If you're planning your first family ski holiday, the best place to get advice is from an expert who knows the challenges of travelling with kids.

Holidays with Kids gets the lowdown from Rachelle Matheson from Mogul Ski World, who is also the parent of four ski-mad kids.

Despite being an avid skier and part-owner of one of Australia's major ski travel agents, Rachelle Matheson waited until her four children were over eight years of age before taking them on their first ski trip. Of course, now they're hooked and can't wait for their next holiday in the snow! Here's her advice on where to go for a great family ski holiday and how best to prepare your children for the snow holiday of a lifetime.

When did you first take your children skiing?

I have four children — a 14 year old, twin boys of 10 and a stepdaughter who's 10. I took them skiing for the first time just last year, when they were 12 and eight. They loved it, so I took them again later in the year. They've absolutely thrived on it!

So they didn't start when they were really little?

No, they were football kids and winter always coincided with their school sports. Now they've discovered skiing, it's all they want to do.

Why did you decide to leave it so long?

My kids had been begging me for years, but the thought of taking four children was really daunting. I wanted them to be old enough to appreciate it. This way, if they choose to go again, it will be because they want to and not just because it was their parents' love.

Did you buy everything before you went?

Yes, I bought all their gear before we left (we rented skis). When we got there, all we had to do was get their gear and turn up for their lessons. I think for parents that's quite daunting because you have to go to three different counters and it all takes time. One of my biggest recommendations for families is, if they get in at a reasonable hour the day before, that they get all their gear and passes and be ready for an 8 o'clock start in the morning.

Did you send the kids to lessons?

I believe the best thing for children is lessons. It's the only way for a child to learn properly. Children can be very clingy and they are therefore not holding onto their parents — it's just like swimming lessons. At the end of the day, I could pick them up and go off for a couple of runs. They're excited, everyone's had a relaxing day and everyone's happy and cheery — that's if they love it!

What if they don't? Make sure you go to a resort with a village atmosphere with activities other than skiing. That also applies if they get injured. If you're not in a resort that's family-friendly and there aren't other things to do, you're going to find that child is bored to tears.

How do you prepare little ones? My kids had seen snow and been tobogganing, so they knew it was going to be cold. I think that's one thing you need to prepare them for, so it's a good thing to take them somewhere to experience the cold.

More ski holiday tips

Rent or buy? Any family embarking on their first ski holiday faces the question, should we rent or buy? To answer this, you need to take several factors into consideration. For starters, is this something you're going to pursue or a one-off? How many days do you intend to ski in the season? Do you have younger kids to pass the ski gear on to?

Then there's the cost factor. Basically, the cost of hire for one week and four weekends would equal the cost of buying skis, binding and boots. You should also take into account that you can sell outgrown ski equipment at sales such as Bumps annual recycled snowboard and gear sale, usually for up to half the purchase price. This is also a great way of keeping up with trends and avoiding showcasing embarrassing 20-year-old ski gear on the slopes!

To see the latest ski gear, head to a major stockist such as Bumps, which carries the largest children's ski and boarding range in Victoria. Here you'll find skis including Head, Dynastar, Volkl, K2, Rossignol and Salomon with prices starting from $199. They also have a great range of boots for kids, from beginner to Race Squad, with prices ranging from $139 to $550.