Our family of five has been skiing as a unit for five years now. Every Easter holiday, we set off for a week on the slopes, each time we’re all a tad wiser about managing our expectations. We have tried lots of ways to make the holiday work

GrandThey don’t come much grander than The Elms. Built in 1710, the imposing Queen Anne Mansion is set in ten acres of beautiful gardens in the heart of rural Worcestershire. Recently refurbished, the hotel is the newest member of the Luxury Family

of our passage through India that was about to begin…Day 1: DelhiOur day started with a handsome breakfast – a glorious buffet of pick ’n’ mix delights and made-to-order dishes. The charming waiter persuaded me to try a traditional Indian breakfast

everything as a family. Let yourself drift into the lifestyle of a Spanish summer. Breakfast on the terrace in the soft morning light, then swim or browse the local market, and then enjoy a long, lazy lunch. A siesta, then a stroll with a chilled fino in a

– then promptly shut, as the air con won’t work with open windows and, as we soon learnt, to keep those pesky mosquitoes out.The villa is set on a hectare of land, with a shady pergola which overlooks the surrounding hills, dotted with medieval spires, and full

and treat their own like royalty. In hotels, I’ve more than once seen a tired mother struggling with a grizzly baby at the breakfast buffet only for some beaming waitress to come up and whisk the child away, cooing, leaving the mother gasping in happy

decked area where you can eat and relax. Each is equipped with self-catering equipment and breakfast can be hoisted up on a pulley for an extra £8 per person. A week at La Forêt in the Vendée region in May is £290 per family, including return Dover

“Harry Potter” on our own.  By the time we set out the next morning, the streets were already packed with parades of strutting young cadets with crew cuts and silver-haired veterans festooned with chestfuls of medals. The familiar sound

in the centre of Flims Waldhaus. With an indoor swimming pool overlooking the snowy slopes, it is the perfect setting for your family ski break. A seven-night stay in January, including half board, flights and transfers, costs £3,794 for a family of four

Play golf if you must, but there’s so much more on offer at Gleneagles, set amid 850 acres of lush countryside. How about falconry, horse riding, cycling, tennis, mini off-road driving, arts and crafts activities, or swimming for starters? With its