from Ski Beat

Imagine the fun of setting off in the crisp clean snow, surrounded by familiar friends or family, skiing together, or in smaller groups, meeting up for lunch on the slopes, chatting over a hot chocolate, and finishing the day dancing on the tables in a local apres ski bar.

Or teaming up with another family, or several generations of your own, letting the kids play together in the snow, or learning to ski in the ski school with siblings, cousins or school-mates, while the adults head off for a day on the mountains.

Then, when the lifts close and the sun sets on the snowy mountains, groups of friends and family can return together to the warm and cosy surroundings of a home-from-home ski chalet for a glass of local red wine by the fire, while someone else cooks the dinner.

More and more families and friends are sharing their ski holiday fun with those close to them, and many are bringing grandparents too - they make the best baby-sitters, and will enjoy time with their grandchildren too.

The healthy fresh air is a great invigorator, and much more fun when there’s more of you, and it has never been easier to book a group ski holiday. Individual online bookings can be made for the same chalet, so each skier can manage their own booking, then friends and families can fly out together - or from different airports - and meet up for the transfer, or at one of Ski Beat’s hosted chalets large enough for groups from six to twenty people, or a whole chalet complex that sleeps up to 77 people!

Ski chalets were invented by friends, and groups of like minded skiers, making use of mountain huts and retreat during the winter, sharing meals, the fun of skiing together, and returning home for some local wine by a roaring log fire.

With nearly four decades of organising ski holidays to high quality, high altitude, home-from-home chalets in the French Alps, Ski Beat has perfected the art of the ski chalet holidays, with fabulous, friendly hosts to take care of the chalet, the cooking, cleaning and catering. Ski Beat has selected nearly fifty cosy, warm and homely chalets in the best high altitude French resorts. Many are ski-in / ski-out, and all are in the most ski-friendly locations for a quick getaway to the lifts, kindergartens and ski schools in the morning.

Can’t ski, won’t ski? Non-skiing friends or family can join group lessons in resort to give it a try, or simply relax in the chalet, book a massage or beauty treatment in the comfort of `home’, before joining up with skiers for lunch, or just pass the time with a book until it’s time for Ski Beat’s infamous homemade cakes with afternoon tea. Make sure to book ski lessons at the same time as the holiday, so prices can be guaranteed, and never try to teach a non-skier - it will only end in tears!

Granny comes too? Grandparents are a wonderful asset on a family ski holiday. When there are several children travelling, it can also work out cheaper to treat them to an invigorating stay in the mountains, than hiring a local nanny or kindergarten. Choose a chalet that’s on level ground, close to the resort for strolls around the shops and bars, near to the ski school if kids need collecting and with tree-lined slopes for better shelter if grandparents ski too. Chalets with balconies and space for snowmen building & sledging make for fun days with the grandchildren, and when it’s time for bed, think about booking a chalet that’s cleverly divided up, so families can be close to each other, while maybe grandparents would like their own space. It can all be done!

Does size matter? Ski with just one other couple, or with the entire footie team, and Ski Beat will help make sure that your chalet is the perfect fit, the perfect size and configuration for your group. With family suites, triple and quad rooms, those that need to stay together, can be together. All chalets are cosy and homely enough to make sure everyone has their own privacy, while it’s easy to be together for meals, meeting up in the boot room after breakfast, or having a late night catch up in front of the fire. Book a chalet for your entire group, or let Ski Beat guide you to chalets where other families, or couples are staying, and make some lifelong friendships too.

Make it FUN! There’s nothing quite as much fun as frolicking around in the snow with friends, so take some fancy dress and have a themed day on the slopes, or a onesie ski suit day. Organise a fondue evening on the chalet hosts’ night off - Ski Beat offer hamper deliveries that are just the job - or try some beer and wine tasting - order one (or more!) of the craft beer or premium wine packs available when you book. Bring some duty free G&T for 'cheers' on the balcony, or spend some down time having a couples massage, a hot stone treatment, a facial with friends in the chalet, an afternoon in the shops or thrash the pistes. Just enjoy!

Make it EASY! If friends and family are of mixed abilities, choose a resort where it’s easy for non-skiers or beginners to get to the ski schools, or to go for stroll in and around the resort, and close enough to the lifts up to the next day’s challenges for intermediate and advanced skiers. Check out meeting places for lunches or drinks, and plan ahead each day (but keep mobiles warm, batteries drain fast in freezing temperatures). Ski Beat will help guide you as to the best resorts for your needs and wants. Their sales team are ALL skiers, have masses of experience, an in-depth knowledge of the chalets and resorts, and are there to help you make the right choice, easy.

Make it MEMORABLE! Share every day’s thrills and spills, post and tag on your own and Ski Beat’s social media, for a ski holiday that just keeps giving. Those who missed out this season, might just join in the next ski holiday. Bring filters for mobile phones, tripods and quirky lenses. Plan in a few hours ski-free time, check out non-skiing activities before you book. Maybe try the Olympic bobsleigh run in La Plagne for some spectacular social media, or plenty of resorts have ice-skating, take a snow-scooter safari or a group sleigh ride. Whatever you do, just make the most of every memory.

Share and share alike. It’ll be clear from each Ski Beat chalet description how the chalets are configured, and if there are balconies, hot tubs, pools, double, single or twin beds. If you don’t plan to share sleeping arrangements, don’t overlook the importance of checking if the room has a double or twin beds! Then relax, you got it right. Share a bottle of bubbly in the hot tub, a board or card game with the kids (or the big kids), a wild afternoon dancing on tables, drinking tea in the chalet, or an evening chatting by the fire, or enjoy morning coffee with friends and family on the balcony.

BE SAFE! Bring a compact backpack and pack it for the day with sun lotion, lip balm, sunglasses or eye protectors, a bottle of water and some sugary sweets or snacks for those fatigue moments. Avoid mixing up skis when meeting up as a group, take a photo of your own (including the bar/reference code), and don’t overdo it on the first day (or night!), there’s a whole seven days’ skiing and partying ahead of you.

Think of the kids. Pack small parcels of little treats for the journey, and ration them - don’t forget the coach transfer too, there will be plenty to see from the windows, but video games and regular small toys or puzzles will limit cries of “Are we there yet”? Ski Beat chalets have cards and board games, TVs and sometimes cinema rooms too, so just pack a few favourite toys and sew or iron-in contact address or phone number when bringing life-long soft-toy friends. Younger children can have an early supper, leaving parents to chill with like minded company on the big squidgy sofas before and after tasty three course meals with wine, older kids can have their end of the table at dinner, and that way, families and friends need never be far away in a ski chalet! Just close enough for comfort.

We could go on forever … but we won’t. Ski Beat has been organising ski chalet holidays for so long, it’s our favourite pastime (next to skiing that is), so if you’ve not gleaned enough tips for harmonious family and friends skiing yet to make your choice of chalet and resort, then give us a call now on 01273 855100, and speak with Laura, Zoe or Jack - tell them a friend sent you!

P.S. We've been around since Eddie the Eagle made his mark on the Winter Olympics, and Bronski Beat topped the charts, so we are not planning on going anywhere (unless it’s for a week’s stay in a Ski Beat chalet), but, for extra reassurance, remember, that your money is safe with an ATOL bonded tour operator.. And that’s us!

Why Ski Beat for a group ski holiday?

All Ski Beat holidays are ATOL bonded, so you can be assured that your money is safe.

Ski Beat chalets are in high snow sure ski resorts, except our stunning La Tania chalets which are very close to the slopes and within a few minutes you can be at the top of Courchevel (without paying the price tag). So you're almost guaranteed snow in our ski areas.

Ski Beat is the tour operator. We contract the flights, transfers and recruit all of the staff.

Our UK Airport reps will point you in the right direction, Scott is in Gatwick, Mike is in Manchester. Our team will welcome you as soon as you arrive in France, our Area Managers Phoebe & Mairi will personally greet each guest on arrival and departure at Lyon Airport. We have a close working relationship with our Resort Managers, who will greet you when you arrive at the resort.

Jo in La Rosiere

Aleks in 1950

Georgia in Plagne

Elspeth in Val Thorens

Liam in Peisey

Fergus in Val d'Isere

Peter in La Tania

Finally the stars of the show are our wonderful Chalet hosts who will welcome your group into your ski chalet aka home for the holiday.