 Poster: A snowHead
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Did a search and didn't see this coming up... so forgive me if you've been round this before.
I was just wondering what do people think are the top 5 must visit resorts in Europe.
To start the ball rolling... my current list is :
1. St Anton
2. Zermatt
3. The Three Valleys generally, but to pick a resort, i'd go for Courchevel.
4. Espace Killy - Tignes or Val-D'isere.
5. Chamonix
Bit of a French flavour to that I guess, interested to see what others come up with !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kitzbhuel
St Anton
Cortina D'Ampezzo
Les Arcs
Maddona da Campiglio
La Thuile for a pizza as a good reserve
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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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Kitzbhuel
Chamonix
Val D'Isere
Zermatt
Verbier
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Hmmm, not really had much experience of Italy so interested to see if any came up. I have my trusty copy of Where to Ski and Snowboard so I'll look these up. Les Arcs is a personal fav of mine - it kind of does what it says on the tin and has a nice mix of pistes as well as some great 'easy' off piste, which suits me.
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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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Tough call IMHO, so in no particular order;
Arabba
Chamonix
Espace Killy
Les Arcs
Verbier
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Depends on what you are after, but for Scenery I'd definately have Wengen and Zermatt in the top 5
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Of the resorts I've skied: in no particular order (except the first one) 
Les Deux Alpes
Zermatt
Wengen
La Grave (does that count)? Not really a resort.
Steinach
The Lecht
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meribel
kitzbhuel
Espace Killy
Verbier
montgenerve
not been to st anton
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CP, "tough call" - that's the point of the Top 5 !
Arabba is interesting as I'd not come across it, just looked it up, comes under the Selva / Sella Ronda category in WTS&S. It does sound attactive, the only issue on my reading would be the perceived lack of more challenging runs...
The others seem good contenders...
Wengen, again sounds attractive, but again WTS&S suggests it is best for early intermediates. One to visit, but in the Top 5 ?
D G Orf, I guess I was looking at all round resorts - I'd class myself as a later intermediate ( but then I am a skier turned snowboarder ) so from a personal perspective, resorts that are good for intermediate / experienced snowusers are more attractive for me, but hey this is about a personal Top 5 so whatever you think.
Part of my reason for starting the topic was to point me to resorts that ought to be on my 'to do' list.. over the last few years, we've gotten into a rut of snowsure large French resorts and now I'd like to spread my wings a bit !
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Richie_S, Wengen's good for intermediates and beginners, but not so great for advanced, though there are some good off piste runs in the area.
Take anything that WTS&S or TGSG says about Wengen with a small pinch of salt as for some reason the reviewers seem to be biased against the resort, I think for many of them it's the time on the trains
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Meribel
Verbier
Zermatt
Val D'Isere
Flims/Laax
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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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D G Orf, that's good feedback, yup I don't tend to solely trust the guides ( i've got a variety of different ones at home to try and get a varied opinion ) - hence another good reason for this post. I've generally found WTS&S the most informative, with more content and facts than other similar publications... but it is difficult to get round some of the more subjective comments - as with anything you only really know when you've tried it yourself, and if Wengen works for you then maybe its one to consider !
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If its scenery you are after then Murren
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You know it makes sense.
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Excellent. Lists!!
1. Serre Chevalier
2. St Anton
And Les Arcs, Alpe d'Huez, Espace Killy, 3 Valleys and Verbier and battling for the other 3 places. Erm...too hard...OK...
3. Espace Killy
4. Verbier
5. Les Arcs
Zermatt tops the list of European resorts I want to go to.
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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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easiski, I like it ....
Mine would be:
1. Cairngorm
2. Glenshee
3. Glencoe
4. The lecht
5. probably somewhere in Europe as the Nevis range is a bit far for me.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Espace Killy (Vald'Isere)
3 Valleys (Meribel)
St Anton
Megeve
Chamonix
Mainly French as an easy day drive from Surrey.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hmmm - difficult not been many places I think are great:
1) Les Arcs
2) 3V
The remaining three spots are still open will have to try out some of the suggestions above!
(Others I've been to in order of visit, for comparison: Les Orres, LDA, Killington, AdHuez, SerreChavalier, Pas, Chatel plus 2 weeks each in Les Arcs/3V)
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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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ajhainey, Everywhere I have been (apart from Kaprun) I thought was great.
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brian
brian
Guest
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Adam Holt, A9 to Dalwhinnie and then A86 down to Spean Bridge. You'll get there as quick as Cairngorm and quicker than the Lecht
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I’m sure we’ve done this at least 20 times before, but you can never have too many lists! Of course, it all depends on your criteria – I’m only a simple punter and therefore go for, in no particular order, convenience, vertical, mileage, lift system and après (charm and scenery add little to my holiday, philistine that I am). So based on that, and the fact that I’m no expert skier, I’d go for:
1. Espace Killy
2. Les Arcs
3. St Anton
4. Flaine
5. Zermatt
Espace Killy is pretty perfect – best lift system in the Alps, some great long pistes, huge variety, good intermediate off-piste, and good après (only down side is too many stuck-up Brits, but they are easily avoided).
St Anton only beaten into third because of lack of convenience (oh, and women!).
Les Arcs takes second purely because of the Aiguille Rouge – probably my all-time favourite run.
Flaine is excellent for uncrowded easy cruising (but could lose out to Cervinia if it ever improves its lift system and slope access).
Zermatt has plenty of fantastic skiing but again loses out on convenience and lift system (too may T-bars for my liking!).
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If you'll allow areas rather than resorts, so its definitely the skiing and mountain ambience we're on about I say:
Zermatt
Monterosa
area both for good pistes, excellent off piste and 4000m peaks all around
Espace Killy for mileage, off piste and piste challenge
Les Arcs (but not paradiski) for all round challenge and the Aiguille rouge
St Anton for much the same reason as Espace Killy.
I'm afraid I don't like the disjointed narrow sysetem of Verbier or Les 2 Alpes (but I'm going to try Les 2 Alpes at Easter again.easiski, I might be in touch
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Chamonix
St Anton
Zermatt
Verbier
Val D Isere
are all must go to's at some time or another, in my book
but there are also lots that aren't raved about by the Brit press..... it doesn't all have to be about mileage...!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I´m afraid I can´t tell you my number 1 as I skied fresh/untracked powder there all day 5 days after it snowed...
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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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No Order and definately not 'The Best' as I don't believe there is such a thing; one mans meat etc.
But my favourites for various reasons
Serre Che
Glencoe
Lech
Davos
Zermatt
I have never had a bad holiday anywhere. I have mixed feelings about the Tarentaise resorts though. Great terrain and decent snow record but as resorts I find them a bit more soulless than some also not the finest scenery in the alps IMHO.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 17-11-05 20:58; edited 1 time in total
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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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How about:
Notre Dame de Bellecombe
Vars
Puy St Vincent
Champagny
Alpe du Grand Serre
Actually, put Alpe du Grand Serre at the top.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lizzard, sorry but I wouldn't rate any of them as top French resorts never mind top European resorts.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snowbunny, I have an addiction to pentathol. please give me more and I'll tell you everyting...
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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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| David@traxvax wrote: |
| Lizzard, sorry but I wouldn't rate any of them as top French resorts never mind top European resorts. |
Resorts can be graded by an individual in many different ways. Skiing, lifts, bar totty, drink, trees, laugh quotient, holiday experience, transfer etc etc.
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David Murdoch,
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snowbunny, I have an addiction to pentathol. please give me more and I'll tell you everyting...
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You are absolutely right you would,...but I only want the details on the resort 
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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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David@traxvax, Actually you're right about the top 5, but most of us have put OUR favourite top 5, and not what we think ought to be in it. Good for Lizzard, liking smaller, less well known places!
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Re smaller places: I can't agree more with easiski, I could easily create a top 5 from the smaller resorts accessible from the Autoroute Blanche between Geneva and Chamonix. I have fond memories of places like Les Contamines and La Grand Bornand which I used to be able to get to as a day tripper.
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easiski, I have a soft spot for the Lecht too, it seems to hold onto the snow a lot better than any of the others up here. Having said that, I think Glenshee midweek with good snow would just pip it.
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No-ones mentioned Courmayeur - I went years ago over Christmas and thought it a fantastic resort - very pretty, very Italian and with the possibility of exploring Chamonix...
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I've only got three that I've experienced so far that I think should be up there-
At the moment number one for me has to be Zermatt, it's got it all, great off-piste, great on-piste, good apres ski, fantastic ambience, great food... the only downside is the price.
Second on my list is St Anton, for much of the same reason's except the food isn't quite as uniformly good, and neither is the ambience quite as good as Zermatt.
Third for me would have to be Espace Killy, purely for the variety of skiing there, especially for advanced/expert skiers. Food, ambience, and apres ski not up to much if you ask me.
Places that I reckon may well be up there, but haven't skied yet are the 3Vs, Verbier, maybe St Moritz. Possibly Chamonix. Ask me again when I've managed to ski them all!
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easiski, in that case my response is easy: La Rosiere, Chamonix, St Anton, Courchevel, Les Arcs.
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