 Poster: A snowHead
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I have recently discovered skiing but my dearly beloved won't give it a go because of fears it'll upset his dodgy back. My first ever ski trip has been with friends, and I have one (maybe 2) invitations for next year! However hubby & I really enjoy holidays together. Is there anywhere someone can suggest that we might go together that would offer:
- proximity to lift/bus/ski area so I don't have to trek a long way on my own carrying skis
- good ski school that offers 2hrs per day rather than all day lessons & doesn't mind taking nervous older learners
- variety of easy slopes to practice on (I am a nervous novice who can do linked snowplough turns so far!)
- easy access from transfer vehicle to accommodation (this year I had to walk half a mile up an icy slope with all luggage to our 4* hotel - hubby could not do that!)
- close to shops/restaurants/services but NOT near noisy clubs etc - we like our kip!
- range of stuff for hubby to do - eg trips to nearby places of interest/towns, spectator activities etc
- local language pref French, German or Spanish as we both enjoy practising speaking them.
Is this too tall an order - or do such places exist????
- oh and some decent snow would be good (had limited supply this year with too much slush/ice!!!!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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NewSkier,
As a beginners back in January I opted for la Plagne on the advice of friends and a few folk on this site. Check out www.la-plagne.com.
We stayed in belle plagne, which is pretty much focussed around the central cable car that links the glacier with Plagne Bellecote. Half-hourly buses run between plagne Centre and Plagne bellecote, and it's a comfy 10 minutes bus ride. Plus, just about everywhere in Belle Plagne is within a few mteres of a slope so you can ski around the village.
There were stacks of ESF instructors and we organised a 1.5hr lesson for thre, which cost €45 in total - bargain. I wouldnb't be surprised if you could tailor your lesson length to what you want. Nice instructors too, who all spoke the engleesh. We learnt the basics in double-quick time and 30 minutes later, I was storming blue runs!!
Easy blue runs into Belle Plagne and there's one that snakes through the village that's ideal for learning on. Plus, there'\s a beginners zone at bellecote and a brilliant green run in Plagne centre that is superb to learn on.
We had a trek through an underground car park (all parking is underground), but that said, we did stay at one of the outlying apartment buildings. I suppose it';s no better or no worsee than any other resorty - it all depends on where you're staying.
It's not littered with pubs and the eating places are all in roiughly the same area. There are a few SPAR shops and loads of ski/board hire shops. in the centre, which is a few minutes walk from the apartments on the 'outskirts'.
You can get a walker's lift pass that allows you to go up to the glacier and see the ice grotto (which was closed due to bad weather when we went up). i think you'd have to check the website for thinsg to do - there's a toboggan run iff he fancies it!!! 
French, of course, is the local language, but we encountered a wide range of peoples; swedes, germans, dutch, italians, a few brits.
The snow was okay in january but is supposed to be a lot better now (hopefully!!).
I really enjoyed it and as a bit of a nervous beginner, I soon found confidence to go wherever I wanted and mix it with people who actually know what they were doing. There were more skiers than boarders (my group was all-boarding) but there was never any atmosphere between the two camps, even when I lost control and took out a group of sskiers who were minding their own outside a bar!! They laughed it off and I learnt quickly about emergency stops!!!
I'm sure you'll get loads of other reccommendatiosn for other resorts though - good luck!
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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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NewSkier, Why not base yourself in a city close to the slopes? Salzburg is one such example where there should be lots to see and do for a non-skier and its not too far from the pistes.
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NewSkier, in general ski resorts aren't that close to places of interest other than mountains, which is fair enough when you think about it.
Austria might be a good choice. Several resorts are within easy drive/train of decent cities, they tend to have plenty of jolly boozers to while away an idle hour or four and I know of one, Kitzbuhel (no doubt there are loads of others), with plenty of winter walking routes.
Kitzbuhel might be a good place for you, in fact. It's lively, but not absurdly so, pretty (at least in the centre and on the mountain), has a decent pool and is closeish to Salzburg and Munich, both well worth a visit. It has some decent enough bars, restaurants and cafes. The skiing is suitable for a beginner. I think that it ticks all your boxes, but you'd need to check the position of accomodation as although much is convenient, not all is (you can leave skis near the Hahnenkammbahn in ski shops or lockers). I have no experience of the ski school, but it used to have a good reputation; I don't know whether it does now. Kitzbuhel is low and has had crap snow this year, but the previous few years have been great.
My take is that paying through the nose to go on a skiing hol not to ski is one of the great wastes of money of our time; I'd leave the old man at home were I you.
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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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Sounds like you need to trade hubby in for a newer, younger model 
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NewSkier, I haven't been there personally, but Aosta is one city linked by gondola to a ski resort (Pila), where they may be things to suit you both. It is Italian though 
Chamonix is a good town to be in. He could get a train up to the restaurant by the glacier or the gondola up the Aiguille de Midi which has spectacular scenery.
In terms of not having to carry skis for miles, you will generally find a hire shop right by the lifts in any resort. Check that they will be happy if you leave your skis/boots overnight - it saves lots of carrying and walking around in cumbersome boots.
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NewSkier - my friend, who has a bad back, actually finds that skiing helps.
Biased as I am, I'd suggest that Les Gets or Morzine might be good. An hour and a bit's easy drive from Geneva; good ski school and a range of places to visit within an hours drive - Chamonix, Annecy, Evian, etc.
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NewSkier, Hmmm...you could try Serre Chevalier.
1) Briancon (main town in region) has a bit to offer for the non-skier
2) The resort towns are generally quieter and more traditional
3) There are other activities, though possibly limited, given the back problem
4) Plenty of novice runs in easy to access bowls
5) Some nice open blues as you progress
6) ESF generally good, but there is a good English Ski school Eurekaski who are excellent
7) Nice, easy to access mountain restaurants for you both
 Good range of accomodation types that should suite most budgets/requirements (happy to recommend some)
9) Transfer by road from Turin in max 2 hours
10) Train service direct to Turin (for more ambitious day out perhaps)
11) Not a typical "Brit" destination - you find plenty of Italians and Dutch
12) Well linked skiing
And loads more - there are spa baths, some great restaurants and terrific scenery.
Good luck.
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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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| Quote: |
there's a toboggan run iff he fancies it!!!
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maybe not, much worse for the back than ski-ing. One thing which is very unpleasant if you are concerned about injury is walking around on icy and snowy pavements. A slip on an icy pavement is more likely to hurt his back than a gentle ski lesson on a nice green slope. I think the advice about cities is good. How about Innsbruck; there are plenty of small ski areas within an easy bus ride.
In France, I think most ski schools just do 2 hour, or 2.5 hour, lessons, rather than all day. You could contact easiski about her over 50s weeks (sorry if you're 23...). You couldn't find a better way of progressing, though Les Deux Alpes is not the best place for your husband. Chamonix has lots going on and spectacularly magnificent scenery, he could go up the Aiguille de Midi cable car, visit a glacier, etc. Not ideal for learning, but there are plenty of snowhead Chamonix experts who could point you in the right direction. Les Houches and Le Tour have gentle slopes.
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Thanks everyone - I'll print this off and work on getting him interested! (BTW Pam - I'm 49 so the over 50s sounds interesting!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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St Gervais would meet your criteria. Stay in town and ride gondola up each day to Bettex takes 10 mins. Lots of easy green and blue runs to ski. It is a real year round town with lots to do in area for non-skier.
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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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some of the older swiss resorts might be worth thinking about.
wengen/gridelwald/murren are very scenic and have lots of walking routes for non skiers. They also have the railway to get about both between resorts and to other larger swiss towns.
Zermatt is interesting, but a bit further from other centres of population perhaps.
St Moritz ?
I've found that Swiss resorts are often much better set up for non-skiers with walking/snowshoeing etc than Frech resorts. They are also much better connected to civilisation. I would put any of the big Tarrentaise resorts very low on my list, as they tend to be very dull for non skiers and a very long haul to anywhere interesting.
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Mark Hunter,
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| NewSkier, Hmmm...you could try Serre Chevalier. |
You beat me to it. NewSkier, send me a PM, I might be able to help if you fancy Serre Chevalier.
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You know it makes sense.
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NewSkier....despite everybody here sounds like pro-France, I would give my vote to the Dolomites! Great scenary, fantastic food that beats the French on quality and price and .... does your hubby have any interest in history? If yes, there is the chance to visit some interesting WWI battlefields. I would even suggest that you can make a shopping list and send your husband for some shopping in Cortina...that of course will be a serious credit card business. Ok, Dolomites are in Italy but honestly Italian language is almost useless...locals speack German as a first language, Ladino second and Italian third! Location...of course it has to be Selva di Val Gardena...lots of lovely restaurants (try Lo Scoiattolo for lunch...just off the nursery slopes....you will want to go every day!!), patisseries (Mozart being the best! icecreams to die for) and of course plenty of bars! Ski school is good and most of the instructors speak good English...but if you speak German well no problem then! Selva is only 30 Km from Bolzano the Sudtyrol capital and a day trip can be organised by public transport. Forgot also lots of shops with wooden sculptures too...if that is your hubby's thing! But honestly...the day I will not be able to ski...I would just be happy with a book, sitting on a sunny day in top of Ciampinoi gondola...what a view! 
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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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| Quote: |
send your husband for some shopping in Cortina...that of course will be a serious credit card business. Ok, Dolomites are in Italy but honestly Italian language is almost useless...locals speack German as a first language,
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I would go with him, not send him! Agree with alpski, this is a super area, stunning scenery. However, I don't altogether agree about language; it's very localised. One valley/village German, the next Italian. We stayed in a small family hotel a little way south of Cortina (because everything was full, I got a recommendation from the Cortina ski school by email). They spoke absolutely NOTHING but Italian. I had fortunately learnt some (BBC Italian, tops) and it was great fun. I have moderately OK German for hotels and restaurants but it got me nowhere. I learnt when I paid the bill that we were the first English guests they had ever had. How had we come to be there? I struggled, and managed to say "man in Cortina ski school, he say me try this hotel". I suspect it was a family connection.
Another great thing about this area, you can fly to Venice, have a few days there, and it's an amazingly easy drive in a hire car up to Cortina, which is well worth a visit for the afternoon "passegiata" alone; I have never seen so many mink coats in all my life. We were with non skiing friends, and it was not really a ski holiday, but what little I saw of the skiing it was cruisy and uncrowded possibly because I skied at lunchtime when all the Italians were eating.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Have you thought about Livigno? The ski bus goes to the door of your accomodation if you pick correctly, there are plenty of nice shops and restaurants to wander round, and with the town in the valley is't a very pretty palce too. There is a huge amount of beginner skiing to be had and i'm told the ski school has a good rep.
The only down side is it's Italy and the transfer. Worth a look though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you everyone. The trip (if I can tempt him with all your lovely suggestions!) will be next season, so I have got plenty of time to work on it!
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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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I immediately though Wengen whan I read your list. The ski schools is mornings, the electric cart will take the luggage, but better still stay by the station, local shops, not many bars, German speaking (almost), trips to places for non skiers.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Picking up on an earlier point, I have a bad back for most of the year but it actually improves during the course of a week's skiiing. I suspect it's a combination of extra exercise and not being sat in a car for 2 - 3 hours a day.
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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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Clive, yes, being more mobile certainly helps the backache.
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NewSkier,
Les Deux Alpes in the summer?
You can ski with easiski - he can walk etc... I quite enjoyed wandering around before the Mondial...
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My specialist says about my bad back, do what ever you want and can do..be it golf or skiing.
However, both need a degree of fitness so he will be able to use that as an excuse if he wants to. There are bad backs and bad backs though.
As for where to go, depends how active he wants to be... Innsbruck as a town..?? or hire a car for the week so he can do trips. Lucerne is a lovely plave and Interlaken is supposed to be very interesting and they would be a good day out from say, Wengen or the Junfrau
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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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NewSkier, I agree with pam w about Le Tour and Les Houches. There are great easy green/blue runs. It's close to Chamonix and so there's lots to do. I don't know about Le Tour but Les Houches is quiet yet there are some nice restautants. I've a 1,5 hour lessons in Les Houches, so it's possible.
If you're interested in Les Houches, PM me, I might help you find a cheap accommodation close to the piste.
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Try the Gastein Valley in Austria.
1/ Although Bad Gastein is situated in a steep valley, and it is a little challenging walking around in parts you can select accommodation (try Pension St Leonhard) near the walkway to the main telecabin lifts (near the train station) which also happens to be close to some good bars and restaurants.
2/ Alternatively, you could stay in Bad Hofgastein which is flat. The transfers from Salzburg airport are about 1 hour and they drop you at your hotel (www.rainer-reisen.at).
3/The lift system is modern, fast and well linked. I
4/ went last weekend and there are not many people visiting the area at the moment even though it has superb conditions, so there aren't any lift queues.
5/ There seems to be number of ski schools around - although I didn't check the lesson times etc.
6/ The runs are wide and not too challenging (mostly easy reds and blues), and if you do not like getting off chair lifts there are a number of telecabins / Gondalas which drop you off at convenient locations so that you will not have to sit on a chair lift if you do not want to.
7/There is also a frequent ski bus which runs between the five main ski areas (Bad Gastein, Bad HofGastein, Angertal, DorfGastein and Sportgastein) if you are too tired to ski back to your resort.
8/ Most importantly for your husband, the Gastein Valley is famous for its thermal springs, hot caves and spas (see www.felsentherme.com) - so he could pretty much laze the day away in a spa resort whilst you carve up the pistes.
9/ The flights too and from Stansted to Salzburg are at convenient times.
10/ The accommodation is cheap (at around €30 per person per night including breakfast) and does not cater for package holidays so the smaller bed and breakfasts and pensions are far more flexible and will allow you to book for 1, 2 however many nights you want starting on whatever day you want.
As you can see, I reckon it is a great area.
Best of luck.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Again, thanks ever so much everyone. I am storing up all this info for next season, and at the same time working on gentle persuasion that he really would enjoy a trip to a ski area. 
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FAQ
, but I have to accept his feelings. At least I think he will come with me so that is something and he's fine with me going off for another week with friends too. 