80 plus post & packing (recommended retail price £36).

Postage and packing costs £4.95 per helmet. Include the above details and make your cheque payable to "Crystal Family Ski Helmet Offer" and send it all together to Crystal Family, PO Box 1939, Maidenhead SL6 1AJ.

Please note: Once cheques are received helmets will be dispatched within 8 weeks. Stocks are limited and once sold our of specific sizes, Crystal are unable to fulfil further requests. Crystal Family cannot accept any responsibility for any accidents or injury that take place whilst wearing a ski helmet. Style and colour may vary.