 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking for any advice on suitable options for taking newish girlfriend away for 1st time....
Not at all bothered about how good/extensive the skiing is. In fact the more mickey mouse the resort is the better for my sanity (working on the principal if I'm not missing out on much then won't go too crazy). Provided the lifts/slopes are beginner friendly enough for her.
Priorities for her are it's super cheap, as she's never been and is not at all sure it's for her.
Some decent views/scenery, plus nothing too concrete jungle I suppose might help tempt her back again?
Probably talking therefore Andorra vs Balkans/Poland..?
Going over Easter so has to be diy-able vs strictly week to week packages only
Any views/intelligence much appreciated!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Consider Kopaonik, Serbia. You can go Sun-Sun from Gatwick with Crystal/Thomson or Sat-Sat from Heathrow with Balkan (but that is to Belgrade, so the transfer's rather long).
Here is a set of reviews from 2007 (scroll down the page - there are loads)
The website gives loads of information in English. I went there for my 1st ever ski trip and it was very suitable and equipment/lift passes/lessons were very cheap indeed - private 1:1 lessons, for example were about £15 an hour.
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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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angusp, I would also look at some of the Italian and Austrian resorts. Go with a Tour op - Crystal /Inghams/Thomson. Have a search on their sites and see what comes up for your dates at a good price. Narrow the resorts down and then go from there. Tell us which resorts are on the shortlist and then advice can be more specific. Good luck! Hope you convert her.
Edited to add - Crystalski - flying from Gatwick ( don't know where you are) on 22nd/23rd March have Passo Tonale and Val Di Fassa at around £500pp for flights/transfers and half board accom. Passo would be a good beginner area.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 4-02-08 12:37; edited 1 time in total
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How about Kitzbuhel? It's low but Easter is early this year so you should be OK. Austria is cheap (although not as cheap as Andorra, but you might get a last minute deal, even at Easter), Kitzbuhel town centre is pretty and the slopes are, too. Plenty of picturesque cafes and pubs on the slopes. The nursery slopes are on the edge of the town, and with luck she'll graduate to the mountains proper within the week, where there is plenty of beginner skiing. Although it's Austria, she won't need to go near a T bar, if you regard that as a problem.
As I write this, I'm thinking that it may be too pricey, but still, it's worth a look.
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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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thanks all. issue is we can't do a full week. just the 4 day easter break. so operators are out. need somewhere either easy enough to get to via hire car / private/shared transfer. plus with hotels which can be booked by the night / not only for the usual sat-sat minimum. much appreciated..
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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angusp, ignore the above edit then!!!
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Try looking at resorts around Salzburg. Many of them will have cheap b&b and you can go to Salzburg for an evening which will add to the beauty of the trip.
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angusp, New girlfreind will need to be in ski school. Don't teach her yourself, other wise you'll be an ex-boyfreind ! 
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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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Have you had a look at flights yet. That might be a better starting point. See what flights you can get to where on your specific dates and within budget - they may be £££££'s and then look at resorts near to where you can fly into.
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Sounds good Elizabeth. Nothing beats a bit of chocolate box Austria!
(PS headed to Gulmarg for 2 weeks in Feb - described as "heli skiing without the need for helis" - so if anyone needs advice/top tips just shout. Working out at about £1500 tops for 2 weeks all in, pocket/beer money included, staying at one of the better hotels, with decent guides to show us around / keep us safe... Not bad going)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Angusp,
Try Saalbach if you are looking ar Salzburg very beginner friendly and very alpine. Or if you are looking for some Romance Zell em Zee nothing says I love you like a frozen lake 
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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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angusp, My auntie who is a complete beginner (even after 4 weeks of private tuition, she is just hopeless...) really reccomends Kitzbuhel and Saalbach, she has done 1 week in Saalbach and said it was cheaper that Kitzbuhel, but Kitzbuhel seems to be a gorgeous town, I spent a week there last year and had a blast, we were in school at the time and went with ski school all week and skiied some amazingly varied terrain, there really is something for everyone and there are areas which are absolutely fantastic for beginners, or people who are taking their skiing up a step..
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You know it makes sense.
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I would recommend Slovenia. The instruction is excellent and very cheap, all the resorts I have seen have been very pretty. None of the skiing areas are huge so ideal for a beginner and you wouldn't feel you were missing out on too much and food and drink costs are very low and standards extremely high so you can eat as much as you like  . You can fly to Ljubliana from London and its a pretty small country so most of the resorts are pretty close. I have been to Krvavec, Kranjska Gora, Vogel and Rogla. Out of them Rogla and Krvavec don't have many easy slopes so I would recommend Kranjska Gora or Vogel although there are other resorts that also look nice that I have never been to. I have posted a review on here for my Rogla trip but it is fairly easy to find out things about skiing in Slovenia as most of the websites have a very good english version.
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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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Mountain Sun in Tignes les Boisses
do 3 or 4 day breaks. It's a very short bus ride (stop is right by the chalet) to Tignes le Lavachet/Val Clare which have good beginner slopes - and the novice lifts are free too, so no need to buy a lift pass. You can buy a half day pass to go up the funicular to the cafe at the top and can walk to the ice grotto too from there.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Butterfly, Tignes on the whole is not the prettiest resort in the world.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Christopher wrote: |
| Butterfly, Tignes on the whole is not the prettiest resort in the world. |
Get them to drive through La Daille first, then take her to Tignes.
The MountainSun place in Tignes is a lot prettier than La Daille...
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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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Drive through Flaine or Les Menuire "on the way" and she won't complain about Tignes! 
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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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Further to the previous answer about Kopaonik, Serbia id certainly recomend it as long as the snow is still ok at Easter.
You can also go with Crystal Ski holiday and as a result you can fly into Nis which is a two hour transfer rather than 5 hours from Belgrade
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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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new gf who can't ski - personally I'd focus on geting her decent instruction as the first priority - if she enjoys it then future trips are guaranteed, if she hates it then you'll need to trade her in for another model.
on that basis I would go to anywhere serviced by Ski New Gen http://www.skinewgen.com/index.html - blow the budget and book her 3 days of private lessons by the end of which she'll be happy sliding down the easier greens and blues,...
Most group lessons don't fit easily into short form holidays..
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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For cuteness and price, Austria is the way to go.
Step One: Where can you fly cheaply - Salzburg, Innsbruck or Munich.
Step Two: Identify a resort near your airport (www.bergfex.com is a good resource).
Step Three: Go to that resort's website and find the lodgings page. As long as you're not going to St. Anton or Ischgl, you can find cheap lodging in Austria.
Step Four: Have fun.
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try the montafon valley, www.montafon.at - very easy on train or car hire from friedrichshafen (ryanair from stansted), great for beginners and intermediates and very nice scenery and architecture. I'm staying in Schruns at Easter, wednesday to tuesday, and I had plenty of accomodation offers from appartment and hotel owners who I emailed through the website.
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