 Poster: A snowHead
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I've heard great things about Baquiera Beret but also heard Grandvalira is a Beginner's paradise. As a advanced beginner going with two intermediates which is the better option? Price is also a factor
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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 been to both a few times so here are my observations:
- Baqueira is much more Spanish in feel and generally a bit more expensive. Grandvalira is cheaper and gets more of a mix of Spanish and Brits/Irish.
- Skiing area at Baqueira is slightly smaller but better for more advanced/intermediate skiers. Grandvalira is a bit bigger and great for advanced beginners and early intermediates. Both would be good places to take a mixed intermediate and advanced beginner group.
- Baqueria village is not that attractive but the Val d'Aran and its villages are beautiful and have great bars and restaurants. Many people stay down the valley in these villages and drive the 15 minutes to the lifts each morning. Grandvalira will be more similar to typical ski resort set-up (some villages okay to look at, others hideous, cough cough Pas).
-If you are having lessons Grandvalira has great cheap ski schools. Baqueira also has a small English ski school.
-Grandvalira (excluding Pas) has more trees so is better when the weather closes in. Baqueria has better scenery (mountains are on a grander scale) and looks pretty spectacular on a clear day.
Overall I prefer Baqueria but when I have been there I have always been in Spanish speaking groups and had access to a car to explore the Val d'Aran. If I was a beginner looking for a standard ski holiday experience I would choose Grandvalira and look for accommodation in El Tarter or Soldeu.
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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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| südtirolistdeutsch wrote: |
| I've heard great things about Baquiera Beret but also heard Grandvalira is a Beginner's paradise. As a advanced beginner going with two intermediates which is the better option? Price is also a factor |
To summarize what I've overheard from a NZ chappie in one of the mountain bars the other day: Grandvalira has long runs, but they are not particularly steep. I would concur. If you just want to cruise around the mountain, it is probably a good choice. Many of the runs are pretty wide, which might be to your liking. (I haven't been up to Grandvalira yet this season, but snow looks pretty decent from the morning reports).
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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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| lapalma wrote: |
I've been to both a few times so here are my observations:
- Baqueira is much more Spanish in feel and generally a bit more expensive. Grandvalira is cheaper and gets more of a mix of Spanish and Brits/Irish.
- Skiing area at Baqueira is slightly smaller but better for more advanced/intermediate skiers. Grandvalira is a bit bigger and great for advanced beginners and early intermediates. Both would be good places to take a mixed intermediate and advanced beginner group.
- Baqueria village is not that attractive but the Val d'Aran and its villages are beautiful and have great bars and restaurants. Many people stay down the valley in these villages and drive the 15 minutes to the lifts each morning. Grandvalira will be more similar to typical ski resort set-up (some villages okay to look at, others hideous, cough cough Pas).
-If you are having lessons Grandvalira has great cheap ski schools. Baqueira also has a small English ski school.
-Grandvalira (excluding Pas) has more trees so is better when the weather closes in. Baqueria has better scenery (mountains are on a grander scale) and looks pretty spectacular on a clear day.
Overall I prefer Baqueria but when I have been there I have always been in Spanish speaking groups and had access to a car to explore the Val d'Aran. If I was a beginner looking for a standard ski holiday experience I would choose Grandvalira and look for accommodation in El Tarter or Soldeu. |
Wow thanks! How is Andorran food?
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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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| ysb33r wrote: |
| südtirolistdeutsch wrote: |
| I've heard great things about Baquiera Beret but also heard Grandvalira is a Beginner's paradise. As a advanced beginner going with two intermediates which is the better option? Price is also a factor |
To summarize what I've overheard from a NZ chappie in one of the mountain bars the other day: Grandvalira has long runs, but they are not particularly steep. I would concur. If you just want to cruise around the mountain, it is probably a good choice. Many of the runs are pretty wide, which might be to your liking. (I haven't been up to Grandvalira yet this season, but snow looks pretty decent from the morning reports). |
Ok cool. Skiied in Warth over Christmas which had a lot of Ziewege (Goat paths) which were all nice easy blues but very narrow which the intermediates didn't enjoy. Would you recommend the Pyrenes for someone who has to fly all the way over from the States or should I stick to the bigger resorts in the Alps?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| südtirolistdeutsch wrote: |
Wow thanks! How is Andorran food?
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Meat, meat, meat. Well ok, traditional Andorran food typically has meat, but you get all the other usual stuff - pizzas, kebabs, Italian, Thai here as well. For vegetarians/vegans it can get a more tricky. Only three restaurants here that I know of that specialise in non-animal food. However, the bigger supermarkets carry a good selection of such food. Overall the quality of the food is good and reasonably priced. On the ski slopes itself it can get pricey, but that trend is common in most ski resoprts I've ever been to.
| südtirolistdeutsch wrote: |
Ok cool. Skiied in Warth over Christmas which had a lot of Ziewege (Goat paths) which were all nice easy blues but very narrow which the intermediates didn't enjoy. |
There are some chutes in Grandvalira, but IIRC they are all reds and can be avoided.
| südtirolistdeutsch wrote: |
Would you recommend the Pyrenes for someone who has to fly all the way over from the States or should I stick to the bigger resorts in the Alps? |
Now we're getting into a bit more of a philosophical question. If one has never been to Europe for skiiing then France or Austria (or even Switzerland) might be more attractive. It is going to come down to what one want to experience and what one's budget is too.
As other might tell you, for most Pyrenees resorts one really need a car to get around. Andorra is a bit different in that sense in that transits from Toulouse & Barcelona are pretty easily arranged and can get you to nearly in front of your accommodation. AndBus does for about €76 return pp. Their buses all have wi-fi aboard and nowadays some have USB charge points as well.
The one thing that I don't liek about many ski resorts is that accommodation has to be booked in week blocks. That does not always fits one needs. This is not the case for Andorra (unless you go through a tour operator which operates such a scheme). You can easily do most ofd this yourself and if you need rentals, ask the hotel to arrange for you. Most of them have rental shops in the hotel or close by.
HTH
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Just to add. In all probability, Grandvalira as it is now, will cease to exist after the 18/19 season. Internal politics have led to the owner of Pas de la Casa & Grau Roig areas withdrawing from the current agreement. It does not look like it will be resolved for the 19/20 season. Impact of this is that one would need two different passes. There is probably still enough white stuff to keep one busy between Encamp & Soldeu, but it something you need to be aware of.
EDIT: An English news post regarding this: http://www.fall-line.co.uk/andorra-grandvalira-ski-resort-break-up/
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 4-01-18 18:44; edited 1 time in total
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Interesting.
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