 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Im pretty new to this skiing lark. Me and my girlfriend want to go somewhere cheap and good for beginner type skiers. I dont know where to start. has anyone got any tips??
James and Michelle!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Some might disagree with me, but I think Austria is probably the cheapest country to go to and generally has the best atmosphere. Obviously you want to avoid the school holidays (both UK and EU) as both the slopes will be quieter and the holiday will be cheaper in general. A lot of people on here will say driving is the best option to save money, but for the sake of convenience, I would fly 
With you saying "pretty new" could you expand on that a tad? Total beginner? 1 week? 2 week?
If you are total beginners, you wouldn't need to go to a big resort, just one with good learner slopes and enough intermediate slopes in case you are quick learners, I was taught how to ski at Schladming and would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to start.
And, get ski lessons where ever you go. Make sure you have good core skills from the start, or it will be hard to rectify.
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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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jamesd2177, Welcome to Snowheads, unfortunately there is now no escape, resistance is futile etc, etc..
My bid would be Andorra, transfers a bit of a pain but decent prices, very good ski tuition and fun nightlife. I learned in Soldeu and, although lacking the charm of Austria, it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Enjoy!
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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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Pila in the Val D'aosta is great for beginners but doesn't have much to do in the evenings. bardonecchia is also very good lift passes are fairly cheap and away from the holidays it is really quiet and you get the slopes to yourselves, at the moment it is more like London!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My advice - you can get lessons anywhere. So don't worry about that. Learning to ski isn't rocket science, and good instructors are easy to find in almost any resort in Europe (and plenty of other places besides), we can recommend them or what schools to use for you once you've worked out where you are going.
So, how to make your life easy for your first trip. Let's start with where to find a package deal for a good price, because you don't need the stress of driving into the mountains, finding accommodation separately, and having some reps around to help you with the stuff you need to get sorted on your first few trips.
I tend to use Iglu for a lot of ski trips, because they can help me with lots of silly questions, their prices are good, and they cover most of the resorts I want to go to. Example package below includes flights (where are you based?) transfers from airport to resort (these can be expensive if you buy separately) and accommodation. When you're learning it is hard work, so having somewhere that does good food is a big bonus, you will need the calories. I eat huge amounts on ski trips, and only do 4-6 hours skiing in a day, and I lose weight on every trip, you will do the same.
Avoid expensive weeks if you can - school holidays are much more expensive than the cheaper weeks - two cheaper weeks left this season: second week of January is cheap (8th/9th), last week of the season is as well (23rd/24th April) - if you choose the end of the season, choose a high altitude resort with a good snow record, otherwise you might be learning to ski on grass. There will be loads of cheap deals for the end of the season in low altitude resorts, that's because nobody wants to go there for fairly good reason.
Cheap package leaving from Gatwick on the 9th: http://www.igluski.com/val-d-isere/chalet-lo-soli_p20395?holidayid=28596085 and there's plenty like it available if you have a search. Includes everything except for your equipment hire, lift passes and lessons. Make sure you budget for that.
Don't be afraid to ask a load of questions, the folk on here will help you out. We've all been in the position you are in at some point.
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jamesd2177, Austria (somewhere like Soll, Ellmau, Zell am See, the Ski Amade resorts, take your pick). You'll get the atmosphere, it's better VFM and Michelle can get her kit off in the sauna. Welcome to snowHeads.
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I can put a bid in for Pila too. Huge wideopen beginners slope with great skischool.
Very quiet mid week but can get more busy at the weekend.
Speak to Carole at Pilaski for a deal she is great at getting a personal package sorted. We go to a B&B with her that is right on the slopes and cheap but brilliant then you can eat out every night at a selection of places.
When you get up for it there are some brilliant and well looked after wide pistes to play on.
The problem is as has been mentioned you will be hooked.
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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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| Quote: |
My advice - you can get lessons anywhere. So don't worry about that. Learning to ski isn't rocket science, and good instructors are easy to find in almost any resort in Europe
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I suspect a few of us would question this advice. You can certainly get lessons anywhere, but quality varies quite a lot. There are also good instructors everywhere, of every nationality but if you book a beginners package week of ski lessons you will have zero choice of instructors - you'll get who you'll get, and learning in a group of 12 can be frustrating, especially if you are amongst the fastest learners (or indeed the slowest) and you'll spend a lot of time standing around.
Leeds_Skier asked about your experience so far. With a bit more info on this we could maybe give some more focussed advice about ski schools. The quality of that initial experience can be absolutely crucial, particularly perhaps for someone who is not a natural athlete and not very fit - it's not uncommon for people to get thoroughly put off if lessons are not of good quality. Skiing can involve quite a bit of walking around in uncomfortable boots carrying unfamiliar skis and the ratio of faffing around spending inordinate amounts of money to enjoying yourself on the snow can be a bit daunting.
A fit, athletic, not overweight beginner who is not going to wimp out at the first fall, or in the first spell of bad weather, will learn to ski anywhere, with any instructor, in any group. But not everyone answers to that description.
Welcome to Snowheads. 
Oh - one last question - an idea of your budget? need keep it cheap as possible, or willing to spend a bit more for more comfort/convenience/small group ski lessons etc?
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Thanks guys, I am amazed by the response! There is loads of good info!
To answer a few questions...
I’m 28 and learned to ski when I was about nine or ten years old on dry slopes. I have done a week in Italy when I was in primary school also. Recently we just moved near Castleford where there is a decent indoor snow slope. So, I am chomping at the bit to get into it again! When it come to sports I love to throw myself into them and would consider myself a reasonably fast learner.
However, my girlfriend... she’s a different story, she’s had no experience, so I’ve bought her a full day of lessons for Christmas! She is a very cautious learner but will give anything a try!
When it comes to price we like cheap and practical to hopefully squeeze a second week in!
To ask a couple more questions...
Firstly, kit. I’ve got a decent windproof soft shell jacket which is water resistant will I need fully waterproof jacket?
Secondly, budget. How much will I need to save for the full lot? I get the impression costs could spiral but I don’t mind paying for quality.
Thank you very much for the advice for far!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Soft shell will be fine on warmish days, was happy in my Aldi softshell and Aldi Merino thermals down to about -10 in Romania last Feb and with just an ordinary wicking t shirt under in Val Thorens at the end of April. But if it gets colder a decent ski jacket will mean you can keep enjoying yourself! Good plan getting off to the local fridge, you'll have far more fun if you've got the basics sorted and don't have to spend the first half of the hol sidestepping a few metres up the slope for a few seconds sliding back down.
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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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jamesd2177, I've sent you a PM 
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| jamesd2177 wrote: |
| Secondly, budget. How much will I need to save for the full lot? I get the impression costs could spiral but I don’t mind paying for quality. |
Well a lot of it depends on how much work you put into booking it, how many luxuries you are wanting on the holiday, how flexible you can be with the dates and a lot of it is just plain luck in finding a good deal.
We recently booked a "budget" holiday for the February half term, departing on the 19th. I worked out that the total cost of the holiday is going to be about £1k. Which IMO is quite cheap for that week.
TO's are good as they offer package holidays, and they take care of just about everything. And if you go on somewhere like http://www.crystalski.co.uk/ they have some pretty cheap offers.
So I would recommend, having a look on a TO website and find a resort which has a cheap deal, pop back on Snowheads and type the resort into the search function and see what's been said about it. There are some very good resort reviews on here which will give you information about ski schools, price of beer/food, snow reliability etc.
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