 Poster: A snowHead
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Booked flights for Oslo this Easter
BIL has sorted accommodation in Geilo, I don't know exact position yet, or quality.
It will be self catering.
Any advice on the area.Food/booze
Any must do's, things not to miss, or recommendations.
Best bits to ski, ski instruction etc
All advice will be greatly appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Booze is extraordinarily expensive. Take maximum allowance with you and, unless you are loaded, don't plan a boozy holiday. I learnt to ski in Geilo but so long ago that my recollections will be of no use to you! I adored it.
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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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Food is not too expensive in the supermarket as long as you know how to cook and aren't relying on processed ready meals as they are very expensive. Last time we went, I made things like roast dinners and pies and found that the cost of meat and veg wasn't too bad.
Alcohol is very expensive at around £30 for a box of wine but you can buy beer and cider in the supermarket rather than the specialist off licence.
We've been twice before and the second time we had a whole week of temperatures at -22. That was January though so it will obviously be much warmer (and lighter!) when you go.
I had snowboard lessons last time which were brilliant. I was the only snowboarder booked in so I got private lessons with two instructors. Lessons tend to be quite short at around 1 1/2 hours per day. A lot of the instructors are Swedish and all speak great English.
Worth having a go at the slalom course if they still have it as you can time your run. I think they actually have 2 courses, one much harder than the other.
Hope you have a good time.
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@pam w, We learnt over there too, we went for a few years a long time ago too.
Guessing you will have a car so food in the town is fine. Booze is silly prices if you are out, so take as much as you can with you if you want some.
The ski area is split across both sides of the valley. More challenging on the Town side though there were lots of tow lifts over there too. Bus between which are frequent. We were based on the Vestilia side of the valley. The Slalom mentioned is up this side over to Kirkut base (the 3rd way on to the ski runs).
As we were learning we spent most of the time on the Green and very wide forgiving blues. A Red was being used for Junior Ski teams including Brits and is flood light for evening skiing/tobgganing
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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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You are getting an amazing exchange rate just now.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| I learnt to ski in Geilo but so long ago that my recollections will be of no use to you! I adored it. |
My first ski trip abroad was to Geilo but as that was in 1963, I doubt my memories (very vague) would be of much use. But I loved it too, especially the ice cream in hot chocolate.
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I just skied a couple days in Norway, not Geilo, but prices are about the same everywhere.
Lunch for 3, 3 hamburgers, 2 fries and one hot chocolate was 47 EUR! 
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| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
I just skied a couple days in Norway, not Geilo, but prices are about the same everywhere.
Lunch for 3, 3 hamburgers, 2 fries and one hot chocolate was 47 EUR! |
Yes that is Euro to NOK. However, both the Euro and NOK have fallen dramatically against the £. You will get about 12.5 to 13 NOK to £ just now. I'm assuming they are in the UK. I may be wrong.
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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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Just got back from skiing in Lillehammer this week. Had to take out a second mortgage to buy food and meals.
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But how was the snow?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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don't buy your meals in big establishments. If you want cheap bulk, there are immigrant run pizza places, that sell good well cooked pizza, kebabs etc.. not the kind of rubbish you get in like UK eateries. It will only cost you 100nok a person. There are at least two, one at each end of main street of Lillehammer, I'm sure others know of more. If you are in a hotel, ask for a kettle, most receptions have them, they just don't put them in the rooms, so you can make a flask up everyday. There are ways to keep the cost down and then you can enjoy great queue free skiing.
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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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| GlasgowCyclops wrote: |
| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
I just skied a couple days in Norway, not Geilo, but prices are about the same everywhere.
Lunch for 3, 3 hamburgers, 2 fries and one hot chocolate was 47 EUR! |
Yes that is Euro to NOK. However, both the Euro and NOK have fallen dramatically against the £. You will get about 12.5 to 13 NOK to £ just now. I'm assuming they are in the UK. I may be wrong. |
4800 NOK was the lunch
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[quote="HeidiAmsterdam"][quote="GlasgowCyclops"]
| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
4800 NOK was the lunch |
are you sure you are not out by a factor of ten? 480nok?
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You know it makes sense.
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[quote="summo"][quote="HeidiAmsterdam"]
| GlasgowCyclops wrote: |
| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
4800 NOK was the lunch |
are you sure you are not out by a factor of ten? 480nok? |
yeah, one too many zero's there
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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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and it looks we'll be there at Easter as well.
My BIL has sorted accomodation, and we are self catering... gosh, I hope I remember how to do that now...
Just trying to sort my transfer from Oslo airport - gosh what a pain that is - long train, or expensive car on windy roads... and both taking 3+ hours...
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| But how was the snow? |
It was a bit scant in Hafjell. Upper slopes were ok, but only one run down the bottom section so it was busy and a bit icy in places.
Kvitfjell was much better. A norwegian bloke told me that the snow usually is better in Kvitfjell than Hafjell. True it was snowing there but raining in Hafjell as we passed by at the end of each day. No real possibility for off piste at this time of year, and you could see the closed pistes were thinly covered. But overall at least web got to ski on some natural snow.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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[quote="HeidiAmsterdam"]
| summo wrote: |
| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
4800 NOK was the lunch |
are you sure you are not out by a factor of ten? 480nok? |
yeah, one too many zero's there |
Yes HeidiAmsterdam. You are obviously going Euro to NOK so both have plummeted. £ to NOK is good just now.
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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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We went to Trysil last year, half board at hotel so it wasn't too bad. We took wine with us from UK, and you can also stock up on the duty free shop on the way in at Oslo airport which isn't much above UK prices and saves weight allowance in your luggage.
Beer in supermarket is quite reasonable, wine and spirits can only be bought from govt shop and are expensive. Any booze in bar or restaurant is silly prices - like £10 a pint, £40 for cheapest bottle of wine. Food on piste also expensive, we used to make a sandwich or two at hotel breakfast  . And drink in room before and after dinner but not much during!
That said the snow was excellent, lifts good, not too crowded and the skiing part not too badly priced either.
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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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I can recommend a few days in Oslo if you have time. Lovely city. Lots to do and see. We used to ski on the hills outside Oslo most days after work.
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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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| HeidiAmsterdam wrote: |
| Just trying to sort my transfer from Oslo airport - gosh what a pain that is - long train, or expensive car on windy roads... and both taking 3+ hours... |
That was the main reason we stopped going. Also check you can get the Train back as there was not one that would meet our flight so we did Train one way and Taxi back.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I went to Geilo with the kids about 10 years ago. It's a great place. The snow was great and the piste all but empty. The locals were helpful and all spoke great english. Thr boarding lessons for the kids were good and they progressed as they were the only ones boarding. I had lessons from a Danish instructor who had better english than me. Most of the time when we approached the chairs, no one was on the proceeding two chairs.
The downside is that is bloody cold and there isn't the amount of skiing get you'd get in an alps resort.
Some things go are also expensive. Boozing being the main culprit.
The train from Oslo was spacious and comfy and had carriages with sofas looking out of large windows for seeing the fantastic countryside you pass through.
Enjoy the trip
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I have skied in Norway for many years.....take boxes of wine as very expensive when you get there. We also take, ham cheese, risotto rice and pasta. Everything else is about 1/3rd more expensive but they have good choices, but not so much choice with fruit and veg. Shop in the coop in Geillo town
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I've not done Oslo - Geilo by train but did Bergen - Geilo many years ago, and it was a wonderful trip.
You can get some very good price tickets on Norwegian trains. Did Oslo - Trondheim then Trondheim - Bodo last summer, and the tickets were extraordinarily cheap, bought in advance.
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