 Poster: A snowHead
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we are a family of 6, 4 teenage girls, intermediate, and we have gone to Tignes for the last 3 years, around the 11/12th December, (the week before the season officially starts, for budget reasons!) We like Tignes, but less keen on the long transfer and wondered about a change of scene, maybe to Austria - but we know nothing about it. As its still a bit early in the season, we assume we should go high. Is there a favourite for an intermediate family, not a huge budget?? Many thanks for any advice
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ischgl
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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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@Beegee,
Ischgl is a good bet but by Austrian standards it is quite expensive.
Above all else though the best advice for going at this time of the year is wait and see. You can get relatively poor snow virtually anywhere at this time and although some places have a better snow record than others and Ischgl is certainly one of the better ones you are far better off waiting.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
the best advice for going at this time of the year is wait and see.
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+1 There are many resorts which will not be open in mid December, however good the snow. But it's a quiet time, with plenty of accommodation available, and you can wait and see what the snow cover looks like. If you are flying, book flights when they are first available (and therefore cheap) to an airport which gives you plenty of scope. Then wait, probably till the week before, to book accommodation.
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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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And don't get all excited about snow in early November - which will probably melt long before the ski season starts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Mayrhofen and Soll great destinations for intermediates but as per previous posts, hold on to last minute. There will be plenty of availability for that week so you can go where the snow is.
Re "not a huge budget" - after three years in France, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the prices on and off the mountain.
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| pam w wrote: |
| And don't get all excited about snow in early November - which will probably melt long before the ski season starts. |
Why ever not !! I'd get excited about snow at any time, just because it is snow, not because it is going to make a good ski season.
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OK, yes, we all get excited. Just don't rush to make any bookings. 
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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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Thanks so much for all the replies - its tricky as (6) flights to Geneva are super cheap compared to Innsbruck - presumably we save though once we get there? have always self catered and would be pretty delighted not to  . re 'don't get all excited about November snow'....mmm have done that a lot in the past!
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| Quote: |
flights to Geneva are super cheap compared to Innsbruck - presumably we save though once we get there? have always self catered and would be pretty delighted not to
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in a week you'd have to do an extraordinary amount of eating and drinking on the mountain to save the difference in airfares. And in some Austrian resorts ski rental is quite a lot more than in France - if that's an issue. Lift prices much the same, accommodation costs probably very similar too.
A catered chalet might suit you well and there's a huge choice - from the big tour operators down to privately owned and managed chalets. With a decent breakfast, and plenty of tea available after skiing to see you through to dinner (with complimentary wine) you really don't have to spend much on the mountain, at all.
If you fly, be aware that transfer costs can vary a lot, and can be expensive.
And just to recap, remember that many - probably a majority - of French resorts (don't know about Austrian ones) won't be open in mid December, however much snow there is. Many will open the week before Christmas.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
| And don't get all excited about snow in early November - which will probably melt long before the ski season starts. |
Not in the resorts at high altitude though Pam. The reason why Val Thorens was skiable for the last 2 years is that early snow had stuck around on the pistes.
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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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Have a look at flights to Munich and Zurich as well. They're also convenient for many resorts.
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3 or 4 years ago, after much excitement about snow in November, the FL rose to well over 3000m for some time and there was no precipitation for weeks. But yes, of course it is more likely to stick around at high altitude than at low altitude. It remains the case that there is no good reason to book accommodation early for a ski holiday in mid December. Every reason to book flights NOW however.
Should there be decent snow at lower altitude, and cold wintry weather, who'd want to be stuck up in Val Thorens, rather than somewhere lower and less windy and bleak, with some trees?
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You know it makes sense.
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I would hazard a guess that transfers from Innsbruck to somewhere skiable are likely to be quite a bit cheaper than from Geneva though I don't know for certain but most places are reachable by train / post bus.
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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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With a big family, renting a car is likely to be the cheapest option for most transfers (except maybe the super cheap new service to Chamonix) from Geneva.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Take a look at flights into Salzburg as well as Munich and Zurich. Lots of resorts within an easy hour of the airport, all of which were open and skiable at Christmas this season when many so-called snow sure French resorts were wondering if they were going to get any snow! OK it was predominently artificial snow, but the investment in the infrastructure to ensure skiing in the early and late season certainly paid off big time. Overall the reinvestment of your hard earn bucks paid out for ski passes has resulted in more modern lift systems and the elimination of drag lifts wherever possible.
Except for the Chamonix valley resorts, I never found Geneva to be a convenient airport to fly to or from, the transfers were expensive and also very long. As someone who suffers badly from travel sickness as a passenger, it was purgatory to do the long transfers up winding m.ountain roads. As soon as we were able, we switched to self-drive when skiing in France.
The short and easy transfers from most of the Austrian airports to the resorts were a complete reveleation to me; easy motorway and valley roads with no twisting winding climbs unless I'd book a hotel halfway up the damned mountain!
@pam w, the cost of ski hire in the vast majority of Austria is comparable with that of France. Simply reiterating what you have read about St Anton and applying it to the whole of the country is mendacious to say the least.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You could look at Cervinia. I have been to Zermatt just over the hill for the last 6 years or so at the end of November. We always get to ski over to Cervinia, with pistes open to mid station. So by mid December you should have ample to keep you happy ( and the chance to ski the Swiss side too). Flights to Turin and Milan are probably your best option, and we always find car hire dead cheap compared with France or Switzerland.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
3 or 4 years ago, after much excitement about snow in November, the FL rose to well over 3000m for some time and there was no precipitation for weeks. But yes, of course it is more likely to stick around at high altitude than at low altitude. It remains the case that there is no good reason to book accommodation early for a ski holiday in mid December. Every reason to book flights NOW however.
Should there be decent snow at lower altitude, and cold wintry weather, who'd want to be stuck up in Val Thorens, rather than somewhere lower and less windy and bleak, with some trees? |
Agree about not needing to book mid December accommodation now but flights as early as possible.
The bottom line is that you will be able to ski on piste at Val Thorens from the beginning of December pretty much regardless and there are only a handful of resorts where that is also true.
In the same way that the EoSB picks VT for the wrap up. Even when it is hot at this time of the year there is enough snow to ski up to the first week of May whilst all the other resorts are closing/closed.
I'm going back out tomorrow and understand that conditions are still pretty good there at the moment.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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thanks again for all the input.
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You could look at Cervinia
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I actually had had a look at Cervinia - again we know nothing about it, so any opinion there v helpful. Yes transfers from Geneva are a bit grim, no denying that! we have done it the last 6 years and it never gets better. We have never found a people carrier to hire for anything approaching reasonable money (there are 6 of us, so it puts us into that big vehicle category) but that goes for any holiday, not just skiing.
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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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@Beegee, why not drive all the way, assuming you have a suitable vehicle at home? Would almost certainly be cheaper.
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If I was looking at Austria I'd pick Ischgl. It normally has a large amount of terrain open at that time of year. And is a lot of fun.You should also be able to get more of a range of accommodation at that time of year (which need not be that expensive).
The ski resorts around Salzburg can also be terrific at that time of year. They are lower than in the French Alps, but being further East are colder so that balances out. Of course that early in the season you are still at the mercy of the seasons.
If you want to increase the likelihood of good snow pick places like Ischgl or for France Val Thorens or Tignes.
If you'd prefer to gamble book flights (To Geneva or Salzburg) and then pick somewhere when you know where the snow is good.
In terms of price flights to Geneva are cheaper than Salzburg, lift pass for Planai (near Salzburg) are cheaper than Espace Killy. The price issue can be argued back and forth, but I wouldn't get too hung up on it.
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