 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi People.
need your advice. I have been boarding for quite a few years, but this year I am lucky enough to have a wife that letting me go with mates to St Anton in Jan and Tignes in Feb. Of course there is always a catch. March i have to take the wife and kids for there first trip. My Daughters are really up for it which is a great sign.
So I am looking for a real pretty place to go which is great value.
I will be driving so can get a weeks shopping in the car as well as kit.
I have been looking at some of the smaller places in France and Austria, some seem to offer either free nursery slopes for the first few days or Free lift passes when an adult purchases one.
Saint Jean or Sorlin d'Arves look nice.
Any help gratefully appreciated
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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For pretty, and reasonably convenient driving, check out other threads about Samoens/Morrillon. You do need to take a lift from the village to the skiing, but that is pretty much the price you pay for the attractive village. And there's a 'proper' supermarket just outside Samoens, so you would not need to bring a week's supplies from Blighty. Having your own car would save on waiting for the bus from the lift to your accommodation.
Damien
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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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Thanks guys for coming back so quick. Some good budget options there much appreciated. Although some of these places are small it will be ideal for the family, Me as much as I would love a super resort the trip is not for me. Ill just cruise about and look for some small kickers and take a trip to the park and break some bones lol
Colin, did the ski school speak good English? Being smaller resorts thats probably my main concern. A read your thread, where did you book the appartment.
Nuck, one of the papers had Aussois listed as a bargain this week.
Yellow, thanks ill take a look.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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snips73, how old are your daughters? And what other activities do they do? Great to be taking them for their first trip. 
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Hi Pam 9 & 7. im going to take them to a few indoor sessions first. A bit of cycling as mush as kids do but little else apart from 1 night after school sport. Its great age to start learning at though i reckon.
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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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Saint Sorlin is a great resort for beginners. Lots of long easy greens to build confidence on.
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snips73, yes, a very good age. In the small resort we stay in (Les Saisies) all group lessons will be in French. Some instructors speak good English - most speak enough - but if the big majority of the kids are Francophone then the language will inevitably be mostly French, just as you'd expect an instructor with 9 English kids and 2 French kids to speak English most of the time, with just the odd word to the French.
An alternative might be private lessons - could be very cheap, especially for 2 kids, in a small resort out of school holiday times (French school hols finish on 13 March - lessons and apartment hire will be a lot cheaper afterwards.
You might like to look at Les Saisies actually. Very good terrain for learners and some good slopes for you, too - 185 km lift linked. Some interesting accessible off piste but if the park is your thing, I don't think ours is any great shakes. Snow generally excellent, and in recent years mid March has been about the best of the season. Loads of very accessible apartments to rent, will be cheap once the hols are finished. 400 euros, two beds, right near the piste. Some family deals on passes, I think - though not much in the way of free lifts, just two rope tows.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hiya, Oberau in Austria is lovely for a first time ski resort, try Kellerwirt appartments, they are only 50m from nursery slope & ski school. Red & black runs at Neiderau/Aufach are only a 5 min bus ride away.
Lovely village with very friendly people
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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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Try www.snowbizz.co.uk for a first foray into skiing en famille and value for money they are hard to beat. Many snowheads inc myself would speak highly of the company and the resort Puy St Vincent is a small convenient family gem. Ideal to get the kids hooked 
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Thanks everyone, a lot to go on there.
Pam, any good links to those apartments for Les Saisies,
Sue thanks of the name of the apartments in Oberau, looks really nice.
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You know it makes sense.
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Another votes for Puy and snowbizz, or Premier neige in Sainte Foy. Puy is not that pretty, but is great for ski in/out, Sainte Foy is a very pretty wooden chalet type place and is very nice. Both great as long as you don't want loads going on at night!
You could also look at Ski esprit but it is quite regimented and not very flexible.
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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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snips73, http://www.locapart-lessaisies.com/index.htm That's just one example. Lessaisies.com has loads of links to agencies and private rentals and plenty of information about the station. Puy St Vincent and Snowbizz sounds ideal though - better for english speaking lessons and easier than organising the whole thing yourself.
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Poster: A snowHead
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snips73, wherever you go, don't cut corners on the lessons for kids (and wife if she's new to skiing or inexperienced). It could be the difference between going every year (maybe more than once) or just in a blue moon. Look for British national-run ski schools or lessons; don't trust to the local ESF or whatever providing "English"-speaking instructors if you can avoid it. A good guide is to phone the ski school and speak in English - see how they handle you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snips73, you would be hard pressed to do better than La Rosiere, it's a small village, fairly pretty and with some of the best views in the Alps. You'll be spoilt for choice with ski schools both the ESF and Evo2 have English instructors as well as a good number of English speaking instructors, EVO2 is the ski school of choice for Ski Espirit. La Rosiere is their most popular resort for family friendly skiing,with a family friendly award. The resort is good value, with a number of free lifts for beginners which are conveniently located close to ski-side bars and restuarants. There's a good selection of hotels, chalets and apartments, check with the tourist office on www.larosiere.net they have a centralsed booking service with some special offers especially in 'white weeks' but you can always get a ski famille lift pass and kids under 5yrs old get free passes. La Rosiere is south facing so it catches the sun all day and its high at 1850 metres so very snow sure.
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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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Yes its sounds like no matter what you guys end up doing, its going to be a great trip. Keep us posted on what you ended up doing with the girls and if you liked where you ended up.
Burton snowboards
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 19-11-10 22:56; edited 2 times in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Snips,
I can't guarantee that I won't regret it afterwards - but I just booked lessons just for the 4 of us with an independent ski instructors through the Aussois.com tourist website. For a 2-hour lesson with an English-speaking (not necessarily English!) for the four of us, they charge 70 euros - and they are flexible on timings; at least more so than the ESF/ ESI. So for 5 days, 2 hours per day, we will pay 350 euros - which is cheaper than it would have been if we'd all been in separate skischool groups. My original thread has details.
Just a thought...
Nuck.
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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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Obviously I am slightly biased but Grindelwald and Wengen in Switzerland might be options for you. Purely because they do meet your requirements. They are both very pretty (admittedly Wengen is slightly more chocolate box), set in a stunning location, very family orientated and have plenty of off snow activities available. As you mentioned bringing a car full of shopping with you I would lean more towards Grindelwald as you can drive into the village (and most likely to your accommodation whereas Wengen means parking at Lauterbrunnen and travelling the last leg by train.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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We took ours to La Rosiere for 5 yrs on the trot. Local ESF school very good. Twinner hire shop very good service. Decent range of skiing, few, if any, queues. Small enough resort to not get lost but big enough to spread your wings. Linked resort to La Thuile. Would recommend it any time. Have done it with both TOs and independent chalets. Also know of others who have done self-catering
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......
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 18-11-10 21:52; edited 1 time in total
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...
Last edited by After all it is free  on Thu 18-11-10 21:52; edited 1 time in total
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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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| damobloke1 wrote: |
| We took ours to La Rosiere for 5 yrs on the trot. |
Clearly a creature of habit...
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| andyph wrote: |
| damobloke1 wrote: |
| We took ours to La Rosiere for 5 yrs on the trot. |
Clearly a creature of habit... |
In their posting too...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Niederau, Austria is a fantastic place for a first skiing holiday. I took my wife and two kids this year, who had never skiied before and they loved it. The resort is small enough to not be daunting and has enough varied piste. For you, it's not so great as I found that I could ski it out in a day and Auffauch in another day but hey, it's all about the wife and kids!
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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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Les Carroz (lescarroz.com) is the prettiest ski village close toCalais (8 hours) and has the Family Ski Station Award from the French tourist office. Always good entertainment in the evenings for the kids including ice rink. Free skiing on nursery slopes and special price for beginners using the lifts. Really really worth considering. Good Luck
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A creature of habit,yes.....but if you find a winning formula and it works for the kids, then why break it ?
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You know it makes sense.
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I'd also give a vote to Les Saisies if you are more idependently minded when it comes to organising a ski holiday, out of season, there are some excellent apartments and chalets for rental and the area is flattering for new skiers (my wife and my son both took their first turns on snow there...)
Another good spot is Praz sur Arly just down the road from Megeve. The beginners area is great, free magic carpet and some of the slowest, flattest drags to get used to the sensation and the lifties were fabulous. We were there a few seasons back in March and we had the two slopes to ourselves all morning. Its low altitude but the base of the station is covered in cannons and if you want a blast separately there a 6man fast chair up to some good reds etc. Village is nice, close to Megev for a bit of window shopping and on the road between Chamonix Valley and the Tarantaise if you have a car and fancy doing some discovering yourself.
The Residence des Ecrins is a good spot, usually pretty cheap and a short walk from the slopes and village. We stayed in an apartment for 6-8 people (3 bedrooms) in march 07 for less than £250!
Cheers
David
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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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Thanks everyone for your contributions. Given me a lot to work with.
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Poster: A snowHead
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My first family holiday when I was little was to Wengen and we also then went to Grindlewald and have very fond memories of the place. Skiing great for beginners and kids and very pretty and Wengen I remember as being gorgeous.
We also used to go to Austria quite a lot and stay in one place, hire a car and drive to various small resorts. We stayed in Lofer and that was brilliant.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In the sad days when we went at half term week  and used to go with a group of 18 person of which at least 8 were sprogs ranging from 6-16 years, despite not particularly likeing the resort, we used to go to La Plagne ( found it ideal for youngsters )
Now kids are older and at Uni we dont go in half term and tend to go for the smaller more french resorts, so my suggestion is La Plagne
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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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Could try Champagne En Vanoise - easy access into La Plagne ski area but lovely village. And the skiing on the Champagne side is far nicer and quieter than La Plagne side with couple of really good restaurants. And you are then just 15 minutes down the road from Courchevel ski area if decided wanted to try somewhere different for a day - think you might get free day there with 6 day full ski pass, not sure.
Or there is Pralognan just up the road. Nice village, never skied there yet (intend to this season). But large sports complex with pool and slides for kids, ice rink etc....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sorry that should be Champagny not Champagne!
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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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Niederau Austria is perfect for you, stay at the Alpenland, 10 metre walk to ski school and ski lift. Cannot be improved upon for families new to skiing we have stayed there for 9 years!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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snips73, another Austrian option is Ellmau - nice pretty village and easy to drive to. Lots of nursery slopes along the length of the village with the main lift up the mountain slightly out of the village. Nice atmosphere and reckon would make a good first ski trip, not tried the instruction there though so no recommendations I'm afraid.
It's part of the massive SkiWelt region so although nice local slopes it links into 250km odd of slopes so plenty for you to do as well.
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