Recommendation for a resort within say an hour of Geneva for a first timer - size not important ....

A snowHead

...........quality of instruction and easy access to airport and accomodation near lifts/slopes is.

going with a mate who is almost a complete beginner and me who can ski most things but thinks it is about time I have some lessons and learn how to do it properly.

Needs a good snow record early season as we are palnninga short trip leaving 14 Dec and returning late 17 Dec. That will give us three full days skiing hopefully as long as getting to the airport is easy and quick.

Doesn't need to be somewhere with loads of piste as we won't get to do much in three days with lessons. A small resort with good instruction, cheap lift passes and nice accomodation/food would be perfect!

Not asking much am I??!!!

Any suggestions/recommendations appreciated.

cheers

Aidan

A snowHead

You can find a full list here http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Geneva.html just scroll down to the bottom.

From personal experience Les Gets, Morzine or Avoriaz are good but I'm not sure about that early in the season. Avoriaz is at a higher altitude and should be better.

snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

aidancostello, you could try Simon Butler Skiing for instructional ski holidays in Megève.

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Thanks Sage - I was looking at that list too! Was hoping to narrow it down to one in the "up to 1 Hour" section!

1.5 hours to Avoriaz would be acceptable though. Will try and see what the snow record is like at that time. I stayed in Chatel years ago and skied through Avoriaz - from what I remember it was nice. Think it was purpose built and no cars allowed. If we hired a car would we have a problem driving there though? As we are only going for three nights we will need a hotel or someone who doesn't mind renting their apartment short-term.

Any suggestions for Avoriaz hotels, apartments or ski tuition appreciated......

Also any recommendations for similar in any of these resorts if the snow is good enough in mid-December for lessons - only need some pistes open for that so huge ski area is not important on this trip!

Ski resorts within 1 hour of Geneva Airport
Abondance Le Grand Bornand Métabief - Mont d'Or
Argentière Lelex Notre Dame de Bellecombe
Bois d'Amont Les Carroz Praz de Lys & Sommand
Chamonix Les Contamines Praz sur Arly
Combloux Les Gets Prémanon
Entre-Les-Fourgs Les Houches Rochejean
Flaine Les Rousses Samoëns
Flumet Megève St-Jean-de-Sixt
Foncine Le Haut Mijoux-Lélax-La Faucille Thollon-les-Mémises
La Chapelle d'Abondance Morillon Villars - Gryon
La Clusaz Morzine

Thanks

brian

aidancostello, high is not necessarily best in December. The rocks of Avoriaz need a lot more snow to be skiable than the pastures of Les Gets for example.

It's a very quiet time, so if I were you I would book the flights/car now and sort out the accomodation last minute when you've a better idea where the snow is best.

You can drive up to Avoriaz and park on the edge of the resort or you can leave the car at the Prodains cable car underneath Avoriaz (I think parking is free down there), the cable car runs in the evening.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Thanks Brian - good point. Teh only thing I am less keen on about booking accom last minute is I would like to be sure there is a decent instructor preferably with good English that I could research and book in advance.

Shame Les Gets doesn't come within the up to 1 hour band.

Was originally thinking about Granda/Sierra Nevada where there seems to be a good English ski school. My concern there is whether there will be enough snow or the lifts being closed due to high winds. From what I read that can be a problem.

Thanks!

brian

aidancostello, I used skisurf360.com in Les Gets last season, they were excellent.

Les Gets is about bang on an hour from Geneva.

After all it is free

Try Le Grand Bornand or the village above Le Chinaillon. Goods slopes for the beginner. A few ski schools and out of term time, can be nice and quiet with little queuing. Prices are pretty good too.

Our driver used to take exactly 1 hour from Geneva to the chalet.

Thanks all! Keep 'em coming.....

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

aidancostello, does it have to be Geneva? Have you already booked the flights?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Doesn't have to be Geneva ice perv. Haven't booked flights yet but would liek to do so farily soon while prices are looking good. There are Luton/Geneva flights on those dates with good flight times. hav ealos looked at Ryanair from Stansted to Granada and flights to Bergamo so will consider lots of places.

Anywhere with reasonably cheap flights from london going Thursday evening and coming back Sunday evening so we get Fri, Sat and Sun skiing. This will only need one day off work and leaving work a bit early on the Thursday.

As this is not a main ski trip the priorities are;

1 cheap!
2 reasonable chance of snow cover at that time of year
3 short transfer to airport to ensure we don't arrive at ahotel at 1 in teh morning and don't have to cut into teh Sunday skiing by having to leave for teh airport early afternoon (don't mind hiringa car - shouldn't be much for a few days).
4 preferably some where that you or another goodly snowhead can personally recommend a ski instrcutor/ski school!

Thanks - have alos been thinking of Sierra Nevada/Granada but have some concerns about lifts often being closed (Apparently...)

Thanks for all your help everyone!

Aidan

snow reports

that time of year, I'd book the week that you want to go, it's very, very off peak so you can pick the area with the best snow!

This is the Morzine area from the similiar week last season, we booked on the Tuesday,flew out on the Friday based on the fact new snow was forecast and they had the best of the early season snow already!

http://gregh.co.uk/albums/morzine06/

Cheers,

Greg

i would suggest any of the following for good beginners/intermediate within an hour or less of geneva
Les Gets, Les Carroz, La Clusaz, St Gervais or Megeve (this is v expensive though - save it for a trip with the wife!)

You know it makes sense.

aidancostello, Bergamo will put you in reach of Passo Tonale which is very good for beginners. It is also high with a glacier but probably more than an hour from the airport. I've only done it from Verona so I don't know the exact transfer time.

I would agree with the others, leave it until nearer the time and see what the snow is like.

snowHead

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

simo1234, thanks fo rsuggestions.

This needs to be a cheap trip so huge ski area isn't important nor flashy accomodation so I'll look at some of those places but not Megeve!

Thanks Sage - I ski in Italy but think Passo tonale is a bit too far for this short trip as you suggest.

I'll go anywhere within reason - France, Italy, Austri aetc as long as teh transfer is short and I can get flight times to maximise time on teh slopes - hopefully three full days!

Thanks all - more suggestions welcomed......

A snowHead

Well in that case aidancostello, don't discount Austria, if you can get flights to Salzburg for example. There are a couple of glacier areas nearby (Kaprun, Dachstein) and Austria has had a good early season record lately. They also tend to make good use of their snow-making. Sorry, can't help with lessons.

But.......... leaving it late is a good option. snowHead

A snowHead

make sure the resort is open mid week, many are not open untill the following week !

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

aidancostello, I agree with brian, high does not necessarily mean best. I would agree with others about the Grand Massif (Flaine, Morillon, Samoens, Les Carroz), all within an hour of Geneva and lots of options if the snowfall is a bit on the sparse side. Because much of the area is grass rather than bare rock you get better coverage. Although I've only been in early January I am an avid webcam watcher Blush

and in the last two years there has been good skiing from the beginning of their season (around mid-December if I remember rightly).

Also good English instructors there - I recommend Georgio of ESF in Les Carroz.

See http://www.grand-massif.com/main_hiver.php?lang=en&station=gm

But I agree with others, leaving it late is best.

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aidancostello, if Stansted is good for you then try cheap Ryanair flights to Milan or (preferably) Turin, then shortish transfer to Cervinia. High enough with lots of gentle runs for your mate, plus if you want to venture further afield you can drop into Zermatt.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

thanks guys - was thinking about Milan too masmith! beginning to think 14 December might be too early but can't really go any later in December. Decisions, decisions...

Help!!

Recommendation for a resort within say an hour of Geneva for a first timer - size not important ....

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