 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Myself and a friend, both 30's, male, (he's done a couple lessons in UK while I've had two weeks in bulgaria many years ago) are looking to book a snowboarding trip in March.
I'm really struggling to find an appropriate one. While I've seen lots of recommendations, they don't appear when sorting by price. We are looking to keep costs down to (ideally) £1,000 or less, ideally £800 with lessons, hotel, flights.
It's for 7 days.
I prefer not andorra or Bulgaria partly due to very long transfer times and I've been to Bulgaria before.
If anyone can suggest, that'll be great.
I've been using strictly crystalski and igluski.com
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There's lots of current discussion here on Snowheads about realistic holiday costs. £1000 is going to be about the minimum, probably. At present conditions in many places are far from ideal for beginner snowboarders. If I were you I'd do lots of research (heaps of discussion here on Snowheads), keep an eye on the weather thread, and be ready to make some last minute decisions. As there are two of you, are you willing to share a room?
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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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Yes, we'b be sharing a room.
I have done a lot of research but not finding anything to really help.
Thanks.
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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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For France, you'll need to look after March 10 - school hols till then. Unless your mate is a fast learner with a high pain threshold he might need lessons.....
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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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@marty55, here you go, job done, you will have a ball in the Hof.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 14-02-24 23:50; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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La Plagne.
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@marty55, the transfer times to the Grandvalira resorts (Soldeu, El Tartar, etc) in Andorra are very similar to Geneva to many of the big French resorts.
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And though I;ve skied in neither, I get the impression that Andorra is much preferable to Bulgaria....
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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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These are the ones which were all on our budget. I'd be interested if anyone can recommend any.
Italy:
Pinzolo
Courmayeur
Bardonecchia
Prato Nevoso
Val di Fassa
Selva Val Gardena
Sauze d'Oulx
San Martino di Castrozza
France:
Brides-les-Bains
Samoëns
Austria:
St johann in tirol
Filzmoos
Alpbach
Zell am see
Thanks.
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Borovets in Bulgaria is only an hour and a half transfer (unlike Bankso).
book through Heici.com they are significantly cheaper than Crystal
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I went to Les arcs for £500 , that’s flights , trains from Geneva and 4 nights in a dorm at hotel base camp in Bourg st Maurice if you didn’t want a dorm they have twin rooms . Les arcs is fantastic for beginners . The trick is to organise everything separately .
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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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If £700 in the Hof is still too much then hold your nerve and wait till closer to your departure date and the crystal prices will fall. We got a deal in Galtur/Ischgl last year from Manchester for sub £600.
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From your list, I would avoid Bardoneccia if you're both a bit novice-y, there are a couple of very long, very flat, almost unavoidable blues to traverse back and forth across the main area and a lot of long drag lifts to access much of the resort.
Sauze is pretty good for beginners snowboarders, lots of easy blues and reds, will be a bit slushy at the lowers ends in March but personally that adds to the vibe, 4pm beers at the bar at the top of the Clotes lift followed by a sunny, slushy, run into town is good fun. The Milky Way area is massive too so you can get over to Sestriere for a day too. Top tip- I was told numerous times that to get out of sansicario you have to take a long drag, it's not true, you can go from the top of lift 36 and ride down to the gondola mid station.
I haven't stayed in Brides Les Bains but have in both Courchevel La Praz and Val Thorens, it's such a big area that there is plenty for riders of all levels, it also goes pretty high so should be plenty of snow still in March.
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You know it makes sense.
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I spent my first few boarding sessions at Mayrhofen: it's a great place with a nice atmosphere (do they still do the Snowbombing week?), and a very good selection of runs and areas. Plus high glacier access if need be. Go for it if you can.
Filsmoos is OK, if very limited runs, but I doubt they'll have much slush left from what I hear, unless very dramatic weather changes.
Alpbach is a nice little (pretty quiet, I think) village and lots of easier level runs; again, check conditions first.
Zell also good (another learning area for me), more going off in town, enough easy runs, access to Maiskogel in Kaprun and Kitzsteinhorn glacier too. Could be slushy lower down, I guess; check reports again.
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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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You want lots of wide easy cruise blues. I wouldn’t think Mayrhofen fits that description but I know lots of people learn there so maybe I am wrong. Prob the progress would be steep after the first few days. But the town is great with lots to do in the valley.
I learnt many years ago in France and would agree that La Plagne and Les Arcs are a great choice. Tignes as well but transfer longer. I would avoid Les Deux Alpes as the flatter stuff up top which makes it a bit of a pain for learning.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I teach snowboarding in all of the Tarentaise resorts (Tignes, Val d'Isere, Sainte Foy, Les Arcs, La Rosiere). My favourite resort by far for teaching beginners is Tignes. 2nd place would be Sainte Foy. Val is fine too. Les Arcs and La Ros are awful, hate teaching there.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Having looked at the affordable destinations, we may not go as the snow is looking very poor.
We don't need perfect, but if we are spending near to 1,000, we do want it enjoyable. Also my friend is a complete beginner and so doesn't want to spend a huge amount if he's going to be doing basic learning.
We can't really afford Tignes, that is over £1300+ for a week.
I went to bulgaria 9 years ago for 2 weeks and it was around £450, so it's at least tripled in price.
From crystal ski, heidi, sunweb, iglu, we found these, and none seem to have good snow:
Prato Nevoso, Italy £ 800.00
Bardonecchia, Italy £ 836.00
La Massana, Andorra £ 849.00
Pas de la Casa, Andorra £ 868.00
Vallnord, Arinsal, andorra 810/921 (915)
Arinsal, Andorra £ 946.00
Soldeu, Andorra £ 900.00
Soldeu, Andorra £ 1,000.00
Pinzolo, Italy £ 1,000.00
Courmayeur, Italy £ 1,000.00
soll, austria £ 1,000.00
les deux alps, france £ 1,045.00
Bad Gastein, Austria £ 1,200.00
Alpbach, Austria £ 1,200.00
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 20-02-24 0:30; edited 1 time in total
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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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@marty55, Norway will do the job - cheaper than you think and having good snow. Ditto Turkey - surprisingly good and cheap...
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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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Thanks, but norway is even more expensive than tignes. About 862 just self catering for the hotel, no equipment, ski pass, lessons. We'd be looking at £1500 for 1 week in norway, and my friends brand new to snowboarding.
I could go on 3 holidays each 7 days long for that.
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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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Do either of you drive? Might be worth looking at putting something together rather than getting a package holiday-
Le Shuttle £200
Tolls £180
Diesel £150
Lift pass £200ea
Tot £930
Shop around and you might find an apartment for £700ish in somewhere decent or at least better than crystals lower end offerings. Prices have gone up considerably since your Bulgaria trip and the likes of Tignes or 3 valleys are very different, but worth the extra cost
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I saw an article in the Times for a Eurocamps holiday with access to Alpe d’Huez, was very cheap. 10 mins on shuttle to gondola. I don’t know if you need wild apres but if it’s cheap and high snowsure resort then take a look.
Also look at Risoul on Heidi. Decent resort height and has cheap accommodation
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Heidi also has a couple of Les Arcs options.
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@marty55, what are your actual dates?
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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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what you paid 15 years ago was cheap even then. you can't compare bulgaria to not-bulgaria.
france/italy/andorra would have been more expensive then.
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Alpe d'Huez
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just back from a week in Prato - well we stayed in Frabosa Soprana and drove over each day because we really like a particular apartment in Frabosa.
Don't rule out Prato, despite the poor snow it would be fine for beginners. Snow making on all the main pistes. Nice easy pistes and not too busy, even at the weekends. Great schools and easy access to the pistes from the town in Prato. Night skiing on Tuesday, friday and saturday.
You can definitely do it cheaper though if you DIY - flight to Turin, cheap car rental and relatively cheap lift pass. Book lessons directly with the schools - loads online. I picked up a 6 day pass online for €120 just before i headed over last week, price in resort was still not too expensive.
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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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Alpe d'Huez. Has all you need for beginners.
Tignes is awesome but expensive and for beginners it's challenging. Les arcs isn't great for snowboarding in general imv.
I'll be in Zell soon so can give you the lowdown when I return. Tbh bansko is great for beginners so maybe somewhere on those lines might be worth looking into.
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You know it makes sense.
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Check out Sunweb, they do super-cheap deals that always include lift passes (although check which pass exactly, sometimes it's not the one you'd ideally want).Skyscanner for the flights, J2ski to work out where is within reach, Sunweb for accommodation/ pass, and then maybe a cheap car hire if possible.
Like others have said, most important thing is, get a resort with plenty of chairs, travellators and gondolas. I'd also consider going somewhere high and north-facing to avoid icy pistes as much as possible. Anywhere t hat's been warm with poor snowfall so far will have loads of sheet ice, which is horrible to fall onto.
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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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So, where did you end up after all the research @marty55? I like the idea of a 1k trip as I can justify it to the OH more easily. Just booked a catered chalet in La Plagne for Jan next year and think we've managed to get it around the 1k mark with lift pass but that's driving down and not accounted for Tolls yet. Plus have 13 of us going so makes a bit easier to stretch the budget, maybe  . Be interested in Alpe D'huez based on reviews from others though...
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FAQ
