Poster: A snowHead
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i am looking for recommendations of resorts that will fulfill my selfish needs....
2 of us are ski buddies from 2 years of lads holidays and want to take our beginner ladies to a resort that will show them how convenient it is to learn to ski and how enjoyeable it can become. We will have a 3 year old and a 6 year old boys with us who will be looking at learning to ski though i know the limitations placed on a child of 3 physically.
This being i would ideally like for the childs ski area to be close to the adults and maybe with enough facilities around for a non skier to keep amused (grandmother).
All the above will enable me and my mate to have a weeks skiiing ala 'no strings lads skiing holiday' with the added bonus of lunch with the ladies and kids.
its not much to ask is it? as i am 3 weeks into learning curve and dont want it to shallow out because i am 34 and my son will be flying down the blacks before i am ready which i dont want to happen....for safetys sake of course.
any recommedation would be appreciated. just to narrow it down a littlle (not asking much!) a pretty little village would really sell it!!!
thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For the kids, your wives (and probably the guys) a resort with a really good ski school would be high on my list of priorities. The quality of the ski school experience makes or breaks a holiday for begineers, in my opinion. Other things are secondary. Although Courchevel (1850 or 1650) doesn't meet your pretty village criterion, I think it has everything else you might look for, isome great Brit-run ski schools (Ski Supreme would get my recommendation). It offers very extensive nursery and gentle slopes, endless skiing for intermediates, easy places for all grades of skier/non-skier to meet for lunch, etc, etc.
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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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13 minutes and not a mention of La Rosiere - so I've done it
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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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Banff.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There are lots of Austrian resorts which tick all the boxes.
The best is probably Kitzbuhel. It's a picturesque decent sized town with non-skiing facilities. It has a good lift network and good piste skiing around the learners area. Short transfer (One & half hours) from either Innsbruck (slightly closer) or Salzburg. Plus, good mountain restaurants which don't break the bank.
There are also several restaurants around the learners area and when people progress beyond that, non-skiers can take the Hahnenkamm gondola up to the restaurant at the top station to meet up with people etc.
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hayley t, good suggestion. There a quite a few pisted walking trails near the ski pistes.
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b71, Wengen, Switzerland, pretty village, nursery slopes right in the middle, lots of red and blue runs including a blue back to the village, plus the big bonus that virtually all the restaurants in the area can be reached with just a short walk from stations or cablecars allowing all standards to meet anywhere on the mountain for lunch, don't forget the added bonus of the sled runs down the mountain. Though make sure you know how to control the sled before you go up the mountain
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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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richmond, I'd forgotton about the walking trails!
b71, a good hotel would be the Hotel Montana next to the Hahnenkamm gondola and the nursery slopes but up a slight hill when walking to and from town so I'm not sure how Grandma would feel about that.
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b71,
I would say a bit depends on when you want to go. If you are wanting to go this year in say April you will need somewhere where the nursery slopes are at a reasonable altitude for the beginners, if you are wanting to go in the middle of winter next year you will probably want the nursery slopes reasonably sheltered for the kids.
Must admit I think Courchevel is pretty pricy for what it offers to beginners and non skiers, especially as in my experience non skiing grannies like to visit a cafe with grandkids, second mortgage may be required, though I agree there is good beginner skiing here.
Most of the truly attractive villages are low lying and may have lower nursery slopes. In Austria for late season you could try Galtur (SMall but good area) Obertauern, Lech, Stuben or Obergurgl. In France Puy St Vincent is purpose built but in an attractive area, Montgenvre is cheap and has high nursery slopes but is no great beauty La Ros is recommended by all who visit, though for late season beginners it is south facing.
In Italy La thuile, Sestriere and Cervinia all boast good late season skiing though none of them are pretty villages.
Switzerland has plenty of high skiing though not particularly cheap nor many anglophone fellow students for the kids outside a few haunts.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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b71, Don't come to Chamonix, mind you, that would be my advice to everyone, unless you want to buy Ski Boots.
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, i did Chamonix late Jan this year and it was awsome though not suitable for my situation next year but i will definitely return to exorcise the demon that is is the off piste track down from Mt Brevant.....not a good idea at my level.
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b71, La Rosiere would fill all your criteria except what to do with Granny but Ive noticed that most French grandparents seem to be content just watching their granchildren, the Jardins des enfants is right by the main lifts so very convenient for lunchtime meetings. There are a few activities for Gran, there are guided snowshoe walks, she could take a flight in a light aircraft, there is a circuit of Mont Blanc which apperntly is spectacular, I've never done it but we've had guests who took the fight and never stopped talking about it, there is sauna/jacuzzi/beauty therapy spa, a cinema and of course lots of fantastic scenery to look at.
For intermediates and beginners I can't think of a better resort, there's a good variety of red and blue runs and the link to Italy gives a different dimension to the skiing. It's also great value compared to nearby resorts, a six day lift pass for France and Italy is just over £100.00. Never mind all this nonsense about it being south facing, anyone who has been to La Rsoiere loves skiing in the sunshine and we've got a better snow record than a lot of supposedly more favoured resorts. If you go to our website www.tracksvacations.com you'll find lots of infromation and a link to the La Rosiere website, check out the webcams for viewss of some amazing snow at the moment, over 2 metres at village level!
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You know it makes sense.
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b71, Sounds like here would be good. We do have excellent beginners' skiing. My mum doesn't ski and liked it here - lots to do in the town, nice walking in the woods below the town - village of Venosc to visit + museums etc. In addition non-skiers and beginners can get to and from all the mountain restaurants without needing to ski at all. We do have challenging skiing for people who want to improve. The kindergartens are fine for the little ones, and there are handy terraces for the granny to observe from. Also a very nice easy (free) run with a terrace at the bottom where the kids can ski on their own (once they can stop of course), while granny sups a nice vin chaud or coffee!! Plenty of suitable accommodation, and a free bus around resort.
There! job done!
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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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D G Orf, Are you forgetting about the countless of kilometers of prepared hiking trails for the non-skiers in Wengen area, and the cross country ski posibilities down in Lauterbrunnen ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Definitely NOT Courchevel, I'd say, unless your Granny has more money than the Queen. Recommend Alpe d'Huez - lots for non-skiers (including kids - skating, swimming, bouncy trampoline thingy), nice big beginner area, easy to meet everyone for lunch. Try http://www.masterclass.f9.co.uk/ for lessons.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lizzard wrote: |
Definitely NOT Courchevel, I'd say, unless your Granny has more money than the Queen. Recommend Alpe d'Huez - lots for non-skiers (including kids - skating, swimming, bouncy trampoline thingy), nice big beginner area, easy to meet everyone for lunch. Try http://www.masterclass.f9.co.uk/ for lessons. |
It's possible to stay in Courchevelat a sensible price. There are budget places to stay in all the Courchevel villages, even 1850, an dyou don't have to spend a fortune on food and entertainment. Obviously it's possible to blow the family inheritance there as well, but I've skied in Courchevel many times without spending any more money than I would have done in the other large ski station such as Alp d'Huez.
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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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How about Serre Chevalier?, staying in Monetier.
Very good nursery slopes, nice village for non-skier, plus old town of Briancon only a bus ride away.
For the better skiers ther are 250km of mainly intermediate pistes.
Only downside is that you are at one end of the ski area. I've stayed at Villeneuve, the next resort along, and managed to make it back to the resort for lunch every day.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ronald, gosh didn't I mention those ? I must be slipping
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