 Poster: A snowHead
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My fiance and I have just started learning how to ski, we have one more lesson to do then we are free to go it alone! We're thinking of going away for a weekend at the beginning of next year and I'm wondering if people can recommend some resorts for beginners please - it will be our first time on a real slope as opposed to indoor? We would be looking to go for a long weekend, so also recommendations of who to book through would be great as I can only seem to find places offering 1 week minimum. We've had a recommendation for a resort called Levi in Finland but again, can only see one week when looking for prices etc.
I'm not sure whether to go abroad or just stick to Scotland?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to Shnowheads.
First off you are right that most Tour Operators offer 1 week only, normally from sat-sat or sun-sun. If you want to go for a weekend the a DIY trip would be better, however I personally wouldn't recommend this approach for someone's first trip. There is so much hand holding done by tour operators that makes it easy for first timers to get used to how everything works.
If you did want to embark on a DIY trip I would suggest getting flights with a budget airline to Geneva and going to a nearby french resort such as Morzine. These resorts closer to Geneva tend to offer lots of accommodation that is for long weekends or mid week breaks.
Also what sort of accommodation are you looking for? Catered chalets can be good for some, others prefer self catered apartments. Again, the catered chalet option in my opinion is a good one for first timers.
One thing I will say is that first trips are usually make or break/marmite situations. You either love it or hate it.
Good luck and enjoy 
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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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Thank you for your reply! We don't really know much at all about it so would like to do something that has everything together, rather than DIY - especially if going abroad. However, we may just stick to Scotland for the first few times we go - does anyone know if there are good places for beginners in Scotland? This way, we're not far from home so easier to get there just for a weekend or so.
We've been loving the lessons so far, although first time from the top of the slope was a bit scary - I think that is mainly due to control and trying to go slow though! I find it much easier with a little bit of speed and things are able to flow!
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Kaz25,
+1 to FastCarver's Advice.
Ski weekends are perfectly do-able and there are one or two companies that can accommodate such as igoski.co.uk, but these tend to leave on Wednesday/Thursday (so not quite a ski weekend as such) and limit you to a comparatively small number of resorts. Scotland may therefore be a reasonable option.
That said, I was in the same position as you last year (my fiancee and I having just relearned to ski) and was pondering whether to do a short ski break or a week. We went for the latter and I'm very very glad we did, so perhaps if you are in a position to do a whole week, maybe do give that a bit more consideration.
As new skiers, I suspect the thought of investing a week of leave in something that you might not enjoy does seem quite daft, but I have only ever met one person (my sister - who is terrified of driving and generally going above walking speed) who didn't enjoy their time on the slopes. Her issues were mainly because she didn't take lessons and chose to go with a bunch of experienced snowboarders who tried to get her down red slopes - nevertheless, even she managed to have an enjoyable week, albeit not on the slopes!
As for being terrified, I have to agree with you, but I can promise that it does subside pretty quickly as long as you have an understanding instructor rather than the (brilliant but nuts) guy we had who made it his mission to terrify us every day by playing the "let's ski off piste between trees down paths so narrow that stopping is impossible" game!
R
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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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I haven't skied in Scotland, but unless you happen to live in Scotland you might as well jump on a plane to Geneva and be guaranteed good snow! Flight time from Gatwick is 1hr 15 mins, and you can then get to a decent resort in an hour. If you are flying from a regional airport, the flight times may be less convenient for squeezing the most out of a weekend.
There are package companies that offer weekend ski trips- e.g. http://www.skiweekender.com/prices-and-availability/ or http://www.skisolutions.com/ski-weekends. I have never used them though, as we DIY our weekends.
However, bear in mind a 3 night, 2 day package ski trip does not cost a mere 3/7ths of the cost of a full week, it will be proportionately more, and you may end up having to book your own flights on top. A weekender would not conveniently fit into the usual ski school group classes schedule (which tend to run Sunday to Friday or Monday to Saturday) if that is what you are thinking of doing. I would not recommend doing this without lessons from a local instructor if you have never been up a full blown Alp before...he or she will ensure you don't end up on pistes that may be too much for you, and will also ensure that your marriage plans are not destroyed by the potential on piste arguments ("I'm not going down there"..."How could you have misread the map and taken us to the top of a black run" etc etc... which may otherwise ensue!.
My first experience of skiing was a catered chalet, and I second the vote for it being a good way to start as there will most likely be other guests who will be supportive and encouraging (usually!) as well as english speaking staff who can help answer your questions.
You don't say when in the season you would plan to go. For good value January and early Feb are good. If you intend to go to France you should try and avoid the 4 week block of mid Feb to Mid March as it is school holiday time, not only for France, but also other parts of europe, including the UK and things get a bit manic, as well as booked up.
As to resorts-I can only speak for those places I have visited or have some decent knowledge of. There will be some good Austrian destinations which tick the right boxes, but I would defer to other Snowheads for some insight for that end of the Alps. Ski in ski out (or lifts a close walk away) is always a blessing. As you are beginners you don't need to go to the mega resorts with miles and miles of pistes, but, by the same token, it's those places it's easy to get package trips to, and they often have the bonus of native english speaking ski schools and instructors which many find reassuring.
Places to consider are possibly-Les Carroz, Les Gets, Morzine, (close to Geneva), La Tania, Courchevel 1650/1850, La Plagne (2-2.5 hr transfers).
And finally......
Do consider a week if you possibly can! Huge fun, and your skiing will come on a treat! 
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I used Ski Weekends last January for a Mon-Thurs break (although they do Thur-Mon too) in Les Menuires (Three Valleys). Perfectly nice chalet, good service, overall good experience and a very reasonable price. They do a range of areas and do coach as well as flights.
La Plagne is good for beginners as there are loads of blues, but I had no issue with Les Menuires (first time on real snow after learning indoors) - I booked a private lesson on the first afternoon and it was all good!
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kaz25, Get a cheap flight to Geneva. If you are flexible this can be about £150 or less. There are lots of chalets on chalets direct that will accommodate you and it does make life easy. Otherwise dig around for self catering in some of the resorts.
My own 2p worth is this. No matter where you go get some more lessons in resort. This can be the marmite moment FastCarver74 was referring to. Not only will it help your skiing but it helps with orientation in resort. Snow domes are a great place for learning but a guide/tutor on the slopes for your first day of skiing will be a great benefit.
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kaz25, a good thing is that almost anywhere has enough beginners' terrain for you to have quite enough to do for a long weekend or a week. So it (to an extent) doesn't really matter where you go.
Somewhere smaller might be more manageable. And probably better value. Italy maybe? It may be a good idea to have alternative activities as you may not want to be skiing all day, everyday.
Weekends as above tend to be trickier to find (although I suspect that there are quite a few Scottish weekend deals). Most TOs work to a weekly schedule. How hard is it to find a ski school (there's usually a clue lying around somewhere) and book some lessons?
On Scotland, (I learned in Scotland, some time ago) - your advantage if you are close is that you can just decide the night before whether you're going to go up based on weather, etc. The disadvantage is that the weather and snow are significantly more capricious than is typical in the alps. I'm going to suggest that the on mountain food experience is less appealing than in the Alps.
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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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Also higher odds of more attractive weather in the Alps or Dolomites than Scotland .I know there are great days in Scotland and in the right weather right conditions etc, but I would suggest the Alps is a more attractive option. If you are enjoying your lessons in a snow dome or dry ski slop you will be blown away by skiing in the Alps. I would suggest reserving a week possibly mid March when conditions are more likely (but not inevitably) to be benign and sunny with longer days and more snow cover. Obviously choose a resort with a good range of beginners slopes. Of the resorts I've visited I can recommend Alpe d Huez, La Palgne, Courcheval, as being particuarly good for skiers on their first trip - the latter being the most expensive. I should all of these are large resorts and you don't necessarily need resorts this large.
If you scroll through a tour operators guide they often star them as good for beginners, intermediate etc. Some resorts I would certainly suggest you should avoid for first trip are Chamonix, Verbier, St Anton, Val d Sere all resorts with great skiing but not ideal for your first trip. Most of my skiing has been in France and am sure some Snowheads with experience of Italy and Austria could recommend great choices for you in those countries also. A long weekend is certainly possible if you are adventurous and independent. If you are booking in January I would be very tempted to see what last minute deals are available and commit to a week as I suspect it will be cheaper than trying to book a long weekend independently or through a tour operator with a more limited selection
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I'm going to suggest that the on mountain food experience is less appealing than in the Alps.
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I cannot believe that Tiroler Grostl and wiessbeer on a sunny terrace is better that burger and irn bru in the steamy depths of a Glencoe hut! Shame on you 
Seriously it is a good point and part of a bigger one. I love skiing Scotland cos I am about an hour from Glencoe and go when the conditions are good, at its best there is nothing to beat it, but even I have to admit that it is a bit rough round the edges compared with Alpine resorts. You could book up your trip and find the mountain stormbound for most of it. It is also more likely that you will get strong wind and poor visibility.
As a beginner you might find the inevitable frustrations a bit easier if you are in sunshine and light winds. You could try later season (Mid march to early April between half term and easter) and get some very good deals, cheaper passes etc the weather is often good and most places these days are very good at keeping the pistes in good order even late season. You won't get feet of fresh powder, but that doesn't matter in week 1!
Generalisations are always dodgy, but in my (limited) experience, Austria is more likely to have things to do if you don't want to ski since most resorts are in the towns and costs in general are lower although accomodation is more in hotels and guest houses , France is more likely to have purpose built resorts at high level so you are ski in ski out but with little to do except ski, flats/apartments are more common and self catering may be cheaper.
The 1 week thing is a feature of the ski holiday market. I do weekends and shorter trips by sorting it all out independently but, unless you are London based, there are very few companies offering short breaks and flight times are not convenient, you often find a "weekend" is actually 2 days travelling and 2 or 3 days actually skiing.
As for Scotland, don't wait to plan for next year, if the forecast looks good then check the websites, get in the car and just turn up. Any of the centres can hire gear, arrange lessons etc at short notice and you will find somewhere to stay, even if it is a travel lodge on the way up or back.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I second the vote for Alpe D'Huez as a good beginners resort-forgot that one on my earlier list. Not the prettiest of resorts, but really excellent and extensive beginners' slopes. Les Menuires is also an option, though I think Val Thorens just up the road might offer a wider choice of easy pistes in the village itself.
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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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There are some good reviews of Levi on the Resort reviews pages. Having learnt downhill skiing in a titchy resort in Sweden (Vemdalen) I'm very glad that I did. The lift pass and equipment hire were fairly cheap, and the English language instruction excellent. It's cold and dark just now, but by March it won't be, and it can be surprisingly economical (take your own booze). Declaration of interest - I'm about to book a week's mixed cross-country/downhill in Lapland myself... It's not a good weekend option, though, because the week deals do charter flights to Kittilä, and otherwise you need to go via Helsinki, which will take up a lot of your weekend.
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Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm at work just now so will look over them properly later. We may look into a week then and also the in resort lessons too. We live in Scotland, although only just over the Border, which is why we had thought about going up north for a weekend. It won't be until early next year (probably January) so plenty of time to research and decide.
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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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Excuse me steering this thread off on a tangent but... Can someone summarise the cost of a weekend skiing in Scotland?
accommodation in a B&B or Hotel (2-3 nights)
parking at ski lifts
lift pass (2 days)
ski hire
lessons
anything else I may have overlooked.
Just wondering how this compares to the alps.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mike I costed up and for me 'n' missus waws £398 iirc:) Will try and find post was only about fortnight ago i put it on this forum with full breakdown
Found my post, and this is the exact text
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Fuel = £0 I have a company car with fully fueled expenses - Obviously im in the minority - But we did 720mile round journey it works out about 8-10p per mile so £60-90 normally lets assume middle line = £75
Hotel - We stayed in a nice BnB down at Blairgowrie (old cross inn) which cost £120 for 2 nights BnB = £120
Food - We ate at the hotel, whilst probably a few quid more than some places, but worth every penny the average meal + 1 drink worked to about £25 per head so another £100 = £100
Ski Hire & lessons We hired skiis for the day+ 2 hour private lesson for the both of us = £36 for ski & £90 for 2 for people / 2 hours private = £126
Day lift pass for beginners = £17 p/ p = £34
So total cost for 1 day skiing in glenshee was £455
So yep probably could of done a midweek break in low cost resort for that lol But still worth it lol Smile |
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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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Many of us I'm sure have a soft spot for the first resort where we ever skied. Mine was Montgenevre and I would recommend that for a first trip.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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SlipSki, Thanks for that. I am based in the midlands so it is interesting to see total cost. Taking off tuition I estimate cost for 2 people with 2 days skiing and 2 nights accommodation to be around £400-450 including juice for the car and a couple of meals.
Its not that much cheaper than a trip to the alps but I guess its easier to do last minute if the accommodation is available.
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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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alangibson73, Agree. I went to La Plagne. skied badly, scared myself on too many occasions, fell over lots, hurt my hand, spent loads, but fell in love with skiing. I plan to return one day with a tad more experience and look forward to being the boss of my skis on the slopes that scared me last time.
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Mike-H, Aye mike, obviously our bump in price was the £126 for lessons / ski hire , We did 2 nights in hotel, but only 1 day on slopes, but if you think that is everything for a 2 day trip, then minus ski/lessons it is about £300 which for weekend away on slopes, isn't bad going (thats everything inc food and a dinner drink)
However, I would say if it wasn't for fact of learning and being short drop of hat notice, then I would say I would prefer to spend that on a 3 day trip to alps/germany etc
kaz25, Well good luck with lessons, If you see someone flying past with arms out in air then say hi to me as i fly (badly) past
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FAQ
