 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello 
As the title say's really! I'm looking for somewhere to go in feb.
I started skiing last winter and spent a week in Morzine / Avoriaz and a week in Val Thorens and by the end of the second holiday was fairly happy with reds although found some pretty challenging / scared myself a little silly haha. This year I'm going on holiday with a complete beginner who will be having lessons but also want somewhere that I will enjoy skiing.
So opinions on Andorra? What's the snow normally like? how does it compare price wise ect?
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Discussed recently here although chances of better conditions in Feb, probably............ Very good English speaking ski schools, cheaper than France (stay clear of France genrally in Feb anyhow) but not the bargain it once was. I think it will suit you fine but IMO there are better choices in Austria and Italy.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=82738
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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 the reply. Which are the best / biggest resorts in Austria and Italy?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And why do you say stay clear of france in feb?
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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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Millie10, France tends to be a tad busy in Feb, due to the combination of Brit and French (and other) school holidays all being at the same time.
Biggest and best resorts in Austria are just about any of them
Biggest and best resorts in Italy are in the Dolomites. (The Appenine/island ski areas are just a bit specialised/local for most international travellers.)
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Soldeu is good for beginners & intermediates. It's got plenty of long, wide blues. I took my kids there for their first ever skiing holiday last February & they were able to ski the mountain from top to bottom (8k) on their fourth day.
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I love Andorra, I have been to soldeu twice and loved it both times. First time was as a learner and the second was as an experienced skier so its very good for a wide range of ability
Each time I have been it has been late season and then snow conditions were still fine/near perfect on piste
I found it alot quiter than many french resorts and no waiting time on lifts, however it was late in the season
They have some very steep blacks if you want a challenge and I think they have a new FIS world cup track now
I think nowadays andorra costs about the same, It used to be a lot cheaper
Hope that helps
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I learnt to ski in Andorra and are off there for Christmas this year. The tuition is great (if you ask for an instructor with good English then you tend to get more experienced coaches). We ski in a small area of the Vall Nord sector as have friends who live just down the road. We do drive to resort but is high so snow always been great - small but well formed! Is def not cheap any more - noticed lift passes going up. We have a very different holiday in Andorra compared to our French hols as we stay at our friends house so can't comment on accomodation/social side of things
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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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Millie10, went to Andorra for my 3rd week skiing, had a great time. Nothing too scary, but plenty to have fun on. We stayed in Pas de la Casa (not pretty but functional), and skied the whole granvallira area.
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Only been once but loved it!
Went to Pas de la Casa on a real cheapy, was the end of feb and conditions across the area were good, apres good, beer cheap, good instruction for the OH. Would def head back if the right deal came up. Only downside is Pas can be a bit rowdy but it don't matter too much if your joinin in!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Our first ski holiday was in Arinsal, in Feb '09, stayed at Aparthotel Sant Andreu, would highly recommend it for beginners, not sure if it would hold your attention having been to the resorts you mention.
After 2 trips to Tignes ourselves now, I think we would look elsewhere for a challenge, although I seem to remember the 3 resorts of Andorra were reasonably well connected by means of public transport, so you can move around to keep it fresh.
Price was cheaper than France/Austria/Italy in 09, dont know about now.
Snow was amazing when we were there, and a nice atmosphere around the whole place
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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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Reds in Andorra are about the same as Greens in Val Thorens. We took a wrong turn down a black run when aiming for a blue, and didn't even realise we'd done it.
Great place for beginners and intermediates. If you are happy to do runs up to the level of a red in most other resorts you'll love it.
It is very cheap to eat there, if you smoke cigarettes are dirt cheap, alcohol is also dirt cheap, unfortunately it is one of very few places left where you can smoke in a restaurant - and people seem to abuse that right by smoking cigars 3 feet from you when you are eating.
I went there. I wouldn't go back in a hurry, unless I was on a boys weekend and we'd decided to go 1 star for some reason.
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According to the Americans it is a war torn country in Africa
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You know it makes sense.
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Andorra is excellent and vastly underrated. It is isn't quite as steep as Tignes or Chamonix but with 200km of linked piste it's not a small resort. I would grade the runs half a grade lower than say La Plagne.
I've always stayed in Pas de la Casa and this isn't ideal for being genres as the reds back to the resort are as steep as any in Europe.
I have had some of the best off piste in Andorra that I have ever ridden. Waste deep champagne powder and not another track to be seen.
Andorra gets its best snow in March when it gets hit by equinox storms. I have twice been there in march and had over a metre of snow in one night.
I like Andorra.
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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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Millie10, Sorry for the late reply but it seems that most of your questions have been answered anyhow. It really depends where you stay, Soldeu has a rep of being 'nicer' than Pas but it really depends on the accomadation you choose, if you're use to the size and variety of say VT stay clear of the smaller resorts such as Arinsal and stick to those lift linked on the Grandvalira.
The skiing:
Though the resort is a fair size, most of the areas are of very similar character so you lose the variety you would get in say Les Arcs, Le Plagne (other great intermediate resorts IMO). It is more of the same rather than a large varied ski area. The runs are largely cruising reds and blues and though there are a few short genuine black sections on the black runs these are typically only a few hundred metres long and with good run out areas, so manageable by almost every skier. There is not much vertical drop in the resort so it is not uncommon to do almost every run top to bottom non stop. The various resorts also have the rep of getting bad weekend crowds these days but can't confirm these myself but naturally resorts are busier and weekends with local traffic.
Piste grading was flattering. Blues would be green in France, reds would be French blues, and blacks would be French reds, except the Avet, which was a true black run of proper steepness and rock hard bumpy ice offering lots of vibration. The ski servicing shop at the lift station was honest, friendly and helpful although the craftsmanship of ski servicing was not exceptional and was more expensive than Italy.
Food on the mountain, such as sandwiches and kebabs, was of good quality, but the coffee compared to Italy was poor and weak. I also hear the on mountain food prices now rival France but as I've said it's been a while now since I've been so can't confirm this.
There are often a number of pistes marked down the large bowls, but really these are just the places where the piste bashers go. There was lots of good skiing between them.
I would rate the area as excellent for beginner and intermediate skiers, whenever I've been I experienced almost no lift queues and none exceeding a minute or two. The queues I did experience were all caused by the surprising frequency of the lifts stopping.
The snow depth was mostly excellent in the dozen or so time I've been. Sometimes so deep in fact, that we often skied over the snow retaining fences and tips of piste markers! I went when I was a kid to teenager so now there's very little to draw me when considering the sometimes nightmare-ish transfer time and expensive lift pass. When I was going there it was the budget choice for famlies and the budget choice generally.
The above may seem like I'm a bit down on Andorra, I'm not as I've had some great time there I just think all things considered there are better choices for what you want in Austria and Italy-what's your budget? That will help us make some more informed suggestions?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you for your reply.
I don't really have a set budget! I'm quite tempted by the idea of Austria now. I want somewhere that's pretty much on slopes but also good apres ski! I need somewhere where my friend can have beginers lessons and I can so plenty of skiing!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Edit to say actually I do have a budget! Really need to get everything for under £900 per person .. so thats flights, transfer, accom, ski and boot hire, lift pass ect
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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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Millie10, There in lies a bit of a problem with Austria, the British TO's don't really use the resorts which offer ski in ski out, but is the home of Apres! Have a look at Saalbach and Ellmau.
ETA £900 is a healthy budget for Austria and you should def get all you want for within budget even in what I'd class as a more expensive resort such as Saalbach. There are amy others but you have to choose your accomadation carefully, Kitzbhuel would really suit yourself but isn't really great for beginners for a variety of reasons ditto Ischgl which would be rather awesome for you but the apres is a little tacky/male orientated for a couple of ladies IMO!
If you haven't tried Austria as a ski destination yet I expect you'll love it, I ski at least once a season in France but as an overall package I much prefer Austria. Ski in ski out does exist in Austria allot places are proper towns rather than the purpose built French resorts you've previosuly visited (a big plus IMO) as do places withon easy reach of the lifts. Just choose your accomadation cafefully if it's a high priority.
Italy had been mentioned too, apres is far more low key though if that a priority but the food is wonderful!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Forgot to add if you like the idea of Austria and want to try a variety of resorts and want over 1000km of mileage consider the All Star Pass which includes:
Kitzbühel
SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser - Brixental
St.Johann / Oberndorf
Waidring-Steinplatte
Fieberbrunn-Pillersee
Hochtal Wildschönau
Alpbachtal
Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang
Zell am See
Glacier Ski Area Kaprun-Kitzsteinhorn (3.203)
Info here: http://www.kitzbuehel.com/en/activities/winter/ski-snowboard/allstarcard.htm
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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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| Millie10 wrote: |
| Edit to say actually I do have a budget! Really need to get everything for under £900 per person .. so thats flights, transfer, accom, ski and boot hire, lift pass ect |
Sorry, but there are a lot of people on here who would call £900 a blowout, not a budget.
This has been repeated time and time again, by several people, but FWIW, if I were you:
As long as you are travelling out of peak times (half term etc), are a smallish group, have no specific requirements, then the concensus oh here seems to be a late booking. TO's seem to be struggling and many think there will be a fire sale come January. Two or three weeks out from the day you want to travel you should have plenty of choice at the right price. And you'll know where the snow is. You just gotta have the nerve to wait.
For a £900 'budget' I'd want it all, including the spending money and maybe a hundred or two in change.
JMO.
p.s. Ski-in/out is overrated. There are so many other more important issues, personally.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| BCjohnny wrote: |
| Sorry, but there are a lot of people on here who would call £900 a blowout, not a budget. |
I'm feeling now I should have held off given the current climate. Took a deal a couple of months ago for around £700pp, All Inclusive, including everything. I never have been able to hold my water though when it comes to skiing....... If I'm going with my OH I tend to push the boat out as above but for a lads trip for £900 could get 2+ weeks out of it!
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Grizwald
The 'plan' this coming Feb is to get two weeks in Alb/BC for £900 flts/tfrs/accom/equip carr/pass (the killer), plus spending, so we'll see. In europe, if you have your own junk/don't need lessons it should be a given, and leave some folding.
I had a deal to Ca for £885 season gone ski-in/out last season for the above but unfortunately the guy I was due to go with bailed.
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Millie10, I suggest Chalet Julienne at Saalbach. It is ski in ski out (though you have to ski through a schirm bar to leave the piste) Right by the nursery slopes and has connections to some superb intermediate skiing. Neilsons have it at £509 for 14th Jan flying from Manchester. The place is right by some great bars. Been there twice!
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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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Hi, If you do decide to go to Andorra there's a lady named Gemma at 1active holidays that will do the ski packages (equipment rental, lift pass & ski school) at knock down prices even if you aren't getting the holidays through her. She also organises cheap airport transfers. I'm using her again for the second time this year. You can get her on 0808 101 3453.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you for all the replies. Going a bit mad from looking at holidays on line! Can't decide what to do for the best!
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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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Millie10, just to confuse things a little further - look at Livigno - it's in Italy, the skiing is 1800 - 3000m so has an excellent snow record, and like Andorra, it's tax free, so food/drink/hire is cheap. It's a lot prettier than Pas de la Casa, with tree runs and all traditional alpine buildings - no high rise blocks. The only downside is a fairly long coach transfer from the airport. I've seen some people call it "downmarket" in online reviews, but I don't really understand this, as it compares favourably to a lot of the big resorts I've been in (Serre Chevalier, Les Deux Alpes, Alpe d'Huez, Tignes, Whistler, Banff, 3 Valleys, Valloire) etc.
It's excellent for beginners, and has two great snow parks if you're into that sort of thing.
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The only downside as i found in Livigno for a pairing of skier and beginner, is that the lessons for the beginner will be near the village and are ger=nerally half day 9-12, it will be at least the 3rd day before they are adveturous enough to go up the top level and explore the longer blues runs. I myself left my daughter in the mornings at ski school and headed for the top at Costaccia and had 2 hours free time.
then in the afternoon we would practice what she learned on the longer nursury slopes at San Rocco.
It must be worth mentioning the only top level with a blue run all the way back down is the Mottolino side of the village, but the short gondola lift at the main village centre to Costaccia caters well for less experience skiers want to sit out the last 800m drop!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Sorry, but there are a lot of people on here who would call £900 a blowout, not a budget.
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IMHO a £900 budget is a fairly tight budget for Febuary but may be just about doable in Jan.
Tour operators quoted price (Crikey Feb is expensive) £500 self catering
Other bits in the small print usaully works out at £50 - £100
Parking at UK airport £150 per car - say £50 per person
Equipment hire, and lessons (if required) £150
Food for self catering with a glass or two of wine for 7 nights £50
Lift pass for 6 days in Andora £200
Lunch 7 days at £8 per day £50
Apres Ski entertainment (say at least £10 per night) £70
I am upto £1100 without putting anything onto clothing wear etc.
OK we often doing for much less by sef drive, searching out private rentals having our own gear etc, but the basic price of lift pass, food etc cannot be avoided. Even with our own apartment I doubt if our Christmas trip will come under 1000 euro each.
John
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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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Going to Soldeu in Feb half term (gulp) with my son. Never been there before and quite frankly the reason we chose it was due to value for money and decent snow history.
Our budget was excess of £1300 each for everything and for this I wanted all the bells and whistles. Weve got 4 Star full board at the Hotel Piolets Park & Spa, flights, transfers ski pass and hire etc. Hotel info follow link
http://www.crystalski.co.uk/ski-resorts/andorra-ski-holidays/soldeu-and-el-tarter/hotel-piolets-park-and-spa-soldeu/
Having looked in to equivilant packages in France and Austria would have put £1500 on to the total holiday package price.
Cant wait, I love Andorra already....and its snowing on the webcam
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Poster: A snowHead
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i did Livigno week up to easter weekend March 2008 and got change out of £1300 for both me and my daughter
not each!
flight/transfer/apt package was £265 each
skis x2, lift passx2 and lesson for her £300
food and spends for week £400
ok she missed 3 and half days at school (i am such a naughty parent)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We are going back to Pas de la casa for the 3rd year in a row,sking for 4-5 days.
The Beginners area in Pas has travelators ,while in El tartar it was a drag lift but slightly larger area .All the instructors we've had have been excellent and very good english.
We are staying in the Hotel sporting in Pas and you can ski right up to the hotel more or less.Also the sporting was only refurbed last year.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| Quote: |
Sorry, but there are a lot of people on here who would call £900 a blowout, not a budget.
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IMHO a £900 budget is a fairly tight budget for Febuary but may be just about doable in Jan.
Tour operators quoted price (Crikey Feb is expensive) £500 self catering
Other bits in the small print usaully works out at £50 - £100
Parking at UK airport £150 per car - say £50 per person
Equipment hire, and lessons (if required) £150
Food for self catering with a glass or two of wine for 7 nights £50
Lift pass for 6 days in Andora £200
Lunch 7 days at £8 per day £50
Apres Ski entertainment (say at least £10 per night) £70
I am upto £1100 without putting anything onto clothing wear etc.
OK we often doing for much less by sef drive, searching out private rentals having our own gear etc, but the basic price of lift pass, food etc cannot be avoided. Even with our own apartment I doubt if our Christmas trip will come under 1000 euro each.
John |
The OP doesn't mention if that £900 is just budget for the holiday, or whether this also includes spending money. If it's just accommodation, travel, lift pass and hire - £900 should be easy, even for catered accommodation.
We paid less than £2k for 3 of us (2 adults, 1 child - although no child discount applied) for accommodation (half board), travel, lift passes, ski hire (and boots for 2), and tuition for 2. We spent less than £400, which covered lunches, drinks (no mad nights out, but we had a few beers between the OH and myself), and Jnr wanting to buy general holiday tat. We went first week of April which was also Easter bank holiday weekend.
If we include petrol, parking and the hotel we stayed in the night before we travelled out due to early flights we could stick on an extra £100.
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FAQ
