 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi. I am planning on a family ski holiday on the 22 Jan. It's me and the wife plus two daughters (14 & 13 ). We had a week' learn to ski package' in Bulgaria about 5 years ago, the kids were pretty good( and the wife  ) but I was rubbish. Anyway, we want to go again and I am thinking another learn to ski would be the best bet. I have a budget of about £2500 does anyone have any recommendations? Slovenia seems quite interesting and good value, but I am a bit concerned about a possible lack of snow. cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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saul67, i would head to France as the school holiday season will not have kicked in. Lots of choice of resorts and at that time of year might fit budget if you look about
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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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Hi I am looking to book a ski holiday around 27th December for a week. I am a female travelling alone and want to find a friendly resort, in a chalet/hotel which is ski in/ski out. I haven't been skiing for some years now and would say I'll be a beginner for first day or so and move on to intermediate. Anyone got any ideas for a great place to visit? 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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saul67,
Self Plug 
Hotel Vecchia America - 22/01/11
fully inc final price: £2680 for 4 people (inc free ski school if needed)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'd recommend montgenevre - Apeak ski school there is excellent and le hameau des airelles appartments are very good and reasonably priced. It is very snow sure. We had a great holiday there this year with younger children. We booked the above appartments with peak retreats and went by train to Oulx and took a local bus from there to the resort. They also do self drive. If you want to fly I think the appartments are available as a package with the larger TOs - Neilson/crystal maybe.
This year we are trying les saisies which would be well within your budget (accommodation cost similar to Montgenevre but lift pass and ski school much cheaper).
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saul67, ..where did you go in Bulgaria..was it Bansko?..If you booked through us we can do the following for you in Bansko(which is a great resort for families & for beginners)
22ND-29TH Jan
accommodation at Dumanov Hotel....B/B(4 adults = 672 euro or £584 @ 1.15 euro to £1.00 (which we can arrange & is within easy walking distance from Gondola)
http://dumanov.com/en_prices
6 days ski hire (2 adults & 2 children) = £180
6 days ski lessons for group of 4 = £340
6 days lift passes(adults start at over 12 years) = £452
just looked at flights for your dates from Gatwick with easyjet 4 adults = £540 (flights have to be booked pretty quick has price does start to go up)
so for £2096 all the above
or you could consider an apartment which would save you at least £300 on the above,with one of our owners who offers 2 guests free ski hire if booking his apartment
http://www.explore-bansko.com/english/apartment_stivan_SP001.html
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If you are willing to drive or are able to pick up cheap plane or train tickets to the French alps, you can easily put together your own ski package in a self-catering apartment. Our total bill for a weeks skiing for 2 adults and 4 children - travel, apartment, ski hire, ski passes, ski school (most expensive bit) was around to 2000 euro mark, we went at Easter which is comparable price-wise with January.
There are loads of French companies with apartments www.goelia.com or odalys.fr are particularly cheap, you should be able to find an apartment for 4 for 300-500 euro for the week. Flights to Grenoble or Geneva should cost you around 300 pounds for 4 of you. If you choose a resort with short transfer, it should cost as little as 200 euro. Ski hire in smaller resorts comes in at 200 euro for 6 days. Ski passes for 4 can be found for less than 500 euro for 4, ski lessons again 500 euro, so easily less than your budget.
I like www.peakretreats.co.uk for doing research, even if there prices are not always cheapest, their service is great.
www.rocketski.com gets good reviews here, half-board hotel, flights and transfers often for 1000 pounds or less for family of 4, add another 1200 euro for ski passes, ski hire and ski school, again under your budget.
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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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Also recommend a drive holiday with a £2500 budget. Peak retreats are good. The grand massif - Samoens, Les Carroz Flaine, Morrillon etc - all access the same mountain with Samoen probably the best. Neige et Roc hotel has good appartments which are reasonablr, and you get access to the hotel pool and spa area. Great for kids and adults after skiing.
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If you are looking at going to Bansko it may be worth offering a price to the accommodation vendors! Looking at covkids, website most of the accommodation is vacant for most of the season! I would say that if you offered a couple of hundred € the proprietor would take your hand off! If so then it would no doubt be a good deal, but €600 is the price of an apartment in a more recognised resort, (although in France no way near as big as the apartments in Bansko).
I think if owners in Bansko were more realistic they may fill their apartments quicker! I do remember the old  slogan that Bansko is the new Val D'Isere, but it is not yet! It may be in some years time and then and only then should they charge the same as larger French resorts!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Roy Hockley, hi Roy i totally agree with your comments,the trouble with Bansko at the moment is that there are too many apartments on offer for rent so if you are looking for an apartment to stay in then be a bit cheeky and offer a price to the vendor,they will probably snatch your hand of if its a half decent offer.
One of the guys on my website even offers free ski hire (from my ski hire shop  ) if you book his apartment
you can get a well furnished 1 bed apartment for a week for roughly 250 euros at the moment some even cheaper.
Also worth considering with Bansko is the price of food & drink in the local Mehanas(restaurants) a 500ml bottle of beer starting at just over £1.00 and main courses for about £4-£5
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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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Is Bansko the new La Rosiere?
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Chris Bish, No I believe La Rosiere is quite good
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You know it makes sense.
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saul67, for that week, your suggestion of waiting till the last minute is probably quite a good idea, as your budget is pretty tight - you'll have plenty of choice.
However, if you struggled with your first "learn to ski" week, you might like to think about searching out some better quality tuition - it does vary a lot.
Also, for your kids and spouse, they might not suit a "learn to ski" week which (with the big TOs) is generally strictly limited to beginners.
Why did you struggle with skiing first time round? Depending on the answer, there might some different recommendations here about how to plan the holiday and where to go.
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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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covkids, I gave your name and website to a friend that has a place in Bansko!
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Poster: A snowHead
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snowymum is correct with Neilson you will get a 4 berth apt at hameau in Montgenevre for less than £400 each(may be even something off for the kids too) that week i think. ski school is accessed by free bus or a 500 walk to the centre of the village, but if you are quick when the lifts open you can go up the Tremplin lift and ski back to village centre in time for the lessons.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cockerhoop and Snowymum have suggested this place, it's 600 pounds for the week of 22nd Janaury if booked direct. It looks very very nice but you can get apartments for half that price even in less well-known resorts. The train to Oulx sounds a good idea too.
http://www.mmv.fr/cgi/clickbooking.cgi
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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 can of course get cheaper appartments in a smaller lesser known resort such as les orres or puy st vincent or in more basic accommodation. However le hameau appartments are very pleasant and having access to the outdoor heated pool was a bonus - it is fun swimming with the snow falling in the pool! I think we paid around £500 for a 2 bed appt for the last week in march with peak retreats this year.
Some of the lesser known resorts with cheaper appartments only have ESF ski lesson options and whilst you can strike lucky with ESF lessons we have had better experiences with ESI ski schools such as Apeak in montgenevre.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Livigno is good value you can get half board in a small hotel right on slopes in san rocco, ok its a bit of a long transfer, but now Innsbruck is used its not too bad
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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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covkids, You need to know that there was once a snowhead who became notorious for spamming La Rosiere at every opportunity. Beware.
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you've totally lost me Chris?????...what do you mean spamming La Rosiere?
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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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cockerhoop, As I have said before I think Livigno is probably the worst place I have skied! Disjointed ski area and the town goes on for about 4kms and about 5 or 6 houses deep! This can be problematic if you are on the wrong side of town! That said there are excellent nursery slopes behind all the hotels on one side of the town. Taxis are cheap (for obvious reasons). If you are going for a week the transfer is fine, but not an area I would like to go back to.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Roy, i went with daughter in 2008 first week of Easter break, we paid £265 each for an apt/studio in the middle of resort which meant only a 400 walk in hiking boots to the middle area nursey slopes, where we stored our skis. There are 3 free bus routes round the town running constantly. In the afternoons after my daughters lessons we would bus up to San marco for the slightly longer nursery slope for her to practice on, and by the 4th day she was spending afternoons on the uppper slopes with me. We ate out every evening and it was quite cheap, we also did the sledging evening and the Tea Bork fondue night arranged by the tour ops, all in all we had a great time for about £1200 all in.
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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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I agree that it is a place that can be cheap, but just one that I would prefer not to go back to! Actually probably the only place I would not go back to! From this part of Ireland, the travel agents seem to only send their customers to either Andorra or Livigno! No doubt it is popular with people.
I am glad you and your daughter had a good time, after all that is what life is about!
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yes Roy there were a lot of Irish there Neilson seemed to have flights from Manchester Gatwick and Ireland, it was St Patricks day while we were there. Had a bit bigger budget last year and went to Montgenevre, but again a good deal,
work collegue of mine is going to Livigno feb half term, only real option for his budget other than bulgaria!!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Enjoy the trip! Looks like it will be a good season. I am off for the first blast on the 11th! Want a bit of sunshine as well!!! 
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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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no skiing for me this year, hoping to do a self drive on in a coupleof years and non skiing wife will come too, again an easter trip but just 5 days skiing and 5 days touring europe, baring in mind it takes us 6 hours to get to south coast for ferry!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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With a family of 4, I'd say it's not worth skimping on accommodation, which is one of the cheaper elements of a self-catering holiday. A 2 bed apartment, with a decent kitchen can be had for under £500 except in high season- a much better experience than sleeping in a "coin montagne" (which sounds cosy but is usually a passageway) and having to get a sofa bed organised. I'd trade a bit of extra space for a pool - having both is nice providing the pool is really warm.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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top tip for outdoor pools in the alps
don't go under the water completely, because when you come up your wet hair is freezing cold!!!!!
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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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Thanks for all the responses, it has definitely given me something to think about, Driving is out of the question, it's a 7 hour drive to calais for us. I quite fancy the idea of Slovenia, but I would hate to be snowless. The way things are at the moment a week in Scotland wouldn't be a bad bet.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mate go to Bansko. You could get a great 2 bed apartment now for 300 euros which may have a sauna and swimming pool in the complex. You cant beat value for money in Bansko and the runs are good for beginners. I arranged a trip for 5 and it cost us all-in £600 with spending. You could spend a little extra on good instruction with covkids or method ski school. Dont's use the Bulgarian ski schools they are rubbish unless you're aggressive with your learning - if that makes sense.
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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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| Chris Bish wrote: |
La Rosiere is a standing joke on snowHeads, as I said, because of a contributor who was in the habit of putting forward La Rosiere as the answer to a question that might even have been looking at another country entirely.
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Is this guy still here?
I keep on seeing it mentioned and I obviously didn't get the joke, I was wondering why so many of you guys like this seemingly obscure resort  .
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Is this guy still here?
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yes although he has a slightly changed username now
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Oh really?
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FAQ
