 Poster: A snowHead
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We have never skiied in Europe, but I'm thinking of a cheap last minute break sometime in February as a surprise for my other half.
Needs to be easy to get to from Glasgow/ Edinburgh airport, accommodation on the slopes, and not too expensive. Intermediate skiing experience would suit best, and we have all our own gear to take with us.
Any help appreciated please  [/i]
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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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| kiwifraser wrote: |
| Needs to be easy to get to from Glasgow/ Edinburgh airport |
Scotland 
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Hmm. Not easy - there's really no such thing as a cheap last minute 2 day break - in terms of "pounds per hour on the slope" it'll be far more expensive than going for a week. Any chance you could get away for longer, and do a last minute package?
Geneva is fairly easily reached from Glasgow/Edinburgh. If you are thinking of France, best to go as early in the month as possible, before the French school holidays, which will make things very busy and expensive.
Most French accommodation is booked weekend/weekend. One possible way to do it is to look at mountainsunltd.com they do short breaks and will pick you up from Geneva airport (transfer from airport to resort can be expensive). If you want accommodation "on the slopes" (ie just walk to a lift to ski) that will also limit your choices quite a lot. There are some good places where you could have a nearby skibus stop, or, if you have a hired car, stay in a valley hotel and drive to the slopes.
What's your budget?
You can also get trains from Gva to Swiss resorts - plenty of SHs have experience of doing it that way and could advise on best resorts for a short break.
From Geneva one possibility, very easy to reach and offering a range of accommodation options, is Chamonix. NOT the most convenient ski resort in the world but fantastic atmosphere and high mountain surroundings.
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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.
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| pam w wrote: |
Hmm. Not easy - there's really no such thing as a cheap last minute 2 day break - in terms of "pounds per hour on the slope" it'll be far more expensive than going for a week. Any chance you could get away for longer, and do a last minute package?
Geneva is fairly easily reached from Glasgow/Edinburgh. If you are thinking of France, best to go as early in the month as possible, before the French school holidays, which will make things very busy and expensive.
Most French accommodation is booked weekend/weekend. One possible way to do it is to look at mountainsunltd.com they do short breaks and will pick you up from Geneva airport (transfer from airport to resort can be expensive). If you want accommodation "on the slopes" (ie just walk to a lift to ski) that will also limit your choices quite a lot. There are some good places where you could have a nearby skibus stop, or, if you have a hired car, stay in a valley hotel and drive to the slopes.
What's your budget?
You can also get trains from Gva to Swiss resorts - plenty of SHs have experience of doing it that way and could advise on best resorts for a short break.
From Geneva one possibility, very easy to reach and offering a range of accommodation options, is Chamonix. NOT the most convenient ski resort in the world but fantastic atmosphere and high mountain surroundings. |
Thank you. We could do 3 days at most, as the inlaws would be looking after the kids, and any more time is really pushing it.
Hoping to spend about £600 max on flights, accom, and transfers/ car hire/ train.
Just had a quick check and there are loads of direct flights to Geneva from Glasgow and Edinburgh at around £100 return. Also some direct flights to Chambery and Milan.
I was thinking that staying on the slopes would save on travelling time and potentially car hire given the fact we would only have 1.5 or 2 days on the snow. More than happy to stay nearby and drive a car to the slopes if somewhere is recommended or it is much cheaper/ easier to find something that way.
Cheers for the heads up about French school holidays. We could either go in early Feb, or in March if that is quieter as far as busy season goes?
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We flew to Geneva a few years ago and skied 3 days in Megeve. It's a pricy resort, but we stayed in a b&b which wasn't a bad price and had the use of the kitchen at night do only ate out once. I might be able to find the details if you are interested. It was a short walk to one set of lifts and a short bus to the others.
Transfer in minibus was about 2 hours.
Slopes were empty as it was raining at village level. We skied 4 runs before we even saw a skier, and has first tracks down a powder-covered home run at about 4pm. There were more options than we could cover in 3 days, lots of blue and easy red cruisers which suited me perfectly.
The village is nice and pretty too.
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kiwifraser, for a short trip, the cost of a rental car might be very similar to the cost of transfer, or possibly less. Have a look at mountainsun, and come back if you need any more suggestions. Would probably be a lot less hassle than hiring a car and trying to do shopping.
To miss the French school hols you'd have to wait till after mid March (their holidays are staggered over 4 weeks) so early Feb might be best.
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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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I'm not sure how he's done it but a friend has arranged a long weekend (3 days skiing) for £490 including ski pass, flights, transfers and half-board hotel. The secret is to stay outside the main resorts - we're staying in Brides-des-Bains which is below Meribel and a 30 minute gondola trip to the piste. I think he's booked it all directly and I guess negotiated some discount for the group of 5 of us (end of Jan probably helps as well).
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you could easily match that with mountainsun in Tignes. £320 for 3 nights midweek, including transfers, and a 3 day Tignes pass. Add a flight, and you're staying right up there in the snow, no need to spend an hour each day on a gondola.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Fly to Geneva.
Take minicoach to Argentiere.
Enjoy.
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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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Mrs Fleecy and i went to Bad Ragaz in Switzerland for NY last year. Flight to Zurich, couple of hours on the train to the resort (one change in Zurich from airport train, then direct), 5 min walk to hotel.
Busses to lifts in the morning and afternoon, decent ski area for a weekend (Pizol) and then same journey back again.
Bonus s that Bad Ragaz is a spa town and has a number of thermal spas that you can go to - not expensive as they are municipal ones. But as they are Swiss municipal ones think UK nice hotel standard rather than UK municipal pool standard!!
Just my two pennies worth!!
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kiwifraser, Out of peak season it shouldn't be too hard to find accommodation, but you will find it much easier nearer the time as at this point some hotels may not wish to sacrifice a possible full weeks booking for just a weekend (in fact a weekend may cost the hotel two full weeks).
There are loads of resorts within 1.5/2 hours of Geneva, just depending on what you want. Chamonix (as already suggested) would be a good base.
With a weekend break you need to minimise delays so hire car is the best method for transfer and a small car wouldn't be too costly.
An early morning/late evening flight in each direction should mean that you maximise your skiing time.
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You know it makes sense.
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kiwifraser, Car hire will be most flexible option - here is the famous link to 15% discount with Holiday Autos.
http://www.holidayautos.co.uk/cgi-bin/liveweb.sh/QSearch.w?ctryref=GBR&lang=EN&aff=xOneAccount
If you've never skied in Europe, the 3 Vallees in France (with a mere 650km of piste  ) will blow your mind! The valley town of Bride Les Bains (2 hrs from Geneva) is cheaper than the ski resorts for accommodation and is linked to Meribel by a 30 min gondola ride. Try Laterooms.com, Hotels.com, Expedia.com or Opodo.com for accommodation.
OR: Stay in the valley town of Moutiers (Ibis Hotel via Accor Hotels website) - and St Martin de Belleville - which is also part of the 3 Vallees -is 15 mins drive away.
OR: Stay under an hour from Geneva at somewhere like Sallanches (another Ibis Hotel available there!) and you have loads of skiing within an easy drive - eg Combloux (unheard of in the UK but fantastic/linked to Megeve), Les Houches, Chamonix, Les Gets/Morzine, Flaine and Les Carroz - to name but a few.
OR: Fly to Munich and ski in Germany or Austria. On balance, as you've never skied in Europe, Austria would be my recommendation - the ski villages/resorts are just fantastic and the apres ski has to be witnessed to be believed! Somewhere like Mayrhofen in the Ziller Valley would fit the bill perfectly - loads of different ski areas to try in the valley and reasonably priced accommodation.
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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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The 3 Valleys might be a bit much for 2 days - you won't even scrape the surface. Combloux/Megeve, from a Sallanches base, is a good suggestion if snow cover is good - Flaine, which is higher (and has a lot less charm) if conditions aren't so good. From Sallanches you could also do a day in Les Contamines, which is a great resport to explore with more skiing than you need for a day, but manageable to find your way around.
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Poster: A snowHead
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You could fly to Turin, drive/Taxi/Train to Sauze d'oulx. Weekend accomodation from most hotels (Stlla Alpina/Florida Prata...)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Fleecy wrote: |
Mrs Fleecy and i went to Bad Ragaz in Switzerland for NY last year. Flight to Zurich, couple of hours on the train to the resort (one change in Zurich from airport train, then direct), 5 min walk to hotel.
Buses to lifts in the morning and afternoon, decent ski area for a weekend (Pizol) and then same journey back again.
Bonus s that Bad Ragaz is a spa town and has a number of thermal spas that you can go to - not expensive as they are municipal ones. But as they are Swiss municipal ones think UK nice hotel standard rather than UK municipal pool standard!!
Just my two pennies worth!! |
Interesting to hear about Bad Ragaz, Fleecy (previously, I thought that was just a phrase to describe my ex-housemate's musical taste). I'd be v tempted to check it out. The spas sound great.
There are a couple of other resorts within easy reach of Zurich by train. Flumserberg is linked by cable-car to Unterterzen which I think is on the same line as Bad Ragaz (but a shorter journey). Then there's Sattel Hochstuckli which can be reached in 1hr 15, possibly the closest rail-served resort to Zurich airport.
Kiwifraser - if you want to get a good impression of resorts which are close to airports, you can see them on the SkiRail Map of the Alps (sample here - http://rogerlascellesmaps.co.uk/SkiRail_Product_Information.aspx?area=SkiRail_Product_Information - Geneva Airport is just off the page on the left-hand side by Lake Geneva).
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Mon 2-01-12 17:12; edited 1 time in total
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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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Me and the other half are having 2 days skiing in Soldeu in March, we fly to Barcalona, car hire for 4 days 3 nights in the rco hotel 5 mins walk from slopes, I have done this most years and its and easy drive on the first day to Soldeu, 2 days skiing and easy drive on the 4th day back and even a bit of tapas in Barcalona before flight home.
Prices
flights easyjet £120 return for 2
car hire with doyouspain 4 days £30
3 nights B&B The Roc £156 for 2
then its just passes and beer tokens.
There is a hotel called Austria that can do 3 night B&B for £78 for 2 people but never stopped at this and heard mixed reports as its about 2ks outside soldeu.
Hope this helps
J 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We did La Clusaz a couple of years ago for 4 nights (3 days skiing) and had a lovely time.
Its only 1 hour from Geneva and is a really nice town.
There are some great mountain huts for food and pleny of accommodation in the town.
It also has some great skiing.
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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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JasonW, how long's the drive from BCN to Soldeu?
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Morzine is hard to beat for a short break. We had 3 days skiing (2 nights accommodation) in Morzine a couple of years ago. Very early flight and late return flight gave us extra half days skiing. An hour from Geneva, reasonably priced transfers so no need for car hire, reasonbly priced accommodation, door step to ski lifts in a few minutes. Superb weekend. Would do it again tomorrow but the very early flight involves throwing a sickie and haven't got the nerve to do it again!!
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slikedges,
its about 3-3 1/2 hour, its a steady drive we usually dont ski on the first day of the hols so we have a gentle drive to resort, collect ski from rental shop sort passes out so we are set for the first day skiing. Found a website with could deals on ski hire.
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JasonW, thx, shame, bit long 2 attempt 2 ski day of arrival or day of departure
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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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If it were me, I would be thinking about Easyjet to Geneva, then if on a budget, I would take a shuttle bus to Morzine or La Clusaz or Argentiere. I wouldn't want to go much further than that for a two/three day break and I would doubt if there is any need to. If I was determined to go to the tarentaise. I would hire a car. In fact I would probably hire a car regardless cos I like the freedom that that opens up.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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One tip is to leave enough time to get back to the airport if you are returning on Sunday after skiing. The places nearby attract the locals as well and there is frequently a nose to tail queue down the mountain on a Sunday evening.
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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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| Quote: |
The places nearby attract the locals as well and there is frequently a nose to tail queue down the mountain on a Sunday evening.
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very good point.
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Cheers all. Some brilliant tips thank you.
Will check out the website suggestions and locations this week to see what I can find to suit us
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You know it makes sense.
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kiwifraser, DallyPaul runs a bed and breakfast in Morzine (www.apexmorzine.com). The accommodation is an easy 10 minute walk from a main lift and town. DallyPaul can sort out transfers.
Well worth a look.
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FAQ
Just looking for a night away with the Mrs, combined with some sliding
