 Poster: A snowHead
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Ax Les Thermes is also a good Pyrenees spa town.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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May not be good for tour operators.
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Better and better!
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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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We enjoyed doing Gerardmer and La Bresse, but that is four days at most.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We went to Puy-St-Vincent last season - my wife and kids (12 & 8 at the time) were all beginners whereas I've been skiing for 30+ years. Booked via Snowbizz as mentioned by snowymum above and they were excellent, great lessons and easy slopes for beginners, there was enough to keep me occupied for a couple of hours each day whilst they had lessons although I wouldn't want to do full days with experienced skiers there. Going again in December which will probably be our last one before moving somewhere a bit bigger.
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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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Christmas week is normally quieter than new year. But if you want to find relative quieter slopes think about Austria; it's still a peak week for German skiers, but much better than France. If you can push into week 2, you'll find one of the quietest weeks of the season.
Look at Bramberg, mainly based in a high bowl, with nursery and learner slopes right at the top so snow sure. Low level nursery slopes and a tree lined valley run give some limited options on bad vis days. The layout means it's really easy to get back to meet the kids at lunch and at end of day. The slopes offer fantastic progression from nursery to the easiest of blues (no greens in Austria) right through to a fantastic little black run. The best bit though? A 14 km floodlit sled run from the top to bottom of the gondola - the world's longest. The kids love it.
Neukirchen is the other base town, same advantages but the town seems to have a little more buzz. However if you do that evening sledge ride you'll need to grab a bus or taxi for the short ride back to town.
Waidring is a lovely village (make sure you go for cake at Café Erika Schmid). Nursery slope in the village. The main skiing is up the gondola on the Steinplatte. Skiing there is fantastic, most lifts are fast heated chairs with snow covers. Great variety for a small area. It catches and retains more snow than nearby resorts. Bonus is you can ski across the border into Germany.
A shout out for St Johann in Tyrol (there are two S.Js. so make sure it's 'in Tyrol') it's great small ski area, good progression of pistes, with some nice long blues and below the tree line. Check you are near your ski school meeting point. The town itself is quite large - it's a town with a ski-resort, rather than a dedicated resort.
If you want smaller still then Altenmarkt/Radstadt is another great beginner's area. Make sure you know how you're getting to the liftbase, there's a couple of places on/near slope - but most accommodation is a couple of km away. It would be too small for me - I've spent the odd day there, avoiding the crowds on peak weekends, or the treelined runs on poor vis days.
Given time of year, you may want to be really snowsure. Obergurgl and Hochgurgl offer small resort bases, with a great medium sized ski area. Virtually all short walk to lift or even ski in/out. They're really high, so snow sure from November, Sölden is on the same pass and a bus ride down the road, with glacier skiing from October. Downside is accommodation is upmarket and pricey, and above the treeline, so hardwork during bad weather.
Tux would be a really nice option. Small village with bags of Austrian charm, at a good height normally high enough to be snowy in the village by christmas . Stay near the Eggalmbahn. The Eggalm offers a local hill with treelined blue and red runs. There's a nursery slope in the village. It's a small snowy resort, with it's own local hill (Eggalm) - with two big bonuses: it is part of the massive Mayrhofen ski area, though remote enough so that few make it over from Mayrhofen so it retains its small resort feel, particularly as the linking piste is badged as a ski-route (regraded some years ago from a blue as it doesn't have snow cannons); AND 15 mins on the shuttlebus takes you to Hintertux, open 365 days a year it's the most snowsure area in Europe with a fantastic selection of slopes.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Small and beautifully formed, Rauris in Austria. Compact , modern lifts well worth checking out.
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Also consider searching for ‘satellite ski resorts in the Alps’. There are quite a few of these where there’s a less-known quieter, smaller, cheaper resort attached to a big name resort. The forum also has some interesting threads discussing satellites.
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Trysil - the end!
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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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Not been for 30 years, but Anzere in the Valais is/was very nice.
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Of course you could just go a bit down the valley to Val Cenis. The ski area is quite a bit bigger than Bonneval, served by 3 villages (I don't suggest Termignon which is a recent link) and serving mostly French families. Lens le Villard has a more focussed village feel. You presumably saw them on the way through. You could also take the bus up the valley to ski Bonneval Sur Arc and other resorts in or close to the valley, further down which you can do with one of the lift passes on offer.
Also above the valley, lower down, are La Norma and Val Frejus.
Ste. Foy which others mentioned is also a good suggestion.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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All,
Thank you all for your suggestions. I've spent a crazy amount of time looking into them all.
At the moment Trysil is the front runner and we're hopefully going to book something in the next few days. I'll report back post trip.
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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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Anywhere which gives free ski passes for that age of child. I think Austria is better for this but that’s a big generalization.
If you go to Spanish or Andorra Pyrenees, get self catering accommodation as they won’t cook dinner until your kids bedtime!
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FAQ
