The best ski resorts with childcare, resort by resort
Who looks after the children, from what age and on which days, in Courchevel, Verbier, Zermatt and St. Moritz, and when a nanny in the chalet is the better answer.
Of the four resorts where we let chalets, Courchevel is the best of the ski resorts with childcare in the public sense: two municipal day nurseries take children from six months. Verbier comes next, with a private crèche in the village from three months and a ski school snow garden from three years. In Zermatt and St. Moritz, the childcare the tourist offices describe runs through the ski schools’ kids’ clubs, so for a baby or toddler a nanny in the chalet, arranged by our concierge on request, is usually the surer plan.
This page compares the childcare itself: the ages each option accepts, the days it opens, how far ahead to book and the small rules that catch families out, such as half-days only for the youngest. Every age and date below comes from the resort’s own official pages, and where those pages are silent, we say so rather than guess.
If you are still choosing the house, our family ski chalets with bunk rooms and playrooms are presented separately. And once your children are old enough to ski, group or private tuition is a subject of its own, covered in our guide to children’s ski lessons. Here we stay with the hours when someone else is looking after them.
Resort childcare from the official pages
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
Courchevel’s two municipal day nurseries, in Moriond and in La Tania, take children from 6 months to 4 years, and up to 5 years for half-days when combined with ski lessons.
Source: mairie-courchevel.com, haltes-garderiesFor winter 2026-27, the Moriond nursery opens from 7 December 2026 to 9 April 2027 and the La Tania nursery to 16 April 2027, Sunday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, closed on Saturdays. Children under 18 months attend half-days only.
Source: mairie-courchevel.com, haltes-garderiesIn Verbier, a private crèche and day nursery takes children from 3 months, alongside the commune’s own nursery (0 to 18 months) and crèche (18 months to school age).
Source: valdebagnes.ch, early childhoodVerbier’s ski school snow garden, in the heart of the resort, is a beginner area of about 2,000 m² with a conveyor belt, supervised by children’s instructors and open to children from 3 years.
Source: valais.ch, snow gardensIn Zermatt, the tourist office’s two partner ski schools offer childcare and a kids’ club with a beginner zone, and run group lessons for children aged 3 to 5.
Source: zermatt.ch, ski schools for childrenIn St. Moritz, the ski school runs children’s villages at Salastrains and in Celerina, with child-minding and supervision over lunch.
Source: engadin.stmoritz.ch, ski schoolSki resorts with creche facilities, compared by age
Read the table by your youngest child’s age, not by the resort’s reputation. A resort that is perfect for a six-year-old in ski school can be awkward for a ten-month-old, and the reverse is just as true.
| Resort | Under 18 months | 18 months to 3 years | 3 to 5 years | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courchevel | Municipal nurseries from 6 months, half-days only | Municipal nurseries, full days | Nursery up to 4, then half-days up to 5 alongside ski lessons | Nurseries are in Moriond and La Tania, not in 1850, and close on Saturdays |
| Verbier | Private crèche from 3 months | Private crèche and day nursery | Ski school snow garden from 3 | Ask us to check holiday places at the crèche for your week |
| Zermatt | Not described by the tourist office: nanny in the chalet | Nanny in the chalet; ski school childcare to be confirmed | Ski school kids’ club and group lessons from 3 | Plan the youngest around the chalet, not the slopes |
| St. Moritz | Not described by the tourist office: nanny in the chalet | Nanny in the chalet | Ski school children’s villages with lunch supervision | The children’s villages are at Salastrains and in Celerina, so the morning drop-off needs planning |
Ages and opening days from the official pages cited above, checked in October 2026. Fares and childcare rates are on the providers’ official websites or on request from us.
Courchevel, the two municipal nurseries
Courchevel has held the Famille Plus label since 2010, and its childcare is run by the town hall itself rather than left to private operators. That brings real advantages (fixed hours, a published age range, a booking portal) and a few rules worth knowing before you choose a chalet.
The first is geography. The two nurseries are in Moriond and in La Tania, not in Courchevel 1850. A family staying high up in 1850 with a toddler will drive down each morning, which is easy with a chauffeur but adds time to the start of the day. A chalet in Moriond itself removes that leg entirely: Chalet Dace in Courchevel, for example, is about 300 metres from Moriond’s shops and 400 metres from the slopes, and has its own children’s playroom.
The second is the calendar. Most chalet weeks in Courchevel change over on a Saturday, and Saturday is precisely the day both nurseries close. Plan the arrival day as a family day, and book the nursery from Sunday.
- Under 18 months: half-days only, so plan the other half of the day with a nanny or a parent off the slopes.
- Up to 4 years: full days are possible, from 8.30am to 5.30pm.
- Up to 5 years: half-days in the nursery can be combined with the ski school, the arrangement many families use for a first ski week.
- Registration first: you send the town hall’s registration form by email, then receive access to the family booking portal. Without that form, no booking can be made, even for returning families.
- Particular needs: children with specific needs are welcome once their situation has been reviewed with the nursery.
Verbier, Zermatt and St. Moritz, what to expect
Verbier is the most complete of the three Swiss resorts for the very young. A private crèche and day nursery in Verbier takes children from three months, and the commune runs its own nursery and crèche, although those are organised around resident families and their working hours. For three-year-olds, the ski school’s snow garden in the heart of the resort is a gentle first step: a beginner area of about 2,000 m² with a conveyor belt, supervised by children’s instructors.
Zermatt organises its youngest guests around the slopes. The tourist office points families to its two partner ski schools, which offer childcare and a kids’ club with a beginner zone, and group lessons from three. What the official pages do not describe is a crèche for babies, so for a child under three we would plan around a nanny in the chalet and treat any ski school childcare as a bonus once confirmed for your dates.
St. Moritz follows the same pattern. The ski school’s children’s villages, at Salastrains and in Celerina, include child-minding and supervision over lunch, which suits children who have started skiing. Below that age, the chalet is the nursery. Several of our St. Moritz residences, among them Chalet Gus and Chalet Avalon, list childcare among the services arranged on request, and Chalet Avalon’s chef serves an early dinner for children.
Nursery, kids’ club or a nanny in the chalet
Most families end up combining two of these. The question is which one carries the week, and that depends far more on your youngest child than on the resort.
| Option | Best for | Ages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resort nursery | Toddlers who already know group care; parents who all want to ski | From 3 or 6 months, depending on the resort | Fixed hours and closing days; places are limited in school holidays; a new setting for a small child |
| Ski school kids’ club | Children of 3 to 5 taking their first turns | Usually from 3 | Lunch and rest are supervised, but it is a long day for a three-year-old; tuition is part of the deal |
| Nanny in the chalet | Babies, toddlers who nap at home, siblings of different ages, evenings out | Any age | One adult for your children only; hours, languages and days agreed in advance; must be booked with the chalet |
| Evening babysitting | Parents dining out once or twice in the week | Any age | Covers the evening, not the ski day |
A ski chalet with nanny, how we arrange it
A nanny is not part of any chalet by default. Childcare is one of the services our concierge arranges on request, and several residences, such as Chalet Zeyr in Zermatt, Chalet Astral in Verbier and Chalet Nore in St. Moritz, list it explicitly. The more precisely you brief us, the better the match.
- Tell us about each child
Ages, nap times, meals, allergies and any medical needs. A ten-month-old and a five-year-old do not need the same person or the same hours.
- Choose the hours
Full ski days, mornings only to fit a nap, or evenings for a dinner out. Say also whether you want cover on the arrival day, when nurseries in Courchevel are closed.
- Set the language
Tell us which language the children speak at home, so that we look for a nanny who can comfort them in it.
- Confirm with the chalet team
We coordinate with the chalet manager so that the chef knows the children’s meal times and the nanny knows the house, the ski room and the children’s rooms.
- Meet on day one
Plan a first session with a parent at home, so the children meet the nanny before you leave for the slopes.
When to book resort childcare
The pressure point is the school holidays. In 2027 the French winter holidays run, zone by zone, from Saturday 6 February to Sunday 7 March, the weeks when French nurseries and ski schools are busiest, and which usually take in British half-term too. If your dates fall then, see our February half-term ski chalets and treat the timeline below as a minimum.
- When you book the chalet
Tell us your children’s ages straight away. It changes which resort, which village and which house we suggest, and it lets us request a nanny with the chalet.
- As soon as dates are fixed
For Courchevel, send the town hall’s registration form, which unlocks the booking portal. In Switzerland, ask us to check places at the crèche or the ski school kids’ club for your week.
- Before you travel
Confirm the nursery or club days against your arrival day, and pack the health information each provider asks for.
- In resort
Start the youngest gently, with a half-day, and adjust. Our concierge can add or change nanny hours during the stay.
Chalets that work for young children
Residences close to the childcare, with children’s rooms or playrooms, and childcare or early children’s dinners listed among their services.
The residences side by side
Sleeping capacity, bedrooms and highlights of each chalet, for planning children’s rooms and a nanny’s day.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalet DaceCourchevel | 14 | 7 | 6 | 600 m² | Cinema Room, Hammam, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Garage |
| Chalet ValmontCourchevel | 14 | 6 | 7 | 717 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet ZeyrZermatt | 12 | 6 | 7 | 565 m² | Sauna, Massage Room, Jacuzzi, Gym, Elevator |
| Chalet AzeliaSt. Moritz | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1,000 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Hammam, Massage Room, Jacuzzi |
| Chalet NoreSt. Moritz | 15 | 6 | 7 | 467 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
| Chalet OrizonVerbier | 16 | 8 | 9 | 1,000 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
Luxury ski holidays with childcare, planned as one
Childcare only works when the house, the village and the timetable work with it.
The village before the house
With a toddler, we look first at where the nursery or kids’ club is, then at the chalets within easy reach of it.
Children’s rooms we have seen
Our team has visited every residence, so we can tell you which bunk room is next to the parents and which playroom is on the same floor.
One contact for the chalet and the nanny
The person who books your chalet also briefs the childcare, so the chef, the chauffeur and the nanny work to the same timetable.
Honest when a resort is not ideal
If your youngest is eight months old and you have your heart set on St. Moritz, we will say so and plan the week around the chalet.
Ski resort childcare questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamHow young can a child go into ski resort childcare?
It depends on the resort. In Verbier a private crèche takes children from three months. In Courchevel the two municipal nurseries accept children from six months, half-days only until 18 months. In Zermatt and St. Moritz, the childcare described by the tourist offices runs through the ski schools and is aimed at children who are starting to ski, around three years old. For younger children there, a nanny in the chalet is the usual answer.
Which ski resorts have creche facilities?
Among the resorts where we work, Courchevel and Verbier have true crèche facilities for babies and toddlers: two municipal nurseries in Courchevel, at Moriond and La Tania, and a private crèche in Verbier alongside the commune’s own structures. Zermatt and St. Moritz centre their childcare on the ski schools’ kids’ clubs and children’s villages, which suit children from about three.
Can you get a ski chalet with childcare or a nanny?
Yes. Childcare is one of the services our concierge arranges on request, and several of our chalets list it explicitly, including Chalet Zeyr in Zermatt, Chalet Astral in Verbier, Chalet Dace in Courchevel and Chalet Azelia in St. Moritz. Tell us the children’s ages, routines, language and the hours you need when you book the chalet, so we can arrange it with the house.
Is half-day or full-day childcare better for young children?
For a child new to group care, start with half-days. Courchevel’s nurseries in fact only take children under 18 months for half-days, and recommend half-days to children not used to a nursery. A nanny in the chalet is the gentler option for babies who nap at home, and a full day in a kids’ club is a lot for a three-year-old in their first week.
When should I book childcare for a ski holiday?
As soon as your dates are fixed, and earlier if you travel in the French February holidays, which in 2027 run from 6 February to 7 March. In Courchevel, the town hall’s registration form must be sent before any nursery booking. For a nanny, tell us when you book the chalet, so that we can arrange it with the house before the season fills.
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Plan the chalet and the childcare together
Tell Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad your children’s ages and your dates, and we will suggest the resort, the village and the chalet that fit, with a nanny arranged on request. WhatsApp +33 7 80 98 05 43 or contact@lutetia-group.com. We usually reply within the day.