 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I'm thinking of booking a last minute trip to Val d'Isere with Action Outdoors. I'm 22, female and I've never travelled alone before... actually I've never even been shopping alone before!
I'm abit worried about the whole solo travelling thing and I've never stayed in a hostel so not really sure what to expect. Is anyone doing something similar that week? Or has anyone stayed at the UCPA that could tell me what it's like? I know it's only a week and I think I'm quite a sociable person but I don't speak French and I don't want to get there and regret it.
Any advice would be much appreciated! x
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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fabulous10, welcome to snowheads.  My son in law (before he became my sil) did a couple of UCPA trips on his own. He doesn't speak French, but he found it a very agreeable environment - always somebody to have a beer with, and with the ski lessons included (he's a pretty good skier) it was sociable enough, but without too much forced jollity.
Obviously you could be unlucky with your dorm-mates. I think I'd be inclined to take some ear-plugs. But I suspect it would be hard to find a better introduction to "solo travelling". Do report back on your experience, if you decide to go.
PS SIL has since done another UCPA holiday, with my daughter, as a couple - they both enjoyed the international atmosphere. Neither of them did even o level French but they didn't seem to find this a huge handicap - the guests weren't all French by any means. My daughter enjoyed trying out her limited French.
I think, nonetheless, I'd be inclined to get myself a BBC "Get by in French" programme and do some work on it before I went - you'd get more out of it, that way and look less like a typical arrogant Brit who expects everyone else to speak english.
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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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fabulous10, UCPA is very popular with the Swedish as well, and I think the centres try to put you in rooms based around a similar language so you should have other English-speakers in your room. I ended up sharing with an English girl on her first ever ski trip and a Dutch/Belgian couple when I went to the UCPA in Argentiere last year, and the other Brits I bumped into were sharing with Swedes. I'd certainly echo the advice to earplugs tho! It's great fun, hope you enjoy.
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Thanks for your replies. I've done GCSE French so I know how to say hello and order a glass of wine 
Providing I can get the week of work I think I am going to go for it, i will definately be investing in a french guide and some ear plugs - good tip thanks. I will let you know how I get on!
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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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fabulous10, go for it! You will have a great week skiing and the centre in Val D is very handy for the slopes and all the nightlife. UCPA is brilliant for solo travellers as you will meet lots of people in the bar, your room and in your ski group. My french is appalling but I manage to get by - I'm more confused by the carnet system for buying drinks at the bar if I'm honest. If you are worried about being the only brit there, I wouldn't be, but give the guys at Action Outdoors a call and see if they can tell you how many others are booked for that week - they may be able to ask UCPA to put you in the same room as other Action-Outdoors clients.
Have a great time and watch out for the ice on the Santons blue run off belvarde into the village - it claimed my rib over New Year so no more skiing for me for another few weeks 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hey i'm a 20 year old guy and am lookin to go on saturday for a week too, not too bothered where really allthough val is a place i havent bin n would like to. Even though i don't know you and vice versa i'd be interested in coming maybe? I to dont no any french at all lol and am an interemediate skiier too! If your interested drop me a email on stefanmason101@hotmail.com if you like and you can give me a call. I know it must seem a bit weird for some random guy asking to go with you lol but i 2 think i'd b a bit lost by myself lol.
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Hello
I returned from my solo skiing trip on sunday and thought i would post an update to provide some info for anyone thinking of doing something similar......
I was a bag of nerves getting on the coach at Victoria station but straight away i met people in the same boat and we got talking, the 16 hour coach drive to Val wasn't as bad as I expected, the UCPA centre was pretty impressive for a hostel, the rooms were very small but clean, warm and perfect considering the amount of time actually spent them. I thought it would be full of students however I was one of the youngest there, the average age of the guests was about 30/35 and there were quite a few older couples. I was worried about the whole commual shower thing but there were little wet rooms to wash/change in which were fine for a week. Lots of hot water so cant complain. The food at the UCPA was soooo nice, the staff were really friendly (except for one French woman behind the bar that has something against English people!?) There were so many other people staying there alone that I was never by myself and had brilliant company for the whole week. The ski lessons/equiptment was great and overall i think it was fantastic value for money.
The nightlife in Val is really good, plenty of bars for apres ski - however it was so expensive! 5 euros for a beer, 6.50 for cider, even a hot choc was 4 euros (5 if you want cream!!) Eating in the resturants on the mountain is ridiculous, spag bol was 20 euros, sausage and chips was 15!! This want really an issue though because breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner is all included at the UCPA. You can even buy wine etc... at the spar and drink during dinner, lots of people brought beer and put it on the window ledge to keep cold, the staff didnt mind at all.
The slopes were great, probably the best skiing i've ever done and theres so much off piste and alot of the red runs were what i would consider as black.
All in all, i had a fantasic week, i met so many lovely people and would def reccomend going to a UCPA. My only regret was that i couldnt stay for longer!
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fabulous10, so pleased you had a great time especially on such a sad week for the centre. I know what you mean about the woman who runs the bar - but she is pretty much the same with everyone as far as I can remember. So have we got you hooked on the UCPA experience then?
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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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fabulous10, Cheers to hear this reassuring report as I'll be in the same boat as you in March.
What were the lessons like? Have you had ESF lessons? If so are they similar in style?
cheers.
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fabulous10, thanks for reporting back - it's always good to hear how things worked out. If you'd had had an awful time I'd have felt bad about recommending it!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I am definitely a UCPA fan! Considering what's included for the price, it's an absolute bargin. I would reccomend it to everyone.
Christopher, the ski lessons were really good. I was put in a group with 5 other intermediate skiiers, the instructor was great and it was a really fun, enjoyable group. The first day is more of a warm up where the instructors check out everyone's ability. After that the instructor was pretty flexible working around what we wanted to do. We tended to spend the morning on technique then the afternoon hard core skiing and finishing the day doing jumps. This what was requested by my group though so don't take that as gospel. Back at the centre, I only heard good reports from the other skiiers/boarders. I've never had ESF lessons so can't compare. The last day we did mainly off piste skiing however, sadly there was an avalanche a few days before which killed a UCPA guest so when I say 'off piste' we didnt wander too far away....
Good Luck!!!
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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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HI
I am thinking of going skiing to Val d'isere on Monday the 22nd or Tuesday the 23rd I haven't planned anything and was thinking of just arriving and finding a place in a UCPA. I'm travelling on my own and a little nervous that I won't find a place to stay at such short notice.
Can anyone give me some advice?
karen
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You know it makes sense.
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Pam, Yes I know, but I only just got this week off at the last minute and I didn't want to waste the opportunity.
I will give them a call and see if I can book something last minute.
Otherwise do you know of any other reasonable places to stay in the resort.
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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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Try Les Chardons (?) I thinkk - a very tiny little hotel/guest house across the road from the Moris Pub on the lane up to the Church - they have a website - google it
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Poster: A snowHead
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biminy, no, I don't know of anywhere. But someone who knows val D'Isere could probably tell you the name of the café where people put up notices of accommodation available or wanted - my son who knows all about that is away in Oz at the moment, but he and his flatmate took in "lodgers" to supplement their funds when he spent a season there. Mind you, you'd need to be very desperate to want to stay in a very small apartment already being shared by two great blokes! It was cheap, though. One night they got a call at 11 pm from two desperate British lads with absolutely nowhere to stay. It was minus 19 degrees and although they were full they let them sling their sleeping bags under the table.
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