BABIES AND TODDLERS
With a certain amount of planning and realistic expectations, babies and toddlers are inexpensive to take on holiday! Until their second birthday, on most airlines they can fly for nothing on a parent’s lap, and their YSE holiday cost is included in the whole chalet price we give.
Looking after small children is always a huge responsibility, of course, whether one’s own or someone else’s. Chalets, with their wooden staircases and stone fireplaces are frequently less child-friendly than one’s own home, and difficult to make entirely safe. Please ensure that you read the chalet descriptions very carefully. We cannot accept more than one baby if all the standard beds in the chalet are filled with adults/children. Full-time childcare is indispensable, whether from a parent, grandparent, au pair from home or nanny hired locally.
Small children probably won’t ski, even if dad is desperate for them to start preparing now for the 2038 Winter Olympics, though from about two and a half, bolder children might do a bit of gentle practice on the nursery slopes. They will probably enjoy a little tobogganing, which is the perfect introduction to skiing. Basically, small children will have a ball if there is someone with them to build snowmen, play indoors, ride around on the buses (free for everyone) and cable car (free for under 5s), etc. Val d’Isère’s skiing nursery, The Chalet des Aiglons (formerly the Village des Enfants), looks after children from 6 months, and any number of nannies, most of them British, are available through several different nanny agencies.
Please see our Childcare page for a full list of childcare companies in Val d’Isère.
If you bring a buggy, it needs to have big wheels to get across snow. Some of the nanny agencies can provide these when you book one of their nannies. But children are better off indoors: a walk with a buggy along the valley floor inevitably involves half with the child facing into the blinding sun and half with it looking the other way, normally north, into a cold wind. It is uncomfortable and dangerous. The locals never expose small children for long to freezing air or neat UV. Backpacks and papooses are great until you slip on the ice. And if you were thinking of carrying them on your back while you ski, DON’T! On the other hand, a nice warm chalet, a British nanny with arms full of toys and games, the occasional foray into the village or up the mountain, and your baby or toddler will be in seventh Heaven…
You must come out with proper sunglasses or goggles for your baby, and a very warm hat and gloves are essential. Factor 50 sun cream (even in December and January) needs to be put on every day.
Infants, toddlers and young children in YSE chalets
We are happy to welcome families to all our chalets, but please note that in whole chalet bookings children AND infants count in the total number we allow in any chalet.
If children between the age of 6 months and their 5th birthday are booked into Chalets Patou, Perdrix, Pic Noir, Ptarmigan, Tapia or Lucaval we will take a £1,000 deposit from your card in the week before your arrival. This will be done by a Stripe link sent to you by email for you to pay online, so please don’t ignore it! When we have confirmation there is no damage to the chalet (by any client staying there) we will refund the £1,000. It can take a week for the credit to appear back on your statement.
Under no circumstances can babies or children not booked in a YSE chalet be brought into the chalet to be looked after by a relative or child-carer staying in the chalet. A child-minder (from a nanny agency etc) or a relative not staying in the YSE chalet can come in and look after an infant and/or child who is staying in the chalet. However, the person coming in to do that cannot stay for further meals etc.
Infants and toddlers under 2 years old are provided with the following:
– travel cot, sheet and quilt
– freshly-prepared puréed baby food or solid child-friendly food , which we can discuss with you in advance
– high chair
– baby/toddler cups, plates, bowls and cutlery
– electric steriliser
A coach seat on the YSE transfers
Between Geneva and Val d’Isere, for under-2s, is an additional £30 each way. Neither YSE nor the coach company are able to provide child seats for the coach journey and most of the coaches used have lap belts.
Infant formula, nappies and jars/pouches for babies
We provide babies and toddlers freshly-prepared puréed or solid food. If you prefer, we can buy in formula or jars of baby food but you would have to pay your chalet staff back for those. We cannot get the same types of formula or jars of baby food that are available in the UK. If you are happy to try the French brands ‘Gallia’ formula and ‘Blédina by Danone’ baby food, we can buy these in for you, but if you want UK brands you will have to bring them with you or order them to be delivered to Val d’Isère (see below).
If you want to use UK supplies but don’t want to carry the extra weight, guests in the past have used these UK companies who deliver to your chalet. The delivery costs are high but goods from the British Corner Shop now come from the Netherlands so you won’t be paying customs and VAT on top. You need to allow up to two weeks for delivery, but it’s useful if you are keen to have familiar UK brands.
British Corner Shop – https://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/baby-and-toddler and specify that you require delivery to France. Contact the YSE office for a delivery address in Val d’Isère.
Nappy pack £30
We can buy in Pampers nappies, nappy sacks and wipes. Tell us the size your require and we can purchase an initial pack and buy more during the week if required. Please bring your normal nappy rash cream as these are neither easily available nor cheap in France!
