cheap ski during xmas/new year in small village?

A snowHead

i have been searching for somewhere to ski over xmas (around 26th to 31st)

all major resorts need a least one week booking "sat-sat or sun-sun". they also coast 3-4x the normal January price

are there small villages i could stay and drive to the slopes (15-20min drive) that would work? how do i find such accommodation.

my requirements are
- under 3hr from a major airport
- no night life
- simple apartment
- 15-20min drive to slopes

a tiny village in a small resort is fine. seems like Bulgaria may not have snow this year from the webcams
tnx

A snowHead

this year 2014

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

So you want somewhere cheap for part of new year week? The most expensive, high season week of the year, when they can pretty much garrentee selling out the whole week at top dollar?

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1. choose resort you want to ski at
2. find resort on a map
3. find towns/villages near resort
4. use google

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

http://www.booking.com/region/fr/rhone-alpes.en-gb.html

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@jayroc2k, my apartment was available until the 28th, but it looks like I now have a booking for it, subject to receiving the payment

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

@jayroc2k, I'll openly pimp an empty room of mine...
Availble until 27th (check-out).
B'n'B or potentialy catered depending on how lazy I am being!
Drop me a PM or click the link in the sig if you are interested.

Sankt Veit im Pongau

Aviemore

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Your dates aren't really 'over Christmas' as they stretch across two weeks; Welcome to SnowHeads though

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@achilles, No skiing in St Veit, you either have to go to Alpendorf, or if it's open, then beginners have a lovely small area at Goldegg.

snow reports

@flangesax
I need an apartment as its 3 of us plus a baby hence no interest in night life. I had a look a slovakia, but is not high enough and would be a risk given the lack of snow to date. Surprisingly, they now have expensive hotels!

will check out
Sankt Veit im Pongau

Samerberg Sue, Many years ago I had a week's very enjoyable skiing over the New Year whilst I stayed at St Veit. I seem to remember a village slope where the instructors had a quick look at us before we went on to do a lot of our skiing based at Alpendorf - and also bimbling the Ski Amade area - and a happy day around Bad Gastein. Come to think of it, we were dependent on enough of the ski school clients having cars (the majority of those in the classes were based in the Continent and had brought vehicles) - so on reflection, not a good recommendation for the OP, unless their party was prepared to hire a vehicle at the airport. But it was very enjoyable staying in a largely unspoilt Austrian village. Happy days.

You know it makes sense.

Crikey. Just seen that Siegi Tours is still going strong. Just trying to remember when I was with them - it was a long time ago.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@jayroc2k, does it have to be an apartment (as opposed to a hotel)? Those are very awkward dates, as you've already discovered. You might do better in a biggish town with a range of hotels - most tiny villages far from ski resorts will not have short-term apartments to rent, and those within 15 minutes drive of a ski resort will be expensive AND mostly already rented for those dates - loads of European skiers routinely use cars and drive to lifts. They don't require ski in/ski out places.

I'm thinking of a town like Sallanches, in France. Easy (though more than 20 minutes) drive to a range of resorts including Chamonix, Flaine, Combloux/Megeve.

But you'd want to wait a bit anyway, presumably, to see whether there is going to be enough snow to make it all worthwhile?

A snowHead

http://www.maishofen.com/

Near loads of skiing- Maria Alm, Saalbach, Zell am See
Easy to get to from Salzburg, Innsbruck, Munich

A snowHead

@achilles, yes Siegi Tours are still going, still run by Siegi and Irene and still going through the same evening entertainments package. I think either you went to Goldegg (4 drag lifts of varying length and difficulty) or they may have had a lift actually in the village that has since been removed. As long as I've been going to the area there have been no lifts in St Veit and the Siegi Groups including beginners all turn up at Alpendorf. I've been skiing there since the late 1980s by the way. The only groups I know for sure that use the Goldegg lifts now are the local schools and the local Kindergartens during their ski weeks. There are no snow cannons there and it is often only open for a few days per season now, unless it is a mega season.

@jayroc2k, those are exactly the dates of many mainland European skiers will have already booked. If you are looking at Austria, then the village of Hüttau in would fit the bill and also the villages of Werfen or Pfarrwerfen. Werfen is more a small town, instantly recognisable to Brits as the location of the action in the Burton/Eastwood film, "Where Eagels Dare". I would definitely look at going Half board in a 3* type Gasthof, you'll have more choice that way.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Samerberg Sue, could be we went to Goldegg for the initial assessments, as it was for the first morning only, my memory is vague. I think it was in the late 80s - I think the currency was still schillings. I heard about Siegi from ex RAFG guys, who really rated him. I went on a week primarily set up for Canadians and Americans, and had a great time. The skiing instruction was excellent - it was one of those weeks when you feel that the instructor is your friend. Apres was well taken care of. A little bit touristy packaged, I suppose, but good fun. It was clear that Siegi was quite an influence in the village. The most moving bit was when I took part in a candle-lit procession on New Year's Eve. I was in a group that walked down the mountain, we met a group that walked up form the bottom of the village, I think. The mayor then made a speech about his hopes for the New Year - not for the tourists, but for the local people. It brought it home that the locals were real folk with hopes and aspirations.

I do regret that much as I loved the area (I got along to Wagrain and Flachau) I haven't been there to ski since.

Siegi must be getting on a bit in years - but if the show is still run by him and Irene, I reckon a week there would still be worth while.

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@achilles, they still serve the US and NATO ski groups primarily, the Stuttgart and Frankfurt-Hahn bases being the main sources, not so many British service groups any more because of the huge cuts to the Rhineland bases.

It has probably changed a lot since you came but the spirit of being a real place is still the same.

You can ski a huge distance now without getting on a drag lift these days as well; all chairs and gondolas except for Goldegg and one draglift remaining on the Stegbach side of Alpendorf!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Bourg d'Oisans. We haven't got a lot of snow though, and no sign of any on the horizon either.

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Stay in Castelrotto in a Garni. 10 minute ski bus to the Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi gondola. The ski buses are quality not your typical smelly French crap. They also go to Ortisei and Selva - all free on the Dolomiti Superpass. Plenty of skiing and you can get onto the Sella Ronda dead easy. Leave your gear in lockers at the top of the gondola - no clomping around in boots carrying skis. No ski operators. We've been doing it for years - go over New Year and again end of Feb, 10 days each time. Eat evening meals in the town, and New Year in the square is always fun and very traditional.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@irie, that does sound very good!

After all it is free

Yes it is. Years ago we finally had enough of being ripped off in France. Eating out is relatively cheap. Only issue is getting from Innsbruck to Castelrotto, it's about €190 each way by taxi but since there is normally 4-8 of us it works out OK (people carrier). You can also take a train to Bolzano then get a taxi, much cheaper. Or hire a car in Innsbruck airport. Oh, and we live in Chichester!

@jayroc2k, Silly as it sounds.......... just like my Xmas away from home........

24Th Dec...... MAN to GVA...... pick up transfer to St Jean d'Aulps, (75 mins) ....... 6 nights in decent 1 bed apart 200m from local ski lift, 15 mins drive/ski-bus to Ardent and lifts into main PdS system. Flights cost £35 pp (plus Avios), accommodation/transfers are through wonderful friends, prolly the best priced Xmas ski-jolly in history. snowHead

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Yes, think we saw them once years ago - and there are pictures of them everywhere!

There's also a young group who ski around with their brass musical instruments on their backs in formal clothing giving impromptu performances at lunch time. They're really good.

Help!!

cheap ski during xmas/new year in small village?

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