My beginner wife and I (good beginner/low intermediate) are off to Meribel in January with Daughter and SIL who are both excellent skiers. Wife will have am lessons, and the kids will look after us in the afternoons. Repeat of last year, when I had some lessons too.
We two are planning a second week in March, what with being hooked and all! On this trip, we just want to ski blues and greens, gently upping the ante as we (she) goes. I am going round and round every resort trying to decide on the venue for this second trip, and getting nowhere. (I fall into the Tripadvisor 'put-off trap too) The Meribel jaunt is expensive, so abit of a saving would be no bad thing. The perfect resort would have:
Comfy spotless accomodation- don't mind the type
Enough blues and greens for a week
Runs ending in the resort (I seem to see some advice about only reds back to this place and that)
On piste restuants
All in package
Any first hand knowledge and advice very welcome.
CG
PS we did a weekend in Avoriaz last year after Meribel, but only on the local pass- basically skiied the Proclou over and over. What's the rest of the area like for my needs? Ta
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
While you're in Meribel, ski over to St.Martin and Courchevel 1550 and check them out. They could well be suitable for your March trip.
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?
@Charliegolf, That is the problem with too much choice and you really do have a lot of choice. No doubt knowing you and your wife your daughter will be able to make a very good suggestion. In the meantime may I humbly suggest you get a copy of Where to Ski and Snowboard, second hand ones from a few years ago are available on Amazon for only a couple of pounds and spend hours reading it. It is good.
All in packages are readily available to many ski resorts and either visit a specialist travel agent or find out from WTSS what companies use that resort and see what they have to offer. To me planning a holiday is a major part of the fun (any suggestions of where I should visit in Rome gratefully accepted) Enjoy it.
As to resort reccomendations, lots of greens and blues down to the resort and restaurants on the piste point to Italy for me. Have a look at the Dolomites in particular.
You could try Austria. Ellmau in Skiwelt might suit. is is quite low so better early March rather than Easter if you want to be able to ski down to village level. The runs will be open until closing day and the higher parts will be fine, but the lower runs can get a bit chewed up in the afternoon. The standard deal is HB in hotels which are generally good. I don't know specifics because we have stayed in Westendorf which is lovely, but you need to ski moderate reds to make the most of Westendorf or Soll, the Ellmau/Scheffau area gives direct access to as much cruising as you want. Eating on the mountain is very good and cheaper than France.
Note Austria doesn't really have green runs so Blue = green or blue. They also have excellent grooming and snowmaking around skiwelt the whole area pass is very reasonable for the size.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@dode, WTSS has had an online presence for years, but it only contains a fraction of what is in the book
After all it is free
After all it is free
San Cassiano in the Dolomites. But early-ish in March rather than at the end of the month. I'm out there on 12th for a week but I wouldn't want to book too far in advance for the end of March. I would like to check the snow conditions just before I went out
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Have a look at La Plagne. A second week skiers paradise with a huge network of blues. La Plagne is made up of 10 villages at different altitudes, so you get a great sense of skiing from place to place. A couple of the high altitude villages are really ugly.
I'd also take a look at Courchevel 1650. Cheaper to stay that 1850, and a great network of easy sking. You also have the Courchevel 1850 bowl which is a great confidence builder.
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I'd second both the Where to Ski and Snowboard book and Courcheval 1650 suggestions above.
Re the latter, I've been twice in March there and it is much more pleasurable than the same time in Meribel for your ability level since the snow is generally in better condition and less cut up as it is at "the edge" of the piste area compared with Meribel which is slap in the middle and also on the main thoroughfare for the big 3 V (or 4V) day trip/excursion. Crucially, skiing home at the end of the day is a real pleasure in 1650 compared with the scrum/body dodging down to Meribel - which can be quite fun and challenging if your good but frankly scary and exhausting if you are not. On my last holiday there a friend broke his collar bone, dislocated his shoulder and cracked hip on the green coming in - and he wasn't tanking it since he was not that fast/good - and has been so put off he will never ski again (well, his OH won't let him).
You can always nip to Meribel and ski the runs you like earlier in the day from 1650. I've never skied in Meribel in January so don't know if it is quieter than in March but i would suspect that that is the case.
La Plagne is also good (and has the advantage that you can trip across Les Arcs which is more sheltered should the weather be inclement in La Plagne)
suec
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Quote:
San Cassiano in the Dolomites. But early-ish in March rather than at the end of the month
+1 The Mountain sun place is right on top of the piste and near several lifts serving the kind of territory you are seeking - couldn't be better situated. Mid March would be good. Stunning, stunning, scenery - leaves Meribel standing.
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.
When mysel and the OH were first learning we did a week in Saalbach and then another in Soll. In Saalbach we stuck to blues all week and had a blast. In Soll we had group lessons which were cheap and we progressed immensely and it was good to be with others of a similar capability.
I would also recommend Alpe d'Huez which has a large number of blues and greens around a bowl at the centre of the resort. It is also more snow sure than the 2 Austrian resorts if you are going out mid to late March.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
saalbach saalbach saalbach cant beat it , ive over the years been to most places in the alps and have finally settled on here I just wish id gone earlier, the skiing is good the accomodation is good the craic is good in fact just go you will have a ball
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Charliegolf, another +1 for Courchevel 1650, the most obvious resort which comes to mind for that criteria, lots of nice chalets there for your all in package.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@Charliegolf, if you hadn't considered it, Alpe d'Huez has a good blue/green network to explore.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Charliegolf, are you committed to a specific week in March? Depending on how flexible you, and if happy to hold back and book a few days before departure, some big savings can be made on good accommodation in best resorts .
Of the places I don't think have been mentioned yet, Les Arcs might suit. I prefer staying there to La Plagne. Plan Peisey village has plenty of chalets and on the Paradiski pass gives easy access to all areas.
Cervinia has a deserved reputation for easy cruising blue runs, with added bonus of the Matterhorn and access to Zermatt.
Lech/Zurs too, with added challenge of St Anton half an hour bus ride away.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Dear all, thank you for all your replies and advice- and an apology- I replied (I thought) about 5 hours ago, but nowt has appeared it seems! I will get onto all the suggestions tomorrow- the main thing is the personal knowledge you've brought to the debate- thanks.
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?
@charliegolf tonale -italy cheaper than france /austria, link to ponte de legno, snowsure, maybe worth a look
Obertauern would suit you very well, Austrian accommodation is always spotless and this is a small resort with pistes on both sides of the pass.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Look at the Dolomites. We have stayed for a good few years in the Posta Zirm in Corvara. Easy blues surround this resort in all directions. Service is excellent, food is amazing. A lot cheaper than, say, Courchevel.
Consider Cervinia in Italy. Nowhere like it for cruising the blues. On a good day you can pop over to the Zermatt side and you will find quite a lot of runs that are not outwith your comfort zone.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I love both La Plagne and San Cassiano/Corvara and would recommend the latter in the circumstances outlined by the OP. La Plagne may seem like blue heaven to us intermediates, but there is little discrimination in the piste gradings. Everything is blue! This means that steep bits that might trouble an early intermediate are not detectable from a piste map. My own experience of taking people with only a few weeks' experience to La Plagne tells me that there are some surprises in store. The "blue" run from the top of Becoin is a case in point. The top is steep.
The area around San Cassiano, Corvara, la Villa and Colfosco offers stunning beauty, plenty of easyish cruising on beautifully pisted blues and lots of lovely, reasonably priced hostelries.
I would not recommend the Mountainsun place at San Cassiano as the OP specifically asked for "spotless". The chalet is fantastic for its amenity in that it is slope-side and genuinely ski-in ski-out, but even its best friends could not describe it as spotless. i believe the place is used by Italian social services in the summer for problem children and it is a little battered.
Cervinia is also a good suggestion.
After all it is free
After all it is free
sarah wrote:
@Charliegolf, another +1 for Courchevel 1650, the most obvious resort which comes to mind for that criteria, lots of nice chalets there for your all in package.
It wouldn't deliver as well on the cost saving aspect as many of the other suggestions. Even if you find reasonably priced accommodation, the mountain restaurants are generally far more expensive than Austria or Italy for a similar standard.
I'd throw Madonna di Campiglio into the mix. Expensive for Italy, but that still feels great value compared to some of the French mega resorts. There are some brilliant mountain restaurants and amazing scenery.
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@Charliegolf, Livigno.
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Soldeu in Andorra is great. Lots of easy wide blues, and you can ski to El tarter & Canillo staying on blue runs all the way. 2 blue runs back to resort, Great place for confidence building with an excellent ski school.
Lots of different accomodation, and a good value resort compared to many others.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Soldeu in Andorra is great. Lots of easy wide blues, and you can ski to El tarter & Canillo staying on blue runs all the way. 2 blue runs back to resort, Great place for confidence building with an excellent ski school.
Lots of different accomodation, and a good value resort compared to many others.
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.
@Charliegolf , If you weren't confused before i bet you are now ,this was me every year
If you are trying to keep the cost down ??
I would +1 Soldeu in Andorra
and Sestriere in Italy (we stayed at the Villaggio Olimpico di Sestriere Half board and next to the lifts )
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I would second the recommendations for San Cassiano - Corvara or any of the Dolomites for that matter.
Sooo much nicer than France. Better value, more dramatic scenery, better food on the slopes, less queing, ski village to village, friendlier staff, Horse drawn ski lifts, higher number of sunshine days.....
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@cameronphillips2000, I'm a big fan of the Dolomites but to suggest that there is generically "less queuing than France" is much too big a generalisation. I ski almost entirely in France and the biggest queues I've encountered for some years (except the T bars at Tignes earlier this month when wind had closed most of the glacier uplift) were on the Sella Ronda. You can also ski from village to village - not to mention encounter friendly staff - in plenty of French ski resorts.
Food and (some) drink in Italy is certainly better value, and the scenery point is valid but I suspect accommodation is, on average, a bit more expensive in the Dolomites
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
cameronphillips2000 wrote:
I would second the recommendations for San Cassiano - Corvara or any of the Dolomites for that matter.
Sooo much nicer than France. Better value, more dramatic scenery, better food on the slopes, less queing, ski village to village, friendlier staff, Horse drawn ski lifts, higher number of sunshine days.....
what a load of .... Dolomites are nice, but:
a) better value - always depends where you go - the final post ski week check always results in +/- the same ammount (in my case)
b) more dramatic scenery - very personal, to me FR/IT border (not Dolimites) is much more dramatic ... all the graciers etc.
c) better food on slopes - generaly true, but you would not be suffering on FR slopes too if you know where to go and what to look for.
d) less queing - rubbish, not true in my experience, depends so much on a specific week/period
e) ski vilage to vilage?
f) horse drawn ski lifts?
g) higher number of sunshine days - are you sure? Does that mean less snow too?
It is all very subjective. I skied couple of years back in St Foy, during a very busy half term - no big crowds, very good food, friendly people arround, dramatic views, snowing almost every night and sunshine during the day .... sounds almost perfect, well it was
"So much nicer" is very personal, but I would not aggree with many of your qualifications as in points "a" to "g", with the exception of 'c' maybe, as I love IT food on and off slopes
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@mooney058, +1
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Of the places I have been to, Soldeu and Risoul fit the bill. Lots of easy greens and blues in Risoul.
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?
[quote="mooney058"]
cameronphillips2000 wrote:
I would second the recommendations for San Cassiano - Corvara or any of the Dolomites for that matter.
Sooo much nicer than France. Better value, more dramatic scenery, better food on the slopes, less queing, ski village to village, friendlier staff, Horse drawn ski lifts, higher number of sunshine days.....
what a load of .... Dolomites are nice, but:
a) better value - always depends where you go - the final post ski week check always results in +/- the same ammount (in my case)
b) more dramatic scenery - very personal, to me FR/IT border (not Dolimites) is much more dramatic ... all the graciers etc.
c) better food on slopes - generaly true, but you would not be suffering on FR slopes too if you know where to go and what to look for.
d) less queing - rubbish, not true in my experience, depends so much on a specific week/period
e) ski vilage to vilage?
f) horse drawn ski lifts?
g) higher number of sunshine days - are you sure? Does that mean less snow too?
It is all very subjective. I skied couple of years back in St Foy, during a very busy half term - no big crowds, very good food, friendly people arround, dramatic views, snowing almost every night and sunshine during the day .... sounds almost perfect, well it was
How many times have you skied in France and how many in the Dolomites? The fact that you've put a question mark next to ski Village to Village - It's the largest ski area in teh world under one lift pass covering countless villages and towns- leads me to belive you don't know the area that well.
I don't just speak from my own experience - 3 ski trips a year for fifteen years -mainly in French resorts before discovering the Dollies - but those of many other skiers too.
I was on the BB last year where a very common converstaion amongst the 130 Snowheads was 'This is so much nicer than typical French Skiing. I wish I'd discovered them before'
Don't get me wrong, there are some very beautiful areas of the French Alps and some unspoilt resorts too but, generally you don't have to seek it out in the Dolomites, it's all there.
and as for value for money - the food and drinks on the slopes were about half the price of a typical French resort, better quality and served with a smile.
As for sunshine - watch the Val Gardena Ski Sunday broadcast in a few weeks where they always refer to them as the 'Sunny Dolomites'
Risoul is a fantastic resort - a real gem and perfect for what has been requested. But the Dollies are prettier, more skiing, cheaper, freindlier......
I second that @cameronphillips2000, I have skied the 3 valleys, Les Arcs, Morzine/Chatel/Avoriaz. By far, the Dolomites outweigh these French resorts for value for money, food, service, scenery. I am a piste skier and happy all day on red runs.
Question to consider - do you want to practice on easy (ier) slopes (and do them again and again, whilst enjoying) and stay within comfort zone(s) or are you looking for bigger/longer runs, lots of high mountains and lots of different runs and places to 'bag'? Nothing wrong either way (I and the OH spent a lot of time - and still do - on the former).
If you're happy with a limited number of runs (and/or lengths of) then head for the some of the cheaper or well-known places, perhaps (although non-mountain considerations might also play their part, of course).
I love Kaprun in Austria, and also its neighbour Zell am See (but that's just one of very many similar Austrian smaller resorts) and can go back and play there again and again and still find something to challenge/amuse me. Kaprun only has one hill, but it's reasonably long, wide, has several variations and ends at the supermarket/town. Easy ski bus to Zell and a glaciated popular area (name escapes me) the other way. All well within intermediate scope.
There are on-piste bars and food places a plenty on both plus within easy reach of the base of the Kaprun road-side base. Kaprun is also a very nice large village wth good hotels adn food places as well as clean, basic cheaper ones. Doubtless many other villages in Austria are the same.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
pam w wrote:
@cameronphillips2000, I'm a big fan of the Dolomites but to suggest that there is generically "less queuing than France" is much too big a generalisation. I ski almost entirely in France and the biggest queues I've encountered for some years (except the T bars at Tignes earlier this month when wind had closed most of the glacier uplift) were on the Sella Ronda.
Totally with you there! Dolomites have the worst lift system I've ever seen, and the worst queues I've ever seen (other than the queue to download at the end of the day at Stubai in Autumn, before you can ski down).
There's some really great skiing there, but the lift system is nuts. Getting back to Selva/Wolkenstein from one direction you have to take something like three lifts in a row with no downhills/skiing in between! Why?! Makes no sense at all! Just make it one big lift with middle stations if people really need to get off at various points along it!
The lift queue manners are among the worst too. Ok, Italians are entitled to behave like Italians in Italy (though technically the Dollies are more Tirollean than Italian), but the constant pushing, shoving, elbowing, 'rapid shouting,' and the sudden surprise charge to attempt to get to the front when a gondola comes through gets pretty tiresome.
Incredible mountains though, and I really look forward to getting back to them at some point soon!
After all it is free
After all it is free
I'm not sure if you're talking about the lifts back from Ortesi which is the only queuing I've ever experienced there. Val Gardena is the busy part of the Dolomites but there is so so much more to it than that.
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The Italian racers (the girls were much the worst) were an absolute pain on the Grand Motte earlier this month, when high winds had closed most of the lifts.
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I did find the pistes in the Dolomites more crowded than I'm used to, too. But yes, stunning scenery and the cheap and delicious hot chocolate do help make up for it!
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Dolomites are nice, but:
