We work with many specialist companies here at Thames Travel and one of them is Mark Warner Holidays, who offer fantastic summer sun holidays as well as the perfect winter break to the slopes.
Over the years we have sold many of their holidays to our clients who are looking for a family get away with fantastic activities, superb facilities and excellent childcare, all in idyllic locations.
So when I was invited to join some of the Mark Warner team for a 3 night skiing trip to Val d’Isere, naturally I jumped at the chance!
The trip began with a short flight from London to Grenoble with British Airways and then a 3 hour transfer winding up through the mountains to Val d’Isere. I stayed at the Chalet Hotel Le Val d’Isere which offered very comfortable accommodation, great dining and was centrally located, just a 4 minute walk to the edge of the ski slopes.
The first night involved getting kitted out with ski’s, boots, helmet and poles, followed by a lovely meal and a few drinks – all in aid of getting to grips with ‘Apres Ski’ of course!
The following morning, I was up and raring to go and we made our way the short distance to the slopes to join the rest of our group for the first morning of Ski School. I had calculated it had been nearly 20 years since I last skied but luckily I could still master a snow plough to be able to stop and so onwards up the slopes we went.
Our instructor was excellent and so patient, he pushed us all to our maximum ability which meant that we were able to advance up the slopes quite quickly and I felt we saw so much more of the resort and it’s stunning surroundings. That first lesson went by in a flash and it was soon time for lunch at La Tete de Solaise where the setting was absolutely incredible! So there we were perched on the mountain side, basking in glorious sunshine with a cold beer in my hand! It doesn’t get much better than that!
That afternoon I had a private 2 hour ski lesson which was fantastic and I even ventured onto a couple of blue slopes! The following day with a few sore muscles, it was back to Ski School for a further 3 hour lesson, more glorious lunch settings and hilarious Apres Ski up at Le Folie Douce – what an outrageous afternoon and a must for anyone visiting Val d’Isere!
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the sloes and we look forward to helping you arrange your next skiing trip where we would highly recommend travelling with Mark Warner, as they offer a great level of accommodation, English speaking staff and each of their hotels are situated in stunning locations.