 Poster: A snowHead
|
Please help...
I am completely new to both skiing and forums!
I'm looking to spend 5/6 days skiing with a friend in either the first or second week of March, unfortunately my dates have to fixed to either of these weeks due to work.
I am completely bewildered with the amount of options, so please if anyone can give any suggestions I would be most grateful.
I have never skied before and will need lessons, my friend has skied last year loved it, so would want lessons and something a bit more interesting than me (neither of us speak French or German).
We are looking to do this on as small as budget as possible, happy to self cater, not interested in the bars and night life and willing to put all the aspect of the trip together ourselves once decided on where to go!! but I was put off the Bulgarian resorts after reading reviews online.
Is it best to wait and get a last minuet deal or book flights and accommodation early as possible?? Please recommend a good value resort that it is possible to book accommodation independently.
Many Thanks
Liz 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hi Liz,
The french resorts always seem to be cheaper for the package deals but once you get there the prices of food and drink in resort can be expensive. I have always found Austria to be a reasonable price for package deals and reasonable in price in resort (around the same as here).
As you are both relative beginners and won't need a huge ski area it might be worth looking at some smaller resorts where the lift passes will be cheaper.
I hope that this helps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
newbieLiz, Welcome to Snowheads 
My 'bible', Where to Ski and Snowboard 2011 (by Chris Gill and Dave Watts, £18.99) has lists of resorts according to various criteria, in the section Resorts for Beginners, (European resorts with gentle snow sure nursery slopes and easy longer runs to progress to) there are two that stand out as being significantly cheap*, these are Passo Tonale in Italy and La Rosiere in France. There's also Soldeu in Andorra, but the detailed description mentions that it can get very crowded.
This might give you a good place to start looking.
There's a forum joke about La Rosiere so you may get a few strange comments about it from others here.
hope this helps.
*'Cheap' is a relative term when it comes to skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wow that was quick!
thank you, I've just looked up action outdoors, and wondering if I can persuade my friend to travel by coach!! - I'm guessing it's got to be the cheapest option.
(We're both in our 30's- so young ish!!)
New to forums (not the internet) so great first experience, thank you
Please post any other suggestions, my friend is on a silent meditation retreat so left to me to organise this (big responsibility!)
thanks again
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Liveezy, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
newbieLiz, Oak Hall are the cheapest that I know.
Coach travel and chalet accommodation (so including meals) would be £198 for March if you went to their base in Lauterbrunnen (Switzerland). You could fly for an extra £100. http://www.oakhall.co.uk/pages/winter11jungfrau.asp
Flight and half board hotel accommodation at their base in Schladming (Austria) would be £438 http://www.oakhall.co.uk/pages/winter11resort.asp?resortseasonid=380
They have their own instructors and kit so would be able to give you ski or snowboard lessons with other beginners.
They are a Christian based organisation, but the religious bit is easy to avoid should you desire. I'm helping out on their trip to Lauterbrunnen early March.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
newbieLiz, If you wait til nearer the time take a look at bookableski.com, the tour operators put their unsold holidays on there, we had 8 of us go to a catered chalet in La Rosiere at the end of January for a week booked through bookable but it was a Nielson holiday, the chalet was luxury, food fantastic, ski in and out for £320 each! inc flights, transfers, fully catered! with lift passes and ski hire it was just under £500 per head
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I would second buying the where to ski and snowboard book - it's invaluable to give you a static reference point (all reviews written by one team so consistent scales/verdicts) to start from.
However if you have no idea what you want and you want cheap I would just wait and book a late deal closer to the time (mid feb probably). www.igluski.com is the easiest way for a novice to do that, just log in, set the resort to all and sort results by price  Late deals end up up to 50% off if you get lucky.
I'd also agree the second of your two weeks will be better, french holidays == high cost and busy slopes, book that second week off as holiday and then wait a bit!.
Happy hunting!
Aj xx
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
newbieLiz, one of the (many) confusing things about booking a ski holiday is that the "headline price" for the holiday is often less than half what it will cost you. Lift pass costs vary quite a bit but they are all expensive. In some places beginners don't need a full pass right away, and in other places you can get local area passes which will have plenty of skiing available. Equipment hire can also be quite expensive and does vary in cost (and quality - sometimes the basic package offered by tour operators is very basic indeed).
Self-catered options look cheap, but if you have no transport and have to buy everything in expensive resort supermarkets, costs can mount up.
Get some options together but wait for your friend to start speaking to you again - best to make the decision together so you can share the blame if it goes pear-shaped. There's no big rush to book up for mid-March (which is a very nice time to ski, actually).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
and another thing - lunches can cost you quite a lot, though much cheaper in smaller, less well-known resorts. That's another advantage of UCPA - full board.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
I would also recommend Oak Hall. I went with them to hotels in Italy and Austria in my early 20s (quite a long time ago!) and had two excellent holidays. Their prices are very reasonable. Ski hire and instruction were also far cheaper than elsewhere from what I remember. I think it is quite nice to have everything organised for you the first time you go skiing and to stay in catered accommodation then you will enjoy the holiday more.
Other than that I'd say the french southern alps resorts are good value. Eg. Les Orres, puy st vincent. Ski collection have accommodation in these resorts I think. I have been to la rosiere and whilst its cheaper than places like tignes, and has good beginner slopes it is more expensive than the southern alps.
You will find prices cheaper the second week of march as the french school hols finish around 10th I think.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Pas de la Casa or Soldeu in Andorra have been mentioned already. The ski area is excellent.
We went last Easter and got a good package on full board, have to have lunches out - food not great very fast foody out on the mountains, but it's reasonably priced. The local tourist board do a good deal with ski hire, lift pass and lessons - I think it was about £200 per person on top of the cost of travel/accomodation. The tuition was very good too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Look for last minute to Mayrhofen or Livigno.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
newbie liz..what has put you off Bulgaria?....this really is a great place to ski(Bansko)especially you being a begginer to skiing...really do not dismiss it, as especially you are looking to do it all on a cheap budget
4th-11th of march if you consider flying to Sofia,Bulgaria with wizzair(Luton) less than £90 return flight
5th-12th with easyjet Gatwick to Sofia £105 return
ski hire £50
6 day ski pass £120
group ski lessons 2 hours x 6 day £85
apartment for 7 nights £200
hotel http://dumanov.com/en_map (double room 40 euros per night)
go on give it a go 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
newbieLiz, always always go last minute!
we used to do this pk (pre kids) and saved a fortune and had great times especially when we knew just how much we had saved compare dto those that had booked in advance.
Even wk (with kids) I've had great last minute deals- but this does require nerves of steel- booking the day before departure.
Even as a newbie you can I am sure learn to ski just about anywhere and have a great time.
It is just about the best sport there is - nay a life. But bloody expensive if you get hooked.
ps welcome to snowheads.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
skinutter, Hello hope you find something good!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Hello Pam....long time no speak
Oddly enough given our love of the area, we'll not be too far down the road if this comes off, in Notre Dame de Bellcombe in the Le Village or Roches apts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
