 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
Im new to snow heads so firstly sorry if i have posted this in the wrong section.
I am looking at booking a ski holiday for march and wondering if anyone has any advise on countrys and resorts.. I skied France, Les Arcs 2000 last season and the snow was great, beer prices not so great at 7 euro a pint.
I would like great snow and not to bad beer prices.
Cheers for reading.
Dan 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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danburley, Welcome to  . Firstly March.snow conditions should be reliably good in most major Alpine resorts at the beginning of March, as the month progresses snow quality has a tendency to deteriorate on lower slopes and more south facing slopes, but even at the end of the month you should still be able to get decent skiing on the upper slopes of most resorts in most years.
Beer prices generally reckoned to be cheaper in Austria than France all prices are high in Switzerland at the moment. Obviously where you drink is important are you talking fashionable night clubs, mountain restaurants, resort cafes or take home supermarket beer. It ges progressivly cheaper. Less fashionable resorts arer usually a bit cheaper than more fashionable.
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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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danburley, Welcome to Snowheads. I can't really add much to T Bar's reply, apart from suggesting that you may also find Italy as well as Austria may have more reasonable drinks prices.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi danburley, Welcome to snowheads!
If you likes Les Arcs, but not the beer prices then please take a look at our catered chalets (link in my tag line). We are based in La Plagne which is just a short lift ride across on the Vanoise express lift, and we have complimentary bars with beer, wine and soft drinks in the chalets.
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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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danburley, Take a look around the ski amade area in Austria, around 1hr from Salzburg, made up of many ski resorts including Schladming, Flachau, Wagrain, Zauchansee, Gastein area, Mulbach in Hochkonig area. Huge ski area, good snow record despite being much lower than say les arcs and more importantly a selection of decent beers at around 3-3.5euros for a big one pretty much any where (in town or up the hills). Food is generally around 8-10Euros for a main course again in towns or on the hills. Apfel Strudel mit Schlag (cream) around 4euros (I only mention strudel as that's what I eat most the time). For the full on austrian apres ski experience (with many drunken brits, though no rioting) try St Anton (beer probably nearer 5ish I think), Mayrhofen, Saalbach ,Kitzbhuel to name a few. All the resorts I mention will be a lot prettier than Les Arcs, if that's your thing. Skied all over ski amade until late April last season despite the poor snow season.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| waynos wrote: |
| danburley, Take a look around the ski amade area in Austria, around 1hr from Salzburg, made up of many ski resorts including Schladming, Flachau, Wagrain, Zauchansee, Gastein area, Mulbach in Hochkonig area. Huge ski area, good snow record despite being much lower than say les arcs and more importantly a selection of decent beers at around 3-3.5euros for a big one pretty much any where (in town or up the hills). Food is generally around 8-10Euros for a main course again in towns or on the hills. Apfel Strudel mit Schlag (cream) around 4euros (I only mention strudel as that's what I eat most the time). For the full on austrian apres ski experience (with many drunken brits, though no rioting) try St Anton (beer probably nearer 5ish I think), Mayrhofen, Saalbach ,Kitzbhuel to name a few. All the resorts I mention will be a lot prettier than Les Arcs, if that's your thing. Skied all over ski amade until late April last season despite the poor snow season. |
Agree with all of this, but do be aware that the Amadé is not an interlinked area - some of the areas are pretty big (e.g. Schladming) but it's not on the scale of Les Arcs. That said, it's a fantastic area, really great skiing and conditions should be fine in March. It's much lower than a typical French area, but don't let that put you off, the snow record is very good and I had much better snow there last season than I found in France the previous week.
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sah, Agree I didn't make it 100% clear but as you say the individual areas such as schladming, flachau / wagrain do offer in themselves extensive linked skiing.
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Stay high in March.
Western Europe is warming and drying.
Make sure the village is atleast above 1500 meters and the top slopes above 2800 meters.
France, Switzerland and Italy have most of the highest resorts.
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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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sah, Actually large areas are interlinked: St Johann/Alendorf to Zauchensee via Wagrain, Flachau, Flachau-Winkl and Kleinarl for instance.
Or Mühlbach via Dienten and Maria Alm and back
Reiteralm,Hochwuerzen, Planai, Hauser Kaibling and back.
Most one week a year UK skiers would not manage those and still party at the end of the day. I was absolutely cream-crackered doing the Schladming 4 valleys last season and I ski every week!
Having a car obviously broadens your horizons even more 
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Yes, I know some of the areas are interlinked, but even so they are not the same scale as Les Arcs and the big French areas. As a whole the area is huge, and some of the areas have plenty of skiing, I spent 3 days on the Schladming mountains last winter, and had 2 days at Zauchensee. I'm not saying they are small but for someone used to Les Arcs it's worth pointing out the difference I think.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
Stay high in March.
Western Europe is warming and drying.
Make sure the village is atleast above 1500 meters and the top slopes above 2800 meters.
France, Switzerland and Italy have most of the highest resorts. |
Plenty of resorts in Austria are lower than this and offer very reliable skiing in March. St Anton is at 1300m and is a very good bet for March for instance.
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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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| Quote: |
How come the USA and Canada resorts are not tarred with the same "mileage" brush?
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Good question!
We've found that there is a much wider variety of skiing (in terms of challenge) in the relatively smaller ski areas in the USA. From cruising runs to heart stopping chutes - and everything in between. Oh, and often no-one else in sight - even at Feb half term! 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
| Western Europe is warming and drying. |
WFT are you waffling on about?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| sah wrote: |
| Whitegold wrote: |
Stay high in March.
Western Europe is warming and drying.
Make sure the village is atleast above 1500 meters and the top slopes above 2800 meters.
France, Switzerland and Italy have most of the highest resorts. |
Plenty of resorts in Austria are lower than this and offer very reliable skiing in March. St Anton is at 1300m and is a very good bet for March for instance. |
ignore him, he's a waste of time wind up merchant.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| waynos wrote: |
| Whitegold wrote: |
| Western Europe is warming and drying. |
WFT are you waffling on about? |
Average snowfall in the European Alps is falling about 5% a decade.
Glaciers are melting fast.
Time to get with the program, son.
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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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| sah wrote: |
| Whitegold wrote: |
Stay high in March.
Western Europe is warming and drying.
Make sure the village is atleast above 1500 meters and the top slopes above 2800 meters.
France, Switzerland and Italy have most of the highest resorts. |
Plenty of resorts in Austria are lower than this and offer very reliable skiing in March. St Anton is at 1300m and is a very good bet for March for instance. |
St Anton is a snowpocket and a rare exception.
Most of Austria turns green by mid-March.
Much safer to head high and go to Switzerland, France or Italy.
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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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| Whitegold wrote: |
Most of Austria turns green by mid-March. |
Whatever.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Historically Andorra has excellent snow in March plus lots of sunshine so you get the best of both - it's normally better at the beginning of March as towards the end it's usually a case of skiing until just after lunch then head for a terrace for apres ski for BBQs. Usually get great dumps throughout the month, and excluding dodgy winters Europe wide such as last year, there's usually skiing in Andorra until late April.
If you're looking for ski to door then Andorra isn't great but there are a few options. In Pas de la Casa, which you'll either love or hate depending on what your personal/group preferences are, the slopes come into a horseshoe with several hotels/apartments around. In Soldeu you ski to the valley bottom and across a bridge to the centre of the village with quite a few hotels in the immediate vicinity, or El Tarter has the Hotel Nordic which is ski in/out but not much nightlife around. Finally you have Arinsal which has two hotels (Crest & Patagonia) at the bottom of a run (plus a lift right outside) but the main village has access to the slopes via a gondola.
Loads of photos of Andorra organised by month on the links in my signature.
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| Whitegold wrote: |
| sah wrote: |
| Whitegold wrote: |
Stay high in March.
Western Europe is warming and drying.
Make sure the village is atleast above 1500 meters and the top slopes above 2800 meters.
France, Switzerland and Italy have most of the highest resorts. |
Plenty of resorts in Austria are lower than this and offer very reliable skiing in March. St Anton is at 1300m and is a very good bet for March for instance. |
St Anton is a snowpocket and a rare exception.
Most of Austria turns green by mid-March.
Much safer to head high and go to Switzerland, France or Italy. |
Balls, March is usually the best time for good snow, and lots of freshies, in Austria. Continental climate as opposed to the more temperate maritime climate in much of more western Europe (which is why you have to go higher there).
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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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Why ski to door? If you can ski to door probably a bit tricky getting the car out and down the hill:)
Seriously, a lot harder to get ski in in Austria as a lot of the villages are in the valley as they are real villages as opposed to purpose built high altittude resorts. Never felt it was a problem, just aim for a hotel near uplift.
In Mayrhofen skiing in to village is impossible (large cliff in way) so everyone (mostly) comes down the Penkenbahn (no alternative routes involving skiing please, they all involve a bus at some point).
Well placed hotels in Mayrhofen include the Strass, the Bruckke, Mannis, or for a good B & B the Garni Glockenstuhl. The Hotel Perauer is quite reasonable at the mo and not far from the Penken. They have even offered us a 4 night stay with no supplement.
One of the TOs has a Chalet on the High Street too, can't remember which one off hand.
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