 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@mistikempire, it's not going to be cheap if you want to go on a package in Feb Half Term. The demand is really high and spaces limited, so the Tour Ops know they can charge premium pricing. Are you 11th-18th Feb week??
Even DIY, it's hard to find weekend flights at a sensible price this late on. Most book these as soon as they become available.
I would suggest Easter as the best option, it will be warmer, better for learning where you sometimes have to wait for others in the group. The snow may suffer a bit after lunch, but you're not going to notice that as beginners. You don't need a massive ski area, but it does need to be high and north-facing at Easter. Ideally it will have some free beginners lifts too, so you don't have to fork out for an expensive lift pass you will barely use, at least for the first few days.
Going with a Tour Op on your first holiday is sensible. There's a lot to learn, so it's handy to have people guide you through it. I did quite a few chalet holidays before I had kids. I know you say you want to be alone, but it is a lot of fun to share the experience with other like-minded folk.
Have fun, a first ski holiday is a wondrous thing and group lessons are hilarious as you watch each other fall over, never laughed so much in my life as on that first ski holiday! 
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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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I would agree with others that Easter as a beginner can be a good option as it’s warmer, and beginners don’t tend to ski hard and warm up so easily.
Although it means higher resorts I think for Easter and I don’t know anywhere other than the big French ones.
If I was an adult beginner I would think of Austria for quaintness or Andorra as it’s cheap (I think it is still cheap) I remember it being great for an English speaker there
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Ignore the dolomites. Lift pass is best part of £300 - would be better off looking at Aosta resorts & flights to Turin - RyanAir did have flights for £20 E/W (but only fly 1 day per week).
Take a look at Bardonecchia or Sestriere. Sempres do catered chalet in Bardonecchia for £450 pw & you may be able to negotiate cheap transfers on top + they will sort out lessons, hire, etc. for you, so all you really need to do is get yourself to Turin!
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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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If you are still keen on February I'd suggest somewhere like zakopane in Poland. If you choose Easter as I and many here recommend I would say one of the smaller high french resorts, valmorel springs to mind, would be a good choice.
The learn to ski packages would be a good idea.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In a similar situation I'd go to Bonneval sur Arc or equivalent - small village, small ressort, cheaper, but with character and still high up.
Don't expect much.apres-ski though!
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Aside from a 3 hour transfer roughly, Andorra is a good beginner's alternative (as mentioned by Padster) with great instructors and bearable Feb half term queues. Possibly not quite postcard pretty as some Austrian villages or superb food & drink in Italy. Unsure if it's high enough for Easter skiing (it'll be the 2nd last week of the season).
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I echo the idea of using a package trip if you can, just makes things easier to be covered on everything being booked and having a point of contact who knows where you're supposed to be etc. Also I know that when I used Crystal a few years ago they were very competitive if you're looking at the whole package.
Don't worry about a smaller area, will still be spectacular, but potentially the larger areas could still be a decent price. My first ever trip was to La Plagne, which has a lot of piste to cover, and was really good value. I wouldn't completely discount France either, especially if you're going at Easter...although appreciate that you've now had a number of contradictory statements Ultimately you'll be fine if you book a package, there will be snow to slide on and it will be pretty in one way or another so I wouldn't stress about exact location too much.
| Lucywuk wrote: |
| I would agree with others that Easter as a beginner can be a good option as it’s warmer, and beginners don’t tend to ski hard and warm up so easily. |
Not sure I agree, when I was starting out I was always getting stupidly warm because I was making it harder work than it needed to be
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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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Think about this: Whether people continue skiing often depends on their first experiences. It's an expensive sport and the holidays require a lot more commitment than, say, lounging on a beach. And in the long run, a few thousand euros/pounds/dollars won't make a difference.
What I'm saying is you should make the experience as pleasant and hassle-free as possible for the first time. That likely means a tour operator with a dedicated beginners' program, in a nice hotel/chalet. There's also the language issue: Do you speak French/Italian/German? If not you'll need to make sure you have instruction that you can understand. Ideally, you'd fly to a decent airport, with a transfer waiting for you, right to your hotel, where your gear and lessons/passes are already set up.
Once you've done an organized tour, you'll have an idea of what you need to sort for your next trips. that's where the fun starts! There are hundreds of ski stations in the Alps alone, each with its own flavor.
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I agree with @Pasigal, but would add that location of your accommodation is crucial. Ideally you want to be within very easy walking distance of the ski school meeting place. Absolutely no question of having to all get yourselves and all your gear on and off a bus. Beware of statements which are vague and don't underestimate the challenge of even a short walk or claims about the distance to a lift which will be irrelevant to you.
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