 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Everyone
I am a new member of the site! I am looking to go to Switzerland at the end of Feb with friends, we are all beginners and our first ski trip, does anyone have any advice on the the best resorts for beginners and any other tips are welcome for first time skiers!
Also we are thinking of going for 3/4 nights does anyone know of any good company's to book through?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My first ski trip was to Grindelwald, we arrived in the dark and in the morning when I opened the curtains I was faced with the north face of the Eiger. I nearly passed out as I thought my husband was expecting me to ski down it!! So maybe not the best bet.
We went to Saas Fee a couple of years ago, lovely village atmosphere and the kids beginners area is right at the bottom near the village, I have no idea whether the adults learn there too. We went with Total and stayed at the Ambassador, good big rooms, fairly basic. Good price. www.skitotal.co.uk
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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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tizzyb, what a place to lose your skiing cherry! The one resort i really want to go to...
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tizzyb, oh but the scenery is absolutely fantastic!
Just keep in mind you need snow to ski down something (and keep your skis whole), and the northface is not THAT abundant of it 
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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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Ronald, yeah I had that explained to me while I was picked up off the floor. It is a gorgeous place but rather dramatic for a first ski experience.
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tizzyb, how did you find it after that? I went for a couple of days in spring when there was very limited skiing near Kleine Scheidigg (?) but the "First" side of Grindelwald was closed completely. Hard to judge but I thought it seemed pretty varied and probably OK for early intermediates - except I do remember a long drag run that had people falling of it...
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Farzanag, 3/4 days doesnt seem very long to me as a 'first time' ... especially as you will have to orientate yourselves in resort ... but anything is better than nothing !!
However nowhere that I've been in Switzerland (not that extensive) seems ideal for beginners but Saas Fee seems to have a good reputation in this respect ..... others may have options
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tizzyb, I think Crans s/Sierre, sorry, Crans/Montana, may be worth a look, if the snow holds. It's not a huge transfer time from Geneva either.
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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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kewhoward, yeah I think there is a good amount for low intermediates on both sides. But I think it's quite an overwhelming place for a beginner. And the drag -lifts are awful!! It was a long time ago that I went so it may be that the lifts are better now.
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I list the following observed problems for beginners choosing to go to Switzerland to learn skiing
(1) Swiss resorts do not do green slopes. If a trail is marked green it is for hiking.
(2) Big Swiss resorts marketed and visited by internaltional skiers need to be big enough to sustain a week's skiing, have a lot of accommodations, transport infrastructure and various facilities. There aren't many of them and so the choices appear limited.
(3) Switzerland, like Austria, do have a lot of very small resorts suitable for beginners. They are visited by the day trippers and unsuitable for the international skiers wanting to stay there for the whole week. I believe most young Swiss learn to ski in small and unmarketable resorts. This is certainly true from my observation in Austria. There are hundreds of them around. Mostly with lifts or runs counted by the fingers in the hands.
(4) Switzerland has no intention or the law makes it very difficult to develop their resorts into the scale comaprable to the French and Italy. Their famous resorts are often sold on the strength of luxury and up market features. Beginners are pretty low in their priority list.
Although I have seen and am aware of these small resorts dotted around Geneva and Valais areas I have not tried them myself. If I have to nominate beginner friendly areas I have been in order of their friendliness my list would look like this
Swiss side of Porte du Soleil
Crans Montana
First (part of Jungfrau Region of Grindelwand/Wengen area, unlinked in its own patch)
Top of Zermatt (accessed by Gondola, long drag lifts, could be windy and cold)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Farzanag, welcome to snowHeads 
I have several friends who learned in Crans Montana, and they loved it.
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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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The only one I could recommend is Saas Fe, but its pricy
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Farzanag, are you set on Switzerland? There are better/ more suitable places to go for your 1st ski trip as per the comments above. Maybe it would be worth considering an alternative country. I would also echo the comment that 3/4 days is not long for your 1st outing. Could you do a learn to ski week?
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You know it makes sense.
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Another vote for Crans-Montana
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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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Thanks so much to everyone for the helpful comments, looks like Crans Montana is the favourite at the moment!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I would have thought either of Leysin orVillars might be suitable-pretty resorst, not challenging skiing and close to geneva. also consider austria
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Leysin, Villars and many resorts forming part of Gstaad are my definition of the small unmarketable resorts. There are a lot of them around which are ideal for the beginners. The problem is the British TOs only do the large Swiss resorts and so we only have experience with the resorts they marketed.
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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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If you arewanting a cheapish deal, then Saas Grund may be worth looking at. It has a small ski area itself which is good for beginners, and is just a short bus ride away from Saas Fee. There are a number of hotels in Saas Grund that are very reasonably priced, usually okay with short stays and very nice!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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saikee, I use "On the Piste" for Switzerland and they do Leysin and Villars along with many other smaller resorts as well as Zermatt etc. I would thoroughly recommend them. Im going to Wengen and Zermatt with them in March.
www.otp.co.uk
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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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geepee,
The small unmarketable (to British skiers) resorts I described may still get marketed possibly by a small number of British TOs. The enjoyment of a resort is largely dependent on the level of the skier. A skier who can go anywhere in Zermatt may find spending a week in a place like Villars boring whereas a newcomer who can't ski steep red and black runs would be contented when confined to a small resort with a few long and easy blue runs and a couple of gentle red.
I learned skiing in Chamonix when I ran a mobile home there for 8 years. There are at least 6 very small local resorts, each has only between 3 to 4 lifts, used mainly by the beginners. When skiers talk about Chamonix it is the upper bigger and more challenging resorts that are being discussed and marketed. Although the Chamski skipass sold for skiing the whole valley covers all the small beginner resorts they don't get visited much by the British because none of them is linked and needs a bus ride. I found this pattern is repeated through the Alps.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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saikee, Which of the Gstaad super-ski resorts are suitable for beginners ? I've been to Verbier and Zermatt and VdI and the pistes here ( Gstaad) make them look like x-country areas ( Ok I exaggerate, but you get my drift) ... and I can't think of one area (other than Saanenmoser kids park and Wispile lower) that is really 'suitable' for beginners compared to the excellent PdS facilities or L2A for example ... I accept I could have missed it ... 
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I learned in Crans Montana and would recommend it highly. You should easily be able to put together a diy trip there at that time.
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Farzanag, I told you they were a friendly crowd here at snowHeads. Hope you get sorted.
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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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Crans Montana...south facing, sunny and posey. The Swiss love their cruising.
It can lose its best snow pretty quickly after a dump but that should not worry you too much if you are not hooning round the moumtain.
4 days..? that puts you in independant territory which isn't a problem if you know what you want/need.
Stay away from Verbier or Zermatt as they will be wasted on you, IMV and expensive. Also, Zermatt has fab scenery but awful nursery slopes...
If you want the all round package, ambience, scenery, kudos etc , then Saas Fee or Zermatt might be worth it but expect to pay for it as well.
I'd look at Austria for better all round value and somewhere to get you started.
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