 Poster: A snowHead
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OK folks, going on a big group holiday end of Jan/start of Feb or start of March. was wondering which resort i should choose. I have asked to get a price for Tignes, Val D'Isre, Meribel, Alpe'd'Huex and Verbier. Now i my self am a fairly good skier had my first taster of off piste last year and handled it no problem so i would want to try some more of it but love my blacks. Bacicially love all of it! However while some of the group have skied before some haven't.
requirements : Have a busy nightlife, good snow coverage, lots of ski area as i get bored easilly, reasonable prices of food and so on. thats basicially all im looking for but never been to a big resort yet and want to give one a go.
Thanks for all your help guys 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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m_raff123, welcome to snowheads.  First off, go for the end Jan/start February in any of the French resorts, as the French school hols will still be in full swing at the beginning of March.
Second, you'll need to think about lessons for your beginners, and some good progressive runs. I don't know Verbier but I know it's not usually thought of as a great resort for beginners. Of the resorts you've listed, I'd definitely go for the 3 Valleys (which will give you more scope than you'll be able to cover in a week) but Meribel isn't the best for access to the slopes OR good beginner areas. Courchevel 1850 has everything, including excellent ski school, but it is expensive. 1650 is a reasonable compromise, maybe. Mottaret has better access but not so lively at night.
La Plagne would be a good area - lots of skiing for all levels, though someone other than I would need to advise on where the best night life is!
There may be other options too - though none of the French resorts are really noted for lively apres ski. At that time of year you should have no problem with snow coverage (unless it's the worst season ever, in which case anywhere high with good snow will be overrun).
There may be some better options in Austria - which others could suggest. where have you visited up to now?
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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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Big resorts might just knock out your "reasonable prices of food and so on". Other than that, I'd put Tignes up there. Alpe D'Huez would probably tick the boxes. Out of France, maybe somewhere like Mayrhofen? Certainly provides the terrain for the mixed abilities and tends to offer better value food-wise. Especially if you're prepared to come off the mountain at lunchtime. Also very lively  The Zillertal Valley offers a really extensive, accessible range of places to ski if you want to get out of Mayrhofen.
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you'll probably get a bit more for your money in Alpe d'Huez, although certainly less "swish" than any of the other places mentioned except tignes. On hill dining is very good there except for a couple of unexciting self serve places and quite good value for a plat du jour (wouldn't go so far as calling it cheap though). it's also very good for learning if you have beginners because there are loads of green runs right by the resort
i wouldn't recommend verbier unless your group are all/mostly good skiers.
i didn't really like Meribel but 1000s of people do
can't go too far wrong with Val or Tignes; Tignes will be cheaper but not such a nice base, although i prefer the skiing directly accessed from Tignes
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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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Ditto that last point.
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m_raff123,
Personally I'd consider adding Ischgl to your list. Not quite as big as the other areas but still impressivly large by most standards, cheaper food and drink, more night life, excellent snow record.
Downsides no variety of ski school, no chalet style accommodation if that is what you are after.
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m_raff123,
Not knocking Tignes if you get a good deal, just suggesting an alternative. Main problem with Tignes is if you get a week of bad weather it is a pretty inhospitable place with very little tree level skiing particularly for the beginners. It certainly has loads of good skiing and I actually find it a bit less soulless than the ostensibly more attractive Val d'Isere.
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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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For a large group, I'd be looking at a chalet. Depending on the size of the group, that may restrict your choices - the number of chalets for 20 people are fairly small, and some resorts simply won't have anything that big. Of course if your large group is 8, then almost everywhere will have something.
If you want reasonable priced lunches and decent apres, I'd avoid Tignes, it's a great resort but it is expensive for lunch and the nightlife is pretty limited compared to many resorts I've been to.
Of the options you've mentioned, I'd focus on Alpe D-Huez. It is a decent compromise of all the things you want, and has something for everyone, plus plenty of options on accommodation for any budget.
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Have a busy nightlife; Verbier & Val d'Isere
good snow coverage; Tignes has a glacier, but for end Jan/early Feb they should all be good.
lots of ski area as i get bored easilly; off piste, all good. On piste; Tignes, Val, Meribel, Alpe D'Huez
reasonable prices of food and so on; err. Bulgaria?
You can't have everything 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
You can't have everything wink
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How true. If you're accustomed to Bulgaria some of the prices in those big resorts will come as a shock.
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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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Agree with pam w, that 1850 is about the best place for access to great skiing, both on and off. Mottaret is the best positioned in the 3V for exploring the whole area, and has enough nightlife for all but hardened clubbers (and Meribel is only 10 minutes away). Can't go wrong with anywhere in ESPK. Can't comment on Alpe'd'Huex
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Would splitting the group into 2 8 man chalets be a good option Monium? Yeah I looked at Alpe D-Huez alot last year, loved the look of it. im stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place! one of the lads has been to Meribel before and he loved it so thats throwing a spanner in the works...
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You know it makes sense.
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Prices are not a problem I was there as part of a family holidays so I didnt pay for anything at the time, however im now big enough and ugly enough to be left with my own bill so I thought if thats the case im going to do it right, and by the way over the last few years the price of on mountain food in bulgaria has gotten rather expensive for eg. a mixed grill on mountain 26 euro.
To be fair any time I was in bulgaria the only thing that let the place down was the food. I got friendly with one of the instructors he took me to all of the local spots and hidden to public parts and it was pretty good. The small resorts in italy were enjoyable just not enough of a ski area and snow wasnt that great. I dont really mind paying as long as quality is good! after all you get what you pay for and that just cant be said of Bulgaria anymore. In my opinion anyway
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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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La Plagne, which someone mentioned has almost no blacks. Though they do have them, over the connecting lift, at Les Arcs. I'd vote for Val / Tignes or perhaps consider Val Thorens in the 3 Valleys which I reckon has the best skiing of the 3 Valleys.
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Poster: A snowHead
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i would say 3 valleys as well. Food prices are daft anywhere in big french resorts i expect, but i have always liked the variety in the 3 valleys
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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m_raff123, this in Alpe D'Huez although sleeping 14, is a decent example of what you might get there. Piste side - so ski in/out (good for the newbies) and 50m max to one of the main lifts. Ski school also meets there.
A few bars in immediate vicinity or a 10 minute walk to the centre of the resort. A good trade IMO for being piste side.
As mentioned, ADH almost certainly going to be a bit less expensive than 3Vs and ESPK and should tick most boxes. Personally, I preferred ADH to 3Vs, but ESPK above both.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 13-10-10 13:35; edited 1 time in total
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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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| m_raff123 wrote: |
| Would splitting the group into 2 8 man chalets be a good option Monium? Yeah I looked at Alpe D-Huez alot last year, loved the look of it. im stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place! one of the lads has been to Meribel before and he loved it so thats throwing a spanner in the works... |
if you're organising it and want to go to ADH, book ADH. if your buddy who wants to go to Meribel is happy to step in and organise it let him do so!
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you could not have a more convenient chalet skiing-wise than the one Chasseur linked to btw. IIRC the English ski school in ADH meets in the restaurant on the ground floor
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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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Chasseur - that chalet looks really good
Hopefully the travel agent spots it as we have a neilson group book and she will go through them!
Thanks guys for all the suggestions very much appriciated! Keep them coming!
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m_raff123, by coincidence the SO was looking at the Neilson place for a 2nd week we're planning for March. I did meet one or two punters who stayed there last January (we were in Rocket Ski's Beausoleil in the same area) and they were highly complimentary.
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For a mixed ability group I would say ADH would suit best. The night life wouldn't be on a par with Val D and Meribel but would be sufficient. Forget Tignes in terms of night life. All the resorts you mention will have good snow coverage.
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If your group do go to ADH, don't forget to buy your jester's hats so as you can fully blend in with the crowd. And for the beginners in your group, the best insurance they can buy to pay for the body repairs they'll need when they've been mown down by out of control muppets wearing jester hats zooming around the anthills of ADH's lower and mid mountain runs.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| I don't know Verbier but I know it's not usually thought of as a great resort for beginners. |
But it is in fact pretty good for beginners. I get the feeling that it isn't so much not thought good, as it is overlooked because it has a reputation as an expert resort.
I went there for my first ever ski trip, and (possibly because it is not thought of as a beginner resort), there were never more than 4 of us in the group ski lessons (early January).
You have decent nursery slopes with a couple of nearby blues (the chalet I stayed in was in the middle of those nearby pistes), and then you can progress to Savroleyres or the Lac des Vaux or La Chaux areas in the "main" Verbier area.
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Verbier.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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That'll be the very reasonably priced Verbier ??
ADH or Cervinia or La Plagne with no night life. If you're in a Chalet the temptation will be to stay in most of the time anyway so night life less important.
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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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Alp d'Huez would get my vote. Good easy access for beginners to decent length blacks for the more adventurous. Easy to get back to central meeting points at lunch as well. Tignes would also be good with a huge area for the advanced folks and better access than Val d'I. Prices probably higher in Tignes.
Weather and conditions at either are normally good at that time. We usually ski first week of Feb for my B'day and have only had poor snow once (at Les 2Alps).
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Well its now decided and almost paid for! I choose ADH! Now a few questions for the people in the know about ADH we went to the les Horizions D'Huez apartments? Can someone tell me what is their location (close to lifts etc) like and also what are they like? Any advice generally about the resort? Possibly i might get a few morinigs off piste if any one could recomend a instructor/guide? Snow Stance possibly?
Thanks 
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You know it makes sense.
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