Time past fast, and even if I prefer to write about beaches and places to go in summer, I would never say that winter time doesn’t have it’s own charm. It is the best season to go to mountains for sledding with kids. Top 10 Tips for sledding with kids, we propose in this article, are very good to know while going to mountains. Bigger your family are, better you have to be organized.
Andorra dog sled
TOP 10 TIPS FOR SLEDDING WITH KIDS:
- CHECK THE WEATHER – it is important to check the weather in advance and make sure you dress properly.
- SAFETY FIRST – Choose the right hill. Think, not all hills are proper for our kids, a lot of them can be less safe than others.
- Select a hill which doesn’t end on a street or parking.
- Select a hill that is free of obstacles such as trees, fences, jumps, bumps
- It is better to choose a hill snowy rather than icy.
- Try to avoid too crowded hills.
- CHOOSE IMPERMEABLE MITTENS – while playing with snow it is easier to get the mittens wet. As a consequence, the hands are losing heat very fast. Impermeable mittens are the right solution.
- USE SUNSCREEN – it is easy to get sunburn in winter time, don’t forget to check your summer pack 😉
- USE SUNGLASSES – for kids is important, sunglasses with elasticated neoprene strap or similar for comfort.
- SUPERVISE YOUR KIDS – periodically check kids, how do they feel and ensure their hands and feet are toasty and dry.
- KEEP HYDRATED – Don’t forget to keep hydrated. When you are well dressed, your body gets faster dehydrated.
- FIRST-AID POST – get informed in advance where is the nearest first-aid post
- CAMERA – take your camera, the memories you will create there, you will enjoy your entire life
- ENJOY – Make sure you follow all the above steps and enjoy it as much as you can.
Our favorite places to go sledding with kids are La Molina and Andorra. We choose La Molina most of the times, because we get very fast there. It is almost 3 hours ride by car and there are a lot of free parking places to leave your car. And Andorra, because it is magic, and you feel like in a fairy-tale.
About the place
La Molina is one of the oldest ski resorts of Spain. It is located in Cerdanya region. It offers a wide range of activities for those who are professional skiers and for those who are less.
How to get there?
We always went by car and never took trains. You can find on renfe.com the prices to get there by train very fast and for a reasonable price. On La Molina web you can find different package offers forfeit + train together.
Sledding area.
The sled, where we usually go, is used by professional skiers. There is another hill to children use only, it has a lower elevation and do not always have snow. It is important to check the snow conditions before you go.
For adults use only, and for children from certain age, you can buy a forfeit. Forfeit is a daily pass to go to the highest hill and make use of ski or snowboard. We went with our preschooler and we haven’t made use of it. The prices for forfeit you can find here.
Renting area
You can bring your own sleds or rent sleds right there. You can choose sleds for one person use or for 2 people. The prices for a large sled differs, but these are about 6-12EUR per day.
On the rental shops you can rent snowboards, ski and other utilities you need. All the shops have a very affordable price, what I am happy about.
Other
Apart of sled/ski hills, rental shops, and bars there is a special school of skiing. It is great place to begin to teach your kid to ski. I think skiing is a dangerous sport and it has to be learnt with a professional.
And do not forget about our Top 10 Tips for sledding with kids. Be always prepared.
Andorra.
About the place
Andorra is not a part of EU, even though the currency is euro. Catalan is official language of this country. Andorra la Vella is the capital of this country and main shopping area is here, on other towns of Andorra, you will find only supermarkets and renting shops. The old town of Andorra la Vella is amazing. We went there before Christmas holidays. The decorations were hanging all over for Christmas Day. We dedicated only one day, exactly, only few hours, to have some walking and then to get to our apartments in Encamp. Few hours it is more than enough to see main places of Andorra la Vella.
How to get there?
We were only once there, and went there by car. It took us 4-5 hours of ride, as we went on weekend and there were a lot of traffic. In Barcelona it is available a daily bus service from Barcelona Airport to Andorra or another option is Nord station to Andorra and it takes 3 hours ride, but as well it depends on traffic.
Sledding area.
In Andorra are 5 ski resorts in total. The hills have a really high elevation and are for professional skiers and snowboarders. If you plan sledding with your kid, you have to look for a proper hill.
Renting area
Same as at La Molina, you can bring your own utilities or to rent there. There are a lot of companies who offer for a reasonable prices sledding utilities.
Accommodation
We choose an entire apartment in Encamp, for a very reasonable price. Encamp is one of the prettiest towns of Andorra for its impressible sightseeing, old buildings, wonderful landscape.
Other
Andorra is well known for its great opportunity of shopping. There are very low % of taxes and you can find a lot of things for lower prices that in other parts of EU. We didn’t make any shopping as our purpose was to go sledding. Andorra has breathtaking scenery, that makes it a perfect destination to go to explore the country’s spectacular landscapes.
