 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey guys
First post here... obviously.
Currently looking around for the most suitable/cheap resort for a group of 20-something lads looking for a fairly lively apres-ski (doesn't have to be an apres-ski mecca). A few of the guys have never been before and the rest are beginners/intermediate, so good skiing would be nice, but we're not looking to cover miles and miles of piste.
I've been looking at Hotel Lion in Bovorets - the hotel itself has had good reviews and the resort seems dirt cheap - ideal. However, we're looking to go mid December and, from what I've read, the skiing isn't great that time of year. All in for this place we're looking at around £550 (that's taking into account food and beer money etc).
The other option I was looking at was La Crête du Berger - a little appartment in La Joue du Loup. From what I've read the skiing looks a lot better! Snowtrex have this at £160 pp for 7 nights including lift pass - a steal! After pricing everything up (including hiring a car as that seems to be the most efficient mode of travel), we're looking at around £450-£500. However, apres seems none existent.
As you can see, we're looking at 7 nights for anything around the £500 mark and any sort of apres 
Any information you guys could share as to what you think would suit us best would be ideal and I'd realy appreciate your help as I've only been once before so am not very clued up when it comes to this sort of stuff.
Cheers
Dean
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've stayed at the Lion and it was ok but very smokey. Bulgaria is primitive but Borovets is cheap with strip clubs and dodgy women. Mid Dec you will be very lucky to get any snow and even if you do the skiing is very limited.
My advice would be to go to another country, in fact anywhere else will be 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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zoglog, Mid december is pre season for many resorts.The snow is uncertain though may be great and I rather suspect the apres in most places will be limited.
My own advice would be to wait till the last minute and see where the snow has fallen. If not you could try somewnere like the Zillertal which has a glacier at the top ot the valley and may be a bit cheaper than the French resorts with glaciers. Les 2 Aloes is another place with a glacier and slightly lower prices.
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Thanks a lot for the reply, guys! Will definitely be taking the advice on board.
T Bar - those two places you mentioned, Zillertal and Les 2 Alpes, do you think they'd have much in the way of apres? Even if its a few bars open until early hours?
Thanks
Dean
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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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The Pyrenees often has perfectly reasonable conditions mid-Dec - but I guess the issue is whether the tour operators have started their calendar yet (since although you could DIY on the cheap, it's a hassle and is almost certainly not what your group would want to be bothered with). See if you can track down any deals for Soldeu or Pas de la Casa, which are both part of the Grandvalira resort in Andorra. That place has excellent snowmaking facilities, so unless December turns out to be a heatwave you'll be fine there. No-one can say for sure, though, so waiting for a last-minute deal is a decent option too.
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| zoglog wrote: |
those two places you mentioned, Zillertal and Les 2 Alpes, do you think they'd have much in the way of apres? Even if its a few bars open until early hours?
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Yes, guaranteed
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Note that the complete beginners might not get up to the glacier in Les Deux Alpes unless they progress quickly (at least, my first-week group didn't, but admittedly we were crap at learning to snowboard!). So I'm not sure that focusing on glacier resorts is the best approach for a beginners group.
(As it happens, our time at Les Deux Alpes was also pre-Christmas, and the snow cover was fine, including on the lower pistes where we spent the whole week. Every year is different though...)
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What about Cervinia in Italy? Not too pricey and lots of high skiing.
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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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Hmmm, good apres in mid December may be a bit of an ask, there won't be many resorts I would think that will be busy. As has been said, glacier may be best, Hintertux or Solden. Much as I'm a fan of the Zillertal, I suspect Solden may be a good shout as thier season starts 26 October.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 29-09-14 15:31; edited 1 time in total
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| Ghost Dog wrote: |
| Hmmm, good apres in mid December may be a bit of an ask, there won't be many resorts I would think that will be busy. As has been said, glacier may be best, Hintertux or Solden. |
+1
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If there is any snow Id say goto borovets, for a group of 20 somthing lads youl have a right laugh, I think going to Borovets is something everyone who skis should do once just for the experience, if your any good though it wont be worth it as the skiing is very limited so Id suggest taking up the other discapline while your there. Equipment hire and lessons seems to come all in the price so you can swap skis and boards as mucgh as you want.
The apres is mental though and dirt cheap, I dont think we paid for a drink all night on one of the nights we were there and even when you do pay its something like 30p a pint and you get free shots of something very dubious with it (in one bar we were sure these shots has amphetamine in). Saying that though there werent too many single birds there just girls that you may 'pay' for 
one thing to note is that they lie on the webcams, we only booked there as it was so cheap and looked like there was lots of snow, there was in fact none just a little slush on the nursery slopes.
Basically its rubbish for skiing but cheap and a good laugh which sounds more like what your up for. Cost us about £550 each all in and we were out untill 3 or 4 every night and had equipment and lessons and everything.
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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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But will there be any apres that early on? Solden will not be busy on 15 December, but I'm pretty sure it will be busier than the other resorts that are (may) be open.
Good hotel suggestion The Hotel Garni Sunshine. Opposite uplift and above some apres. Can't be beat, we're going abck in Jan.
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Have a look at http://thegasthof.com/
Mayrhofen is a pretty decent fit for what you are after. Plenty of flights go into Munich and so you can normally get a deal there and if you book in advance the train is pretty good value as well. Probably have some of the uni trips here that week as well and so there will be plenty of people out for apres ski.
If you are happy to DIY, then there are deals out there and you don't have to go to Bulgaria. I've been a couple of times, once in a party of 45 for a birthday and we had a right laugh. There is however no comparison in terms of the skiing available in other places and my view remains that the small saving you make is not worth it in comparison to what you could get with a bit of effort investigating other options
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You know it makes sense.
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Also check out Haus Monika in Mayrhofen directly opposite Penkenbahn, it's the closest B & B to uplift.
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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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I've found Ischgl to be pretty busy early season, with apres in full swing. Great skiing too. Not sure about the budget though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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sauze d'oulx would be my choice, not sure you'd get as low as £500 but it's cheap, decent enough for all levels and good apres even fairly early.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Les Deux Alpes definitely has apres. I don't love the skiing there, but in comparison to borovets it's a ski paradise 'Les Residences' isn't an actual place - it's just a name for the random apartments they might have throughout town - think of it like allocated on arrival! The whole place is fairly convienient though so wouldn't worry about being too far from the slopes - however a big group you might find you are split up? Call and see what they say.
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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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Haha that made me chuckle!
Thanks a.j. ! I just stumbled upon Résidence Aiguille Lodge on ski.sunweb - £159 pp including ski pass!! That's looking the most likely resort/accommodation so far.
Thanks again for all the input guys. It's really a minefield when it comes to booking a skiing holiday when you've not much experience, so I really appreciate all the info, it's helped a lot.
I'm sure I'l have a few more questions along the way!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Looks like its gone abit up market since I went
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Myself and my friends (all mid 20's and lads) have done several hols all around Europe inc Bulgaria (Bansko). Bulgarian nightlife - great. Bulgarian snow - very poor. Last easter it was Ischgl, it was pretty lively even though it was end of season with all bars open, dancing bar girls etc....we did S/C apartment, lift pass, ski hire and flights for around £500-£550 + food all DIY. Though flights would be pricey now I would expect.
If you are prepared to drive yourselves w/ ferry or tunnel then I would say Austria is probably a good option. Ischgl, Solden, St Anton(?) maybe Saalbach plus many more. Ischgl/Solden both high and or w/Glacier. If you and your mates are like me and mine then Austria is pretty much ideal as normally you can get - good value accom, great nightlife, good piste side food (not £10 for a baguette) and normally great skiing.  Once you've done one DIY trip you will never look back. SO much cheaper and more of an adventure and more of an opportunity to do your own thing. If your not prepared to drive and insist on a package deal thingy try Livigno in Italy - highish good skiing, duty free town = good/cheap resort and nightlife.
Early season you could struggle for snow wherever you are in Europe but in general if you book your ferry or tunnel crossing now you could book accomoodation/ski hire late based on snow and weather reports. Also one tip - dont get your lift pass before you go, we turned up expecting to pay £175 at easter in Ischgl - went to the lift pass office and they were doing a late season discount and we paid £135ish for 6 days. With it being early, lift pass and ski hire discounts/offers will be around! Good Luck!!
EDIT - Add in Mayrhofen and Zell am See - (Tux/Kaprun Glaciers if snow is bad) - Decent apres also.
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Solden and Zell Am See are both good bets with guaranteed Glacier skiing. For Zell you can get cheap flights to Munich hire a car(s) then book an apartment. But you'll get better deals & probably better snow if you go early Jan, the cheapest week of the season proper where Tour Ops, Iglu ski etc will be offering some great deals.
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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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Go to Livigno, that is one of cheapest ski resort, but very good place for skiing! I have been there to ski with groups more than 20 times, it is really good. and, when you arrive, you dont need any transport, ski buses are very good and you can reacg any ski lift!
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If you are on a budget then France is not for you unless you get an apartment and stay in. been to L2A four years ago and paid on average 7-8 euros for a beer at night. Happy hours are about where 5 euros will get a you a pint. also eating out there is very expensive and 20 euros might just about stretch to spag bol and a coke at lunch time. It is a party resort though but if you go there drink loads before you go out or you will need a lot of money. As previously mentioned it is also not an ideal resort for beginners
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Soll is one of the cheaper Austrian resorts with a good Apres as well. Don't be put off by the suggestion that because its low the snow will be poor. Yes they have a huge snow cannon infrastructure which admittedly was required for the freak year last year but there was never a proble of no snow. Accommodation to suit every purse. Ideal for beginners, and for those who can ski, the world is your oyster. Been there 4 times in last 6 years with both experienced mature ski group and with daughters and boyfriends who are in their 20's. Put it this way we are thinking of going back for New Year.
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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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What I can suggest is Gulmarg, India. However snow is not good in December but if you can plan in January then It is definitely a place to be and in your budget you can get an amazing ski holiday...
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FAQ
A real shame!
