 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone, I’m really hoping you all can offer some great help and advice here.
I’m looking at taking my fiancé on her first ski weekend in February. She is a beginner and I am a little more experienced.
I ski regularly in the UK however have only ever been to Montgenevre outside of the UK so want to try somewhere new.
Can anyone recommend somewhere for a weekend that is good for beginners and is relatively inexpensive?
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Id look at maurinne valley
Smaller cheaper resorts & maybe less crowded.
Also options in other countries like andorra.
Depending on wanting group/private lessons you could look at all in packages
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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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Can you recommend anywhere to see these packages?
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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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Look carefully at dates. 4 weeks from 9 February is the busy French school holidays - crowded slopes and difficult to find weekend accommodation. End of January would be much better if you want to go to France! Your fiancé will need private lessons (as group lessons don't work for a weekend) and that will also be difficult to arrange, at this late stage, during the school holidays.
Could she do a lesson in the UK? It would mean she would get a feel for the equipment, and moving around - it would make a big difference out on the snow.
For a weekend, fly and rent a car is likely to be best, as you might have to stay a little way from the lifts.
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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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Almost any resort will have slopes suitable for a complete beginner.
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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 can recommended for Les Houches as a weekend destination with a beginner.
My Fiance is an extremely nervous beginner and she loved the gentle slopes at the top of the prarion lift, it's the only ski resort she say's she would return to, I've taken her to Arinsal and Hakuba as well! We stayed in the Rockypop hotel which was great and transfers are convenient from Geneva with the Chamonix Express. There are free buses into Chamonix if you fancy some apres in the evening as well.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Wed 19-12-18 11:32; edited 1 time in total
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Yes - Les Houches is a good suggestion. But avoiding the French school holidays important too - even if you could find good weekend accommodation crowded slopes are horrid for beginners.
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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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Have you considered Italy? Maybe Cervinia if you can find a cheap deal, heaps of blues and a nice gentle slope at the bottom for beginners?
There's a few places in Austria I'd look at too, some nice little areas that would suit a newbie.. maybe Axamer Lizum just outside Innsbruck, or if you could find a break to Mayrhofen, there's a nice area at the top of the Ahornbahn lift (might be wise not to take the black back down though, that might put her off skiing for life). Another one is the glacier at Stubai, lots of nice gentle blues, and the possibility of cheap accomodation maybe..
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Bansko - cheap, cheerful, no frenchie holidays to worry about (though the Russian and Greek holidays can be as bad). Can combine with a stay in Sofia which is an interesting place.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There are some blood curdling accounts of queues for the gondola in UK half term.
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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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| Gainz wrote: |
| Bansko - cheap, cheerful, no frenchie holidays to worry about (though the Russian and Greek holidays can be as bad). Can combine with a stay in Sofia which is an interesting place. |
Given how long it takes to get to a Bansko from Sofia definitely not a weekend resort IMHO.
Half term and New Year are horrendous for queuing (so much so that we won’t visit again are those times despite having the offer of completely free - very nice - accommodation!)
My parents have had good experiences in March and are going again in off peak January.
As to recommendations, can you not manage a week? Even as experienced skiers we have still not done a weekend as the cost vs faff and travel time vs slope time just doesn’t quite stack up. As a beginner the faff element is proportionally higher - sorting out hire gear, difficulty with lessons as outside standard week etc?
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I learnt to ski in Kreischberg, Austria. Lovely little resort just 90 minutes from Salzburg (so tricky for a weekend unless you fly from London).
I would avoid most places in Feb though - can you change to mid-March?
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You know it makes sense.
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Regardless of the weekend request, which actually takes Bansko out, I don't think it's a place for beginners. It's cheap but blue pistes no. 1, 5 and 10 are super crowded and steep in their upper part. For a nervous beginner it will be intimidating. Other than being there in the first hour after opening, the place gets mogulled and extra crowded.
The queues for the morning gondola in february and on the weekends can be easily dealt with by 2 distinct methods:
Be there at 08AM the latest (pick your hotel accordingly)
Rent a car from Sofia (easy drive to the mountains with a pit stop at McDonalds ) and take the car up the mountain to the 2nd gondola's station (big parking lot) every morning before 08:30.
Les Houches is a wise choice indeed. Solden in Austria has nice wide blue pistes and is relatively close to Innsbruck
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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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For an easy transfer to a beginner-friendly resort for a weekend, in addition to the excellent Les Houches suggestion, let me also suggest Le Grand Bornand: equally close to Geneva (barely more than an hour), very friendly (and very French), plenty of beginner-suitable slopes at altitude that are not too crowded as many of them are away from the busy main pistes, decent prices (cannot be more specific as it's been a while since I last went). I think it is worth considering especially if you are stuck with February weekends and have struggle with accommodation.
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Poster: A snowHead
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The first place I went to ski was St Johann im Pongau near Salzburg. It is now part of the Ski Amade area. The advantage besides friendly mountains is that it is very close to Salzburg, around 45 minutes driving time. I would suggest looking at Flachau (part of the Ski Amade) nice friendly slopes and easy to get to.
Munich is easier for flights (bigger selection) though the mountains are a bit further away. All of Ski Welt, Kitzbühel and St Johann in Tirol are within sensible driving distance for a weekend trip and all would be ideal for a beginner (maybe have Kitzbühel at the bottom of the list).
Most Austrian resorts do some sort of "points card" aimed at beginners so you dont have to pay out for a full ski pass.
My second trip was to La Plagne, it was a long time ago but I would think it would still be a good place to start off. It is a fair way from Geneva airport, though plenty of folk do seem to manage weekend trips from the UK. Closer to Geneva is Flaine which I visited once, from what I recall it was ideal for beginners.
You might be better off in a reasonable sized resort, simply to ensure you can get lessons. There is likely to be more choice of ski schools in the bigger places.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@munich_irish, i wouldn't recommend Flachau for a beginner. I see too many people struggling and it is very busy
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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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@holidayloverxx, I know it was a long time ago (30+ years) but in my first two weeks we managed to ski (badly & slowly) from Alpendorf to Flachau and back, the ski instructor even took us on the paths through Wagrain on one occasion (no need now as there is a lift rather than the buses). From what I can remember there are plenty of wide relatively easy blues. Lots of similar spots in Austria, though I do agree that often the steeper runs higher up are often easier to ski than the supposed "easy" home runs (poor snow and crowds)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Le Grand Bornand is a great call, nicely sized resort, nice wide pistes all over the resort, nice progression from the beginner slopes to easy blues and up from there. Nice and quiet too in comparison to larger resorts. And a choice between the main town and Chinaillon village to stay. Not much in the way of apres if that’s your thing but that’s the only minor downside I can think of.
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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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| munich_irish wrote: |
| @holidayloverxx, I know it was a long time ago (30+ years) but in my first two weeks we managed to ski (badly & slowly) from Alpendorf to Flachau and back, the ski instructor even took us on the paths through Wagrain on one occasion (no need now as there is a lift rather than the buses). From what I can remember there are plenty of wide relatively easy blues. Lots of similar spots in Austria, though I do agree that often the steeper runs higher up are often easier to ski than the supposed "easy" home runs (poor snow and crowds) |
The blues at the top are steep with awkward camber. They all funnel down to the top of the achterjet so is v busy. All the other pistes are red apart from the blue cat track down, which cuts across the reds. The reds arent difficult but not for absolute beginners
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Galtur is a good option
Small resort with excellent confidence building runs.
All the speed merchants will be in Ischgl.
1.5 hr transfer from Innsbruck
Austrian chocolate box schmaltz might earn you brownie points.
In mid Feb it will be considerably quieter than France.
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For a weekend how about staying in Innsbruck and taking the train/bus to a suitable resort for a beginner. Lots of places you can get to for free/small charge and she gets to stay/eat (shop) in a lovely big town. Seefeld is very suitable for learning and only a 30 minute train ride, lots of other options like Igls, Schlick 2000, Axamer Lizum etc. clarky999 is best placed to recommend a nearby hill that would suit.
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For those commenting on crowded resorts during school holidays, note that (one of) the UK half-term holidays in Feb is actually the first week of March in 2019, as Easter is late this year.
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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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Always a good move to avoid that week anyway - it’s not just the UK holidays to think about. We thought we were safe in Flaine this year but there were French school kids everywhere 
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I'd vote for Flachau too. Have a look on our Facebook page The Red and White Ski Company@skiflachau for top tips. But like the others have said come before 16 Feb 19 as it gets a bit hairy for the rest of the month. We could do you a long weekend deal weekend of the 9-10th too.
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