Many ski resorts in the French Alps provide activities for kids. -- Photo from Sun Media files

Q: My husband and I would like to take our 7 and 11-year-olds to the south of France for three weeks during Christmas. Are there any resorts with activities for kids? Please help.

-- T. Perrier, Toronto

A: French ski resorts usually have activities for the whole family. The best way to find information about ski resorts and the activities they offer is to visit skifrance-ca.com. It's a general website that promotes skiing in France.

In the Southern Alps, there are many resorts such as Isola 2000, (isola2000.com), that you might consider.

Jeremie Gabourg of Maison de la France, the country's official tourist board, says, "What is great about Isola 2000 is its close proximity to Nice. It is only 1.5 hours away from Nice and it is in the French Rivera, which is renowned for very sunny and mild winters."

One extremely kid friendly resort is Alpe d'Huez, alpedhuez.com, about an hour from Grenoble and five hours from Paris. Perched on the southern flank of the Grandes Rousses Massif -- at an altitude of 1,860 metres -- this "The Island in the Sunshine," enjoys an average of 300 sunny days per year.

Since 1936, it has been known for combining affordability with great slopes.

Children will certainly find lots to keep them busy at the Kid's Island, which offers ESF, a French Ski School for children of all ages. The Crapouilloux kindergarten for kids 2 to 10 is available as a half or full day program with or without meals. The full day program is 30 euros and includes skiing, daycare and meals. For rates, weather conditions and resort plans, log onto their web site.

Another resort with a lot to offer is Val d'Isere (valdisere.com), a lively village at the foot of the mountains near the Italian border. The area has something for skiers of all levels. The two funiculars and 89 ski lifts on-site allow you to explore the ski area, which is spread over 10,000 hectares with over 300 km of marked runs. Opening dates are from Nov. 26 through May 8, 2007.

Gabourg Jeremie notes that many Alpine stations also have shuttles to nearby cities such as Lyon for shopping or dining. For more on France, visit the Maison de la France site at france guide.com or call 1-866-313-7262.

Q: We're making a connecting flight in Chicago in a few weeks. Since we'll be there for a few hours I wanted to know what we could expect.

-- B. Deardon, Oshawa

A: The web site -- worldairportguide.com -- is chock full of information on airports around the world. In addition to maps its gives the lowdown on airports, airport shops, dining and accommodations. It has been getting some rave reviews from users.

The site has a map of Chicago O'Hare International Airport, to help you navigate the four terminals and other details.

If your connecting flights are with the same airline, check with the flight attendant to see if there is a "connections desk." These help ease passengers' transitions from one flight to another.

En route to Chicago, you could also check out the back pages of the inflight magazine, which usually contains airport details as well.