Really need some advice??!!

A snowHead

Hi guys

I want to take my wife and daughter to Italy to ski late Dec 2012/Early Jan 2013 as a surprise for my wifes 40th. Thing is none of us have been skiing before and I have no clue where to start. The only thing I think Im sure about is that I think it would be best to have nice accomodation ie hotel with pool/spa in case the skiing doesn't go to plan rolling eyes

I am a complete novice at this but we love Italy and my wife has always wanted to try skiing so came up with this cunning plan......just dont know where to go with it, so looking for advice on when to go (thinking a quite time), nice accommodation, not to long a transfer time, hire/buy equipment, what kind of prices will I be looking at for 3 or 4 days (from UK).....like I say, I have no clue what I need to even ask for, so any constructive help would be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance

Gaz

A snowHead

Switzerland is the best allround Winter experience.

Go to St Moritz or Zermatt.

If you must go to Italy, go to Cortina or Kronplatz.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

gazbjorck, hi and welcome. One big factor is price. How much do you want to spend in total for flights, transfers, accommodation, ski pass, ski hire, lessons etc? If money isn't a problem then the places that Whitegold, recommended are great. However if it's on a budget, thenplaces suggested will cost a fortune. Does it have to be Italy?

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gazbjorck, welcome to Snowheads.

If you want to go to Italy, being told to go to Switzerland isn't too helpful, really. One immediate thought I had is that the end Dec/early January, far from being a quiet time, is just about as manic as it gets in most ski areas. If you aim for mid January prices will be lower and the slopes less crowded. But leaving it even later would give you more chance of good snow and some longer days. You need to look out for local holidays, obviously, but New Year is probably about the worst choice for a first holiday.

The scenery in the Dolomites is incredibly beautiful. All the Alpine areas are beautiful, obviously, but the Dolomites trumps most other places.

The choice of ski school/lessons is probably the most important single thing, for your first holiday. If you are both similar sorts of learners, then having private lessons together might be the best idea and there are some SHs who could recommend someone suitable.

You've got loads of time to plan - and get plenty of (contradictory, I expect) advice on SHs. There's a lot more knowledge on this forum about France and Austria than about Italy, but if you love Italy and want to go there, then go for it!

I wouldn't go to Cortina. Your accommodation will be a long way from where you'll learn to ski which is NOT really ideal for beginners. Though if seeing improbable numbers of mink coats would be a holiday highlight, you couldn't go wrong in Cortina. snowHead

Leave Cortina for a later holiday and go somewhere smaller. You might amend your thread title to make it clear you'd like advice about a first ski holiday in Italy - get more focussed replies.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

dudes

Whitegold speaks the truth
don't scrimp and go to cut price Italy for the big 40
Switzerland is the best option for the full mountain experience
and easy to get to
First two weeks of Jan (except NY week) are the quietest on the mountains

ok bye

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gazbjorck, welcome to snowHead

s
I like your outline plan Very Happy

Italy remains busy till the end of the week which includes the 6th January (which is on a Sunday in 2013) so I would suggest looking at something for the week starting 12/13th. If you are looking for a package via a Tour Operator (probably the easiest way to do it if you are both beginners), it is virtually impossible to not do a full week.
If you were DIYing it, you could look to fly into Venice airport and combine some skiing in the Dolomites with a couple of romantic days in Venice.

You could do worse than Wayne's company at Folgarida
http://www.folgarida.co.uk/

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I swore not to go to Switzerland till the exchange rate improved. It is ridiculously expensive.
The Dolomites (including Cortina) does occasionally have too little snow early in the season. This year is a case in point - very limited snow cover and only half the lifts open. I am supposed to be going in 2 weeks and am looking into changing to somewhere else (despite losing flights and hotel deposit). It is stunning though. But Cortina is a large town with skiing around the edge. I'd go for the Sella Ronda area if you want the Dolomites.

After all it is free

Selva or Ortisei would be good options some nice hotels in both
Getting there from Scotland can be a bit of a pain if you are not going for a week
We have took flights to Munich and hired a car but only in the summer went with TO in the winter

Sella Ronda and base youself in Alta Badia which has the best beginers area in the Dolomites. Just get the local ski pass and I doubt you'll need more. Corvara and Colfosco have some lovely hotels with "Wellness" centres. Combine Italian food wine and ambiance with German efficiency.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

gazbjorck, In Italy I would recommend either Madonna di Campiglio or Val Gardena

Madonna di Campiglio; is a super resort in the dolomites very quite and stylish with incredible choice of restraints and it is rarely overly busy with two really nice hotels that meet your criteria.

Val Gardena; can be a little busier but has a huge and pretty ski area with a massive selection of 4/5 star hotels that will tick the boxes you have asked for.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

gazbjorck,

Great idea and if you get hooked, you'll wonder what you did in the winters prior to starting skiing.

Took my wife to Courmayeurin Italy the first time we went skiing ( I had only been for 3 days in Val dIsere the year before). The town is absolutelly beautiful and I think PamW is spot on with the ski school lessons advice and as first time skiers and we found the Italian ski school great there. The ski area isnt the largest but was fine for us in our first week.

The second time we went and took our two teenage daughters we went to Morzine, equally great time and there is loads to do as it is a proper town rather than a purpose built resort and really good ski area for beginers.

snow reports

gazbjorck, Where about are you in Scotland? My advice would be to get some lessons before you go either on the indoor slope in Glasgow or one of Scotlands many ski hills if the snow is good throughout this winter and spring. Skiing is expensive at the best of times but going to that expense to have someone tell you how to put your boots and skis on can be save for either indoors/Scottish slope rather than eating in to your holiday time-particulary if you only plan to go for a short break.

Expect you daughter to be much better than the pair of you.

Secondly doing < a week is hard unless you DIY and then it might limit your accomadation and even resort choices-most operate Saturday to Saturday or I believe in the case of Andorra Sunday to Sunday.

I know of some resorts in Italy which are a shorter transfer but none I'd recommend for what you want, Italy isn't somewhere I associate with Italy-ask anyone who's been to Livigno...... All things considered I prefer Austria to the other european destinations- that's Skiing, Apres Skis, Food and Drink Prices, Accomadation, Choice of resorts, transfer times etc.

Try going crystal finest - and pick one of the italian resorts they have to offer
that way you will be able to get a good level of hotel, and then you can sort out your resort choice
they have good coverage in italian resorts

we have been claviere ( going back next week) - and despite what is said i dont think (especially
as a beginner in ski school) that anywhere is that busy at that time of year.

if you move away from italy - try the salzbuger hof bad gastein - that was a full on 5 star ski holiday

You know it makes sense.

gazbjorck,

If this is your 1st ski trip then it may be a good idea to join the group ski classes rather than paying extra for private lessons. Up to you though as you may just feel more comfortable with a 1:1.

Italy has many ski resorts so you could just google around and see what takes your interest and book it.
You could try Thomas Cooks, Crystal, Neilson, etc as they all have plenty of hotels in Italy.
It all depends on what you're looking for really. Remember that 4* hotels near to the slopes, with spa facilities, will get booked up very quickly - at any time in January. So you may be best booking earlier rather than later.

Self plug wink

- try these 4* Folgarida or 4* Madonna di Campiglio

The main to remember about your 1st ski trip is to keep it as simple as you can and remember that is a holiday 1st, and a ski holiday 2nd.

Good luck

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I can understand your reasoning perfectly. If you love Italy then you will be in the country you want to be in if you don't particularly take to skiing. I would highly recommend Courmayeur for what you want, as mentioned it is a lovely town with a nice quiet pedestrianised area and a high class feel to it. It's not expensive though. It's not like most ski towns in that the slopes are a cable car ride away. This has disadvantages in that you can't ski in ski out of the hotel but it means that you can leave all your kit, ski's, boots etc up at the ski hire shop and 'commute' in comfortable hiking boots.

The ski area isn't the biggest but that isn't going to be a problem for beginners and there are other resorts you can visit on the lift pass if required. Another big advantage is that if you get bored with skiing or fancy a day out then the city of Aosta is only a bus ride away.

Packages tend to work on 7 nights for the best deals and ski hire in Italy seems to be fairly competetive so I would just hire to start with.

Would also recommend Livigno for the town and the skiing but the 4-5 hour transfer might put you off!

A snowHead

gazbjorck, I would agree with most of the other posts, why pay more than you have to by going to Switzerland especially as you feel you would have a great time in Italy! Personally I love skiing in Austria, for the charm etc, but I have skied in La Thuile/Champoluc and Gressoney and i would recommend Champoluc for what you are looking for. Inghams and Crystal go there so you might find something that suits . if you are looking for a shorter period its easy to get to the Aosta Valley from Turin.

Either way- have a great time!

A snowHead

We often go (and are again this year) to Madonna Di Campiglio in the Dolomites in mid-Jan. Yes this year the early season snow has been worse than France and Switzerland, but last January it was undoubtedly much better (I remember being glad my French alpes trips wasn't until March).

As Fattes13 says above it's charming and sophisticated, so great for a 40th birthday. It isn't as cheap as Italy is known for though.

We stayed in the Savioe Palace last year which was lovely in a cosy sort of way. We're staying at Chalet de Brenta in two weeks, which looks equally nice in a super modern kind of way (more my wife's cup of tea). Both 4* HB for about £800 pppw inc flights/transfer.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Wayne's advice above is very good, especially the last bit. I would also suggest trying to make the trip for a week, not only because it is easier to find a package for that time but also because it gives you that much longer to pick up the skiing. The idea of taking a few lessons in Scotland beforehand is also worth considering. That might take some of the surprise away but it would give you a head start when you reach the proper snow. However, lots of folk have started skiing without having practice on artificial slopes beforehand, so it's not essential.

Just to add to the problem of choosing where to go, I could add the Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi to the list of possibilities. For beginners this has the advantage of being a large area which is relatively flat. You're not going to need something like the Sella Ronda in your first week.

You'll enjoy it!

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so many different opinions on SH's

As I don't know anything about Italy the only thing I would say is try and go for a week instead of 3 or 4 days

As a beginner you may not be very good for the first few days but as the holiday goes on (the last 3 days) you will be much more confident on the snow and will enjoy yourself much more, and will get hooked like all of us!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

yes, I agree a week too. Much easier to arrange, and gives you a chance to have the usual "off day" in the middle, when nothing goes right, but then recover it afterwards.

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Pila is a nice resort in Italy. We stayed in Aosta which is only a bubble lift ride from the ski slopes. Aosta is a large old town with lots of non-skiing possibilities. The beginners in our group had a great time learning with the ski school there.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Definitely go for a week.

Don't worry about those who say "there'll be no snow in Italy". It's your first week skiing, so you won't need much snow, there will be far more than you need.

After all it is free

gazbjorck, I would book your (weeks) leave for mid January, do all your research with a book like World Ski and Snowboard guide, or reading this forum's resort reviews for Italy. I would then book nearer the time when you can take a look at snow conditions, but through a tour op like Crystal and with a ski pack including ski school. The ski school in my opinion is very important, as you will meet others of the same standard and probably not stop laughing all week. Your daughter will be better than you in about ten minutes. First time skiing is daunting enough without making it more complicated and like them of not a ski package does walk you through it in a fairly straight forward fashion. After that I would return here and ask any question no matter how obvious you think the answer maybe, everyone here has started as a novice at some point and will provide you with the necessary support. Enjoy

I can heartily recommend Sauze d'Oulx, about an hour out of Turin, I learnt to ski there, and go back every year. I can also heartily reccomend staying at the Hotel Martin in Jovenceaux, who, if you contact directly through their website, will organise half board and transfers for you. Google the trip advisor reviews!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

gazbjorck, Agree with the Pila suggestion. Small resort with large wide open teaching area high up the mountain.

Have a look at pilaski.co.uk Carole is Scottish and is great for organising exactly what you need if you speak to her. She live over there in the winter so is always on hand too if you need some advice or help. All you have to do is organise flights. Turin is closest (she will organise a transfer for you) but we fly in to Geneva and then hire a car, as Turin is difficult for us to get to.

We stay up the hill in Pila rather than Aosta as it saves the 20min gondola up to ski. If you get tied and want a walk around with a break from Skiing then you can always pop down to Aosta for the sights and shops.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Livigno is snow sure in early January and is a very quiet time, we have been 3 years out of 5 between 2nd and 9th jan. it is busier at weekends when the Italians themselves arrive. It is a duty free town so prices are competitive. As for hotels with spa cant recommend as we have only stayed in cheap self catering accommodation. Transfers are the downside to livigno, though I think they are now down to 3 hours if you fly into Innsbruck.

snow reports

We went to Passo Tonale with Crystal last year and loved it.

The resort is not the prettiest, but is not a concrete monstrosity either. Unless you need wild nightlife it has everything there, and bars etc are not badly priced.

There are not loads of runs, but plenty for beginners. There are several parallel drags, and a long almost flat blue which you could spend an entire day going down and getting a gondola back (just remember to stop at the half way point before it turns black). I get scared by crowds, so purposely chose somewhere with few crowds or queues, and this was certainly the case in late feb last year.

We stayed in the Orchidia which was on the end of the main road, so about a 10 min walk to the drag lifts where you would be starting. There were closer options, and there was a bus. The food was okay, and there was a lovely little spa in the basement (jacuzzi, steam, sauna but no pool). We paid about £450 for the week half board.

We were both dubious of the idea of Italy, having not really enjoyed the cities in the past, but were pleasently suprised.

Have fun!

I'll pitch in with a vote for Livigno in Italy. It's a beautiful spot, it's at high altitude so the snow is usually good, most accomodation is ski in/ski out or a very short walk to the slopes which is handy when you're not used to carrying skis or walking in boots, it's tax free, and you're close to St Moritz in Switzerland so a day trip is easy to organise. The Lac Salin hotel is pretty nice.

You know it makes sense.

I'm surprised there's no mention of Cervinia. 2 hours from Milan, perfect for a short break, village is nice and of course it's linked with Zermatt, so you get the benefit of a massive domain (if you progress to that stage). A lot cheaper than Zermatt too. God selection of beginner slopes as well.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Dudes

so, any place where Wayne has a gaff, Lovigno, Cervinia, Passo Tonale, Pila, Sauze d'Oulx, Seiser Alm, Alpe di Siusi, Madonna Di Campiglio, Courmayeur, Claviere, Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Corvara, Colfosco, Selva, Ortisei

basically that means Italy lol
all much of a muchness and not really special for the big 40
and as nothing stands out
get the Italian end of the Swiss experience
St Moritz or Zerrmatt
best of both worlds and eassier to get to from sweatysockland

ok bye

A snowHead

A snowHead

Help!!

Really need some advice??!!

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