Poster: A snowHead
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Hello everyone, we are a family of 5 determined to go to Corvara in February 2011. Does anyone have a good hotel to recommend? We don't particularly need spas and wellness centres, or the trappings of luxury, but good food is a v. high priority, as is proximity to the lifts! So far, the places we've looked at seem more expensive than other places in Italy we've been to recently (La Thuile and Sestriere).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Martin family, Chalet Verena (colletts) is very good and is 2 mins from the list, also v good food
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IF you go to the Google map and locate Corvara and the type pension or hotel you will have the choices appearing on the map. Some links can direct you to their web pages and contacting email.
The more expensive one, with their own web sites, allow you to book online or give you at least the going rate. You can of course contact the smaller B&B and send them your request. The replies can be in Italian which you can translate using Internet site like Babelfish. I found the guest houses in Dolomites generally pretty good and helpful. Haven't been disappointed yet.
Nowadays the Google map, together with Expedia, Bergfex, and Booing.com etc are very useful and comprehensive in picking any accommodation for any country. You can check the same accommodation with different sites and find out the competitive price. Usually dealing with the owner should be the cheapest but other sites may have a standing discount arrangement with some properties.
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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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Martin family, We stayed in Corvara 3 years ago and I struggled a bit to find a suitable hotel as it is rather an expensive resort, especially as we have to travel during half term. In the end we had to compromise on the location and picked Hotel Bel Sit which is probably a good five minute walk outside of the centre and even further from the lifts, but the hotel provided a minibus which they ran constantly in the morning and afternoon which worked really well. Extremely comfortable hotel and food was good rather than outstanding. Only problem we found was walking into the town at night as the pavements were extremely icy.
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I believe Corvara is known as a bit of a German resort town.
If what is attracting you is the network of blue runs (and indeed they are very attractive!) you might find that you can be close by in another place (Colfosco?) and still access the skiing.
Smokin Joe's, suggestion is a good one.
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Martin family, Arabba is also close (2 lifts), more Italian and would probably have cheaper accommodation although the Arabba slopes are less suited to beginners
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Chris Bish, I don't recall corvara being especially germanic, (apart from the restaurant fare) just the usual alpine mix of folk
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Thanks to all for these useful tips . We're going to have a look at Colfosco too, less keen on Arabba as although everyone skis well, we've had some more negative feedback on it. We'd already spent quite a bit of time with google maps and the links, it's hard to make a decision without a personal recommendation... (on that subject, if anyone is going to La Thuile we LOVED the Maison des Neiges hotel, up piste 7 - one of our best hotels ever!). We'll let you know what we go for.
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Martin family, If you are good skiers then Arabba is the place to be. It is cheaper than Corvara with some good hotels but with limited night life.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Always had a very good experience with Colletts - comfortable without being fussy, run by enthusiastic helpful young people. Nice to support a small firm. They also do a FOC pick-up from Venice. Covara and Colfosco are great for cruisers. The Prolongia is great value and the Selle Ronda must be on any skiers 'bucket list'. The 10k red run off the Marmolada is great too - a real leg burner. Hope this helps
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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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holidayloverxx wrote: |
Chris Bish, I don't recall corvara being especially germanic, (apart from the restaurant fare) just the usual alpine mix of folk |
I saw one study that showed that visitors to the South Tyrol broke down as follows:
German 46%
Italian 37%
Swiss 5%
Austrian 3%
Others 9%
Whether this follows for any specific week of the winter season in Corvara, I'm not sure, but I reckon a lot of visitors are German-speaking and the area was once part of Austria (hence the food and architecture), but as you say quite a varied spread of other nationalities too.
When I went just after New Year, the area was full of Italians for whom Capodanno is a very popular time for a winter break.
The good thing about an area with a high proportion of German visitors is that the standards of maintenance, hygiene and service can often be higher because they won't put up with it any other way! You often get good value too, as they also refuse to pay through the nose. Italians value good food and fun over fixtures and fittings, so it makes for quite a compelling combination for any other nationalities who may be visiting and no-one stands out like a sore thumb.
I hope I haven't thrown in too many racial stereotypes there.
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luigi,
I completely agree with your observations based on the visits I made.
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You know it makes sense.
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Do a web search for "Rottonara Apartments" as well as "Mugun". Each provides apartments in Corvara without half board 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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Martin family, I have stayed at Colletts , good, but probably already fully booked.
A good hotel is the Hotel Table, 3 star but very good, clean, and good food. No spa or pool but good value for money.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Martin family wrote: |
less keen on Arabba as although everyone skis well, we've had some more negative feedback on it. |
I have stayed in Arabba many times and consider it near enough the perfect ski town - I am curious about the negative feedback have you had?
I would expect lack of rowdy night life and not ideal for beginners to be negative for some people but from your posts these would not appear to be a requirement.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Has anyone stayed in reasonably priced accommodation in Corvara. Most hotels are expensive and only for 3 people (I require room for 4).
I've checked collets, none available (next February).
Ideally would want a chalet but doesn't seem available at all.
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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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We have just been to colfosco february half term and loved it. It is only 3 min gondola ride to corvara. We stayed in what i thought was a very reasonably priced b & b (mirabell). Room/bathroom a bit dated (due to be refurbished this summer) but spotlessly clean and warm with an extra small room for the children with bunkbeds and large wardrobes which they much preferred to usual option of sharing a sofa bed in our room. Location couldnt be better- just a few steps to put skis on and ski school/lifts and also a couple of mins walk to centre of Colfosco and shop/cash machine etc. Hosts were very welcoming and made us feel part of the family (although only the daughter spoke english). Breakfast was simple but good quality. I was surprised by how little english was spoken in general in the area but our children both had other english speakers in their ski school classes.
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@Holidayqueen, thanks will have a look.
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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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@DaiSki, you want 4 people in one room?
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we've just booked residence vallon for the 3rd year for half term week.
the italians don't really do chalets but there are there are loads of apartments and loads of good places to eat.
everything seems to have pretty much gone for feb 18 but if you look through out the year there are plenty of places so i think only some places offer their rooms up now.
I think if you stay in corvara or colfosco you'll have a lovely time. I can highly recommend vallon and there is a shuttle mini bus that runs in the morning and you phone the guy up in the afternoon and he's there 5 mins later.
look at the altabadia.org website or booking.com
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@Holidayqueen, re English, we were told that this wasn't taught to the older generations at school in Gröden and Alta Badia where the local kids instead supplemented their native Ladin with German and Italian.
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