Having skied as a couple previously, my husband and I decided that 2024 would be the year we headed to the French Alps on a ski holiday with our children, aged 6 and 3.
Why we chose Sainte Foy
Choosing a resort was a different experience this time round, our requirements had certainly changed! We chose Sainte Foy because it’s a small, friendly resort, perfect for families. Everything is so close which we anticipated would make life a lot easier.
We were also enticed by the free lift passes for under 8s and the reasonable price of the adult lift passes compared to resorts with bigger ski areas.
We were fortunate to tie our plans up with another 2 families with similar aged children, staying in the same resort and accommodation.
Getting there
As it was our first trip as a family, we chose to fly. We flew from Gatwick to Geneva on an early morning flight. We opted to stay in a hotel at Gatwick North Terminal the night before so we didn’t have to get up quite so early and it extended the holiday.
The flight was quick and we were soon picking up our car hire in Geneva airport. Tip: check your car hire paperwork as to whether you need to collect it from the Swiss or French side of the airport. We made the mistake of heading to the Swiss car hire desk when in fact we needed the French one!
The drive to the resort was straightforward but I must note there was some traffic as we got nearer to the mountains so this extended the quoted 2.5 hour drive time from Geneva to Sainte Foy. It did give our tired children an opportunity for a much-needed nap though!
During the journey, we noted that although the process of flying to the French Alps had been fine, we would definitely like to give driving a go next time. By our estimations, there won’t be all that much difference in travel time, and we’re very tempted by being able to fill up our car with all our home comforts.
We managed to stop off at the large Super-U supermarket in Bourg-Saint-Maurice before heading up to Sainte Foy. This was a great opportunity to take advantage of the cheaper prices and stock up ahead of a full week in the resort. I highly recommend doing this if self-driving or hiring a car from the airport.
Our accommodation
A winding but easy drive up to Sainte Foy and we arrived at our home for the week, Les Fermes de Sainte Foy. We chose these self-catered apartments because they are located at the foot of the ski slopes, right next to the beginners area and we were excited about the indoor pool which we knew would be a hit with the kids.
We had reserved our parking space in the underground car park with Peak Retreats previously, which is definitely worth doing for peace of mind.
Our apartment overlooked one of two nursery slopes. This was great for some people watching and I even spotted my 6-year-old on his first ski lesson when I popped back to the apartment with my 3-year-old.
We had a 2-bedroom apartment which was very spacious and perfectly accommodated our family of 4. It does have a sofa bed in the lounge so it can accommodate up to 6 people.
The kitchen was really well equipped and we had everything we needed for a week. Things like the free cleaning kit (including sponge, cloth, washing up liquid and some dishwasher tablets) plus tea towels were appreciated.
We made daily use of the residence’s handy bakery delivery service. All we had to do was put in our order with reception the day before and our bread and pastries were delivered to our door the following morning. We enjoyed the rustic baguette for lunch and the delicious pastries for breakfast – pain au chocolat, pain au raison, croissant and chaussons aux pommes.
The residence’s indoor pool was a real hit with the children in our party. We headed there most afternoons as a fun way to entertain them and give them a break from skiing. Some days we had it all to ourselves. Other days our children enjoyed playing with new friends in the pool. Us adults enjoyed the hot tub, sauna and steam room.
Ski hire & lift passes
As we had arrived in resort quite late on the Saturday, we had to collect our ski hire on the Sunday morning. This was arranged through Peak Retreats with SkiSet, a 2-minute walk from the residence. We were served straight away and it was a very quick and easy process. It was very cute seeing my children in ski boots for the first time.
We didn’t need to visit the lift pass office as we already had our lift passes loaded and ready in our holiday pack from Peak Retreats.
Ski lessons
As this was our first ski holiday with our children, and indeed their first experience of skiing altogether, we opted for private ski lessons as we felt it better suited to them.
My 6-year-old was in a group with 2 other children from one of the families we travelled with. They had 2-hour lessons over 4 mornings. This worked perfectly and it was incredible to see the progress they made over the course of the week. By the end they were confidently parallel skiing on blue runs.
We weren’t sure how much our 3-year-old would be interested in skiing but it turns out…she was extremely keen! We booked her a few short private lessons by herself. I had no idea what to expect but she picked it up really quickly and was also taken on the chairlift up to a blue run by her instructor.
When I’ve previously been on ski holidays without children, the focus has always been on how much skiing I could get in. It did take a bit of a mental adjustment to realise that this ski holiday wouldn’t be the same. What I hadn’t expected was how much delight I would take in seeing my children learn a new skill and love it.
Juggling children and skiing ourselves
As we’d opted for private lessons and only very short lessons for our youngest, we didn’t have any dedicated ‘childcare’ per se. My husband and I took it in turns during our son’s 2-hour lesson to ski or look after our daughter. There was always plenty to do with her – from playing with the toys in the residence reception area, people watching on the balcony or pottering around the resort.
One of the benefits of going with other families is that we were able to help each other out with children. One of the families looked after our children a few times in order that my husband and I could ski together.
On one of the sunny mid-week days, they even had our children over an extended lunch so that we could enjoy some skiing together along with lunch on the piste. We went to Les Marquises restaurant on the La Chapelle piste where we had delicious food and glass of something cold!
The skiing in Sainte Foy
In terms of the skiing, yes Sainte Foy’s ski area is smaller than others. Aside from the children, we had a range of skiers in our party from a beginner adult to intermediates (myself and my husband), 3 expert skiers and one of those also boarded some days. I’m pleased to report that everyone in the group felt catered for.
The children and adult beginner in our party even managed to ski from the second highest point in the resort (Summit Marquise) all the way down to the village on blue runs.
The ski area has a good mixture of tree-lined runs and open pistes above the tree-line further up.
The Nuts & Foxy fun trail made for a change and while obviously designed for more junior skiers, was also enjoyed by the adults in our group.
The expert skiers enjoyed the ski area as a whole and also really enjoyed exploring the ungroomed pistes and off-piste areas.
A chance encounter…
While in resort, one of the members of our group bumped into an old colleague! Not only is this a good indication of how small and friendly Sainte Foy is, but we also learned that the woman and her partner have been coming to the resort for 20 years. They did try a couple of other resorts in the middle but realised that nothing offered them what Sainte Foy does.
They are expert snowboarders and never grow tired of this resort’s ski area. One of the things they love most is just how quiet the slopes are. I’ve got to say I have to agree. I personally enjoyed the quiet slopes and lack of queues for the lifts but it also gave me peace of mind about my children heading off onto the slopes.
Eating (and drinking) out
I’ve already mentioned the delicious piste-side lunch my husband and I had. We did eat at the apartment quite a bit as it’s easy with little ones but we did frequent a few of the local restaurants and bars.
Lama Llama was a daily favourite for a cold or hot drink. It’s right next to the ski school meeting point so it was a regular spot straight from the slopes. The children loved their hot chocolates. It was also a great place for a cheap lunch. Their mac & cheese on their ‘sides’ menu at €6 made a great lunch size portion!
Next door, we discovered the one euro espressos at the little gift shop, Une Marmotte au soleil, perfect for a little ‘pick me up’ on the go.
Another good discovery was the outdoor bar Moulinettes. Situated next to one of the nursery slopes, this was a favourite spot of ours for a late afternoon drink. There was daily music, sometimes a live band, other times a DJ. We were able to have a drink, watching the sun set and helping the children with sledging. Sledges were hired from the nearby SkiSet shop, €17 for 5 days.
A final mention to a restaurant in an 18th century former farmhouse with a gorgeous outside terrace, perfect for lunch on a sunny day. Two out of the three families had lunch at La Maison à Colonnes which was situated right at the foot of the slopes. I took the opportunity to have a favourite mountain dish – tartiflette!
Final thoughts
I think you’ll have gathered that our family had an absolutely fabulous ski holiday in Sainte Foy. Before we went I knew it was going to be fun but I couldn’t have anticipated just how much fun we would have. I can honestly say it’s the best holiday we’ve had since becoming a family of 4.
The stunning ski area with quiet slopes, the friendly small village vibe and the perfectly located accommodation, Sainte Foy really is a winner for a first family ski holiday with young children.