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Resort suggestions for a beg/int couple at half term

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
My wife is a teacher and after a couple of years of me going skiing during term time with friends, she'd like to try skiing. So I'm trying to decide where we should go.

It's got to be either half term (week of the 17th Feb) or Easter, but for no good reason I was planning on half term rather than Easter.

What I'm looking for is primarily a good place for my wife to learn, for me to probably take intermediate/advanced group or private lessons.

From reading other threads, and looking at school holiday dates I thinking probably of Italy or Switzerland. I learnt in France during French School holidays and it wasn't much fun queueing with small armies of 6 year olds. I'd hate so see it in ENglish school holidays.

Other random thoughts: we both speak ok German (not good enough to learn to ski in German though) and have had a summer holiday in the Wengen area. I was hoping to not have to pay too much, but after shopping around I've given up on that one Happy Catered with good veggie food preferred over self catering. Apres Ski not too important. Probably have a contraditcing desires to have lessons in English without the place being crowded with English kids Happy

Does anyone have any resort suggestions? Suggestions for good ski schools and hire shops also welcome.

Thanks.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

but for no good reason I was planning on half term rather than Easter.

if you have no good reason for choosing half term you might have another think about Easter. Less crowded, less expensive, often good weather and still good snow if you choose the right place.
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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?
welcome to Snowheads, by the way Very Happy
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mtsuit, welcome to snowHeads! snowHead

I'm doing my first half term next season for similar reasons, we chose Arabba. Since we're on snowHeads then obviously one week a year is insufficient so we're going to Val Thorens in the second week of Easter. Toofy Grin We've been there a few years at Easter and have hardly ever queued more than 5 minutes for lifts, snow cover has been good (but it is real high).

Not sure how our half term adventure will turn out yet. We chose Arabba because we hadn't been to Italy before. If I were going to france I'd be more worried about the French holidays. Did think that maybe going to a resort we knew well would be good (so we could avoid queues).
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mtsuit, welcome to snowHeads.

Just a thought about going at Easter - the beginners slopes are often at resort level and these slopes may well have disappeared by then, otherwise Pam is correct in what she says about the weather etc and you can get some good deals (e.g. flights to Zurich 07/04 - 14/04 LGW to Zurich £79 return with BA)
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There are some places with high beginner's slopes, which also have the advantage that beginner's get that "top of the world" experience. The beginner's slopes in the resort where we have an apartment (Les Saisies, at 1650) have all been skiable in the first half of April in the last four years, and gloriously quiet. But higher slopes would be in better nick - I'm sure other Snowheads could suggest places which would fit the bill.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I would go to Austria, the lessons are really good there (most speak english ok) and they have some big resorts so have slopes for every need.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I wonder how busy Andermatt is at half-term? It is not the first choice for Brits, yet has pistes that would suit you, I think. Not too crowded the day I skied there in March last year, and I rather liked it. I have no idea what the ski school is like there; perhaps others could comment. Veggie food might be a problem - but a hotel like the Drei Koenige (stayed there for a night, loved it) could probably help there - be worth giving them a call.
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You should try Passo Tonale in italy, its about an hour drive for verona. The snow is fantastic. i Went last year with my mate who is a teacher and the queueing was relativly easy. This is a high resort your wife will get to see the top of the world, and that is a fantastic experience for a beginner. Passo covers two resorts one is high altitude and the other pont di legamo is in the village. The top resort is mostly greens and blues but there are numerous blacks down to the village one being 15km long its a treat. your wife will have to get the gondela down though as all the runs are very steep back down to the resort. Its relativly cheap to get there. Dont quote me but i think we payed £559 each for a four star hotel called the gardenia. The resort is duty free and a small beer cost about 80 pence which is nice for italy. One problem with passo there is not much to do at night few pubs and a couple of night clubs. but the hotels all have nice bars though. Only one word of warning you can not smoke anywhere my mate was fined 80 euros for smoking in the street. the only place he smoked for the rest of the week was on the top of the presena glacier where there were no poliza, and being a smoker he found it quite hard to breath at that altitude!!
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Quote:

my mate was fined 80 euros for smoking in the street


Where exactly in the street was he? I was in Passo Tonale last year and travel to Italy quite frequently. As far as I understand it Italy's smoking ban is much the same as here in Scotland i.e. no smoking in enclosed public places.

mtsuit Passo Tonale as benny has said is very good for beginners/intermediates. Italy do not have half term holidays so it is very quiet. Only lift queues I saw were at the chair that the ski schools used the rest were just ski on, no queues.

snowHead
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Thanks for the advice so far. I've got some more reesorts to Google.

I'd discounted Austria as I'd read on another thread that week is Fasching and therefore busy (I guess I ought to look up what Fashing actually is before discounting it entirely though...)

The "no good reason" for preferring half term is of course that if she likes it we can go again at Easter Happy A lot of prices I've seen for the first week of April are about the same as half term (some slightly more, some less) -- the ones that are massively lower made me think that good snow isn't particularly likely.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
mtsuit wrote:
The "no good reason" for preferring half term is of course that if she likes it we can go again at Easter Happy A lot of prices I've seen for the first week of April are about the same as half term (some slightly more, some less) -- the ones that are massively lower made me think that good snow isn't particularly likely.


Easter isn't too late next year, so the higher altitude resorts should have reasonable snow if it's a typical year.
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I'll just throw this out. Have you considered any U.S. or Canadian resorts? Some places would seem very well suited. For example, Buttermilk Mountain (near Aspen and part of the Aspen Ski Four) is really geared towards beginners and lower intermediates. Lots of beginner terrain and most of the hotshot, fast skiers are at Aspen or one of the other Mountains. And the village of Aspen should provide lots of interesting things to do off the mountain. Breckenridge has lots of beginner terrain and is a lively Victorian village. Breck would most likely be busier than Aspen, however. Aspen tends to be very expensive but the exchange rate might make it tolerable. The flight time might put you off, however.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
mtsuit, we do the second week of Easter - which is rather cheaper. Not been brave enough to try anywhere other than Val Thorens at that time tho'
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
mtsuit, I think I would go for the Italy option. We have skied half-term in Canada and France. Too far to Canada for a week though, and France was pretty crowded. We've tended to stick to New Year and Easter instead. Now our kids are older though, we can choose our own holidays, although they will still come away at NY. Make sure whatever resort you choose, she doesn't have to walk miles to ski school every morning, as she will probably hate the skiing by the time she gets there. A ski-in and out hotel or apartment won't be suitable either , unless she can also walk the short distance at first. A village hotel or apartment next to the nursery slopes would be ideal.
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