 Poster: A snowHead
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Got a bit of a dilemma. Previously my wife and I have skied at Alpe Duez which was our least favourite resort. We have also skied at Selva Gardena, Cervinia and Corvara. We love the Dolomites and all the Italian ski resorts we have visited. This year we visited Corvara which was our favourite so far. A first skiing trip for our 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son who both fell in love with skiing. Easy access to the Sellaronda circuit which gives me access to an immense skiing area. Long, easy blues perfect for my wife who lacks confidence and also met her favourite instructor. We loved it so much we have booked the same hotel for February half term. We have a week at the beginning of January and want to book another skiing trip but the standard of hotel in Corvara means it would be too expensive to book twice in a year. There doesn’t seem to be very much accommodation in Corvara, Colfosco or Arabba that suits or dates and budget or standards. So I have started looking at Meribel, Courchevel and Les Duex Alpes as there seems to be more quality, affordable accommodation. Just wondering how they will compare to Alpe Duex or the Italian resorts we have been to.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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So somewhere else with long confidence-inspiring blue runs. Of places I have been I first thought of the "motorway" blue runs in La Plagne, or the Les Gets side of Porte du Soleil. But you don't need to be in a big resort, Valmorel would be good, or by reputation (I haven't been there) Ste Foy. On the border with Italy Montgenevre has some good long beginner runs, and in Italy itself (assuming you leave the Dolomites for half term) Pila.
Others will have loads more suggestions, your problem is to choose.
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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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You looking for a hotel, or an apartment?
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I guess it depends a bit on why you didn't like Alpe d'Huez and what you particularly liked about the Dolomites.
There is a lot of pretty good gentle blue run skiing in Meribel and Courchevel but there again there is a reasonable amount at Alpe d'Huez as well.
Meribel and Courchevel are both purpose built and don't have anything like the same kind of charm and good reasonably priced mountain eats as the Dolomites, but it doesn't make them bad places. Deux Alpes suits many but I suspect if you didn't like Alpe d'Huez 2Alpes wouldn't be for you either.
Have you considered elsewhere in the Dolomites that may be a bit better priced like the Val Di Fassa . I must admit I am slightly surprised that Courchevel and Meribel are cheaper for similar priced accommodation as that has not been my experience of those resorts which are some of the priciest in France.
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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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I wouldn't say St Foy would be suitable, it's more towards the red end of things. A bit short on Kms too.
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@IainMcT, Does it have to be France or Italy? There are other countries depending on what was it you didn't like about Alpe D'Huez and what you liked about Selva Gardena etc.
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I would prob scrub L2A of your list if you did not like AD.
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I think we preferred the food in Italy and the resorts have a bit more charm. More trees. Love the scenery. Wasn’t overly impressed with the food at Alpe Duez. Also we may have been unlucky but our instructor was lacking in enthusiasm. Was young and didn’t quite make it as a downhill racer so was teaching more as a fallback really. Have previously stayed in hotels with pools and bed and breakfast only. Will also look at apartments. This is a bit of a bonus holiday so happy to try something a bit different. Just wondered if most French resorts are like Alpe Duez or does that have its on particular character.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@IainMcT,
Split the difference - La Rosiere/La Thuile.
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Just wondered if most French resorts are like Alpe Duez
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Really hard to answer because most French resorts have nothing in common with each other - it's impossible to generalise, but that doesn't stop people who have only been to the Tarentaise doing just that.
If you want an ideal resort for your family, with lovely scenery and lots of cruisy skiing, you could look at Les Saisies, but if you want to hare off on your own and encounter masses of challenging runs it probably wouldn't fit the bill. There is a 3*, good but (I think) very pricey hotel, the Calgary, but also endless choice of very convenient apartments, at every price point from cheap to eye-watering. You won't hear a lot of English spoken on the slopes...... which are very quiet out of school holidays.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@IainMcT, you can't really go wrong with Courchevel, very good piste skiing for all levels and blue run skiers aren't restricted to the bottom half of the mountain as your wife may have felt in Ap d'Huez. Distinct feeling runs as well gives it character and there is some tree lined stuff. Altitude, aspect and plentiful snowmaking mean that on piste conditions there as are as reliable as anywhere in the alps
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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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| IainMcT wrote: |
| I think we preferred the food in Italy and the resorts have a bit more charm. More trees. Love the scenery. Wasn’t overly impressed with the food at Alpe Duez. Also we may have been unlucky but our instructor was lacking in enthusiasm. Was young and didn’t quite make it as a downhill racer so was teaching more as a fallback really. Have previously stayed in hotels with pools and bed and breakfast only. Will also look at apartments. This is a bit of a bonus holiday so happy to try something a bit different. Just wondered if most French resorts are like Alpe Duez or does that have its on particular character. |
If you like the scenery in the dolomites you may be a bit disappointed with some French places. No alpine scenery is ugly but the three valleys is pretty dull compared with most.
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@IainMcT, which dates are you looking at in early January? Is it when most UK schools are still on holiday?
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You know it makes sense.
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@IainMcT,
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I think we preferred the food in Italy and the resorts have a bit more charm. More trees. Love the scenery.
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I think you'll struggle to match the food in Italy, at relatively affordable prices for a family of 4. A big advantage of the Dolomites, early in the season, is that you're virtually guaranteed decent piste snow, regardless of how much natural snowfall there's been.
Courchevel has great skiing, as does neighbour, Meribel. However, they're both very popular, having access to high altitude, with prices to match, often eye-wateringly so in Courchevel.
I've skied in L2A a few times but wouldn't go back for a whole week.
If Corvara, Colfosco, Arabba are too expensive (you may be missing good value places if just looking at UK packages) then consider better value parts of the Dolomites, still near to the Sella Ronda. Town and villages in Val di Fassa, for example.
Other parts of the Italian alps can be good value too, though scenery is unlikely to match the Dolomites.
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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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In France : maybe Morzine or La Rosière
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Poster: A snowHead
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Austria : Wildschönau or Ski Amadé or Ski Welt
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Haven’t found any resort to better suit a timid blue run skier who likes a nice lunch and decent view than Corvara and the other Alta Badia villages, but there are, of course, plenty of places I haven’t been too.
Compared to many resorts, the runs are distinctly short though. The top point of the plateau at Pralongia is 2157m and the descent to San Cassiano is therefore only 620m vertical (over 5kms+). Plenty of resorts will give much more. You can do from Saulire to Courchevel 1550 on blue, which is about 1200m vertical. I’m not sure that is a good thing when skiing with a 4 year old or a timid wife though, you can end up a long ski from home pretty easily! Good English-language ski schools though.
Of the places I’ve been, Courchevel/3 vallees, Morzine/PdS, Madonna all require paying much more attention to the piste map.
Saalbach has a nice big blue area on the sunny side of the valley, with easy access to steeper runs. Some similarly fairly short runs.
Grandvalira has a lot of blues linked together from the El Tartar/Soldeu villages and good ski school rep. The piste side restaurants are not in the same ball park (booze is cheap though) and under no circumstances let your wife ski down to either village at the end of the day. Take the reds or gondola!
Only Madonna is on a level with Dolomites for the scenery. Long runs and lots of variety but fewer blues and piste side restaurants.
Finland is a left field option. Quite cheap packages, short runs, very different scenery, very short transfers, lots of great other things to do (husky rides, skidoos etc). Short days and the price of wine in restaurants are about the only downsides.
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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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@IainMcT, not Les Deux Alpes is the right place for you. It's well priced, but an "upside down" resort. There is plenty of good skiing for mixed family groups at the top, but to get back in it's chowed up reds or over crowded narrow tracks.
I'd give Mont Genevre a look if I were you. Ticks alot of boxes with the added bonus of skiing into Italy easily for a decent hot chocolate.
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+1 for Les Saisies for confidence building scenic skiing and there are a couple of good mountain restaurants.
+1 for Montgenevre which is very family orientated with good ski schools and has some lovely tree lined runs. The lift pass includes Claviere in Italy.
The Grand Massif is also an excellent ski area and there are gentle tree lined runs in Les Carroz and Morillon and some excellent mountain restaurants. You would also be able to ski over to Flaine.
La Rosiere is good for gentle skiing and there is a lot of new high end accommodation there - eg Hotel Alparena which has hotel or self catering options. It doesn't have many tree lined runs unless you head over to La Thuile and your wife would have to do a red to get to the Italian side.
We are going to the three valleys this season with teenagers who will make the most of the vast ski area but I think there are better places for your wife to gain confidence and it is not a cheap destination for a second ski hol.
We have been to all these places with Peak Retreats who I'd recommend if you are looking for a TO.
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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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Don't overthink it. Go back to the Dolomites. Val di Fassa is less pricey than Corvara/San Cassiano/Arabba. Canazei all the way to Pozza/Vigo di Fassa have many good options. Less highly trafficked than the places right on the Sella Ronda. Check out the Val di Fassa website for accommodations: https://www.dolomitisuperski.com/en/Experience/Ski-areas/Val-di-Fassa
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Looking for alternatives for Corvara, Austria would indeed be more logical than France.
Some names: Flachau/Wagrain, Saalbach, Fieberbrunn, Maria Alm, Serfaus/Fiss, Lech (budget?), Gaschurn
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Dolomites are probably more reliable for skiing in early January. As long as they make the snow this year (!) by early Jan they will probably have a wider range of runs open and a better chance of sunny skiing than the western Alps.
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I would say Austria or Italy for value in my experience.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I can't see you getting the same quality and value in France as you often do in Italy.
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@IainMcT, Crystal have some good value accommodations in Val di Fassa area, mix of BB and HB, and as others have said in resort costs are better in Italy. If your really looking to reduce costs, have a look at Sunweb and Snotrex, they do accommodation, a mix of sc, bb and HB which includes lift passes, you’ll need to sort flights and car or transfer independently. If you haven’t SC before, it can be easy, make simple meals in the evenings, or take out pizza, and eat out a couple of times as a treat.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I was also about to suggest Austria for the traditional alpine feel and scenery, but also have a look at some of the smaller villages on the Sella Ronda rather than Selva Et al. There are some decent hotels tucked away with good links on to the main runs so to speak.
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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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Avoriaz could be a decent option, close to Geneva, so not too long for the transfers with the kids, a big and varied ski area in PdS, with plenty to offer all abilities tbh. And while it is purpose built, it still has a certain charm, with great views over the Morzine valley and being a car free resort with snow covered streets and horse drawn sleighs as taxis, can be quite a magical experience for young kids. And it's 100% ski-in ski-out, which is a huge deal for kids, and most of the lifts are chairlifts which also means the kids rarely have to take off and carry their skis, another bonus compared to resorts with more gondolas and cable cars. As a kid I went to Avoriaz for my first ski trip when I was 6, and loved it, and then the next year we went to Val d'Isere, where I had to carry skis from the hotel to the lift station and had to take off and carry skis on lots of the lifts, which I hated as a kid.
Another suggestion I'd have is Val Cenis, in the Haute Maurienne Vanoise area. A charming, traditional and family oriented village with some nice long blues and greens to enjoy, as well as some more challenging reds if you're up to it. You can also get there by taking the train (TGV or Frecciarossa) from Paris, Lyon, Turin or Milan to Modane, and then it's a short bus ride up to the resort.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 2-11-22 13:09; edited 1 time in total
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If you like the Dolomites (understandable) then other areas as many have mentioned might work.
I was in Pozza di Fassa in January, for a 3rd time, and it's great. The ski area at Pozza, linking over to Alba is so quiet, Vigo di Fassa is similarly quiet, and then you're just a short bus up to Campitello for all the Sella Ronda has to offer.
As long as you're ok with using ski buses, anywhere along Val di Fassa would be fine, and i'd also look at Val Gardena to see if any deals there fit your budget.
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