 Poster: A snowHead
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I have had a request from an American who wants to "ski europe".! Here is what he would liike -
"want a place that is ski in ski out...like in Lake Tahoe, Deer Valley and Vail has to be up market with nice restaurants etc."
Any ideas?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Courchevel. 1850 if he wants it to be expensive.
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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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Being American, wouldn't anywhere Prince Charles skis hit the spot?
Talking of Americans in Europe, many years ago dearly beloved was a policeman in Winchester & yours truly was a "Special". We suffered being on the England circuit of York, Stratford, London & Winchester, done in only a few days before they did France, Germany & beyond. Being on duty outside Winchester Cathedral it wasn't unknown to be asked "Gee is this Westminster Abbey?" 
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ruthie, I don't think I'd do Courchevel 1850 - though it's not a bad idea. I would have thought somewhere more spectacularly European, with more interesting architecture and a bit more kulcher. Zermatt? Lech? Austria or Switzerland rather than France, I would think (despite being a Francophile!). If France, maybe Megeve for the restaurants (though not easy to find ski in/out). Is he paying for you to join him? 
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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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My all time favourite observation, by a Yank gazing at Stonehenge, Gee it's just so great that they built it right by the Freeway but are they going to finish it sometime soon? 
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Anywhere wiht Culture it will be a new experience to him  Seriosly I would go with somwhere like Lech,Zurs or Zermatt. I would stay away from France and head to Austria or Italy somwhere wiht more local flavour and less high rise.
They all ask me do I know Mary in Cork failing to realise that Ireland is the size it is They all think we live in the same village
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| Quote: |
They all think we live in the same village
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You don't? 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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pam w, Unfortunately not! However he always treats us to a couple of lovely meals out. rob@rar, Courchevel would be ideal for ski in ski out and restaurants. Might investigate it. Ordhan, He is very keen on ski in ski out so I had ruled out Zermatt - people say it takes ages to get actually skiing is that right? Are Lech and Zurs ski in ski out and what about Kitzbuhel?
I see nobody yet has suggested Verbier - any reason?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Being serious for a moment, how about Sestriere. I haven't been there, so can't speak from experience but it seems to fit the bill luxury and skiing-wise, and I wonder if he might find interest in it having been the site of a winter olympics and in some of the European history linked with the area:
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The name “Sestriere” derives from “Petra Sextreria”, the sixth stone used as a reference point
when measuring the distance in miles from Turin, the closest city. The history of the Susa and
Chisone valleys dates back to Western Imperial Roman times when, seemingly, the first
inhabitants and first civilian organization existed here. The area was invaded by the Vandali
and Saraceni and was later made a part of the Delfinato and a part of France until 1713 when
the Escartonese territories of Oulx and Pragelato along with Casteldelfino passed under the
reign of the House of Savoy. Various battles for the succession of Spain and Austria were to
follow. A notable battle was the Assietta battle won by the Piedmontese against the French in
1747. Some archaeological findings (although many were lost in World War II during German
raids) suggest that Hannibal the Great used the Sestriere pass during his crossing of the
Alps. It is certain however that the first “carriageway” through the Alps was built by Napoleon
in 1814. Proof of this is the obelisk erected for the centenary in 1914 which was later torn
down in 1950 (to make space for other buildings) and then rebuilt in 1987 in Pinerolo street.
Somewhere around 1896 or 1897 (the exact date is unknown), the Swiss engineer Adolfo
Kind (working at the time in Turin) and his friends made the first appearances on skis in the
valleys near Turin. Those “snow skates” seemed like a lot of fun and madness at the time.
However not even forty years later Sestriere and her valleys, which seemed specially made
by nature to give fame to the new sport, became a one of its kind in the world of skiing and
tourism. |
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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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Wengen? I forget the name of the hotel, but there's one at Kleine Scheidegg which gives on to the North Face of the Eiger, and you can also take the train up to the highest publicly accessible point in Europe. And I'm sure he'd think the little trains 'quaint'. Or Davos, which he might have heard of because of the World Economic Forum. Or Cortina d'Ampezzo for its apparently extraordinary ambience of wealth. Verbier - great ski area, perhaps a little Eurotrashy these days.
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| ruthie wrote: |
| rob@rar, Courchevel would be ideal for ski in ski out and restaurants. Might investigate it. |
For a visitor from the US the sheer size of the Trois Vallees is often mind-boggling; that's certainly been the case for a couple of Americans that I skied with in Courchevel. I agree that the resort doesn't have the Alpine drama of Zermatt or the authentic chocolate-box prettiness of some of the Swiss and Austrian resorts, but it does have some first class hotels and restaurants (a number of which offer true ski in/out convenience), endless pistes of all grades, lots of sidecountry off-piste and if you engage a guide some terrific backcountry skiing as well.
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You know it makes sense.
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Arosa in Switzerland, great train ride up the valley, bit on the pricey side, probably has ski in/ski out but as there is no traffic everyone skis down the street, horse & carriages every where, snow sure etc. etc. etc.
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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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ruthie, Yeah Zermatt can be a pain but there are some ski in ski out never stayed in any or dont know them but meet some people there last year claiming to be in a ski in ski out chalet!
Lech has a few places No idea about Kitzbul
Who says Yanks are lazy hey
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Poster: A snowHead
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Never mind the architecture it's the skiing that you go for! Which brings me onto Tignes.
Fantastic snow-sure ski area & also fits the bill on the ski in/out and restaurant front as well as great off piste and scenery.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ruthie,
I guess it depends a little on what is maent by ski in ski out.
Does it mean literally skiing from your doorsetp and back to it or does it mean skiing to your doorstep / Short distance away and very short walk to lifts.
Either way you have to look almost as much at the accommodation as you do the resort.
Also depends a little on the time of year etc.
Personally I think Lech is a great place with fabulous skiing, a very good snow record and with St Anton just around the corner, it should tick most experienced skiers boxes. A lot of the hotels at Oberlech are literally ski in ski out. In the village of Lech itself you can ski back to some hotels but all will require a walk to the lifts, some a very short walk others a bus trip.
Zurs is upmarket and accesses the same ski area and is compact enough that any walks are short ones.
Zermatt is fabulous but the lifts are not convenient and most require walks though the upmarket hotels lay on their own transport. The very expensive Rifflealp hotel is an obvious exception being located up the mountain you can ski to and from the front door. There are infrequent trains back in the evening if exploring the Zermatt nightlife.
Neither Verbier nor Davos have a lot of suitable paces from memory, both require a bit of walking though most of Davoses hotels run there own shuttles it is pretty inconvinient.
Courchevel has plenty of ski in and out if your friends have a penchant for expensive purpose built ugliness. Val d'isere has a similar ambience though not much of the stuff is ski out.
Both have extensive very good skiing though they are busier.
For somewhere a bit less well known to the American market Ischgl has quite a few well place hotels a few you can ski back to though there are none that you could ski from.
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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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has anyone said Glencoe yet
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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T Bar, ah, but with the Scottish laws regarding wild camping, you could pitch your tent in a perfect "ski in, ski out" location 
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another vote for the 3V's and courchevel in particular (i would say that).. Courchevel-La Praz has a nice chalet villagey feel to it and links nicely to the main ski areas..... Courch doesnt have to be expensive but it has a very wide range of skiing to suit anyone. Being able to take some americans across to VT and back in a day would be cool for them as they wont have experienced such a large ski area.
Lots of Americans like and flock to Chamonix mainly because of the exposure of the 80's glen plake films and rugged look of the mountains. but ski in out is hard if not impossible to come by.
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shoogly, I don't know why it wasn't mentioned earlier!
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When I was in Val D'Isere the other week I happened to be sat next to an American woman on the Train Rouge. We got chatting and she said she loved the Espace Killy.
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| Quote: |
great off piste and scenery.
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OK on the off piste but personally I don't find the Espace Killy scenery anything super special (Ok, the view from the top of the Grand Motte is spectacular...). There are lots of more attractive places around, though a bit depends on the time of year. Val D'Isere in mid winter is pretty gloomy.
We need to know more about what is important to this American. Huge amounts of well-lined pistes, just outside the door, easy to get to (3V or Espace Killy)? Or some chocolate-box pretty and authentic towns/villages coupled with varied kinds of mountain cragginess (Switz/Austria). I do think Arosa sounds lovely, but it's not a big area, is it?
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pam w,
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personally I don't find the Espace Killy scenery anything super special
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Oh good, I thought it was just me...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
| ... personally I don't find the Espace Killy scenery anything super special |
All things are relative. The dullest view in the Espace Killy is infinitely more dramatic than the view I have right now of my suburban garden
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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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rob@rar, I know what you mean - although my little patch is actually looking quite bonny at the minute.
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How about a dual centre plan? The 3V has to be worth showing to an American if only for the sheer scale of the place. Then you could move onto somewhere more chocolate box - or vice versa
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You know it makes sense.
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If he wants sheer volume and variety of skiing, then 3V or Espace Killy.....If he wants chocolate box villages then Switzerland or Austria. If he wants big mountains, then Chamonix or Zermatt. Bear in mind he is American, and therefore culture will not matter in the slightest.
Send him a copy of the Descent brochure - that'll then make him narrow his choices and then come back for further advice
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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send him to Ischgl then....a night in the Trofana Alm will put him straight
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Bear in mind he is American, and therefore culture will not matter in the slightest.
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helpful comment
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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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abc, I think ski in ski out is important to him. He doesnt want to take buses and wants to avoid hire car situation. A short walk would be fine.
He loves entertaining and good restaurants are as important as the skiing as i think he may bring a few guests with him. However I suspect culture or even quaintness is not high on the agenda.
Guvnor, ? never been can you let me in the secret.
As I have never skied in the USA I have no idea what he means about those areas. Are they big, easy to get to or just exclusive?
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ruthie, I think what abc, means is that skiing from the door and to the door are less important than being close to the base. With any European resort getting a map of the town from the tourist office with the hotels marked on them is important. All resorts will have places close to base and all resorts will have some bloody miles away some of the bad places can be described as ski in ski out.
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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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As I have never skied in the USA I have no idea what he means about those areas. Are they big, easy to get to or just exclusive?
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Vail is big. Deer Valley is not.
Not exclusive but expensive.
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ruthie, I think what abc, means is that skiing from the door and to the door are less important than being close to the base.
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Yep! No need to drive, especially. (and close enough to be able to stagger back to the hotel in the dark after a few pints is helpful too )
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A fabulous, lavish hotel in the Italian Dolomites...he will be impressed! It's beautiful!
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For that criteria Oberlech sounds perfect. Everything is completely ski in/ski out and expensive.
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| danielaclark wrote: |
| For that criteria Oberlech sounds perfect. Everything is completely ski in/ski out and expensive. |
somehwere in Austria - their reaction to the Wellness centers will be worth the trip  .
Ischgl for the apres. Lech had some fine restaurants. Both are great skiing.
And there is plenty of ski-in/out in Vail.
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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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danielaclark, welcome to snowHeads
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ruthie, what kind of skier? Cruising on the groomers? Pounding through the powder? Chucking himself off cliffs?
A hotel near one of the main lifts in Megeve would put him within a stroll of some of the best (and most expensive)restaurants in Europe and the town centre is upmarket, traffic-free. Skiing intermediate, well groomed, quite varied, very scenic with Mont Blanc right in front of your eyes. Easy day trip to Chamonix. No yobs. Eye wateringly expensive shops. But not somewhere for an expert skier.
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