 Poster: A snowHead
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All this years skiing holidays are now over so time to start planning next years trips.
For the last 4 years we have had a lads weekend in chatel. It works great as we can fly out Tuesday night and fly back Saturday night, is only 1.5 hours from geneva and the apartment in a nice chalet that works out at £125 each for your own double or twin (we like our space and like to avoid sharing with a snorer).
I have been looking at alternatives this year as we all need a bit of a change, we have done engleberg and chamonix in the past and they were not favoured in particular.
I have tried to look at Austrian resorts but the flight just do not work. We like to arrive late on Tue/Wed, ski for 4 days and then return late on Sat/sun to get a full 4th day skiing in. All the flight to innsbruk, friedrichshafen, zurich, grenoble and chambery do not seem to have any flights leaving late in the evening but only at lunch time so that almost rules them out.
The only airport that seems to cater for what we want is Geneva so it looks like we could be stuck with resorts that are 1-2 hours away from there.
Other than pds and chamonix does anyone have any bright ideas as to good resorts we can get to easily that will give us good skiing and a few bars in the evening?
We are a mixed bunch so for some of us the cost is not a huge issue but we do have a few guys on a budget so expensive chalets and apartments in the higher resorts may not be appropriate (for example a bedsit in deux alps for 4 people in 1 room for 2K was a bit OTT compared to £125 for your own room in chatel). I don't expect to find anything as cheap as chatel but somewhere in between would be good.
If anyone has had any successful trips to hidden gems I would be grateful to find out.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mheadbee, Did you look at Salzburg flights?
Lots of affordable resorts withing 1-2h from there and pretty flexible on accommodations.
Schladming, Flachau, Saalbach or Bad Gastein to name just a few.
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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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mheadbee, just done Pila, great for a short break, stayed in Aosta, Nice appartments in the old town pedestrian zone, lovely restaurants and bars. We had a great time.
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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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what about Munich airport - 2 hours or so to Mayrhofen which may suit , quicker to others like Skiwelt I guess ?
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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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Have you thought about MountainSun in Tignes (http://www.mountainsunltd.com) - they get good reviews on here (I've also been and would recommend) and Joanne is extremely helpful. They do pick up and drop off from Geneva
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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La Clusaz is close to Geneva and the skiing is great for 4 days. Nightlife is a little quiet but there are a couple of bars that have live music, sports channels etc.
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Another shout for Munich and Mayrhofen.
I'm coming to the conclusion that Austria is the only venue for these trips.
If you're outside the school holidays and can stomach a mile walk you can stay in Mayrhofen for next to bug*er all.
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Thanks Guys,
Flight to munich and innsbruck look favourable 
Any recommendations on apartments, there will likely been 9 of us so ideally 4-5 bedrooms, we do not need to be in same apartment but near to each other in town centre. I have searched the web and found loads but they seem to be several KM outside the town centre, I dont mind a short or even a 15-20 minute walk in the evenings but we don't want to be too far from skiing and messing about with a bus. We will have cars so is it easy to park near the lifts? if we are outside the main drag?
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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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Any recommendations on apartments, there will likely been 9 of us so ideally 4-5 bedrooms, we do not need to be in same apartment but near to each other in town centre. I have searched the web and found loads but they seem to be several KM outside the town centre, I dont mind a short or even a 15-20 minute walk in the evenings but we don't want to be too far from skiing and messing about with a bus. We will have cars so is it easy to park near the lifts? if we are outside the main drag?
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Referring to mayrhofen.
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Not an appartment - but Pension VierJahreszeiten , 100 yards from the Penken lift was good value - basic but clean.
Was a few years ago though so don't know what it's like now.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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8 of us have just returned from a group holiday to Mayrhofen and we stayed self catered at Chalet Schnee. The chalet was fantastic and well specced out with 4 bedrooms of which 3 were austrian twins but the bedrooms were easily big enough to throw a mattress on the floor. We paid around 193 euros per person for the week and would happily go back. It was around a 5 minute walk into the town centre but had a ski bus stop right outside the chalet.
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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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Another vote for Mayrhofen from Munich (or Innsbruck). Comfortably under 2 hours by car from Munich (assuming weather is ok and there isn't racing at any resorts en route).
Your approach to days of trip seem badly planned. I did the same for years before realising that going out Saturday worked much better for hotels and apartments as I wasn't blocking off 2 weeks of bookings for them.
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Ghost Dog, yes but you don't maximise your annual leave doing it that way.
mheadbee, I just had a great wee lads trip in Andorra. If your group is of intermediate ability, you might consider that as an option. Flights to Barcelona are usually cheap and plentiful. From there it's 2 1/2 to 3 hrs to Grandvalira.
On the Geneva subject however, why don't you want a longer transfer? Did you manage to get the extra half days in PdS?
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You know it makes sense.
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On the Geneva subject however, why don't you want a longer transfer? Did you manage to get the extra half days in PdS?
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We have got an extra half day in on the first day in the past. More importantly we do like to get a full day in on the last day so 1.5 hours from Pds has worked a treat. To be honest 2.5 hour transfer would not be the end of the world for us if we got a late flight. I guess the point of this thread was to find any gems that I didnt know of near to geneva, I looked at the bigger higher main stream resorts like Val d and les arcs and the travel time and huge cost of property rental was prohibitive when going for a few days. We have to pay for a week regardless as nobody does rentals for a few nights. We can only stay 4 nights as it is a "lads" weekend and work and families prevent a whole week.
I do get a family ski week so it is not an issue but we do like to get away for a few days together.
I think some of the ideas that have been thrown out like mayrhofen and les carroz (flaine) look just the ticket to be honest.
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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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Ghost Dog
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Your approach to days of trip seem badly planned. I did the same for years before realising that going out Saturday worked much better for hotels and apartments as I wasn't blocking off 2 weeks of bookings for them
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On the contrary, it is exceptionally well planned and works a treat. Fly out at 6 am on tuesday morning, ski from 11-5 tuesday, all day wed, thurs, frid and saturday and fly home 9pm on saturday. Only take 4 days off work and get 5 days skiing. We pay £115 for a double room each, £100 each for a few cars/people carriers to whizz around in and £150 for flight. £355 for 5 days skiing in a great resort with your own room looks pretty good to me.
Above all the wives have been conned into believing that we are really only away wed, thurs and friday. We used to leave late Tuesday night so really were only missed as of wednesday so Tuesday doesn't count. Now we have moved the leaving time from night to morning on tue it has slipped under the radar, "doesn't really make any difference dear, its only a couple of hours". Then we come home on saturday so that doesnt count as a day away either so it is only the three days of Wed/Thu/Fri we are not physically there.
You need to get withh the game
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Poster: A snowHead
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Flights to Munich should work. From there you'd be mad not to consider St Anton for a lads trip, Ischgl too. Saalbach would be worth looking into for a cheaper alternative, on the other side of Munich.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mheadbee, +1 for Saalbach. We've done this a few times from Thu to Sun, flying via Innsbruck. Transfer is 2 hours and the 07.00 Easyjet from LGW gets you on the slopes at lunchtime. And when it comes to après ski, Austria beats France hands down. Youuuuu reds!!!!!!!!!!
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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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Flights to Munich should work. From there you'd be mad not to consider St Anton for a lads trip
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To be honest I found the properties to be hugely expensive as we have to book for a whole week. I usually spend a small fortune (as we all do) on a familiy ski week in a catered chalet so the lads one is supposed to be a fairly cheap and cheerful short trip.
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