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Which Resort would you recommend for a young family who have never been ski-ing before?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
This thread has bee inspired by a telephone call to my wife from friends yesterday, asking our advice on where to go ski-ing for the first time. The parents are 30 somethings and they have 3 children ranging from 10 years to 5 years. I have just been browsing thread Bland, Easy, Wide. Bump Free Pistes for ideas, but is this the criteria for the best resorts for beginners? - I am not sure really! I have been sking (badly) for more than 30 years and I find it difficult to be objective, tending to recommend places that I have been over the years. but this is probably not the best advice either.

Perhaps the criteria that I am listing below go some way to help selecting a good family resort for absolute beginners.

Snow sure middle altitude resort (1500 metres for France, 900 metres for Austria?)
Short journey from arrival airport to resort.(No longer than 2.5 hours transfer from airport to resort. I suggest).
Good family friendly hotel on Half Board. or family friendly chalet. (both possibly with swimming pool and sauna)
Excellent kids club (preferably at the hotel or in the chalet).
Hotel location either on the piste or very close to the lifts.
Mainstream or specialist tour operator (not DIY or self assembly for the first time)
Good value package holiday - not too expensive for first timers.
Other activities in resort apart from ski-ing (some first timers will not automatically like ski-ing).
Choice of well recommended ski schools (possibly with after ski video tuition follow up).
English speaking or English ski instructors ( absolutely imperative ).

Resorts that come to my mind are Alpe d'Huez, Villars, Saalbach, Bardonecchia, and Levi in Lapland.


Let's have your views and recommendations please.
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DAVID SNELL, La Rosiere has it all but with a 3hr transfer. Try a search for "family la rosiere" in the search section
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DAVID SNELL, Get you freinds to learn at the dryslope first ...... wink
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DAVID SNELL, You've pretty well summed it up, but some criteria depend very much on the individual family. For example, I wouldn't restrict my choice of resorts according to transfer time, as my kids don't mind travelling. Three factors that you've overlooked are weather, resort size and drag lifts.

- You can't assume that beginners wil enjoy skiing in blizzard conditions, so you need a resort and time of year when sun is more likely than not and where low-level tree-sheltered skiing is available when things turn nasty.
- Beginners are better in a small resort. They don't need all that piste mileage, so why they shouldn't need put up with the downsides.
- As for drag lifts... do I need to explain myself?

We've had the most success with family skiing in North America. It's not significantly more expensive than Europe, and the standard of tuition and childcare are astonishingly high. And before tha arguments start, that's not to say that you won't get a good trip in Europe; I just think that American and Canadian attitudes to childhood are culturally more closely
aligned to ours. Kids aren't allowed to not enjoy themselves over there.

The two best family trips that we've taken have been to Big Sky in Montana and Panorama in Canada. Both places meet your criteria except for the length of the journey. But I'm sure that others can recommend plenty of other suitable resorts.
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DAVID SNELL, I would recommend Simon Butler Skiing in Megève, which offers instruction (by native English-speakers) as part of the package. Of your criteria, it's lower than 1500m (at base) but this is rarely an issue, and only then at the extremes of the season sometimes (it's been open until at least this weekend for example). In the event of poor cover, SBS will always get you to some snow every day, even if they have to bus you to a nearby resort like Les Contamines (which is covered by the same pass). The other issue is that it's either a short bus ride or a 500 metre walk to the lift network, depending where you want to start from. All the other criteria are met squarely.
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DAVID SNELL, I'd say the other side of the border/ski area in La Thuile. It's easy to get up to and down from to the big bowls in the gondola and the most of the area is lovely big white smooth motorways and lots of modern covered chairs. La ros is lovely but it can be daunting for absolute first timers to follow some of the narrow little cross links 'tween pistes and the greens in La Thuile are much longer.
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I learnt to ski in a small resort in Italy called Macugnaga (This was with Neilson)

Great for beginners.
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DAVID SNELL, I agree with Jonny Jones: the criteria should depend on what works and this may differ from family to family. The best answers will be from families that have recently inntroduced their children to skiing. I am a bit out of date now: my kids started skiing 10 and 12 years ago at the ages of 3 and 4. Transfer time was more my problem than their's. I agree young kids hate walking, especially in ski boots and carrying skis. Other activities do not need to be organsised: they just need space to play, whether it be outside in the snow, or inside just mucking about. A nearby swimming pool is useful - in our case very useful as they played with other kids there for ages while we chilled out in the bar. Self catering or chalet worked better than hotels. And really good if the chalet organised the ski tuition as then the kids already knew the other skiers and the instructors were English or spoke it well.
So companies? Ski Esprit and Mark Warner. (I have heard good reports of Club Med, but don't have any experience).
Where to go? La Plagne or Courchevel.
If self catering: Les Balcons in Belle Plagne, or any good chalet in Nendaz and go by car.
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Jonpim, Interested to hear that you mention Nendaz. We have been going there off and on for 20 years. I noticed this year they have a huge kiddy's club up at Tracouet with a little up-hill travelator for the youngsters. The only UK operator that I know that goes there is On the Piste from Surbiton. In your experience do you think Nendaz rates with the bigger French resorts then? I have hesitated from recommending it because I have been there many times and find it difficult to be subjective
Masque, I would not have thought of La Thuile but interested in your comments.
laundryman, Yes friends of mine have learnt with him about 15 years ago and have raved about his ski packages. Last time I heard that he had problems with the authorities in Megeve and was looking at appearing in the local court.
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Morgins in the Portes Du Soleil has good terrain for beginners..
Some others have mentioned Nendaz which i would agree with also.
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Les Arcs-La Plagne. Little Angel
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DAVID SNELL, Chamrousse (would hve to book independently) and fly to Chambery or at a pinch Geneva. Very short transfer from chambery, family small resort. No tour operators .... I hear it's very nice.
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DAVID SNELL, you know Nendaz well: you don't need a TO to go there. Just book your chalet direct with Interhome or similar and drive out (I wouldn't recommend Nendaz without a car). I thought Nendaz a great place for kids. They don't want to ski all the time: with a large chalet and garden they had plenty of places to play in. The long gentle run down to Siviez served by a chair is a great learner slope. We first went there when Rosie was 5 having been introduced to skiing a year earlier in Courchevel, and she loved that run. Tom learnt there (aged 3) on the rope drag up at Tracout (is it still there?). I remember all cafes on the slopes served ice-cream and lollies. I wish France would adopt this as well.
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I would always say Soldeu in Andorra to learn -know its a long transfer- but great English speaking ski school and of course it's duty free Smile
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DAVID SNELL, I stayed at L'Hermitage, a Crystal Chalet hotel in Alpe D'Huez, back end of March.

Alpe D'Huez may meet your need. I visited it in March. True, it was more of a town than an alpine-charm village, but it had a cheerful atmosphere, what looked like a good outdoor swimming pool, and had nice restaurants. More than that , despite having a black black (Le Tunnel) it also had a large number of intermediate and beginner slopes. I saw no sign of the reckless skiing that mars some resorts. It also had a large number of south-facing, and therefore sunny, slopes. Not the best for avalanche stability off-piste, at times, but otherwise delightful. If you like skiing near trees, there was the Monfrais area.

I think some other snowheads have said that they did not enjoy Le Hermitage. Perhaps I struck it on a good week, but I found the staff helpful -and when I injured my leg, they excelled beyond the call of duty. The hotel is not grand, but is warm and comfortable. I enjoyed the bar, yet, certainly in the annex, was able to get a good night's sleep. All the families seemed to be enjoying themselves. Children were well behaved, yet happy (a credit to modern parents, I thought). And they had their own early dinner time, and I think there was a children's club.

There is an English-speaking ski school. Shortish time by road to Grenoble. ifyouski says 90 minutes - it seemed less when I went by taxi.

So, FWIW, as a grandad seeing others' families, I thought Alpe D'Huez looked a pretty good family resort.
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DAVID SNELL wrote:

laundryman, Yes friends of mine have learnt with him about 15 years ago and have raved about his ski packages. Last time I heard that he had problems with the authorities in Megeve and was looking at appearing in the local court.

That dispute rumbles on intermittently, but doesn't seem to get in the way of running the business. I usually go 3 times per year - sadly only twice this season.
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DAVID SNELL, I think the most important factor is the nursery slope and how busy/what condition that is likely to be in. My parents were put off skiing by a busy, icy nursery slope. By the time they get to skiing the mountain, they'll be hooked and will take anything!!
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DAVID SNELL, checkout www.snowbizz.co.uk I can highly recommend them,for a first ski holiday with kids it ticks ALL the boxes.
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How about Courchevel 1850 - I have been there a few times and never thought the ski-ing was too difficult there, particularly down to Courchevel 1650. Any views?
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DAVID SNELL, we went there as beginners about 12 years ago and again the next year, and had a great time. You can get around quite a bit there as beginners ISTR.
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laundryman, Yes I think that I will definitely recommend Courchevel 1850. Having said that it's not cheap for first timers. I have stayed at the Courcheneige on the Bellecote piste several times. If you have the funds this could be a good bet. I hear the ownership has changed here and the Heulley family have sold out - hope the new owner will carry on the tradition of good service.

That aside I think Courchevel is a good bet if, as a first timer, you don't flinch at the cost wink
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I agree with Hedley go fot Puy st Vincent with snowbizz there the best there is and the price is good as well -save the big resorts till later when you can get the best out of them
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Try Zauchensee. Excellent english speaking ski school, snow sure, convienient skiing (close to hotels), 1 hr from sallzburg airport, very quiet, check out http://www.hillwood-holidays.co.uk/ I've used them with my family for a couple of years, Ideal!!

Regards


Bob
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For a first time family I would pick Austria, maybe St Johann or Ellmau or another village in the Ski Welt.
Or if France, somewhere in the PDS, Chatel or Les Gets...??
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laundryman's suggestion of Megeve would appeal to adults who want something else about the town.
Lovely and attractive very French Village. Might be helpfulto have a bit of French there tho'
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JT, I have skied Ellmau and we will back there next year. However the beginners' slopes are down in the village and disconnected from the main ski area above the village via the Hartkaiserbahn.
The risk here is that the family never make enough progress to migrate from the village slopes up to intermediate slopes in the main ski-circus. Thus the joys of Ellmau are lost on those who don't make it to the upper slopes.

I think that socially it is important for new skiers to be on slopes which are close to where it is all going on. It's nice at the end of the day to all meet up for a drink together in a pleasant mountain environment, where everybody can meet up together to share experiences. That's why I think beginner areas separated from the main ski-ing areas are not ideal.
This lead me to believe that Courchevel, Val d'Isere and other higher altitude resorts although appealing to the intermediate skier, are also a better bet for the absolute beginner.
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DAVID SNELL,

Ok, Obergurgl, which I believe has a beginner slope at the bottom of the main 4 oclock run and peeps can congregate in the umbrella bars quite easily. Or, get the beginners quite well prepped with dry slope lessons before they go so only spend the minimum time of the nursery slopes anyway. In this respect Saaalbach and Obergurgl are resorts with easy terrain quite high up the hill IMV.

I am a fan of Austria for begiinners as the all-round experience of the apre - with the crazy oompah bars etc - is a better seller and foundation for an all round holiday which might not have to be all about skiing.

And Saalbach has some good value 4*'s which is another plus as does Obergurgl
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DAVID SNELL, I've already told you, LA ROSIERE is where you must go Very Happy
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DAVID SNELL, I also think that Courchevel is a good choice for beginners. There is lots of great terrain for learning on and progressing during that first week, which, as you say, is close to where all the action is going on. Equally important in my opinion is the quality of the ski school, which I think contributes a huge amount to the success or otherwise of a first ski trip. Courchevel has a couple of great Brit-run ski schools (Ski Supreme if you are staying in C1850 or C1550, and New Generation if you are in C1650). The downside of Courchevel, of course, is the price. Lift pass, ski school and food/drink are going to be more expensive than smaller resorts without the reputation of Courchevel, although it is possible to have a great holiday there without spending an absolute fortune if you avoid the more expensive establishments. The Courcheneige is a very nice hotel and couldn't be better located for ski in/out, but perhaps not so good for beginners on their first day or two of skiing, and not so good for easy access to the village centre in the evening.

Although I like Val d'Isere, I don't rate it as a good resort for complete beginners as so much os its easy terrain is located at altitude and for inexperienced skiers the only way to get back to the resort after skiing is to take a lift down the mountain. This makes it difficult to have everyone get together for a drink at the end of the day, then ski home.
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DAVID SNELL, Does the resort have to be in Europe? e.g how about Silver Star in BC? IMHO it fits many of your criteria except for maybe other activities (although you can get down to Vernon easily as there's a shuttle bus) and cost.

It's pretty well snow sure. Last season when BC was suffering (especially Whistler) Silver Star was one of the few places you could find reasonable cover
Short journey from Kelowna airport to resort - about 45 mins
Good family friendly hotels (don't know about the swimming pool/sauna side of things)
Fantastic ski school/nursery - admittedly our 2 year old wasn't ready to ski so we don't have experience of that but she really enjoyed the ski creche and the carers there are excellent
Hotel are very close to the piste and very close to the lifts.
Mainstream or specialist tour operator - Ski Independence (I think but would need to check)
A highly recommended ski school with a high percentage of CSIA Level 4 instructors (the highest level)
English speaking or English ski instructors - I know they have both (we met 2 English instructors while we were there)


The website is www.skisilverstar.com

Okanagan has been there quite a lot too and would be able to provide more info on the ski school
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You liked it then geetee?

No actual swimming pool at the Star any more (there used to be when we first went there), but most hotels/apartments have hot tubs. There are other activites like snowmobiling (including little ones for kids which even my four year old could drive), skating, tubing, etc, and free kids activiteis and movie nights etc laid on.

In the same ownership, and the same applies re ski school, creche, distance from airport, is Big White (they're actually close enough that you could do two centre with a week at each) which is a bit bigger and has swimming pools at the Inn at Big White / Sundance or (more of a budget option which you can't book through central reservations any more) the Hofbrauhaus. Also additional other activities like dog sledding, etc. and possibly a bit more for the nonskier. (But further from the nearest town - Kelowna - so shopping excursions less of an option).

You can actually book both BW & SS through Crystal now, or look at Ski Frontier as another option, although DIY is actually very easy as the resorts central reservations will do everything except the flights for you so you'd only have one point of contact.
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DAVID SNELL, See? I told you Okanagan could help! Very Happy

Okanagan, Hi! We had a great time thanks! Very Happy I've been meaning to mail you to let you know but I've been a bit rubbish at catching up on things like that (including writing to our ski partner friends Very Happy ) The snow was OK but then it was almost end of season and was real spring skiing - a bit hard in the morning and softening up by the afternoon. I think we would have appreciated it a lot more if there had been some fresh snow as well. We did get to try out some of the headwall blacks on our last day (the bumps looked a bit solid for my liking up until then!) I really loved the fact that everything is within staggering distance and you can put your skis on literally as you step out of the hotel - cool! And the creche was brilliant. Most days there were only a couple of kids there so Sophie had the run of the place. I'd really like to go back and we were thinking next season but we might not have enough holiday time so maybe the year after.
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I'd second 1850, we stayed in La Tania, but the kids loved learning to ski in 1850, wide green runs, tree runs and a great place to learn!
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geetee, Out of interest how much did a family trip to BC cost???
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Apart from skiing instructors and school which I have no knowledge I would say for several absolute begineers there is a place called Le Tour in the bottom end of Chamonix valley.

It is flat as pancake so that everyone is in sight. Definitely one of the largest beginner area, size about several football pitches. Chamonix starts at 1000m+ level and Le Tour is even higher at 1252m and at the starting point of the mountain pass to Switzerland, pretty well protected at the end of the Chamonix Valley but well within 1.5 to 2 hours from Geneva airport.

If the beginners progress fast enough there is Domain de Balme next door which is good place for intermediates. The challenging Grands Montets is of course about 2km away.

Le Tour is good for parents who need to have everybody in sight. It has only surface drag lifts, green and blue runs. The ski pass is also cheap if one opts for one resort only (or including Domain de Balme which has red and black runs) and doesn't try the rest of the Chamonix Valley. Non-beginners would purchase the Cham-ski pass able to ski any of the resorts within the valley.

Austrian Ski Welt (including St Johann), either the Swiss side or French side of Porte Du Soleil, Megeve, La Rosiere/La Thullie, Courchevel/La tania and even Whistler are good for beginners but none of them have a space as wide and flat as l
Le Tour as far as "absolute" beginners are concerned.
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saikee, Le Tour is indeed a great place for beginers, but it is a bit stark.
I would second JT's suggestion of Obergurgl. That's where I learnt to ski, and loved it so much I went back the following 3 years.
The Austrian system of 2 hours instruction in the morning and 2 more hours in the afternoon I think better for beginers than the French once-daily 3 hour session.
Obergurgl passes most of DAVID SNELL's criteria, but I'm not sure about child-care.
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geetee, and all the other folk who are contributing to the thread. Thanks a bunch for all the good info. Interested to see some of you are suggesting a trip across the pond. I think that if you are financially in that bracket it would be a good bet but I wonder if a newbie family would risk it
saikee, You seem to have found one of those largely unknown gems in the Alps, rather like Val d'Anniviers in Switzerland ie Grimentz etc.

All the recommendations more or less are for traditional areas so far - what about Norway and Sweden - anybody out there got any experience of these resorts?
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DAVID SNELL,

Norway and Sweden resorts are not particularly easy for absolute beginners.

Le Tour would not be a choice for people who have skied before but it is massive and flat for the absolute beginner ot first timers. One thing for sure it take some doing to get knocked down by a speeding skier or board because nobody in his/her right mind would not go there for speed. It would be an ideal place to practice and build up confidence for a few days because the run is football-pitch wide before moving down the valley to other places by ski buses.

The Col De Balme next to it can be difficult for the beginners too as the only way down (to Le Tour) is a steepish red. It has no green slope.

Elsewhere La Flegere has a long green at the top of cable car, National skiing teams may prefer Grands Montets challenge for the practice runs but at its bottom there is a huge green slope area called Les Chosalets specially suitable for the beginners too. On the same Chamski pass, therefore free ski buses, are La Planard, Les Bossons and Le Savoy all with green runs. To me a first timer can't cope with a green slope he/she needs a nursery slope to atart with and that is where Le Tour and La Planard come in.

Chamonix can also be a good starting point for the biginners although many go there for the more challenging features.
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DAVID SNELL, I've only been to one resort in Norway, Geilo, my first skiing trip. I found it to be good for beginners with plenty of green/blue slopes, only about 50 km in total though I think and mainly short runs. Tuition is pretty good with everyone speaking excellent English. Two downsides though. Daylight hours can be very limited, I went straight after New Year and I think the slopes only opened 10 - 3.30 (it was dark outside these times). It is also a very expensive country. Alcohol is prohibitively expensive and as a consequence hotel bars, etc are more or less empty.
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DAVID SNELL,
A bit late in on this thread but here goes.

Like you I have skied for quite a few years so probably don’t know everything a beginner looks for but my children have been beginners relatively recently and have been with other beginner children even more recently so hopefully I have some idea.

On your general criteria I would have a few comments and additions.

First is that nowadays I think most resorts cater for beginners reasonably well and I suspect that a family enthusiastic about the idea of skiing is likely to come back pretty happy from virtually anywhere I have been to.

Your altitude criteria I would say is fairly time of year dependant. My own view is that if they are going in the school holidays at the beginning of the year I would say somewhere with a decent snowmaking set up and some sheltered tree level skiing is what I would choose as the snow fall can be erratic and there are no guarantees of good natural snow anywhere, though high resorts should have some.
.
In February holidays I would tend to avoid France unless you have a recommendation for a resort from someone who knows it well on the nursery slopes at that time of year. French resorts get notoriously busy and even the quieter ones can get very busy on the nursery slopes in my admittedly limited experience.

At Easter I think going reasonably high and preferably north facing makes a lot of sense.

Family friendly hotel chalet makes a lot of sense family rooms tend to work out cheaper personally I have usually self catered but in hotels I have usually gone for family rooms.

Kids club; my own opinion is that once the family have started skiing this becomes redundant as I want to see my children outside of lesson times so I would not use one, though if they may not be skiing I can see the use.

I have never done a coach transfer with children as I DIY so small differences in transfer time are not that important in the journey for me but with young kids it may be important a good reason for avoiding the Tarentaise in high season IMO.

Hotel location pretty sensible with young kids though if there is a good shuttle service or storage space for skis at the lifts maybe possible for a hotel further away. I have rarely stayed close to the lifts or pistes even with children but have usually been able to park close by.

Tour operator v DIY I can see the advantages for the beginner of having a rep but for the school holiday periods a lot of tour operators put up the prices so much that the enterprising family may be far better off doing it themselves. IMO probably the most important thing is to arrive early on the day of arrival to make the sorting out of equipment hire, lift passes and ski school meeting places easier. Delayed charter flights and tour operator busses can sometimes conspire against this.

Good Value Absolutely spot on here I don’t think people without families realise how much seemingly small extras can add up when multiplied by four or five. Beginners will often have to buy a lot of first time equipment as well such as clothes.

Other activities are probably useful but for myself I am happy to chill out with a beer. I don’t think it is particularly important unless planning to take a non skiing granny or such like.

I think most ski schools have English speakers in them nowadays I think a well recommended school is obviously an advantage but most will probably not have more than one or two recommendations which may be instructor dependant so I would not let the lack of this put me off, a widely criticized school would though. Fellow English speaking students is definitely a plus point.

I think for first timers a small resort has real advantages cheaper less crowded usually often better snow because it is less crowded; the easy runs of bigger resorts usually have the worst snow. They are often friendlier as well.

Anyway enough prattling on. Of the resorts listed above I would definitely agree with Puy St Vincent which is a great family place, it is purpose built and the main building is no great object of beauty.
La Thuile is a place I have often suggested to friends everyone who has been has enjoyed it nursery slopes in the village and easy ones higher up.
I was really impressed with Zauchensee on my short visit though the slopes did not look that easy for beginners to my eyes. If Bob says it is good for beginners as well as others it meets most of your other criteria. Could be a little bleak in the depths of winter as the valley in which it sits is fairly narrow.

Galtur in Austria is snow sure small and friendly a great little place in my view the only real drawback on your list of criteria is that the ski area is a short bus trip away from the main accommodation, also north facing without many trees so probably somewhere for February onwards.
Gargellen is another small attractive Austrian resort which looked pretty good for beginners on a brief day trip.
In France I would consider Montgenevre which has some great easy terrain and is inexpensive and Val Cenis which is attractive and reasonably priced. The next door resort of Termignon looks pretty good but I have not skied there and I don’t know how much English speaking tuition there would be.

Obviously there are loads of other places but there are a few ideas. snowHead
snow conditions



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