Still unsure where you want to go for your ski holiday? Read on for recommendations on the best resorts for Family ski holidays, local charm, ski in ski out apartments, cheap ski holidays and ski resorts suitable for large groups.

Best ski accommodation for families

We would recommend L’Amara in Avoriaz – which itself recently won best Family ski resort in the World Snow awards.

L’Amara: new family friendly apartments in Avoriaz

The residence has lots of 2 bedroom apartments, many with 2 bathrooms and spacious and comfortable living areas. BBC TV is available (including CBeebies). In Avoriaz there is a great children’s club and baby sitting can be arranged.

If you need to rest after a long day on the piste, have a break in the spa area complete with treatment rooms, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and relaxation room.

Relax in the swimming pool area at L’Amara

Best for ski-in ski-out

Avoriaz ticks this box as well, but we would recommend Arc 1950 le Village at the top of the vast Paradiski area.

You can usually manage to ski right back to the actual door of your ski locker as well as access all Arc 1950 bars, restaurants and shops by skiing through the village itself.

Arc 1950 is composed of 8 buildings, each having their own reception and access to the  indoor car park. The large self-catering apartments are stylishly decorated in modern Alpine style. There are a wide range of facilities available in the village including supermarket, a pharmacy, cash point and plenty of restaurants to suit all tastes. There is also the possibility to relax in style in the brand new luxury spa.

Views of Le Village, Arc 1950

Best ski accommodation for large groups

Les Ecrin des Neiges Tignes

The definition of large could be interpreted as large apartments or good places to go with a group, so we have gone for a mix! Les Ecrins de Neiges in Tignes has a lot of apartments which sleep 8 or more. Plus the geographical/high altitude nature of the resorts suits groups.  Also the ski area works for groups of mixed abilities and the après ski is varied enough to suit most people.

However a good runner up in this category, which also has a plethora of larger apartment sizes is Les Menuires Alpages de Reberty.

Poolside views at Alpages de Reberty

The residence sits in the area above Les Menuires and benefits from doorstep skiing. There is also a large selection of mountain sports and activities available: Quad biking, sledging, ice skating, snowscooters, snowshoes and more…

Best for traditional charm

Les Carroz d’Arraches is located in the heart of the Grand massif ski area. Our rustic Fermes de Soleil residence is built around the ice rink which gives you a very ‘ski resorty’ feeling and the village itself is charming and has the added bonus of being one of the closest ski resorts to Geneva with a transfer of only 45 minutes.

Best ski resort for people on a budget 

At Le Hameau de Sauget in  Les Coches prices now start from only €359 for a studio cabine for 4 (week commencing April 13) – only around £80 per person if you fill it with 4 people.  Add to that, resort prices down in Les Coches are markedly less than in its higher neighbours and there are some great happy hour offers. If you do decide to splash out on a Paradiski pass you actually have a chance to use it effectively as the Vanoise Express is only 1 lift and a short ski away.

We hope that’s given you some options to suit the type of ski holiday you want. Feel free to browse more ski apartments on the Pierre & Vacances site. We’re in pretty much every France ski resort.  Whatever you choose – have a great time!

Easter will be soon here, and summer is approaching quickly so….

..how about a break in our new Barcelona holiday apartments.

Our new apartments in Barcelona

Situated in the Catalonia Capital, our Pierre & Vacances Barcelona Sants residence is opening end of March 2013.

The residence offers 49 comfortable and spacious self-catering apartments with air-conditioning, from studios for up to 3 people to 1 bedroom apartments sleeping up to 5, spread over 8 floors with 2 lifts. Most of them have their own terrace and some can even be prepared for “business stays” with a desk (pay on arrival). Prices for apartments start from 476€ per week.

The centre is easily and rapidly accessible by underground, the closest station ” Sants Estacio” is only 2km from the accommodation and 20 minutes away from the centre of Barcelona and the well known avenue “Las Ramblas”.

Football and culture fans will love the residence as in the same neighbourhood, you will find Montjouic Park and the famous Camp Nou FC Barcelona stadium.

Camp Nou FC Barcelona Stadium

Book your Barcelona break at the Pierre & Vacances Barcelona Sants residence now.

Have a nice holiday!

After a tough day on the piste, there is nothing more satisfying than a good old French crepe! Sure, you can pick one up in most French ski resorts, but with our recipe you can try and make your own in your ski apartment!

Firstly a little history lesson.

Crepes are very old, originating in Brittany, France around 7000 years BC. At that time they were more like big pancakes than our current thin crepes.  Apparently the old tradition required you to flip the first Crepe from the right hand and keep a Louis d’Or coin on the left hand to ensure prosperity in life. Only for experts maybe!

Cooking the crepes

So how to make your own crepe…..

Ingredients  to make 20 crepes :

• 250g of flour
• 3 eggs
• 50g of sugar
• 1/2 litre of milk
• 50g of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 sachet of vanilla sugar
• Little bit of Rum or beer

Put the flour, the sugar, the vanilla sugar and the salt in a large salad bowl. Add the eggs one by one and mix quickly. Include the milk little by little to avoid creating lumps by using a whisk or a wooded spatula. Melt the butter and add. Mix all until you obtain a nice liquid pastry.

Leave the mixture to rest for one hour at least and then you are ready to cook!

Being French, we like to add a bit of rum, but experiment with your own flavours. Popular extras include lemon, orange  or even beer! You can serve it with fruits, chocolate or whipped cream.

Even better, comment below and share your favourites with us!

Crepes made easy

You may not know that in many of our self-catering apartments and holiday villages you can purchase all your Crepe ingredients and get them delivered to your door!

Your blogger Elodie with her crepes

 Bon Appetit!

Looking to get your family holiday booked in early this year? You’re not on your own, more and more of us will be heading online this year to snap up the early rooms for this summer’s great big getaway. Finding the right holiday for you and your family can be tough; it’s hard to keep everyone happy. Your other half might prefer the poolside whilst the kids are crazy about the beach, you want to be somewhere rural, with a bit of a history but also close to town, the beach and it all needs to be within walking distance.

Luckily for you, Pierre & Vacances have family focused Holiday Villages that make great child friendly holiday destinations in Europe for your annual summer break in 2013. With a range of holiday destinations in Spain and France you’ll have plenty to choose from. Getting your booking in early will save you hassle and money, yes there are great deals to be had when booking late but why not book early this year and get what you really want out of your summer break.

First things first, where do you want to go? Location is everything when choosing your summer holiday. Both Spain and France offer fantastic resorts on and off the beach and each one with respectable average temperatures from the mid to high twenties. Finding the sun won’t be hard this summer but where to enjoy might be a bit of a head scratcher.

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday village for your family in France then the Port du Crouesty Holiday Village in Southern Brittany might be the place for you. Located on the coast where the Gulf of Morbihan meets the Bay of Quiberon, Port du Crouesty this resort offers everything a family could need for a week or two lounging around the beach.

The Resort sits on the cusp of the beach with the majority of the apartments providing luxurious views out towards the sea. Each apartment is well within walking distance to both the pool and the beach and with plenty of activities on site there’ll be plenty to keep the kids occupied; beach volleyball, tennis, mini golf and archery are all on offer on site as well as a kids club for younger children and the Le SpOt for teenagers. For the adults there is the rural boutique village of Bretagne square with shops and cafes, or you can relax in the onsite spa.

For more on child friendly holidays in Europe take a look at our guide about what’s hot in summer 2013.

Family summer holidays are an important part of family life but with budgets getting smaller and prices getting higher it is a big investment for a family to make. That is why we have created a  Child Friendly Holiday Guide with some great tips on what to look for when booking your next family holiday. We have covered a lot of different family holidays in France as it is a great holiday destination for us Brits, whatever the age groups or interests of your family. We have also included some tips if you would like to venture a little further, to Spain or just want to see the differences in temperature and activities available to you. From an overview of the attractions in the different areas of France, to the average maximum temperature we think we have pulled together all the factors you will need to consider in order to find the perfect child friendly holiday destination for your family. What do you think? Is there anything else you think should be in the guide? Do you have any great family holiday planning tips that could help others? Comment below and we will update the guide with your insights.