 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there,
Could anyone offer me some advice please.....? I am in the process of looking for a deal to Austria or France for w/c 12th Jan for my girlfriend and myself - my girlfriend is a beginner and will need either private lessons or ski school. France seems to work out well - with ski school in the morning, meaning we can meet for lunch and ski together in the afternoon. However, in Austria ski school looks as if it is split AM and PM - meaning we wouldn't really get to be together much during the day. Are there any exceptions/alternatives to this? Austria is our preference at the moment for the resort 'chocolate box' charm, however, the learning situation does bother me ...... 
Any help would be appreciated.... thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's certainly true that Austria Ski School is geenerally all day and France is morning. However I would think more about ensuring that your OH has a great time! Believe me, a missus who is put off skiing at the first attempt will come back to haunt you year after year!!  I took an ex skiing (Austria) for the first time a long time ago and put her into ski school. She hated it and after 2 days she was able to ski a bit so we skiied together and it was great, not least of which was the great time we had off the slopes. My now wife also had a bad experience with skiing 15 years ago and hated it so, determined to get her converted, I splashed the cash and we went to Chamonix in a cracking apartment...and she had the required hallaluja moment!! So I would consider the whole package rather than just the ski school. Perhaps have her do ski school for a couple of days and assess the situation after that?
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
she had the required hallaluja moment!!
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and how did she get on with the skiing
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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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pam w, Hee hee! Skiing was great...both vertically and horizontally!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi
I would stick with Austria, the instruction is brilliant, they think there is one way to Ski, (the Austrian Way) and the rest of the World is wrong, particulary the French... The French consider that technique comes later and they sove u on short skis and get ui skiing quicker but it may spook her.
The Austrians like the English and speak the language also they are more conserned with how they ski than how they look.
That said I ski in France every year but the skills I learned in Austria as a beginner allows me to Ski anything.
Have a good one.
Joskin[/quote]
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We've found a decent looking Club Hotel in Kitzbuhel, which we both like the look of..... although it's lower altitude - I hoping that the snow will be OK in a week or so. I've checked and all the lifts looks open, so is it a safe assumption not to worry about the conditions?
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TaffyApple, yes safe assuption Taffy - loads of snow over there at the moment, will certainly last until you get out there. Kitzbuhel rocks - you'll love it. 
The big French resorts suck until you get to the stage where you want to clock up mega-mileage
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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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TaffyApple, firstly, snow - no worries there, height isnt everything, we have had excellent snow and been skiing since October. Secondly, ski lessons, its ski school in the morning, or private in the afternoon. Personally I would opt for 1 on 1 in the afternoon for a couple of hours for a couple of days then you will get the max time together. The lessons here are great, she will be skiing in no time at all! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Austria every day of the week.
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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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Just the confirmation/assurance I was looking for.....thanks guys... 
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TaffyApple, just for the record, I don't think many Snowheads would agree with the opinions voiced by joskin, above. You can get good and bad instruction anywhere and since Joskin appears to have taken no lessons in France (and none at all for some time) s/he is possibly not the best judge... for a different take on Austrian ski school, read the thread on "how to get the best out of your ski instructor"
Kitzbuhel is a beautiful town - my sister has skied there quite a lot and always mentions the women in the mountain restaurants in Gucci moonboots and the kind of make up which suggested they had no intention of skiing anywhere, ever.
Have a good trip.
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You know it makes sense.
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TaffyApple
We have just returned from Kitzbuhel - went for xmas, we stayed in a club hotel (hotel hofer)
Can't comment on the ski school as we didn't have tuition
Ski area was great, there was lots of snow and the town is really lovely
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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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if you want the best instruction bar none then book her into "Ski New Generation" - not cheep but the absolute business. Only available in a limited number of french resorts & verbier too - http://www.skinewgen.com/ - need to pre-book and possibly peak weeks might have gone already..as rather than adding numbers a la ESF, NewGen have an absolute limit.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think your girlfriend will enjoy it more skiing with people of similar ability, and will also "go for it" more, safe in the knowledge that the instructor knows every piste blindfold and can therefore be 100% confident that the piste she is on, in the given snow conditions, is suitable for her ability. The ski day is quite short, you still have 7-10 hours left to kill (depending on how much you party) together after the skiing. The faster she learns the sooner she will catch up with your standard etc etc. I realise this leaves you without a ski buddy, in which case advanced group lessons...(?)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I would agree with joskin, the ski instruction in Austria (from my experience) is better than anywhere else. I've had lessons with New Generation in Courchevel as well, as bertie bassett suggests. My vote would still go to Austria.
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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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austria... great place
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I know you're looking at France vs. Austria - but if it's a decision based purely on quality of instruction, then (IMHO) Scandinavia or US/Canada are hard to beat.
Perfect English (well, apart from the Yanks ) helps. Something that can't always be said of France.
Sounds as if US/Canada are a bit further than you want to travel, but I thought it worth a mention. And with the exchange rate at the mo, might be 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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jonflat2, Re instruction I find that the ability to communicate the instructors ski technique is far more important than pure skiing excellence. As an example use someonel like [b]easyski[b] rather than a superb skier like Franz Klammer, ignoring bragging rights of course.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| LisaM wrote: |
TaffyApple
We have just returned from Kitzbuhel - went for xmas, we stayed in a club hotel (hotel hofer)
Can't comment on the ski school as we didn't have tuition
Ski area was great, there was lots of snow and the town is really lovely |
This is where we've now booked - was it good? any advice..........?
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| Roy Hockley wrote: |
| jonflat2, I find that the ability to communicate the instructors ski technique is far more important than pure skiing excellence. |
I agree whole-heartedly.
Exactly my point, except better articulated!
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| Quote: |
This is where we've now booked - was it good? any advice..........?
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We really liked the hotel, it was run by English Crystal staff who were all very friendly
There was a cooked breakfast and a choice of help yourself to cold cereals, croissants etc.
You were given a choice for the evening meal, 2 choices of starter, 2 choices of main, plus a vegetarian option and 2 coices of pudding You had to pick the meals the day before. The meals were really nice, my childen are quite fussy and a few times we asked for a slight variation, eg plain chicken, instead of cooked in the sauce - and this was never a problem.
There were clean towels in the rooms, but no tea making facilities or hairdriers. We took our own travel things so it wasn't a problem for us.
Hope you have a great holiday - we certainly enjoyed ours.
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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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| Roy Hockley wrote: |
| As an example use someonel like easyski[b] rather than a superb skier like Franz Klammer, ignoring bragging rights of course. |
You're implying that Klammer has a better technical understanding than [b] easiski . I don't think that's necessarily true. Charlotte knows her onions.
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LisaM, you had a better Crystal experience than I did last week in Alpe D'Huez, what with suitcases vanishing off buses and a grubby hotel with rabbit hutch rooms. I know that "Chambre" in French means a closet with a window, and "Cabine" is a small closet with no window, but other operators can provide better (actually, so can Crystal, the Viking in Morzine and the Diva in Tignes spring to mind).
May still land up using them again simply to get an Edinburgh flight to Innsbruck at Easter, but at least I know the hotels in Mayrhofen well and will choose wisely.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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TaffyApple,
I think you would be fine in Austria.
I was a second week skiier in Soll (Austria) a few years ago. The standard lessons there were from 10-12 and 2-4.
I was with a group of friends and these times enabled us to meet our other friends at lunch time and after the lessons for some group skiing.
If you book the whole week in sk-school, then each lesson isn't so expensive. Your girlfriend could start by doing both AM and PM, then move to AM only and maybe miss the last day. Depending on how she's getting on, ie. confidence-wise, with the instructor, and with the others in the group. You can make it as flexible as you want.
Instructors of larger groups don't seem to mind people missing the odd afternoon, or last day.
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