Where are British families spending their winter holidays?

Crystal Holidays, the UK’s number 1 ski specialist with one third of their bookings coming from families with children, initiated a study to find out where British families spend their winter holidays. The following resorts are the favourites for families with children aged between two and fifteen years:

Alpe d’Huez, La Plagne, Flaine, Les Arcs and Morzine (all in France).

The resorts chosen by families with infants are: Morzine, Flaine, Claviere (Italy), Les Deux Alpes and Mayrhofen (Austria).

The study found that location of the accommodation is the most important factor followed by the provision of family rooms and baby and infant facilities including cots, bottle warmers and highchairs. Important also is the provision of flexible and suitable childcare, which Crystal offers in 17 European resorts.

Crystal is today re-launching “The Family Brochure” incorporating the findings of the study and offering holidays to eight European countries, 37 ski resorts ranging from Arinsal to Zell am See and a full range of accommodation from self-catering apartments to friendly family-run hotels as well as Crystal-run chalets and club hotels.

Eighteen resorts have been added to the new brochure:

• Arinsal and Soldeu-El Tarter (Andorra)
• Borovets and Pamporovo (Bulgaria)
• Pyhä and Iso-Syöte (Finland)
• Chamrousse (free lift pass all season for everyone), Les Arcs, Meribel
• Mottaret and Val Thorens (France)
• Cervinia, La Thuile, Passo Tonale, Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere (Italy)
• Formigal (Spain) and
• Savognin (Switzerland)

In 17 of the 37 resorts we offer Crystal kids’ clubs for all ages and we pride ourselves in our professional, experienced and caring team of childcare staff.

Crystal Pepi Penguin Crèches in 15 resorts for children aged from 6 months to 4 years. Fully qualified nannies who look after babies and infants for six half or full-day’s supervision, with or without lunch. Prices from £100 for six mornings or afternoons.

Whizz Kids Clubs in 11 resorts for 4-11 year olds with three different choices of childcare including ski school escort service, lunch and lunchtime supervision, six half or full-day’s supervision. Prices from £85 for six mornings or afternoons (ski school escort service included with morning sessions).

Pyjama Club with games, quizzes, DVD’s in the nine family club hotels for children from 4 - 11 years on five nights per week. Snuggle Club tailored for the needs of our younger guests (6 months to 4 years) in the eight family club hotels. Five evenings per week, includes quiet play and bedtime stories.

Guests booking full day childcare staying in a family club hotel have five nights FREE evening children’s clubs plus a free night evening crèche/club until 10pm.

We also offer hundreds of discounts to encourage family travel - from free kids’ holidays to single parent savers, free lift passes and equipment as well as free tuition, ski helmets, arctic suits and much more.

With Crystal Family you not only have more destinations to fly to, you also have more UK departure airports from which to choose. That means you can go to wherever you want from wherever you want!

Also new for 2008/9 are exceptional early booking offers:

• free six half-day crèche or kids club worth £100 (book by 31 Oct 2008)
• £40 reduction per person on low season departure dates with Eurostar
• low deposit of £39 per person for all European holidays

Overall prices start from £1114 for a family of four for a week self-catering to the Mottaret Odalys Apartments in Meribel-Mottaret, France, including flights and transfers departing on 11 January 2009.

A week’s half board for a family of four starts from £1178 including flights, transfers and seven nights half board to the three-star Hotel San Andreu in Arinsal, Andorra, departing on 11 January 2009.

For availability or to make a booking call reservations on 0871 230 8146 or visit www.crystalfamilies.co.uk