With a little prior planning before you arrive in Wengen, you will find that a family holiday here can be a fabulous experience. Childcare facilities in resort can get busy as there is only one crèche in resort - 'The Playhouse', but this can easily be booked beforehand.
The resort offers ice skating during the day when the kids are finished with skiing, they can also hire toboggans at all of the hire shops and make use of the many specially pisted toboggan runs. If that sounds too much like hard work then you can buy them bum boards from the local supermarket and use the nursery slope once the lifts have closed.
Where to stay
Hotel Belvedere is a period feature hotel which offers good value for money, situated in an elevated position above the main street and has nice views of the surrounding mountains. The hotel also has a games room for children, with toys and games consoles.
Hotel Falken is very popular with families who enjoy the simplicity of this hotel with all its original features and furniture. It has direct access to the nursery slope leading down to the village and Mannlichen cable car. Alternatively
Victoria Lauberhorn Hotel has a good selection of family rooms, a children's playroom and an excellent wellness centre with swimming pool.
Child-friendly tour operators include
Crystal,
Mark Warner and
Scott Dunn.
Top ski school tips
- Children generally can start skiing from around four years old (older for snowboarding)
- Young children, or those new to skiing, may only manage half a day - it can be very tiring when they're not used to it
- Plenty of high factor suncream is essential - factor 30+ and water resistant
- Younger eyes are more sensitive so it is important to make kids wear good quality sunglasses or goggles all the time. If you only plan to buy one or the other, buy goggles.
- If possible, book with an instructor who speaks good English so your child can understand the instructions and if there's a problem, they can understand it
