Park City First Class vs Europe (Avoriaz, Megève, Zermatt). Worth it or will the teens just care about Wi-Fi and space?

[Anonymous]

Have you ever flown first class domestically? It is NOT worth it. That’s what, a 3 hour flight? Save your money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever flown first class domestically? It is NOT worth it. That’s what, a 3 hour flight? Save your money.

It's a 4 hour flight and is only like 800 difference. I prefer it not for the food or seat but more so for getting on/off first, having overhead bins

[Anonymous]

Leave the teens at home. They sound like bores anyway.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t do Park City period. CO has much better skiing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:American families who ski typically don’t go to Europe to ski. The alps and other mountain ranges are pretty but with our ski towns out west it’s not worth the expense and long flights. Picking up and taking your kids to Europe for Christmas to ski is something someone does who is clueless and thinks it sounds elite and must be the better option. Except it’s not and people who actually ski and travel know this.

Do you travel to Europe to go to the beach?

Wrong. It is absolutely worth it to ski in Europe. First off, many of the amenities in the resorts in Europe are much better, not just the scenery. Park City for instance was a crap show this season with long lines and issues with lifts/gondolas. Ski passes are cheaper. Food is better. The towns are better because they tend to be real places, not faux villages. It also gives my kids a chance to practice their French (basic) and German (native). So there's that. THe only downside to skiing in Europe are the way they treat lift lines, which makes me nuts.

We do own a house in a US ski destination, so we go there quite a bit but go at least once per season in Europe. It's pretty hard to beat the way they do Christmas, although it is crowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have skied in Europe twice with my teenager -- she loved it, but she loves international travel and new experiences. It's a different ski experience (we skied in Italy both times), with better food/atmosphere but iffier snow and slower lifts. We had a terrific time and on both trips we added on more days in Italy, so the trips were part skiing and part food/art/other culture, which I think is a major advantage to a European ski trip. That said, if you are going just for the skiing I wouldn't go at Christmas to either location, given crowds and likely snow conditions that early in the season, if you have some flexibility to go deeper into winter.

For the record, WiFi and cell service (using eSIMs) was just fine throughout our European trips. But that's a red herring -- sounds like the real issue is they may not be enthusiastic travelers, period. In that case, it might depend on your goals for this trip. Is it just to ski? Is it to get them out of their comfort zone and experience new places and cultures, ideally to spark a greater love of travel? Something else?

Because you were in Italy. THere are ski resorts there that are in danger of becoming obsolete, thanks climate change. Head to France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria for less risky skiing. Also high speed, heated, covered, quad lifts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else curious who has 26k for a single vacation but also qualifies for a military discount? Active duty married to hedge funder or big law partner?

I was actually more curious about what military family would tolerate/cater to such bratty sounding children

Definitely not army.

Not navy either, if our kids complained, they stay with grandma while we went skiing.

Not Marines, my DH would threaten them with enlistment--and he was an officer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m planning a family Christmas ski trip and leaning heavily toward Park City. At first, I thought Europe would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with places like Avoriaz, Megève, or Zermatt. But when I actually talked to my kids, I started wondering if it’s really worth it right now.

Family setup: Two teens, 14 and 17. They are all about modern, comfortable spaces with ample room. Everyone needs their own room. We like newer interiors, hot tubs, and good amenities. When I asked them what they thought about skiing in Europe, their first response was "Will the Wi-Fi and internet even be good?"

Park City
First class flights from DC: about $900 per person
Lodging: ski-in ski-out near Silver Star or Town Lift, $10K to $20K for a large, modern home or condo
Lift tickets: Epic Pass options with military discount, about $2K to $3K total
Transfer: 45 minutes from SLC, $200 to $600
Total trip: $18K to $26K

Avoriaz
Business class flights to Geneva: about $3K per person
Lodging: ski-in ski-out places like L’Amara, but fewer modern large-unit options, $5K to $8K
Lift tickets: Portes du Soleil passes, about $1.6K to $2K
Transfer: shuttle plus snowcat, $600 to $1K
Total trip: $19K to $22K

Megève and Zermatt
Harder to find large, modern ski-in ski-out options
Transfers take longer and are less straightforward
Lodging can be pricier and more traditional

Here’s the dilemma: Europe has incredible scenery, culture, and huge ski areas. But for my kids, it may not matter. They want modern comfort, their own space, a hot tub, strong Wi-Fi, and food they like. If that’s what makes the trip fun for them, is there any point in dragging everyone across the Atlantic right now?

Would love to hear from anyone who has done both with teenagers. Did Europe blow them away, or did it ultimately not matter because all they wanted was space, comfort, and internet?

Should we save the Europe trip for when they’re older, or even just for the two of us? The last time we took an international trip, the kids were more excited about the free all-you-can-eat room service at the resort than touring Bali. It was honestly ridiculous. I hope they gained something from it. I think they did, but still.

I think you should work out why your kids sound like such brats. Maybe leave them at home, or at least put them in economy.

Look, we have kids that grew up skiing all over the world too. Never have they insisted on "modern comfort", a hot tub, or any of the other things. If asked, sure they like a hot tub. Their own rooms. But come on.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leave the teens at home. They sound like bores anyway.

+1
Entitled and spoiled

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t do Park City period. CO has much better skiing

There is excellent skiing in Utah, just not in Park City. Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, Powder (there are some really nice, super modern VRBOs at Powder Mountain built since Reed Hastings acquired it), Snowbasin (they don't have on mountain but you could find a very nice, modern VRBOs in nearby Huntsville)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m planning a family Christmas ski trip and leaning heavily toward Park City. At first, I thought Europe would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, with places like Avoriaz, Megève, or Zermatt. But when I actually talked to my kids, I started wondering if it’s really worth it right now.

Family setup: Two teens, 14 and 17. They are all about modern, comfortable spaces with ample room. Everyone needs their own room. We like newer interiors, hot tubs, and good amenities. When I asked them what they thought about skiing in Europe, their first response was "Will the Wi-Fi and internet even be good?"

Park City
First class flights from DC: about $900 per person
Lodging: ski-in ski-out near Silver Star or Town Lift, $10K to $20K for a large, modern home or condo
Lift tickets: Epic Pass options with military discount, about $2K to $3K total
Transfer: 45 minutes from SLC, $200 to $600
Total trip: $18K to $26K

Avoriaz
Business class flights to Geneva: about $3K per person
Lodging: ski-in ski-out places like L’Amara, but fewer modern large-unit options, $5K to $8K
Lift tickets: Portes du Soleil passes, about $1.6K to $2K
Transfer: shuttle plus snowcat, $600 to $1K
Total trip: $19K to $22K

Megève and Zermatt
Harder to find large, modern ski-in ski-out options
Transfers take longer and are less straightforward
Lodging can be pricier and more traditional

Here’s the dilemma: Europe has incredible scenery, culture, and huge ski areas. But for my kids, it may not matter. They want modern comfort, their own space, a hot tub, strong Wi-Fi, and food they like. If that’s what makes the trip fun for them, is there any point in dragging everyone across the Atlantic right now?

Would love to hear from anyone who has done both with teenagers. Did Europe blow them away, or did it ultimately not matter because all they wanted was space, comfort, and internet?

Should we save the Europe trip for when they’re older, or even just for the two of us? The last time we took an international trip, the kids were more excited about the free all-you-can-eat room service at the resort than touring Bali. It was honestly ridiculous. I hope they gained something from it. I think they did, but still.

I think you should work out why your kids sound like such brats. Maybe leave them at home, or at least put them in economy.

Look, we have kids that grew up skiing all over the world too. Never have they insisted on "modern comfort", a hot tub, or any of the other things. If asked, sure they like a hot tub. Their own rooms. But come on.....

If my kids were acting this entitled they'd be sharing a room at a Holiday Inn on this next trip just to get some perspective. We can easily afford much nicer but with their attitudes it's clearly time to course correct.

[Anonymous]

On skiing, the experiences are quite different. Deep Valley outside Park City is a terrific, high-end resort that has a very strong ski school and individual instructors. Alta, about an hour or so away, is just beautiful, but without the bustle of a major resort. Zermatt, as with many European ski resorts, is different. Much wider, open slopes, and less grooming. A different kind of skiing and beauty, with a fabulous town, food and history.

Personally, as a parenting choice rather than a cost issue, I never fly first class with my children, or (absent extraordinary circumstances like illness we were trying to contain) have may kids stay in individual bedrooms at hotel or rented homes on ski vacations. As for access to electronics, I can't even reply as that's a much wider set of parenting/family issues.

[Anonymous]

Omg, is this a parent of the year competition? Are everyone’s kids just leaving their phones home and crochet and play scrabble while in Europe?

Lux bathroom is not the point of the trip, but these days I look for a kitchenette and nice bathroom (better two) when we travel. I want to make myself a cup of tea in the evening without going to a restaurant or boil an egg for myself in the morning. That’s not the point of the trip, but certain comforts make the trip for me. Same for Wi-Fi. Nobody is going to be on Wi-Fi 24x7, but people may want to play a video game or watch a movie, and that’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't like skiing in foreign countries. I've done it in Europe and Japan. But honestly, I don't anymore. Why? Several reasons, equipment, and the skiing experience never really exceeding what I can get here. But most importantly, because if I get seriously injured, I don't want to deal with being overseas. I'd rather be here in the United States without the complications.

So Park City for me.

That's a great point.

[Anonymous]

One thing irritating with Zurich and laax is the cost for a round trip airport transfer was over $1000 . Apparently there is some weird cartel setting prices, that was enough for us to choose another location.