 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi all!
I'm looking to go on a snowboarding trip about a week before Christmas.
My partner and I are beginner snowboarders and so the two priorities are 1) a beginner friendly resort and 2) as snow sure as you can be in Mid December. Bonus if the resort is pretty.
Some of the places I've been looking at are: France- Val Thorens, Courchevel, Val D'isere and Tignes; Italy- Cortina and Madonna; Austria- Obergurgl.
I'm just feeling overwhelmed and really not sure where to go, so any advice is much appreciated!
Thank you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Welcome to snowheads 
I can understand being overwhelmed; what I would say is if this is your first trip then you'll have a great time regardless of resort size and the number of runs.
There are way more informed people than me on here who've done far more trips, but of the places I have visited, Tignes/Val D'isere still stands out as incredible for a few reasons; great number of runs, snow sure, very snowboard-friendly (not too many flat sections where you have to scoot and the lift system is really sorted in terms of speed. I think I preferred Tignes looking back, from a cost perspective. Val is great for access because it's in a valley; for Tignes stay up the mountain so there's less uplift first thing in the morning to reach the main lifts (which you have to do from les Brevieres).
Another really good resort I've boarded in was Les Gets; lots of pastureland under the blue slopes so smooth inclines, nothing gnarly and loads of wide beginner-friendly areas. The les gets area is lovely, I wouldn't get the full Portes Du Soleil ticket if you're just starting out. However, mid-December I'm not sure on snow coverage as it's quite low.
I'd also normally say try Les Deux Alpes also but the beginner area up the glacier has a lot of drag lifts and it's maybe not as good for boarders as it is for new skiers.
I found Arinsal in Andorra to be a great place, especially for quality tuition at an affordable price; we learned to ski there but there were loads of snowboarders who looked to be really enjoying themselves. Great place for apres, cheap and a compact resort. Not sure about December snow cover though.
Going before Christmas wherever you choose I'd expect it'll be fairly quiet - I did Val D'isere early December once and it was totally empty with an insane the amount of fresh snow available, i and that was good for if you tumble - always nice to have a bit of a cushion.
Are you planning on having lessons prior to the trip, or during? My boy started to snowboard a few years ago so we did one of those fast track sessions at Tamworth which helped, but we also put him in a 3hr private lesson with ESF in resort on his first holiday; he came back infinitely better and with loads of confidence to try steeper, narrower runs.
If I was to say anything about beginner boarding it would be look at resorts that are predominately blue runs, are compact in size with very little schlepping around between lifts, and which don't use access tracks for ski runs that can be flat and hard to keep momentum on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@AliG, so week of 13th to 20th December - any particular reason for going that week? Going early tends to mean going high and larger domains which as beginners you don't need. If you want late Jan for example you could go virtually anywhere and have good snow - and it will still be very off peak.
What is your budget anyhow? You using a tour operator/package holiday?
And welcome to SH's.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@AliG, I'd book a cheap s/c apt in the Falaise area of Avoriaz. This is a short walk from lesson assembly (if you're into lessons), and extremely near a very gentle slope with learner drag (ideal for newbie snowboarders). After that, you then have the gentle and long Proclou run (flattish in places), with a dedicated area to the side for the more adventurous boarders. Once you get very confident/proficient there are many dedicated snowboard areas throughout Avoriaz. https://www.avoriaz.com/en/winter-activities/freestyle---freeride/snowboarding-and-avoriaz/
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Specialman wrote: |
Welcome to snowheads
I can understand being overwhelmed; what I would say is if this is your first trip then you'll have a great time regardless of resort size and the number of runs.
There are way more informed people than me on here who've done far more trips, but of the places I have visited, Tignes/Val D'isere still stands out as incredible for a few reasons; great number of runs, snow sure, very snowboard-friendly (not too many flat sections where you have to scoot and the lift system is really sorted in terms of speed. I think I preferred Tignes looking back, from a cost perspective. Val is great for access because it's in a valley; for Tignes stay up the mountain so there's less uplift first thing in the morning to reach the main lifts (which you have to do from les Brevieres).
Another really good resort I've boarded in was Les Gets; lots of pastureland under the blue slopes so smooth inclines, nothing gnarly and loads of wide beginner-friendly areas. The les gets area is lovely, I wouldn't get the full Portes Du Soleil ticket if you're just starting out. However, mid-December I'm not sure on snow coverage as it's quite low.
I'd also normally say try Les Deux Alpes also but the beginner area up the glacier has a lot of drag lifts and it's maybe not as good for boarders as it is for new skiers.
I found Arinsal in Andorra to be a great place, especially for quality tuition at an affordable price; we learned to ski there but there were loads of snowboarders who looked to be really enjoying themselves. Great place for apres, cheap and a compact resort. Not sure about December snow cover though.
Going before Christmas wherever you choose I'd expect it'll be fairly quiet - I did Val D'isere early December once and it was totally empty with an insane the amount of fresh snow available, i and that was good for if you tumble - always nice to have a bit of a cushion.
Are you planning on having lessons prior to the trip, or during? My boy started to snowboard a few years ago so we did one of those fast track sessions at Tamworth which helped, but we also put him in a 3hr private lesson with ESF in resort on his first holiday; he came back infinitely better and with loads of confidence to try steeper, narrower runs.
If I was to say anything about beginner boarding it would be look at resorts that are predominately blue runs, are compact in size with very little schlepping around between lifts, and which don't use access tracks for ski runs that can be flat and hard to keep momentum on. |
Thanks so much for all that info! We are having lessons in MK- so we should have approx 10 hours worth of lessons by the trip. We will probably want a lesson on our first day of the trip, but I haven't looked into it yet because I've not chosen the resort!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Layne wrote: |
@AliG, so week of 13th to 20th December - any particular reason for going that week? Going early tends to mean going high and larger domains which as beginners you don't need. If you want late Jan for example you could go virtually anywhere and have good snow - and it will still be very off peak.
What is your budget anyhow? You using a tour operator/package holiday?
And welcome to SH's. |
Thank you!
It's the only time we have available holiday annoyingly
Budget: 4.5K total, we preferably want a hotel rather than self-catering.
Probably won't do package holiday but it all depends on what options are available.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Crosbie wrote: |
| @AliG, I'd book a cheap s/c apt in the Falaise area of Avoriaz. This is a short walk from lesson assembly (if you're into lessons), and extremely near a very gentle slope with learner drag (ideal for newbie snowboarders). After that, you then have the gentle and long Proclou run (flattish in places), with a dedicated area to the side for the more adventurous boarders. Once you get very confident/proficient there are many dedicated snowboard areas throughout Avoriaz. https://www.avoriaz.com/en/winter-activities/freestyle---freeride/snowboarding-and-avoriaz/ |
Thank you, do you think avoriaz is likely to have decent snow in mid december? I've read conflicting stuff online
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| AliG wrote: |
| Thank you, do you think avoriaz is likely to have decent snow in mid december? I've read conflicting stuff online |
It's a pretty high resort, but because the rest of the Portes du Soleil is a tad low, many won't consider the probability of good snow to be high enough to risk booking a long time in advance (given an expectation to visit Morzine & Les Gets, etc.). However, because you'll be unlikely to want to leave the bounds of Avoriaz, you should be fine. Moreover, you are learning, rather than intending to explore fresh dumps off-piste.
There are pros & cons of snow.
Plenty of snow = poor visibility, and easy to catch an edge, but soft landings.
Not much snow = hard pack, and don't catch edges so much, but hard landings (helmet strongly recommended).
On average, for December, Avoriaz enjoys snow a metre deep at the top, and half a metre deep at the bottom:
https://www.sno.co.uk/ski/france/avoriaz/snow-history/#:~:text=December%20in%20Avoriaz,bottom%20of%20the%20ski%20area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@AliG, welcome to Snowheads - you have a PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I’d suggest Soldeu in Andorra as they make snow to try to open before then. Good instructors also. Some skiers dislike made snow as it’s heavy but for boarding that’s a plus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| AliG wrote: |
| Thank you, do you think avoriaz is likely to have decent snow in mid december? I've read conflicting stuff online |
I skied the Portes du Soleil domain, which includes Avoriaz, mid-December in 2016 which was one of the worst starts to the ski season in recent years across the Alps. Down in Morzine where I was staying the slopes were still green - but up in Avoriaz everything exept the run to the bottom of the gondola was open and well covered with the white stuff. If it was white and open then no reason to think it won't be mid-December this/any year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| AliG wrote: |
| It's the only time we have available holiday annoyingly |
OK. There are upsides and downsides to going that early. It's cheaper, slopes are quieter. Downsides, not everything may be open on and off slope. If looking for apres, it will be tougher to find.
| AliG wrote: |
Budget: 4.5K total, we preferably want a hotel rather than self-catering.
Probably won't do package holiday but it all depends on what options are available. |
DIY is fine if you are comfortable with it. Guessing you will be flying? Then you need the Hotel. Transfers can be the trickiest/expensive part. Then equipment hire which is simple enough. Most people would take on group lessons. Get instruction and shepherded around in the morning, grab lunch and then get some practice/mileage in yourself in the afternoon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@AliG,
For a first trip I'd recommend using an all in tour operator to a chalet-hotel - let them take the strain. Resortwise, Tignes or Val d'Isere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Yes it does, but I'd say that Tignes is a much safer bet!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Origen wrote: |
| Yes it does, but I'd say that Tignes is a much safer bet!! |
I'd go Tignes every time, as per my original post. As guaranteed for snow as you can get. But the OP is asking about Avoriaz so who am I to overlook a chance to go webcam hunting 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
I intend to go snowboarding on the Tignes Snowheads bash (for the 3rd time), which is Sat 29th Nov - 6th Dec 2025, but Tignes is nowhere near as beginner snowboarder friendly as Avoriaz. Despite that, I did my 2nd ever week of snowboarding in Tignes (Val Claret) - my first week was in Meribel.
As the World Snowboard Guide says:
| Quote: |
| "Avoriaz is easily one of the best, French snowboard resorts and is seen by many as the snowboard capital of Europe. The management have been very positive in promoting snowboarding here since day one. For instance, Avoriaz was one of the first areas to have a snowboard-only section, including a pipe and park with lifts of their own. Furthermore, the resort has been producing a snowboarder’s passport, covering all aspects of Avoriaz, for a number of years." |
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 23-10-25 16:35; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| AliG wrote: |
| Layne wrote: |
@AliG, so week of 13th to 20th December - any particular reason for going that week? Going early tends to mean going high and larger domains which as beginners you don't need. If you want late Jan for example you could go virtually anywhere and have good snow - and it will still be very off peak.
What is your budget anyhow? You using a tour operator/package holiday?
And welcome to SH's. |
Thank you!
It's the only time we have available holiday annoyingly
Budget: 4.5K total, we preferably want a hotel rather than self-catering.
Probably won't do package holiday but it all depends on what options are available. |
Just had a quick look on ernalow for that week in Val Thorens. Bed & breakfast at Fahrenheit 7 is £1780 per person including flights and transfers, leaving a good chunk for hire and lessons. That's flying from Scotland, if you're in England it'll likely be cheaper. I've never stayed at it but it looks fantastic.
Funnily enough we went to VT after conditions in Morzine/avoriaz were dreadful the previous year (and this was a few weeks after the date you want to go). We've loved VT both times we've been, don't think you'd be dissapointed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
The opening post doesn't mention Avoriaz - he has a good list which includes Tignes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
He did in subsequent follow up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@AliG, All the French options are good but there's a serious weather risk at altitude at that time of year. As I get bored of saying, the Eastern Alps is lower but colder and less prone to white outs. Have a look at Saalbach, Schladming or Flachau too, especially if you can get direct flights to Salzburg. Much prettier locations than Tignes, VT or Avoriaz. Loads of affordable Hotel/Pension options at that time of year too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| RedandWhiteFlachau wrote: |
| @AliG, All the French options are good but there's a serious weather risk at altitude at that time of year. As I get bored of saying, the Eastern Alps is lower but colder and less prone to white outs. Have a look at Saalbach, Schladming or Flachau too, especially if you can get direct flights to Salzburg. Much prettier locations than Tignes, VT or Avoriaz. Loads of affordable Hotel/Pension options at that time of year too. |
Thanks so much! first time seeing these suggestions and they look amazing! webcam footage from last december look promising too
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@AliG, if it's any help, we've booked Christmas week (so the week after you) in Saalbach this year for numerous reasons, one of them being it has snow in December, and the other it has lots of terrain for my wife and daughter, who are more about chilling on blue runs. Nothing's ever guaranteed but again, historically it looks decent during December.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@AliG, No worries. Here's the thread link for our area. https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=173402&highlight= I'm sure Tatmanstours will be along with the Saalbach thread as well. I think I've already mentioned how good 13-20th week is in the thread somewhere. The big difference between Austria and France is that food and drink prices on the mountain tend to be 15-20% cheaper here. One note of caution though is that Ski Schools won't start group lessons until the 20th. You'd need to book private lessons but that probably works pretty well for two of you. At my school the amazing Lotte will be here. If Carlsberg did Snowboard instructors, she'd be it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| AliG wrote: |
| webcam footage from last december look promising too |
Coincidentally, from the webcams, you can see that today (23rd Oct) is the day that Avoriaz has transformed from green foothills to white mountains: https://www.avoriaz.com/webcam/
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Kenzie wrote: |
@AliG,
For a first trip I'd recommend using an all in tour operator to a chalet-hotel - let them take the strain. Resortwise, Tignes or Val d'Isere. |
+1,000,000
It's your first trip, let a Tour Operator take the strain, it's a lot to organise and get right, they will be able to point you in the right direction and sort stuff for you.
You can maybe DIY it once you know the ropes a bit more.
You don't need a massive ski area if you're beginners, just a nice beginners area and some easy blues to progress onto. If it's France you need to aim high pre-Xmas, Tignes or Val Thorens would be safe bets. Austria can be lower altitude as it gets cold earlier further East. Hopefully somewhere that has a beginners ski pass or points card, so you don't fork out loads for what you're not using. Finding somewhere as close as possible to the Ski School meeting point is a real advantage.
There should be plenty of deals for pre-Xmas week as most people can't or don't want to go then.
I took a look at igluski, which is an online Agent for various Tour Ops, they're showing packages (Return Flights, Transfers, Hotel with half board) from £688pp.
A Chalet in Tignes for £795pp.
A Chalet in Val Thorens for £899pp.
Chalets can be great as you have breakfast, afternoon cake with tea/coffee and dinner with wine included. Not sure you could do it cheaper DIY to those locations anyway. Obviously you will need to add some lessons, equipment hire and lift passes and a bit of food and drink on the mountain, but should easily come in under £4.5k total
Take a look, you can change the search parameters, I assumed London flights, come back here with what you find and folks who know the resort can help you decide if it's a good bet for you:
www.igluski.com
Use Igluski as a search tool to see what's available, but then I would advise you Google the name of the Hotel/Chalet to find which Tour Op the deal is with and book direct with them for added peace of mind. Plus the TO might have an liftpass offer or maybe you could get cashback.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| luigi wrote: |
| It's your first trip, let a Tour Operator take the strain, it's a lot to organise and get right, they will be able to point you in the right direction and sort stuff for you. |
I think this depends.
If you are someone who has done some DIY traveling before it's not a lot to organise and get right. And it's a lot easier now than it ever was what with the internet and helpful SH's,
In addition, TO's can be pretty crap.
But yes, if you are not sure, go TO.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
AS the OP wants a hotel, rather than self-catering, a TO might make sense, as it would include transfers, which are often a pain. For self-catering, DIY wins hand over fist because the choice of resorts, and of accommodation, is so limited through TOs.
Apart from altitude of resorts, and therefore snow-reliability so early in the season, it's worth noting that in some smaller resorts lifts will not open for that week before Christmas, however good the snow, although some will open for weekends.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
There are some TOs that do 'learn to ski/snowboard' beginners packages including tuition, rentals & pass. Might be worth checking out to see if the deal is better than you buying all the elements separately. Great fun to learn with a small group
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Origen wrote: |
| …..it's worth noting that in some smaller resorts lifts will not open for that week before Christmas, however good the snow, although some will open for weekends. |
Really good point. Visited Sestriere at Christmas and it was uncertain about which lifts would be open due to snow, and which they’d just keep shut for cost saving. Ended up seeing a lot of Boxing openings for Turin/Milan visitors, something that wasn’t clear on the tourist office website.
Guessing that resorts that open in November may be ahead of the game but Definitely a consideration for the OP to check if a resort is fully functional in December.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Layne wrote: |
| luigi wrote: |
| It's your first trip, let a Tour Operator take the strain, it's a lot to organise and get right, they will be able to point you in the right direction and sort stuff for you. |
I think this depends.
If you are someone who has done some DIY traveling before it's not a lot to organise and get right. And it's a lot easier now than it ever was what with the internet and helpful SH's,
In addition, TO's can be pretty crap.
But yes, if you are not sure, go TO. |
Yeh I have travelled a lot and I prefer the flexibility I get with DIY.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| luigi wrote: |
| Kenzie wrote: |
@AliG,
For a first trip I'd recommend using an all in tour operator to a chalet-hotel - let them take the strain. Resortwise, Tignes or Val d'Isere. |
+1,000,000
It's your first trip, let a Tour Operator take the strain, it's a lot to organise and get right, they will be able to point you in the right direction and sort stuff for you.
You can maybe DIY it once you know the ropes a bit more.
You don't need a massive ski area if you're beginners, just a nice beginners area and some easy blues to progress onto. If it's France you need to aim high pre-Xmas, Tignes or Val Thorens would be safe bets. Austria can be lower altitude as it gets cold earlier further East. Hopefully somewhere that has a beginners ski pass or points card, so you don't fork out loads for what you're not using. Finding somewhere as close as possible to the Ski School meeting point is a real advantage.
There should be plenty of deals for pre-Xmas week as most people can't or don't want to go then.
I took a look at igluski, which is an online Agent for various Tour Ops, they're showing packages (Return Flights, Transfers, Hotel with half board) from £688pp.
A Chalet in Tignes for £795pp.
A Chalet in Val Thorens for £899pp.
Chalets can be great as you have breakfast, afternoon cake with tea/coffee and dinner with wine included. Not sure you could do it cheaper DIY to those locations anyway. Obviously you will need to add some lessons, equipment hire and lift passes and a bit of food and drink on the mountain, but should easily come in under £4.5k total
Take a look, you can change the search parameters, I assumed London flights, come back here with what you find and folks who know the resort can help you decide if it's a good bet for you:
www.igluski.com
Use Igluski as a search tool to see what's available, but then I would advise you Google the name of the Hotel/Chalet to find which Tour Op the deal is with and book direct with them for added peace of mind. Plus the TO might have an liftpass offer or maybe you could get cashback. |
Thanks for this. A shared chalet is a definite no for us, so it'll be hotels or SC (if we really have to). For the standard of hotels we like, VT and Tignes are a bit spenny though not as bad as courchevel. Austria seems to have higher end hotels at a better price. snowspace salzburg seems to be ticking the boxes
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@AliG, check out Sunweb if you're into DIY - they do flight and transfer packages, but excel at offering accomodation+lift pass pricing, leaving you to find your way there. We've used them a few times for group trips and they've been great, always good comms and the lift pass included does take the sting out of it.
Snowtrex also do this type of DIY 'package', as do ErnaLow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
What do people think of Solden as an option?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@AliG, If you hit Flachau, then "Dips and Drops" is high end and newly refurbished. The Alpenhof a close second. But I'd recommend Hotel Lisa for ease of access to the slopes. Close to the Gondola that would take you up to mid-mountain for lessons. "Sport Am Jet" for lesson with the lovely Lotte. https://www.sportamjet.at/en/winter/ski-school.html
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| AliG wrote: |
| What do people think of Solden as an option? |
Although the resort isn't that high, it always opens early and has a long season because it has high glaciers on the upper mountain. A lot of ski teams do early season training up there in Oct/Nov and there are WC competitions then too, so it should be pretty much fully open in Dec. Lots of young Dutch go there to party during the main part of the season.
It always struck me as an intermediate/advanced resort with quite a lot of steep, challenging pistes, but as long as there are beginners slopes and some easy blues to progress onto, it should work.
There are two liftbases in the valley and I'm not sure where the beginners area is (might be marked blue 50 on the piste map below), so you would want to know that before you book accommodation where you would end up with a long schlep.
https://www.bergfex.com/soelden/
Hopefully someone with more intimate knowledge of Solden will be along to let you know what the setup would be pre-Xmas for beginners. Used to be some on here that regularly went early season.
BTW, point taken re shared chalets & package vs DIY...if you're confident about sorting it all, go for it, you'll get exactly what you want that way!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sun 26-10-25 19:48; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
You can find an extremely long form review/travelogue/confessional of my trip to Tignes in December 2023 as a beginner snowboarder in my signature (see Ride: Tignes) [TL;DR, snowboarding is hard  ]. Also a followup as a still-beginner in the Three Valleys (see Ride: Send). You'll find a couple of recommendations for instructors, kit hire places, restaurants, etc. Tignes Le Lac (which is where you need to stay) also has a free sector (both a proper chair lift and button lifts) which will make things rather cheaper.
For December trips (I do one every year with my sons), I book flights to a likely base well in advance (normally Geneva, but this year Innsbruck) and don't book anything else until at most the week before. Accomodation, kit, instructors and transfers are plentiful everywhere for the Sat-Sat week before Christmas (this year 13 Dec - 20 Dec). In theory you could go to Avoriaz/PdS but I would never in a million years commit to the PdS in December more than a single-digit number of days out. If you don't want to leave everything to the last, you must go high and for me that means Tignes (and, if you read my report, the nearby Ste Foy).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dyrlac wrote: |
You can find an extremely long form review/travelogue/confessional of my trip to Tignes in December 2023 as a beginner snowboarder in my signature (see Ride: Tignes) [TL;DR, snowboarding is hard ]. Also a followup as a still-beginner in the Three Valleys (see Ride: Send). You'll find a couple of recommendations for instructors, kit hire places, restaurants, etc. Tignes Le Lac (which is where you need to stay) also has a free sector (both a proper chair lift and button lifts) which will make things rather cheaper.
For December trips (I do one every year with my sons), I book flights to a likely base well in advance (normally Geneva, but this year Innsbruck) and don't book anything else until at most the week before. Accomodation, kit, instructors and transfers are plentiful everywhere for the Sat-Sat week before Christmas (this year 13 Dec - 20 Dec). In theory you could go to Avoriaz/PdS but I would never in a million years commit to the PdS in December more than a single-digit number of days out. If you don't want to leave everything to the last, you must go high and for me that means Tignes (and, if you read my report, the nearby Ste Foy). |
Great post!
All of us were beginners once, but only once and only in one resort, so it is sometimes difficult to see other resorts from a beginners point of view.
But you were a beginner snowboarder in Tignes and have got the t-shirt to prove it!! 
Great tip about leaving it late booking pre-Xmas. I did it once in Lech in early Dec, webcams were showing green hillsides, but saw the forecast on Monday for heavy snow coming in, booked on the Tuesday and was there on Saturday and it practically didn't stop puking snow all week!!
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Mon 27-10-25 13:50; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
