 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello,
it's my first post here. What a great place! I'm trying to decide where to go in mid February 2017 with my husband and then almost 9 year old son.
I've skied in Courchevel (nice), Alp D'Huez, Val Thorens (good snow), Val D'Isere (didn't enjoy it much), Les Arcs (no snow), Finland (perfect snow, built for skiers, northern lights a bonus) and Kaprun (not much snow in Kaprun had to bus ride to Kitzsteinhorn).
Now I'd like a resort which meets the following criteria in order of importance:
1. ski lifts located at the village and not a short bus ride away
2. fairly affordable
3. good snow
4. with big enough ski area
5. scenic runs
6. no huge queues
7. old villages with a lot of charm
I know I'm asking a lot :/. We are intermediate skiers that comfortably go on black runs. My sun has skied some black runs in Finland but they're easy compared to the Alps.
Now Whistler always appealed to me, I wanted to see Canada but I've heard that it's getting busy, there can be lack of snow in lower slopes and it's lacking charm. Kitzbuhel I was interested in but again the lack of snow puts me off. Alpbach they say is pretty but the slopes are a bus ride away. Courmayer is pretty but it's small for a week and there could be a lack of snow.
I'd love to go to Switzerland but I can't afford it.
What do you all think? Is it worth going to Canada (I'll do longer than a week) or is there a resort in Europe I should choose instead? After the dry Finnish snow I'm dreading the Alpine slush :/
Many thanks in advance 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@angelika, what makes you think Kitzbuhel will have a lack of snow in Feb 2017?? I had a very pleasant long weekend there the first week of March this year, the skiing was really good, snow was fine, top to bottom skiing.
Obviously there is no guarantee of snow unless you pick a resort with a glacier and you really shouldn't get slush in Feb!
You could look at the Arlberg region? Stay in Stuben, Lech or Zurs for a "nicer" village experience compared to St Anton itself.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi @kitenski, thanks for your reply.
I just got the impression that because of its low altitude there isn't usually enough snow in the lower slopes. Mainly from reviews in forums.
Yes, Lech and Zurs is an option. I've seen good reviews about them. It's something to look into. I'm just thinking while we're young... are we missing out by not having visited Canada yet?
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@angelika, if Switzerland is too expensive you might not like Zurs & Lech
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@angelika, worst case you download in Kitzbuhel.
I'm no expert on Canada but they have bad seasons and good seasons inc rain in Whistler. There are a load of Canada reviews on this site.
I can recommend a hotel in Stuben if you decide to look into that area.
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@moseyp thanks. I don't mind it being expensive when I get there but the I meant the accommodation being expensive. I'm trying to keep the basic expenses of the ski trip to a reasonable budget.
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@kitenski yes, true about downloading....
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@angelika, I've skied all the places you list (apart from Finland) and also 60-70 weeks in Arlberg and never in Canada, I don't feel I'm missing out one bit! The only places i'll be skiing in Canada and further north in future will be cat/ heli-skiing in Canada and also Valdez, Alaska (when I can afford to do it right, heliskiing off a boat/ beach pick-up thing). I've no desire to ski Whistler/ Blackcomb, I don't see the need when we live so close to the Alps and all it has to offer, Whistler has poor weather and I've not heard great things that tempt me to want to go, most who've been I know never go back. That says a lot, and I've met loads of north-Americans/ Canadians in the Alps, they seem to know what's best for them!
One caveat with Arlberg - to do it justice you ought to be going off-piste, the opportunities are endless, the blacks and reds are great too but it isn't a place for the light-hearted (I'm sure you're not), its a ski long days and push yourself type place if you want to get the best from it. Have skied Kitzbuhel many times too, great place and "nice" skiing but not in same league as Arlberg. Go to Arlberg once and you'll never want for anything else IMO.@kitenski, is right if you want the genuine Alpine experience you cant beat Stuben but its too quiet for me, having stayed there a couple of times. Zurs is like a moonscape (and not n chocolate-box Alpine village), Lech is lovely (too chic for my tastes, and a micky-take on the wallet). We stay in the valley villages below St Anton, cant beat them, super-quick to resort and all the Alpine gemutlicheit you need. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Markymark29, I've had two long weekends in Whistler two separate seasons and both times it was really very excellent indeed. But no, no point going all that way just to ski on piste.
How about Monterosa (IT) and Champoluc? Pretty much ticks all your boxes...
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Hi @markyMark29
Alaska would be fabulous but yes, expensive! We don't go off-piste and because we have a child with us we are not too adventurous either.
So Arlberg is the ski area? Ok. Yes, Lech seems nice although the accommodation seems more expensive. St Anton is more affordable. It seems that the cost of a week in Europe though is the same as 10 days in Canada...
We tend to ski all day and the reason why I wanted not having to travel to the ski lifts was because if my son gets tired one of us can head back to the hotel for a couple of hours while the other one continues skiing. In Finland the close at 7:30 pm and we skied all day.
Is St Anton pretty?
@under_a_new_name wow! Champoluc looks good and Italian food is good too!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@under_a_new_name what's the snow like in Champoluc in mid Feb? 2015-2016 was a bad year I think.
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@kitenski, wow!! Stuben is gorgeous!! I forgot to mention one limitation...
I'm stuck with the Crystal Ski resorts because of staff discount. Stuben is not part of it 
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You know it makes sense.
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@angelika, Champoluc is good then!
I was there this half term, snow was fine, ski down to the valleys, ice skating for the kids, there is dog sledding and the biggest queue we had was 15 mins all week. Some lifts were ski on/off with zero queues. Big long runs and good value, think prosecco was 3 Euro a glass.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@angelika,
1. You can't make any judgements based on one year. Or two or three.
2. Even if you could, Champoluc had good and complete piste skiing I think from early January onwards. (It was a particularly poor start to the season on the Italian side).
3. Almost all the Champoluc/Gressoney pistes are cannoned (in some cases against wind scour rather than lack of snow).
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stuck with the Crystal
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No point me trying to flog the renovated apartment opposite the gondola then! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hmm. It's not exactly chocolate box, but personally I think a lot of St Anton (at least the main street) is pretty attractive?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@angelika,
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Is it worth going to Canada (I'll do longer than a week) or is there a resort in Europe I should choose instead?
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Personally I wouldn't go to the other side of N. America just to ski.
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1. ski lifts located at the village and not a short bus ride away
2. fairly affordable
3. good snow
4. with big enough ski area
5. scenic runs
6. no huge queues
7. old villages with a lot of charm
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Going at half term makes meeting criterion 2 and 6 more difficult. Somewhere on the Sella Ronda circuit maybe? That might tick more of your 7 boxes than most places I've been.
I'm a fan of St Anton but suspect the new lift linking directly to Zurs next season might bring even more crowds in than ever.
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| angelika wrote: |
I'd love to go to Switzerland but I can't afford it.
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Are you sure? As you said you had to book with Crystal for the staff discount I note that Crystal offer the Hotel Bernerhof (which is situated on the main pedestrianised street in Wengen) for Mid February 2017 for a nominal total price of £1738 (£579 p.p) Half Board (obviously less with your discount). I've stayed at the Bernerhof and the food is quite good. Wengen of course has stunning scenery (with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains) and is the home of the famous Lauberhorn World Cup Downhill race.
If you should go to Wengen it's worthwhile noting that you can get the full adult Jungfrau region skipass (which includes Grindelwald and Murren with the Schilthorn and the James Bond 007 exhibition) at a 20% discount if you order it online at least 21 days in advance. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Alastair Pink,
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Are you sure? As you said you had to book with Crystal for the staff discount I note that Crystal offer the Hotel Bernerhof (which is situated on the main pedestrianised street in Wengen) for Mid February 2017 for a nominal total price of £1738
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That deal looked so good I had a look myself...but departing 11 Feb 2017 it comes up as £1624 per person for me, total £4872 for 3. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| ... Personally I wouldn't go to the other side of N. America just to ski. |
As a snowboarder, I can understand that:why waste snow? I'd go anywhere for a week and grab one in Canada. You have to sleep somewhere and it saves hotel bills. It's an attitude issue. Each to their own. 
I've ridden all those places. Whistler isn't much like Finland, snow-wise or any other way.
Whistler is mostly over rated, but rated it is and it fulfils pretty much all your criteria. If you go on New years day then you may find some people up for the day from Vancouver so there could be a queue or two on the main tourist lifts.... but they're easy to avoid, well marshalled, and perfectly behaved, So it's not like the old Alpine garlic / French kids scrum riot. At other places in BC (which are harder to get to) you're unlikely to find any queues at all, ever. Please don't tell anyone in Whistler.
I do a lot of cat / heli in BC, and I have commercial interests in a company which operates them out of Whistler. The most common feedback from guests is that it was their "best day ever".
Snow-wise, well of course you need to pick a good snow year. That said, it's coastal so they get a lot of precip. It's comparatively warm, so you may encounter rain at the base, plus the snow needs to be ridden fresh - in the storm is best. They have more snow machines than just about anywhere and although I've seen a couple of "white strip" early-seasons in the last 30 that's not a bad average. I have commercial interests in a company which runs ski training on the glacier in summer.
Food-wise Whistler's not bad for North America, and certainly good food is easy to obtain. The "village" is purpose-built, but better designed in my opinion than most equivalents in the Alps. The accommodation standard is superior to Europe as is the service.
--
But there are plenty of Brits there already. Switzerland is great - Zermatt or Verbier are good destination places.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
Hmm. It's not exactly chocolate box, but personally I think a lot of St Anton (at least the main street) is pretty attractive? |
Feels like a cross between Westfield, a misguided 60s new town and a Dutch fighting street though - The Postkeller, Anthony's Starbucks, all the pine and glass identical retail stores?
Charm is totally overrated - the bottom cable car station and car park area at Cervinia still looks like the Aliies bombed it and they can't be arsed to fix it, yet your views at lunch are comparable with anything in the world.
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Whistler BTW is really quite good if you can stomach the flight and don't build it up in your mind as best snow/holiday evah! It is coastal so you get the snowpack that implies both good and bad and the whole set up is generally a very competent offering for the tourist.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@angelika, Taking your requirements bit by bit and with a few generalisations that not everyone will agree with.
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1. ski lifts located at the village and not a short bus ride away
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A lot of this is as much accommodation specific as resort specific , you can certainly end up a bus ride away in Whistler and most resorts have at least some accommodation near to lifts.
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2. fairly affordable
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This depends on things like exchange rates but usually crossing the atlantic and North American lift pass rates put North America on the expensive side, France gets pricey in Feb and Switzerland is rarely cheap.
Mid Feb you have to be really very unlucky not to get decent snow in all touristically relevant resorts.
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4. with big enough ski area
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Big enough for what ? Ideas vary a lot on this
For this I think you need runs above and below the tree line but particularly below, high altitude motorways I find a little soulless.
A bit resort specific but many French resorts do get busy Mid Feb though it is a popular time everywhere in Europe particularly if the week coincides with Fasching.
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7. old villages with a lot of charm
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Plenty of these throughout Europe though the French ones do seem to be the busiest at half term for queues by reputation.
I would agree with the suggestion of the dolomites as having many of these characteristics , plenty of other resorts as well though in Austria and Italy Switzerland is usually a bit quieter and not necessarily exorbitant and many of its resorts would fit all your criteria apart from cost.
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"For this I think you need runs above and below the tree line but particularly below, high altitude motorways I find a little soulless."
Yep, the endless vistas of the Monterosa massif and the Matterhorn, have no soul, no soul at all.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@intermediate i've looked at Val de Gardena and it looks lovely!! Another one on the list. Thank you!
So now i've got St Anton, Val de Gardena, Champoluc and also Whistler (just at the back of my mind it's still an option)
@Alastair pink I know, 11th feb it goes up so much! :/ It's about £5K for the three of us in Zermatt, Wengen and Saas fee
@philwig @Dave of the Marmottes the precip is what scares me but Whistler is still on my list. Especially because it's only a bit more expensive to go for 10 days than 7 days in Europe
@T Bar sure. I just meant that I don't want something like Lake Louise where the resort is not on the ski area. Moneywise, if I can book a package for flights and hotel/apartment which we can afford (with Crystal because of the discount i get) then we don't mind if the resort is expensive. big enough ski area to keep us entertained for a week. Mind you, we have an8/9 year old so we won't go crazy as we used to. scenic runs, yes trees, views of lakes, nice sunsets and view of surrounding areas i'd say make a scenic run. That's what I meant about busy resorts. Courchevel in February was very busy with very long queues everywhere, and the same in kitzsteinhorn especially if the Kaprun slopes were slushy. and they were!!
@under a new name as I haven't been to any of the two I don't know but i think you're joking in a sarcastic way! Lol, i'm sure the Matterhorn must be amazing!
Thanks so much everyone for your responses so far!!! You're helping me out so much!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Don't write Lake Louise off. The commute from the village is minute, its real big , wild Canada and the National Park is spectacular.
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I would add a vote for Champoluc. The added bonus is how much better value Italy is compared with France. Fantastic food, great Italian hospitality, lovely skiing, above and below the tree line, a pretty village (but to be fair, not at the chocolate box pretty end if the scale). I've been to Whistler twice. The second time it was particularly mild and rainy. The skiing is great in good conditions. Would I go there if I wasn't interested in off piste skiing (which I am)? Not really. It's a great place when there's fresh powder though.
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You know it makes sense.
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| angelika wrote: |
@Alastair pink I know, 11th feb it goes up so much! :/ It's about £5K for the three of us in Zermatt, Wengen and Saas fee
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Sorry, I was quoting the price shown for a week departing sat 14th Jan, I obviously input the wrong month, doh!!. As you say it's much more expensive mid Feb.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Dave of the Marmottes thanks for the tip. I have started looking into it. Is the village pretty? Is it even a village? How far is the commute and what's the snow and climate like? it's definitely an option. i'm leaning towards Val Gardena and Champoluc but I'm still thinking of Canada....
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Poster: A snowHead
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I just wouldn't travel to Canada to ski on piste... What's the point? And anyway Italy does better food and wine...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Put it on yer credit card.
1. Zermatt, Switzerland.
2. Lech, Austria.
3. Cortina, Italy.
4. Vaujany, France.
5. Wengen, Switzerland.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| angelika wrote: |
| @Dave of the Marmottes thanks for the tip. I have started looking into it. Is the village pretty? Is it even a village?.. |
No it's a carpark with a small shopping mall.
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Another vote for Monterosa. We were there (chalet du lys Staffal) during half term this year. Fast flattering slopes, great mountain restaurants, which were cheap as chips and hardly a soul about.
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FAQ
