Tips for your holiday

Families considering taking the children to the slopes over the Half Term ski week have many reasons to give the Austrian resort of St Anton careful consideration, but it’s not all positive and there are some real pros and cons to consider.

There’s a part of St Anton called Nasserein, which is located over to the right as you look at the resort map. For families with children in tow, the Nasserein area has a very great deal to offer. With few bars around, it’s a wonderfully peaceful and quiet part of town offering tranquillity to families with children.

Town centre is a 10 minute stroll from Nasserein and ski access from this area is also wonderfully easy. The Nasserein gondola leaves from the base of the village and takes skiers up into a quieter and more gentle part of the valley which works really well for beginners and lower intermediates.

And these days, the Nasserein area is becoming more and more popular with families – so much so that there are now properties available here with UK flights and transfers plus in-house childcare add-ons available. This means parents can leave the children in the care of the in-house nannies and child-carers with a little more peace of mind, leaving them to explore the skiable terrain alone before meeting the children back at base.

The centre of St Anton itself is also a car free which means kids can run around and explore the shops in safety. And on days when the weather closes in of the kids need a break from skiing, there’s a very high quality swimming/spa centre to enjoy.

On other hand, St Anton does have a reputation for après ski and partying, something which many families are keen to avoid. The bars in town centre do get busy so families staying here would be advised to steer clear of resort centre.

There are also only limited beginner slopes in the slopes above St Anton. Apart from the Nasserein area and a few runs over on the Rendle side, there’s something of a lack of those more gentle beginner slopes so well suited to families with children learning or mastering skiing.