 Poster: A snowHead
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Can anyone recommed any where to go skiing for the weekend this winter. I live in manchester so Scotland isn't out of the question or maybe a cheap flight deal??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hornby, there are many resorts within easy travel of Geneva airport, so as soon as easyJet release their winter timetable, book yourself a cheap flight from Liverpool. I'll let PG fill you in on all the resort options....his knowledge is far greater than mine.
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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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Last winter BMI baby did good price flights from Manchester to Geneva .. could be worth giving them a try also, schedules due out early July according to BMI. keep an eye on www.bmibaby.com
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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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Also within Turin & Milan there are lots of resorts which are easily accessable via dual carriageway within 60 - 90 mins. If you buy a cheap flight to Geneva or Turin, as soon as the schedules come out, you can't go wrong. You can leave sorting out the resort until the last few weeks before you go as there are hundreds around these airports.
Does anyone know of a map which shows most of the resorts?
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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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Welcome to snowheads, Hornby. Skiing in Scotland can be good. There's quite a lot of stuff in here on it. Try the search facility. But it can also be impossible. Personally, I would advise you do not book in advance but to look carefully at the snow conditions and weather forecasts immediately before your chosen w/end. There were times when the Scottish resorts could regularly offer good skiing especially late season long after the European lower resorts had closed but in recent years the Scottish resorts have suffered terribly from very little snow and both Glencoe & Glenshee are now in receivership and may or may not be open next season.
For Europe, wait until after the weekend (when the forums are quite quiet) and I'm sure snowHeads will pitch in with more suggestions. If the flights to Geneva are good for you, Flaine has to be one of the bigger ones you should consider. Try the new resorts database in snowBase at the top of this forum for direct links to official web sites.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Welcome Hornby. I'd back up word-for-word what Ian says above. IIRC, he's Scottish, so would be the first to recommend Scottish skiing if it were comparable to Alps/NA skiing. Unfortunately, it usually isn't.
However, if you're serendipitous, skiing up here can be better than the best day ever in the Alps (IMHO). Away from a bank holiday weekend, with just the right conditions (enough snow to cover in the gullies and burns, but not too much to close the approach roads  ), you can have a brilliant time. The atmosphere when skiing in Scotland reminds me of the blitz mentality - we're all in it together, so let's get on and make the most of it. There's no snobbery, the staff are uniformly brilliant and the scenery is obviously breathtaking. I've had some wonderful days skiing in Cairngorm.
Unfortunately, days such as these are rare - not to say you won't be lucky, but it really does have more to do with luck than judgement. If you fancy trying Scottish skiing (and I would recommend it, but with these caveats), I'd suggest making a long weekend trip of it. Plan not to get any skiing done at all, since then you won't be (as) disappointing if the likely scenario of no/too much/wrong kind of snow happens. I'd suggest Aviemore, staying in Aviemore itself or Grantown-upon-Spey (sp?), since then you can ski Cairngorm (the big resort) if it's open & not too busy, or The Lecht (considerably smaller, but generally quieter) if the Gorm isn't an option. Grantown is mid-point between the two "resorts", so you'll have about an hour's drive to each. Even staying in Aviemore, the long approach road to get to the Gorm means half an hours' drive - especially if the road is a bit iced up.
So, I would recommend doing it, but not if it's going to be your only skiing weekend/holiday that year. There's too much chance of not getting any, or at least, any decent, skiing done. Go with an open mind - the countryside around the Gorm is lovely, so plenty to do if skiing doesn't happen. There are always the local Speyside distilleries to visit!!
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www.winterhighland.com has the best info/pics on scottish conditions and some contributions from Mancs who have dared to go to Scotland for a weekend!
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Check out www.flexiblebreaks.com for weekend skiing. They will collect you FOC from Turin, but are time-tabled around the RyanAir flight from Stansted. Don't know how that ties in with flights from M/cr area.
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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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Also consider Zurich and the resorts that are reachable from there, by train (or rental car). www.sbb.ch gives the timetable. There's a few smaller resorts (okay for a weekend) and hour or so from Zurich airport. Dunno if you can get cheap flights from Manchester to Zurich, though.
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I went with www.flexiblebreaks.com in decemeber so can recommend them as well - very good service, top people, very good value and if you leave it until late to book you will get some very good deals! They are also present in their resorts 2 weeks before all the other companies so if you wait and see if there is good snow you can get a cracking deal and completely empty (of people) skiing but lively bars still in the evening. Free transfers if you get the stanstead flight out and back (late ones).......or wait around until they arrive, otherwise £25pp each way transfer.
I would avoid Courmayeur as a weekend resort though as the 1 big lift up is a very very very big bottleneck on Sundays!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Dan, there's two big lifts up. There's a cable car in Val Veny. It's worth the trip down to that cable car as it's always so much emptier (and arrives at the emptier side of the mountain straight onto slopes, without the walk) that any time spent going down to it is more than made up once there.
There's also ski hire at the bottom and top of the lift, and a ski school hut and meeting point, too.
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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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I went to Montgenevre in France with flexiblebreaks. Do a search in Resorts for "Montegenevre" to find my trip report.
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I've done this for the last three winters. Our deal has been fly easyjet at 6:30 from luton. Pick up hire car (avoid easycar as it's a long trek to the pick-up point). Drive to Flaine (about 1.25 hours). Change into ski kit in carpark (works fine if it's not a blizzard!), hire skis, get lift pass, on the hill for about 11:30. Ski 3.5 days leaving the slopes at 4pm on Monday night to drive to Geneva for the 9:30 flight. Accomodation booked through Astrid Immobilier is very cheap but not special and generally convenient (details on www.flaine.com - phone them up they're very helpful). N.B. In peak season they do not book less than 7 nights so check before you book flights.
Go for it it's great. Yes the resort is ugly but the skiing is great and it's so very convenient. With a bit of research les Carroz might be worth considering, you actually drive through it on the way to Flaine.
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You know it makes sense.
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To maximise your time on the slopes look for a resort with a short transfer. One which easily gets overlooked is La Clusaz / Le Grand Bornand. Although not on the scale of the larger resorts, the skiing here was excelent when we went in March for 3 days. Skiing in the fresh powder on La Balme was truly excellent.
And now for a plug .... we stayed at a cosy chalet, see http://www.aravis-snowandsun.co.uk. Very nice little place, friendly owners and would heartily recommend it. Food was spot on.
And the bonus is it's only 50 mins drive from Geneva airport. Less time on the road = more time on the slopes. If you live in Manchester then wait for the BMI baby flights from Manchester, timings were excellent last year, out at 07:00 return at 19:00 ish.
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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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I'd agree with Chris, Flaine ia an excellent resort for skiing and very friendly, though it's either ugly or bold depending on your point of view! I spent 3 weeks there this season and loved it - don't leave your skis in the apatrtment lockers though (mine got stolen). Flaine is basically a north facing bowl so keeps the snow well (despite its moest altitude) - the proximity to Mont Blanc creates a microclimate too. The Gers bowl is an awesome powder bowl; and there's some great tree line skiing in Le Grand Massif area (Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillion, Sameons, Sixt).
Other resorts with easy access to Geneva are Chamonix; Les Gets / Morizine / Avoriaz; La Clusaz; St Gervais; Megeve.
Other airports worth considering are Chambery and Lyon, where you can get a bus to resorts.
ATS do a resonably priced taxi service (often shared) from airports to ski resorts - you can find them (and book) on the web.
The Mountain Centre (also on the web) have Chalets in Les Gets and La Tania where you can book rooms (usually shared) by the night for B&B.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yup,
W'eve done Flaine 3 times, by car and by plane, car hiring for the weekend is more economical than a taxi if you are 4 up even.,Carroz twice, and Les Arcs twice which for me is better skiing but the pay off is 2.5 hours drive rather than 1.
The main decider must be timing and price of flights. Next Jan we fly out from B'Ham at 6pm, stay the night in Chambery, and hit the slopes of Les Arcs early Sat am, returning after a days skiing on Monday on the 9pm flight back to B'ham through Lyon with BA. Have done GVA as well, but weeknds and midday flights just don't work, you waste a day travelling.
So I'd look at flight options forst and work on your destination second
Guru Goldsmith rates Flims Laax via Zurich for instance, but the Italian resorts do get very congested at weekends.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Guru Goldsmith rates Flims Laax via Zurich for instance,
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So do I (though I went for a week, I rekon it's do-able for a weekend and worth it) you can even stay in the hostel at the top of the main lift so can ski from just before the first lifts.
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FAQ
