Skiing trip 27th Dec for 3 days

A snowHead

Please could somebody help me pick a ski resort for 27th Dec for 3 days! I'm a beginner, and looking for something that won't be too expensive - and have some hotels available! I can get reasonable flights to Munich, Geneva or Zurich. Where would I be better going? I was planning Munich, but then on the trip advisor forum they said there might not be any snow and definitely no hotels?! (So doesn't sound like a great plan!)
As it's such a short trip, I also need somewhere near the airport - preferably accessible by train. Hope that's not asking too much?

Thanks for your help Smile

A snowHead

munchimo, welcome to snowheads.

the bad news is that you are going to find it very difficult to find accommodation for just 3 days at that time of year, as it's the busiest week of the year and most hotels and chalets etc. can easily sell the whole week. But hang in there, somebody might be along with some suggestions. Is that absolutely the only time you can go between early December and early May? You'd certainly find it easier, and cheaper, and less crowded, some other time.

Give us a bit more info about yourself, and what you are looking for, and someone will probably come up with something. snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

munchimo, Welcome to Snowheads

If you're a complete beginner then look at a 'beginner ski week' a couple of weeks later in January with one of the major UK tour operators - crystal, thomson, nielsen etc. These are designed around getting people on the snow easily and learning how to do it safely. Most beginner lessons run on a 2 or 4 hours a day x 5 or 6 days a week and you'll need that time to learn how to do it, plus practice time in the afternoon. If you're only going for 3 days as a complete beginner then you'll need to book private lessons which are (a) expensive and (b) hard to find during popular weeks depending on resort and (c) Probably don't run till 12 noon or similar anyway so you'll be wasting your time out there in resort

I think you'll really struggle to find accommodation at that time of year - it's possibly the busiest week for skiing across all countries so hotels will be busy. Plus it's also expensive.

Why not go to a local snow centre such as this one - http://www.thesnowcentre.com/ and book some lessons - that way you'll know whether you like it or not without spending lots of money on a trip abroad and then when you do go you'll get more out of it.

I think you'll need luck to do much with the criteria as you've outlined them without spending lots of money.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

The only reason I'm going then is because I'm taking my son, and the only other time he has off school is feb half term - which I think will be just as bad!

Is there no possibility to stay in a nearby hotel and bus into the resort? I don't need to stay on top of the mountain! I have skiied for a couple of days last feb and I really loved it - so we're both desperate to go back again!

I was a bit surprised about the no snow possibility though, it really would be a disaster to spend so much and then have nothing to ski on?! Crying or Very sad

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

munchimo, there is plenty of good skiing available at Easter if you are restricted to school holidays. As others said, getting non-standard (ie anything other than weekend-to-weekend) accommodation bookings at peak time is very difficult. You stand more chance of getting something further away from the resorts, but bear in mind that New Year week is one of the busiest of the season.

You'll need to Register first of course.

munchimo, you'd get a lot more out of a whole week! And a whole week at Easter probably wouldn't cost you much more than 3 days at New Year.

As for snow, we can argue ourselves silly about this on snowheads, but you generally (big generalisation coming up) will find better snow at Easter than at Christmas/New Year, particularly if you are a bit careful about choice of resort. Doing odd times makes it harder to join in group ski lesons - and private ones are expensive (though often very good).

You could possibly get a hotel bed and drive into resort - and in some places (Innsbruck is one example) there are buses out to satellite resort areas. But Innsbruck is probably full at New Year. I think it's quite a hike from Munich to the snow (depending on the weather) but there are some Snowheads based in that area who could give you some very precise advice. I would think if you were to do something like that you'd need to look at hiring a car and driving, rather than hoping for buses. Looking at France, you could maybe fly to Geneva, get a hotel room in Sallanches (about an hour or less from the airport) and then drive up to Megeve, a good resort for beginners and a lovely place. Another, and much more out-of-the-way suggestion is to stay in Albertville, from which you can get a bus every day to Areches-Beaufort, a little known but really rather good little resort - they are very environmentally conscious and offer a free bus from Albertville with the ski passes, to discourage people from driving their own cars up there. But the journey would take you 40 - 45 minutes I would think, each way. You could get private lessons quite reasonably in Areches but they get very few Anglophone visitors so you'd need to be careful to get an instructor who spoke a bit of English.

Frankly, doing 3 days skiing at New Year would be a Mission. But you do sound very keen. wink

Where in the UK are you based? The suggestion for some lessons in a snowdome is a good one and would help feed your craving in the meantime.
wink

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

munchimo, Don't despare as I was in a similar position last year and although me and my son used a small TO and went for 7 days we had a requirement for Friday to Friday which is obviously a problem at that time of the year. The TO who we had used a few times before came up with using a B&B who were able to offer any number of days over that period. So this is a cunning plan.

The B&B was the Riad des Neiges in Val d'Illiez and the owner and his wife went out of their way to make us welcome. Highly recommended. See www.riad-des-neiges.ch

Edit: I see from their website that they want a minimum of 3 nights in winter, so still ok for you.

We had a great family room with a double bed and a bunk bed for the two of us.

Try them first to see if they can fit you in on the days you want.

It is a bit of a steep slope from the B&B to the station but we walked it every morning in ski boots with no real problems. We got a taxi from the station to the B&B on the way there but the owner offered to drive us to the station when we left and I suspect he may be up for picking you up from the station if you ask.

Val d'Illiez is a 10 minute cog railway trip up to Champery which is on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soliel, so skiing into France as a bonus and a massive ski area. A little tip here, get your lift pass from the Tourist office in Val d'Illiez and it includes the cog rail from Val d'Illiez to Champery. If you get the lift pass from Champery you won't get this included but from the Tourist office it is included at no extra charge. The B&B owner pointed this out to us. I said they went out of their way to be helpful. Cool

The train drops you right behind the cable car up from Champery to the skiing.

Get flights to Geneva and you can get from Geneva airport to Val d'Illiez on a Swiss transfer ticket and if your son is fifteen or under he will be free travelling with you on the train. You can get the Swiss transfer ticket from www.swisspasses.com

You change at Aigle to get the cog railway up to Val d'Illiez.

There is a great hotel near the railway station in Val d'Illiez which has a pizza restaurant as well as a traditional Swiss restaurant on different floors. It's was run by an English couple who also made us welcome, so we didn't use any other places to eat. I can't remember the name of it, but if you walk out of the station there is a small square and it is on the right hand side.

If you want any further information then let me know.

snowHead

After all it is free

munchimo, Welcome to SnowHeads

As others are saying, 3 days at New Year will be hard to find and expensive (NY week is one of only a couple of sure-fire, cast-iron sell out weeks, and owners/suppliers can sell the full week may times over), but aside from that, as complete beginners, you'll just be getting your ski legs in 3 days, and it will be time to leave! If half term week is really out of the question on the basis of cost, Easter would seem a much better option. Choose your resort wisely and you'll get decent conditions, longer days, lower prices, less crowds and more for your money! Good Luck Very Happy

The problem is that I can't get the time off at Easter - so I was thinking that new year is better than nothing! You're so kind to write such detailed suggestions. I've read that Engelberg has a good snow record - do you think that could be a possibility?

Thanks

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munchimo, but have a look at what skibulgaria posted on this thread http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=56576#1360022

Bulgaria does have some disadvantages. wink

If you are going to have lessons, then you probably don't need to worry much about snow records - instructors are very good at finding what you need. And in any case, for that time of year, you'd need to book something up as soon as possible - without knowing about what the snow is like, really.

Yes, ideally, you'd want a place with a good snow record at New Year but realistically if that is absolutely the only time you can possibly go, you'll have to take what you can find! geepee's suggestions looks a good one to follow up.

Help!!

Skiing trip 27th Dec for 3 days

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