@Fens, I would now take anything skizoom said with a big pinch of salt.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Fens, If you hire a car you could drive to the 3 Valleys in about 2 hours. The links between the valleys usually open the weekend you have planned.
Val Thorens (with just about as good a snow guarantee as you can get) is a 2 1/4 hour drive.
Alternatively, you could drive to Tignes in about 2 1/2 hours, which has a glacier.
Like others have said, you should book the flights now and then book accommodation nearer the time (ie the week before).
You could still present your hubby with a (home made) "mystery ski trip" voucher on his big day .
I note what you say about saving larger ski areas until later but you would still have a great time skiing a small part of a large area. Having a snow guarantee is obviously the most important thing.
You can always come back on here again a couple of weeks before your trip and get some up to date advice when we know more about the snow conditions.
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?
Not sure any of the Austrian places would really suit your specification. The obvious place is Ischgl, which opens at the end of November and has plenty of "intermediate" skiing. However it is not good for short transfers (3 hours or so from either Zürich or Munich by car) so not ideal for a 3 day trip. Obergurgl is maybe good too but again long transfers and can be very bleak in December (same applies to glaciers). In a good year there could be plenty of choice but more likely mid December sees green mountain sides.
From what you have said I would look at Verbier, it is reliable for early snow and is easy to get to by train from Geneva. The higher French resorts like Val Thorens & Tignes are good too but they involve a fair drive from Geneva. Zermatt / Cervina is good but access again and also the link often gets closed early season by high winds.
I would not get worried about winter tyres and the rest of it. Millions of us in central Europe drive around all winter with very little thought about the road conditions, it is no big deal. The chances of getting hit by a huge blizzard in mid December is very small and most resorts are very accessible by wide well maintained roads. It really should not influence your choice of holidays.
If you can hold off as long as possible before making a choice, there will be plenty of availability that early in the season.
@munich_irish, that's is exactly it re transfers for Austria plus flight gets in late or leaves at 6am so travelling through the night to fly out not ideal...think 3 valley is looking like best option with driving, given insane transfer costs and waiting to book VT or Tignes or Verbier, thank you all so much!!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Good luck. Don't forget to come back and tell us how the trip works out!
After all it is free
After all it is free
If it's based around a birthday stick with the dates.
For a weekender I would DIY and keep it as simple as poss. Get flights booked and then work on places with a shortish transfer. Have a plan A and B depending on the snow. Check open dates carefully. And then depending go plan A or B. Getting accommodation at that time of the season should be no issue even if there is a dump.
A few years back we were going Christmas for a week - originally going to Les Sept Laux. But it was a lousy start to the season and it didn't open as scheduled so we switched to Tignes which for piste skiing was absolutely fine. But for a w/e Tignes is a schlep. But the point was the transport was arranged (we drove) and you just work on the accommodation/resort near to kick off.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@pam w, Thanks I'm sure I will be back here before then but definitely will do, feel much more confident about my approach now. Wirking on my technique in mth mind....
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
#in my mind
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Layne, thanks really have grasped this flexible approach, new for me but love a surprise!
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.
Fens wrote:
BobinCH wrote:
Verbier is much better than Chamonix early season as much more (reliably) open, better prepared and better connected. Not sure you’ll find an all inclusive deal for £600 for 2 though. You can get there by train 2:30 from Geneva.
And snow can be great although not guaranteed - 9th Dec last year
thanks so much, yes Verbier has been on my radar but thought it may be too pricey. I'll have to keep saving!! Is that you skiing beautiful! Do I have any other options? The public transport would be great but dont get in til 5pm and need to leave resort at 7:30am which perhaps only leaves car rental as my only option. I cannot find transfers operating that time. Thanks so much.
You should have no problem getting the train around 17:30 on your arrival. With a departing flight that early I would get a train back to Geneva the night before and stay at one of the airport hotels.
You want a resort that has a track record for opening early and has high altitude intermediate runs with good snow making in case of low tide early season conditions. Verbier has that with Attelas, Lac des Vaux, La Chaux and Jumbo. Suspect Tignes would also be good. Zermatt is great but the snow sure skiing is high and so can be a bit exposed in Dec if the weather is bad - I prefer it in April).
In Verbier you’re probably looking at circa 250chf per night for a decent hotel (like Hotel Bristol) but if you’re on a budget you can get double rooms with a nice breakfast at the very nice Una Lodge B&B in Le Châble for chf140 per night. Train fares will be approx 100chf return and lift passes circa 70chf per day (there are usually some early season discounts that reduce them to under 50chf).
My birthday is a couple of days later so we also celebrate up there and have been lucky with conditions over the last few seasons!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Fens, Geneva flights give you a lot of options. I would expect Cervinia & Tignes defo to be fine (glaciers), Monterosa maybe a call (they try and open weekends from Nov 30/Dec 1, our first skiing this year was that weekend, there). Saas Fee, probs, glacier and can be trained. Zermatt no idea, but many chums have early season skied there. Verbier, probably sound, I am not an expert.
My comment re skizoom is that there is not a snowball's chance in the hot place that they can comfortably predict that today. So either they just do not know properly what they're talking about, or they're dishonestly trying to sell you a holiday.
I dont doubt it but there advice is in conflict from the expertise from this group. An email received today...
Hi,
That is no problem at all, let me know what you think once you have read through them.
Apologies I did not mention it in the last email, but I contacted the tourist office in Chamonix and they will be opening the resort as of the 30th of November. So the runs certainly will be open for you guys.
Kind regards,
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Fens, Yeah, right, whatever. Doesn't much matter what the intention is if there's no snow ...
I'm not saying there won't be, but it's certainly not guaranteed and much of Chamonix doesn't have a lot of snow making - as it mostly doesn't need it.
Iirc, Grands Montets targets Nov 30ish to start opening, usually just at weekends, if there's snow. Balme/Brevent/Flegere targeted 18th Dec with possible partial weekend openings snow permitting. As it happens, we had loads of snow in early December last season - easily 1m in my garden but they still didn't open much up (I don't think - I think GMs may have opened for weekends).
I looked at the link above and I think they are perfectly honest, but they also aren't resort specific experts. Just a specialist travel agent, in effect, really. So no actual multi-year, season long experience.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@under a new name, yes agree, the price reflects it really, what is likely to be open will not be at my level and cant expect them to have that detail.
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?
Snow dependent and Cham does not have a good record on early opening. Ask him which lifts in which areas will be open. And then ask him which of those will be suitable for you. I suspect he will not have a clue.
You will probably only have a couple of lifts at GM. Ignore the advice you are being given here at your peril…
@BobinCH, I am saying that I will no onger pursuing this Ski Zoom deal which is why I started the thread as I had my doubts. I am not ignoring advice here I am heeding it to the letter and thank everyone for their experience and advice, vital to a newbie like me! My only challenge now is finding g a flight earlier in the day if I can to avoid driving in the dark! This is proving tricky!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Fens,
If you do opt for the 3 Valleys, and prefer not to hire a car, you should be able to take a return transfer from Geneva with either Ben's Bus or Altibus.Either would cost about €100 pp return.
@Bergmeister, you can read my mind!! Just searching up driving in the dark as flight gets in at 16:30 plus would be returning in the dark as flight 10:30 from GVA hugely helpful, thanks. Also looking at trains to Verbier too but not sure connection will work. Many thanks!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Fens wrote:
@BobinCH, I am saying that I will no onger pursuing this Ski Zoom deal which is why I started the thread as I had my doubts. I am not ignoring advice here I am heeding it to the letter and thank everyone for their experience and advice, vital to a newbie like me! My only challenge now is finding g a flight earlier in the day if I can to avoid driving in the dark! This is proving tricky!
Ah sorry thought you were trusting your TA over the SH massive
There should be a couple of trains that can get you to a 10:30 GVA flight from Verbier
After all it is free
After all it is free
Fens wrote:
@BobinCH, I am saying that I will no onger pursuing this Ski Zoom deal which is why I started the thread as I had my doubts. I am not ignoring advice here I am heeding it to the letter and thank everyone for their experience and advice, vital to a newbie like me! My only challenge now is finding g a flight earlier in the day if I can to avoid driving in the dark! This is proving tricky!
Ah sorry thought you were trusting your TA over the SH massive
There should be a couple of trains that can get you to a 10:30 GVA flight from Verbier
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.
I wouldn't rule out Austria. Resorts like Schladming and Mayrhofen pride themselves on getting the whole resort open by mid December, even if it's all with snow cannons. Schladming is only an hour from Salzburg airport, Mayrhofen twice that. The biggest problem will be mid-week flights. And while neither of them are exactly chocolate box, they are more charming than many French high altitude resorts.
Personally I wouldn't rely on a glacier for the snow, they tend to be pretty bleak. But my boys book of big snow says that the Matterhorn gets the most snow and Tignes/Val d'Isere has the best combo of height, snowmaking and glacier.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Riccardo, thanks, more options then! I was hoping to nail the flight as they never come down do they?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@BobinCH, No worries, cannot get over all the advice and guidance I have received. Just brilliant, cant wait to geek out on technique advice. Btw what is TA?? I cant get train times for 8 and 12 of december, computer says no.
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.
Travel agent, gotcha!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Fens wrote:
@BobinCH, No worries, cannot get over all the advice and guidance I have received. Just brilliant, cant wait to geek out on technique advice. Btw what is TA?? I cant get train times for 8 and 12 of december, computer says no.
TA= Travel Agent!
You won’t be able to book trains this early but the train times will be similar next year. Nothing changes fast in Switzerland!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@BobinCH, Gotcha! Still wobbling as to whether to lock in easyjet flight now to Geneva....think it is probably sensible to do so..
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Fens wrote:
@Bergmeister, you can read my mind!! Just searching up driving in the dark as flight gets in at 16:30 plus would be returning in the dark as flight 10:30 from GVA hugely helpful, thanks. Also looking at trains to Verbier too but not sure connection will work. Many thanks!
You could also try Alpybus. I'm sure one of those 3 companies will have an available transfer.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Fens wrote:
@BobinCH, Gotcha! Still wobbling as to whether to lock in easyjet flight now to Geneva....think it is probably sensible to do so..
Go for it! You WILL get some good snow somewhere in mid December.
We will be heading to Val Thorens when it opens in November and are confident we will have some good skiing .
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Bergmeister, I'd forgotten about VT. Good call.
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?
@under a new name, @Riccardo, Thanks both Ove been been running a budget on VT and Verbier and there is quite a premium for everything on Verbier, so VT is sounding much better! Thanks guys tgats the push I need, will book tonight, not too shabby £230 return from Bristol to include an extra cabin bag I'm on it!! Spent the evening discussing our next family trip to Valmorel in Feb and how hard it is to wait 9 more months, but really it will be 7!!! Woohoo cannot wait, I'm reading and reading on technique now!!
@pam w, covid would be the only barrier I can think of, 15% more to add later /theives!! I guess that's only £10 extra rather than losing an extra £66 good shout, thanks!
Also, any recommendations on where to look / not yet book for VT accommodation please, just been reviewing Booking.co. and airbnb, thanks.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
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