Navigating a ski resort in Europe is not an intuitive experience. Many of the resort areas are vast and comprised of multiple ski areas within a single destination. Language barriers create additional complexity.

Last week’s Photo Friday post featured Grindelwald in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland. Grindelwald is a stunning winter destination and the ultimate Swiss Alps ski experience. Due diligence, however, is required to ensure you experience more pleasure than pain. It’s worth it!

When you ski in the Alps, you’re skiing mountains not runs. The sense of open space is incredible and one of the things that makes skiing in Switzerland so epic.

Here’s a shot of our 9-year-old Devon skiing in Grindelwald, Switzerland last weekend. Believe it or not, this was taken on a bluebird Saturday, i.e. where are the other people?

The elves at Trekaroo have decided that we’ve been such parents this year that we deserve a big present before Christmas arrives. They’re giving away a 2-night stay with airfare and lift tickets to Mammoth Mountain in California.

If you’ve ever driven to Mammoth with kids you know how very long that drive can be and how sweet it would be to hop on a plane instead!

Fantastic winter vacation venues are in great supply and I always find it hard to choose between a week-long ski week where everyone has the opportunity improve their skills and an escape into sunshine. In addition, urban getaways in Europe can be a blast in winter when cities are filled with locals instead of tourists.

I combed through our portfolio for our 2012 Family Vacation Dream List. The best part is there’s something here for a variety of budgets and interests, so just maybe, that dream can become a reality.

The great state of Colorado is a skier’s dream with epic conditions, varied terrain, and a long list of ski resort options for all abilities and interests. Selecting the right ski resort for a winter family vacation takes a bit of legwork to ensure it will meet the needs of every person in the family (see How to Find the Best Family-Friendly Ski Resort for my list of critical things to consider).

I visited Keystone, Colorado this month and although it’s still pre-season, I can see why so many families …

I live about four hours from some of the best skiing in the country, maybe even the world, and I can’t tell you the last time I was on skis. Sad. I used to ski. When my husband and I first started dating, he actually taught me how to ski. There were some lessons thrown in there too, but for the most part I learned while trying to keep up with him.

Then I got pregnant, had a baby and got pregnant again. Skiing …

I recently wrote an article for our friends at Shermans Travel highlighting three family favorite ski areas in North Lake Tahoe: Sugar Bowl, Northstar-at-Tahoe, and Squaw Valley. Each of these resorts offers a very different ski experience. The beauty is they are located close enough together that you can easily try all three ski areas in a single vacation.

It’s time for part 2 of our report on where kids can ski free in Europe (yesterday we covered Switzerland and France).

I spent the morning calling ski resorts in Austria, Germany, and Italy. Most resorts in these countries offer some kind of free skiing for very young kids.

I put together our now-annual list of family ski resorts where kids can ski free in the US and Canada a few weeks ago. Now, it’s time for Europe! The good news is a surprising number of resorts offer some kind of ‘kids ski free’ program. The list is so big that I’m breaking it up into two posts. France and Switzerland are the subject today and then I’ll cover Austria, Germany, Andorra, and Italy tomorrow.

In France, only Chamonix has a truly compelling program for older kids where the first child …

Even if you go to a resort where kids ski free, family ski vacations are expensive. Skiing is also a lot of work. But done right, the payoff is huge when every member of the family is active and having fun.

The better the amenities and facilities, the better the experience (see our article on how to choose the best family-friendly ski areas). A good kids’ ski program is essential.