 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Guys
I've only been skiing twice but i'm hooked. I've been to les ars(& La plagne) and the 3 valley's in france.
I'm now looking to book for 2010 but i'm not sure where to look, so i though i would ask some seasoned skiers. Can anyone recommend me european ski resorts that are comparable to the above. I have no experiance of italy or austria.
many thanks
Jim
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jymmm, welcome to Snowheads.  You've been to huge areas of cusom-built resorts with excellent lift systems and (some would argue.....) not a huge amount of character. More of the same? THe obvious answer is the Espace Killy (Val D'Isere and Tignes) which also offers lots of opportunities for excellent tuition.
However, there's a whole host of other places out there, with a different feel, which you might enjoy. Are you on your own, or in a group?
What's most important to you about a ski holiday?
What kind of accommodation are you looking for?
Looking for a package or a DIY trip?
There are some Snowheads who know the Portes du Soleil area in France well, and have chalets in the area (Morzine, for example). That's a big area but quite different. Another one is Flaine and the Grand Massif - some SHs know that well, too.
I've only skied in Austria a couple of times and wouldn't recommend either of the places I visited there - but there are some lovely ski areas here too, which I would like to visit now if I didn't own an apartment in France.
You might also like to think about one of the specialist ski coaching companies (such as "Inspired to Ski" or "snoworks" , but there are several) because investing in real quality tuition is probably your best way forward now that you are hooked on skiing. Those companies organise all-in holidays which have a very good press on Snowheads - lots of us have done one or more.
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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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thanks for the reply
I'm happy not to have tuition as i do ok. I like the large areas as i like to explore and i'm not too keen to keep skiing the same routes (other than access). I also enjoy the high altitude stuff above the tree line.
i would be skiing with a small group of 4 (including me).
ideally the accommodation would be ski to your door. After staying at les arc1950 it was a revelation not to have to queue in the mornings to get up the slopes or rush back to catch the last bus/lift home.
Espace Killy looks interesting. Thanks
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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TIgnes
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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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You could try Pas de la Casa in Andorra, I spent 10 days there last January and the snow was excellent, it's ideal for Intermediates/beginners although you need to go over the mountain to get to the more challenging runs (although there is a decent slalom course at the Pas side as well). There are also a few snow park, they have an excellent ski school and the slopes are well maintained. The resort has access to a huge area and you can ski all the way to Soledu & El Tarter....
It's cheap and cheerful and ideal for the developing advanced intermediate, but the advanced & expert skiers will need to travel a bit.
(watch out for novice boarders sitting in the middle of slopes though!!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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jymmm, Perhaps try a different country or countries. Sure somewhere like Espace Killy offers great skiing but if you've done Les Arcs & 3v then you're likely to know what to expect as they're not massively different.
If you like high then Cervinia/Zermatt is a good combination - pick a side to stay but ski in the other country for a day or two. Something a little 'james bond feeling' about skiing across a boarder. Out of other places I've been too I would suggest the Arlberg in Austria basing yourself in St. Anton (lively) or Lech - lots of places to explore there, although less ski/in out capability. There's places in Austria I'd like to explore (near Salzbug) as well as the Italian Dolomites.
Enjoy your skiing - but in a couple of trips time I'm sure you'll book in for more advanced lessons as you'll progress better that way. I did 20 weeks last season and still need lessons
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jymmm, for a different resort you could try La Rosiere, the ski area the Espace San Bernardo is in France and Italy, so you can ski 2 countries on the same single lift pass. La Rosiere is in the Huate Tarentaise, same vallet as Les Arcs, Tignes and Val d'Isere although as the slopes in France are mainly south facing it's much sunnier than resorts on the south side of the valley, worth considering if you're skiing in January when days are short. The village is small and friendly with enough bars and restaurants for a reasonable apres-ski ambience, the lift pass is very good value compared to the mega resorts nearby. It's very snow sure and there are 150kms of pistes with extensive off-piste opportunities. You can get more information on www.larosiere.net and if you're set on ski-in ski-out then have a look at www.morealps.com it's my son's company he has 5 chalets in the village and his chalets in Les Ecudets are conveniently close to the slopes.
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Mayrhofen
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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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| Quote: |
I spent 10 days there last January and the snow was excellent
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it was excellent just about everywhere last January
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jymmm---as im fairly new to skiing myself (yes im hooked and bloody love it) i hav done 6 weeks myself now, i have done killington in the usa (dont ever go there) les deux Alpes in southern france, not bad, but the other 4 times i have been to the Portes Du Soleil in france. Just to give you an idea of size , it has 650km of piste, around 90% linked, and it consists of 14 resorts and straddles the french/swiss border. Im actually out there myself of 26th Jan this year and i can only rate highly of the place. Like you i have never had a lesson (bad habbits because of) but there is so much skiing to be done out there and like you said, dont like skiing the same runs twice, you dont have to. Avoriaz is the highest of the 14 resorts and is car free, so you ski in and out of all the buildings so yes, you ski to the door, ski in/out. The only downside to the whole place is its altitude. the highest bit is around 2600m i think. you can ski all the way down to 1000m so big vertical. I have never had any problem with the snow, ive skied it in feb, march and april. The only issue was the time in april on the last day where the temp was +21c at the car, snow was to sticky to ski on. So to sum up, if i were you, give it a go, stay in either avoriaz, morzine or possibly chatel. I wouldnt stay in Les Gerts, nice pretty ski place but to far off the main circuit for the rest of the Portes Du Soleil. Im sure you will have a great time if you choose to go here, any more info, just ask, cheers rick
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jymmm, Welcome to 's
Have to agree with Ricklovesthepowder, we love the PDS too. So much we moved here permanently. It has something for everyone and after 12 years I still find new places to go. If you have any specific questions about the place bring em on. Hope to see you here one day.
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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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+1 for somewhere in PdS (Morzine being probably the most convenient)
+1 for Mayrhofen
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jymmm, from your comments Espace Killy (Tignes or Val d'Isere) is the obvious choice. One of the biggest and IMO the best ski area in the world. High altitude and piste side accommodation available.
PdS is great in good snow conditions but as per Ricklovesthepowder, it is low so if its a bad snow year you take a risk.
Verbier and Zermatt are also great resorts with big ski areas but Zermatt has very little piste side accommodation and while Verbier has piste side accommodation the links for piste skiing are tedious and nowhere near as good as 3V's and Espace Killy.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| jymmm wrote: |
Hi Guys
I've only been skiing twice but i'm hooked. I've been to les ars(& La plagne) and the 3 valley's in france.
I'm now looking to book for 2010 but i'm not sure where to look, so i though i would ask some seasoned skiers. Can anyone recommend me european ski resorts that are comparable to the above. I have no experiance of italy or austria.
many thanks
Jim |
Now for a sensible answer.
If you mean comparable in terms of extent of intermediate terrain I'd suggest SkiWelt/Kitzbuhel or the Arlberg in Austria, the Sella Ronda in Italy, if you wanted to go back to France, Alpe d'Huez, Val d'Isere/Tignes and the Portes du Soleil.
They are all different and have different pros and cons, so it depends what other priorities you have other than it being a large ski area as to which you might choose.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Other places to consider would be Serre Chevalier, or for a different experience to France - Ischgl in Austria. Neither offer much in the way of "ski to door", but you wouldn't have to queue (in January) or faff with buses.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Do you mean queuing in the morning for the buses or gondolas? If you hire a car then maybe it will expand your options? I went Kronplatz last year for my 2nd holiday on a DIY. It was really good for early intermediates as the lift systems are really new and there were alot of varied blues for us.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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