 Poster: A snowHead
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Apologies if this is in the wrong sub-forum.
I'm getting Married in October 2019 and my future wife and I have decided that we want to go skiing for our honeymoon, we're just having undecisive thoughts on the resort we want to go to.
I have multiple years of skiing experience, but these were partially from the age of 10-18 when I lived in France. I'm now 29, so it's been a while. My partner has 0 skiing experience.
We have been giving quite a nice sum of money from our parents and (at the moment) we have no children. So we are wanting to make this honeymoon as special and luxurious as possible. We see it as our last chance to do something like this for a long time, as we are wanting to try for children after the honeymoon.
We're wanting to go as "early" as possible. Preferably in early January 2020.
At the moment there are 2 hotels we have found which have given us that WOW feeling Koh-I-Nor and Le Portetta, but they are in 2 different resorts. Val Thorens and Courchevel
The hotel we prefer is in Courchevel, but I'm worried that if we go there in early January there will be little snow. Val Thorens, however, does say it's guaranteed to have snow then.
My plan at the moment is to try and explore as much as possible, via the ski lift and slopes etc... We love awesome high-point views. I'm just hoping my partner is able to pick up skiing as quickly as I did (I'm confident she will), to be able to do this. We also both like a good drink and dance (if we're not tired enough), so we are also looking at resorts with some good after ski/nightlife.
Tthe point of my post is to really to find out which resort would be more recommended for us or if anyone has any other resorts, which might be more suitable for our need and the time we wanting to go skiing.
Grateful to anyone wanting to help me plan a trip of a lifetime! Merci!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Dperry3,
Welcome to Snowheads! Congratulations on the wedding plans too.
Courchevel sprang straight to make mind for me. I've been in early January and it was fine. Plenty of snow but also caters for begginers and is a very glamorous resort ideal for a memorable honeymoon. It even has it's own airport.
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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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@Dperry3, welcome to Snowheads! Congrats. Just wondering who’s idea was it to go skiing for your honeymoon?  And what happens if she hates it (speaking from experience having a non-skiing wife)?
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@Dperry3, Congrats I went skiing for my honeymoon and loved it.
Out of the two resorts that you mention I would go for Courchevel which has outstanding gentle slopes for beginners is a little more sheltered if the weather is bad than Val T.
I don't think there is any worry about snow in Courchevel in January other than below the resort.
One thing to be aware of is that early January is Russian New Year and Courchevel in particular has a lot of very rich Russians which some people do not find appealing by reputation. (last time I went there at that time of year was about the time the Berlin Wall came down so have no personal experience).
With both resorts they are purpose built so you don't have the ambience of traditional villages which would affect some peoples enjoyment.
If your Fiancee has never skied before I would encourage her to take a series of lessons on an indoor slope/dry slope, which should massively increase her enjoyment of skiing any resort and allow you more time together on the slopes as she will need to do a little less learning.
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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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Hey, thank you very much 
Haha well... It was my idea, I will admit. But we're very much a like. We've both agreed that she can choose the wedding venue and I can choose the honeymoon destination haha. She's always wanted to try it and I just know she's going to enjoy it.
Okay great thanks for that information T bar, although we have nothing against Russians.. We have travelled around South East Asia and we did witness multiple groups of crude Russians causing unnecessary havoc, so that does make me skeptical. But I don't like to judge one, from another's bad behaviour.
It's funny you say that... We've literally just discussed that. We live in the North East and Sunderland has a dry slop / fake snow slope. So she's wanting to go there a few times to get the hang of it, beforehand.
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| Dperry3 wrote: |
It's funny you say that... We've literally just discussed that. We live in the North East and Sunderland has a dry slop / fake snow slope. So she's wanting to go there a few times to get the hang of it, beforehand. |
This, in spades. You really don't want to have your honeymoon compromised because skiing doesn't work out for her. If you can get to a fridge, and she's reasonably sporty, a learn to ski in a day course will tell you both whether it's a good idea or not. It worked for my wife (though we didn't ski for our honeymoon).
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@Dperry3, I would have thought you would be best served doing a couple of ski weeks this coming winter for her to get into. They needn't be expensive with the likes of eastern europe or UCPA somewhere. Granted this might be difficult with the wedding planning but if the parents are paying ... then perhaps look at Verbier for the honeymoon instead.
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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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Other resorts you might want to consider - Cortina, St Moritz, Megeve, Lech, Kitzbuhl. Lots of places would work for you. Try and get a week or two in this season to help make your mind up.
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Congratulations. I hope you have a fantastic time. However get loads of lessons and preferably a ski holiday in before you book. Speaking from experience it is hard to be the one that hasn't skied before and (for us) it always creates some tension. I now ski every week on a dry slope but still struggle with changing light and conditions which you cannot learn on a mat or fridge. The only tears I've shed in our relationships have been on ski slopes!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Of the two places you’ve been considering, definitely the Portetta in Courchevel 1650. The skiing in Courch 1650 is perfect for beginners. There will be snow. good native English speaking ski schools/instructors (Brexit permitting). VT in Jan can be very cold, bleak and prone to lift closures with poor weather. Tree line skiing- of which there’s plenty in 1650-is much nicer on a bad day.
Also agree that you should get your wife to be to take some lessons before you go, or squeeze in a last min cheap week this season.
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My first wife, despite knowing how important skiing was to me, before wedding said she loved skiing when she really didn’t.
That did not end well. Although it was a trivial contrbution to the ultimate outcome.
The idea of an expensive, one horse (well, I presume there will be other activities) trick of a holiday, with one party untried, seems like a bit of a gambler.
So if you are a gambling man, or delighted by the idea of, “we went skiing, she hated it, but it was our honeymoon so we made up for it elsewhere (in the cable car, in the bubble, on a chairlift)l, then game on!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Dperry3 wrote: |
I'm getting Married in October 2019 and my future wife and I have decided that we want to go skiing for our honeymoon, |
Congratulations Not much of a suggestion, but it's still early days to be booking for the 2019 season. Can I suggest you go on a skiing holiday together this winter just to see if it's really how she pictures her honeymoon too? Considering she's never experienced a ski holiday before?
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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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Thanks for all the congrats and the advice given. Discussed everything with my fiancee and were going to go to the Sunderland dry slope. It's the closest one to us, we have a few months until 2020 dates are released for booking, so will test the waters that way, just to make sure.
And we're going to stick with France as I speak French, so will be easier, nostalgic and my partner is also very keen on going to France as well.
If we were to choose Courchevel, is there a way to ski to VT? Or am I incorrect, in thinking they are both in the 3V?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Oh and on location, if she's not a skier, Banff or Lake Louise. Possibly the chateau? It would be cold, but snow guaranteed, and the instructors there are in general very patient.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Dperry3, yes you can ski across to Val thorens, we have never actually done it as when we were in Courchevel and decided to do it one day it was April and Meribel runs were so slushy that we decided to turn back to the better snow. . You shouldn’t have that problem in January.
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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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Oh, and if she's not a skier, plan on spending £££££ on special treats (spa, dinners, suite with fireplace, that daft horse & cart ride thing, sled dogging) in case the skiing isn't for her.
Or better yet, let her plan the honeymoon just the way she wants, then go on a regular more affordable ski holiday later in the season.
This is coming from an ex-bride
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Congratulations, and I too would say Courchevel!
I would also strongly recommend a beginners course in a snow dome for you fiancee (or even dry slope if thats all you can reasonably get to) before you book anything!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Okay great thanks,
Completely understand everyone's concerns about our honeymoon, being her first skiing experience. It could either go amazing or be a massive failure, so it is a risk. But we've had long chats about it and looked at alternative places to have our honeymoon. We've done some extensive travelling in the past and have been to our top choice of destinations and skiing was the next big thing to do on our list. There only other alternative is New Zealand.
We're not much of a hot weather, sit on a beach and drink cocktails all day couple. We enjoy staying active, being productive for the day and then go back, spa and refresh and then stuff our faces and drink a nice wine.
But as I've previously said as we're wanting to try for a child after our honeymoon this is our last chance (for a long time) to really do something as big without having a child to worry about.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 26-08-18 9:23; edited 1 time in total
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@Dperry3, how do you envisage this honeymoon playing out in terms of day to day activities? Is she going to go into ski school whilst you go off on your own/with different ski school group or are you going to hire a private instructor for the week and just hang about with her and the instructor on the nursery slopes? Or are you going to teach her yourself?
Or is this just a wind-up?
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No this is certainly not a wind up.
I've skied multiple times over the winters for 5 years, sometimes going 3x per season. Although it was a long time ago.. I'd like to say I know the basics and have black and off piste experience too. I will be able to teach her the basics as well. We're planning on getting an instructor for the first 2 days, which will not only teach my partner, refresh my memory but to also show us around the pistes.
I'll certainly not be going out alone, no. It will be our honey moon. That'll be inconsiderate and rude.
This is the way I'm envisioning it... Wake up to a nice mountain view, breakfast in bed or on the balcony, get ready and then spend a few hours on the pistes, ski somewhere for a nice lunch and then explore a little more and then make our way back to the accommodation/hotel, where we will relax in the spa, maybe get a massage and then go to a nice restaurant and enjoy a nice meal and a bottle of wine. She loves raclette so will definitely be having a few of those.
There will be the odd day where we will want to jump on public transport and visit towns near by and explore the region a little as well.
I appreciate people's concerns but I think we need to get back on topic rather than debating wether it's a good honeymoon idea or not. I know my fiancee and I know she's going to enjoy it, once she gets the hang of it. Thanks to others who've provided some great ideas, we're going to go to the dry slopes so she can get a bit of a taste and take it from there.
Anyways if anyone else has any other resorts which will have decent snow in January, we're open for alternative destinations around France. Cheers.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Sun 26-08-18 9:53; edited 6 times in total
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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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@Canuck, wrong thread?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Dperry3, the magic of snowheads ...guaranteed to go off topic before the end of the first page!
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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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My bad  Ovaries got carried away there!
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@Dperry3,
I am sure you will enjoy your honeymoon whatever, however a few thoughts form what you have said. You are asking is there a way to ski to VT , yes as you say it is all linked up , but from where you are planning 1650 it is a lot of skiing and someone in their first week of skiing may find it pretty hard going to get there and back and its a long way back by transport . Personally I don't think this matters very much as there is plenty to do in Courchevel valley skiing wise but I wouldn't be going thinking this is a strategically important part of the holiday.
Secondly you are thinking of possibly taking a day or two off to visit the local area, I have to say I don't know of anywhere particularly appealing non skiing related near the French Tarentaise in January.
Courchevel is a great place for reliable snow in the early season it has height and decent snow record and is excellent for beginners/near beginners at the worst you will be skiing some man made however in common with most purpose built resorts it is neither a particularly attractive resort nor is there much alternatives to skiing .
Wherever you go you will have to make some compromises, I must admit I would be inclined to go further East and compromise on the lack of French, but the dolomites are truly beautiful.
You could consider Monetier in Serre Chevalier which has a natural hot springs and the old town of Briancon close by which is an attractive place to visit, though the skiing isn't probably quite as ideal for beginners.
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You know it makes sense.
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@T Bar Ah okay, I think I'll scrap skiing to VT. Serre Chevalier is where is used to go as a kid. I'll take a look at Monetier. A friend of mine has recommended the dolomites actually and I have read wonderful reviews about it. As much as I enjoy speaking French, I'll be more than happy to go further East. Will. January be okay to go to the dolomites? Thanks a lot for your input
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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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@Dperry3,
Opinions slightly divide on the Dolomites on snowheads in January, see this thread.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=138535
There is a risk that there will not be a lot of natural snow early season
For what it is worth I have been there in poor snow years and had a great time, the quality of the man made snow is outstanding and it is a truly beautiful area, with as pointed out elsewhere the opportunity of visiting Venice or other Italian towns
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Poster: A snowHead
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Fantastic thanks, yeah we're very open minded on where to go. Early January isn't a must so we can play around with the days a little. Are there any resorts in the dolomites you would recommend?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Dperry3,
The Dolomites are a huge area and I have only been a couple of times so I would look for advice from others as to what the towns are like who know a little more about them.
Ortisei looks to have some really good beginners skiing close to hand and is meant to be very attractive.
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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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@Dperry3, Travelling from Venice either Cortina as Glasgow Cyclops suggested, or more generally the so called Alta Badia resorts (San Cassiano, Armentarola, Corvara, Colfosco) are a blue run paradise, and towards the end of the week you and your bride could aim to do the classic "Hidden Valley" run (choose a good day weather wise) where at the bottom of the run you get a tow pulled by horses. 
Edit: Just seen T-bar's post. Yes Ortisei in the Val Gardena valley is a pretty town with plenty of gentle skiing on the nearby Seiser Alm on one side of town, and more interesting skiing on the other (Seceda plateau) side, including a lovely 10.5km long red run called "La Longia" which also has some excellent eating places on the way down. However if you go to Val Gardena valley (which has the resorts of Ortisei/St. Ulrich, St Christina and Selva/Wolkenstein as you move up the valley, with Selva being directly on the Sella Ronda circuit) the more convenient airports are either Verona or Innsbruck, so you'd miss out on Venice.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sun 26-08-18 13:25; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Dperry3 wrote: |
No this is certainly not a wind up.
I've skied multiple times over the winters for 5 years, sometimes going 3x per season. Although it was a long time ago.. I'd like to say I know the basics and have black and off piste experience too. I will be able to teach her the basics as well. We're planning on getting an instructor for the first 2 days, which will not only teach my partner, refresh my memory but to also show us around the pistes.
I'll certainly not be going out alone, no. It will be our honey moon. That'll be inconsiderate and rude.
This is the way I'm envisioning it... Wake up to a nice mountain view, breakfast in bed or on the balcony, get ready and then spend a few hours on the pistes, ski somewhere for a nice lunch and then explore a little more and then make our way back to the accommodation/hotel, where we will relax in the spa, maybe get a massage and then go to a nice restaurant and enjoy a nice meal and a bottle of wine. She loves raclette so will definitely be having a few of those.
There will be the odd day where we will want to jump on public transport and visit towns near by and explore the region a little as well.
I appreciate people's concerns but I think we need to get back on topic rather than debating wether it's a good honeymoon idea or not. I know my fiancee and I know she's going to enjoy it, once she gets the hang of it. Thanks to others who've provided some great ideas, we're going to go to the dry slopes so she can get a bit of a taste and take it from there.
Anyways if anyone else has any other resorts which will have decent snow in January, we're open for alternative destinations around France. Cheers. |
If you like it to be a happy marriage - do not think that you can teach her to ski.
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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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Why not go skiing this season somewhere a bit less flashy and more homely to get her skiing decently. Though to be fair if she masters the mighty Silksworth Alps she'll be well on her way.
The Koh i Noor does look good in VT though when you take the lift over it. Main downside would be the uphill walk if you've been throwing shapes in Malaysia in the small hours.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Dperry3, slightly crass question, but what sort of budget are you looking at? Courchevel is one of our favourite and regular ski destinations, but we had out honeymoon in Vail (colorado). I think there are more memorable places to stay in the Courchevel area, not that there is anything wrong with la portetta.
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@Dperry3, Breakfast on the balcony would be unlikely in January - it is one of the coldest times of the season. For my tuppence worth I'd recommend Zermatt for a skiing honeymoon.
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@Dperry3, I also don't like it when I ask for help and someone tells me I should change my ideas . However, sometimes it can be helpful to look at things from a different perspective. So I write the following in a genuine attempt to be helpful - but feel free to simply ignore it if it not.
Snowheads are generally very helpful and I see that you have a lot of good suggestions on where to go above. Most of us on here (especially in August!) are fairly passionate about skiing and like to make contributions that will help other people enjoy their holidays. Particularly so for first-timers or people doing big once in a lifetime trips. Sometimes first-timers come on and ask for lots of advice and book their first ever ski holiday... and are then never heard from again. In these cases, it's difficult not to assume that at least a fair proportion of those interactive and excited folk did not have a great time and decided that skiing was not for them. It would be pretty sad if this happened to you, on your honeymoon.
It's much easier to learn as a kid than as an adult, and I am sure you are going to pick it up again pretty quickly. I am also sure that you know your girlfriend and if you say she will love it once she's got the hang of it then that will be the case. I am an adventurous and sporty woman who learned to ski in my mid-twenties. I was sure that I was going to love skiing, all my friends thought it was right up my street. And we were all right - I do now - but actually, the first couple of trips were from a skiing point of view not all that much fun. Up until I had figured out how to control my skis and get around the whole mountain, skiing was actually kind of boring and frustrating. Those first two trips I was picking it up at a slower rate than my companions, so even if I was actually doing ok, I was always behind everyone else. Your girlfriend, skiing with you and an instructor, will be in exactly this position. And this is where I am a bit skeptical. It's a long way from Courchevel to Val Thorens and I think your girlfriend would have to be pretty exceptional to pick up skiing well enough in a few days to be able manage this. You mention that you will have an instructor for the first couple of days to show you around the pistes. Most adult beginners will not have moved far off the nursery slopes by the end of day 2. I am not saying that this is impossible and maybe she's an ex-Olympic figure skater or something for whom acquisition of new sporting skills is a walk in the park... but if not, you might want to think carefully about what is realistic for her to do in the time and manage your and her expectations accordingly.
On the subject of teaching her yourself, teaching skiing is not the same as being able to ski, and most people who have attempted to teach a partner or be taught by a partner have described it as an experience they never want to repeat. Again, your circumstances may mean that you are the 1% for whom this does not apply..
I'm not asking you to come back and justify why you think my concerns don't apply in your case, and nor do I think you should do that. Just think carefully about if there is any merit to them and adapt if necessary. If not, scroll on.
By far the best advice you have received, several times, on this thread is to try out skiing on a cheap and cheerful basis this winter. If your girlfriend loves it, then great, and she will be much better placed for the honeymoon the following year. Worst case, at least you don't ruin your honeymoon.
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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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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Why not go skiing this season somewhere a bit less flashy and more homely to get her skiing decently. |
This!
| Canuck wrote: |
| Dperry3 wrote: |
I'm getting Married in October 2019 and my future wife and I have decided that we want to go skiing for our honeymoon, |
Congratulations Not much of a suggestion, but it's still early days to be booking for the 2019 season. Can I suggest you go on a skiing holiday together this winter just to see if it's really how she pictures her honeymoon too? Considering she's never experienced a ski holiday before? |
And this!
The reason everyone said it’s not a good idea is because we know ski holidays can be risky even for experienced skiers. For non-skiers who had no prior experience, those risk can be monumental. What if she got taken out by another skier and breaks something on first day? (knock on wood it doesn’t happen). For people who’re alread “into” skiing, that’s the sort of risk we accept (but still hope not happen in our honeymoon)
Add in “self teaching”, it’s even more risky.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 26-08-18 16:50; edited 1 time in total
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FAQ
