 Poster: A snowHead
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Help! I've been asked by my boss to recommend a resort for him and his family for a weeks skiing during the school holidays in Feb 06. His requirements are:
1) Mainly cruisey blues & good greens for young/learning kids
2) Lots to do in the resort for his non skiing wife
3) Not too far to drive from calais (i.e not the southern alpes)
4) Reasonably cheap
My thoughts were Zell am see/ Kaprun or Lech
Any suggestions would be most welcome
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Saalbach would come into that category as well.
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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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mwareing, why not look at La Rosiere, meets the criteria for good beginners skiing, there's a reasonable amount of non-skiing activities, walks, beauty spa, flights around Mont Blanc etc. It's 10 hrs from Calais, mostly motorway and it is IMO the best value in the Alps. Have a look at our ad in snowShops, check out the resort review section or look in SCGB/ifyouski resort reviews, you can go to our website www.tracksvacations.com for more details, links to the resort website, ski hire etc. Could be a good move for you.
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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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mwareing, Hi this is a hard one. Not to far from Calais suggests France but it is isn't particularly cheap and there won't be a lot to do for the non skier in French resorts. In such cases I would think a ski village that existed before ski-ing might fit the bill, so that at least there is a infrastructure going on along side ski-ing. That I feel rules out most French ski resorts, possibly with the exception of Val d'Isere. Traditional Austrian villages are closer to fitting your requirements but there is more mileage from Calais. Provided that you are not hung up on mileage (maybe 650 miles from Calais) I would go for Austria where is there is plenty of "gemutlichkeit" for the non-skier. i.e. Mayrhofen, the Ski Welt (Soll, Ellmau, Scheffau), Saalbach, and Kitzbuhel which spring to my mind.
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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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Could try Morzine - thats Northern Alpes, resort is quite pretty, plenty (by ski resort standards!) to do if not skiing. Reasonably cheap and there are blues, but maybe not that many...... So perhaps Les Gets would be better, plenty of easy runs, but maybe not that much to do off the slopes...... Both are northern so would be less far (about 2/3 hours) to drive than Tarentaise area.......
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm staying in St Sorlin D'Arves which is in Les Sybelles for the February half term. It's a large mainly intermediate area and is pretty cheap. St Sorlin is supposed to be a quaint village but I'm not sure what else there is to do there.
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Thanks for all of your replies,
i'll pass you recommendations on and let you know the outcome
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mwareing,
Megeve has all of that but tell him to up the limit on the CC whilst the wife shops in the boutiques. But that apart it need not be any more expensive than anywhere else plus there are good walking trails so she could easily meet up for lunch. The lower slopes are so inviting for timid skiers that she could even pluck up courage to have a go herself
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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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Flaine ( Grand Massif Domain, near Mont Blanc ) is very family orientated with a good childrens ski-school and runs suited for beginners. There's even a green off the topstation which allows the inexperienced to travel up and down via the gondala yet see the stunning views ( weather permitting ) from the top. The resort is definitely one of the cheaper although it doesn't have as much to do non-skiing wise as some . If you want more information then see the website listed in my signature which I created following a visit earlier this year.
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Chamonix.
Well, Les Houches.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi monty, welcome to snowHeads! 
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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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Chamonix's not a bad suggestion actually, it's good for non-skiers and if he's driving then the main drawback of the valley (fragmented) doesn't apply, and Le Tour, Courmayeur and Les Houches all have nice cruisy skiing. It all depends on how serious he is about "good for non-skiers" versus "not too far from Calais", which limits him a bit for choice and I would have thought rules out Zell/Kaprun, which are maybe 12hrs from Calais compared to 9 for Chamonix.
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mwareing, Megeve great apart from lack of altitude - could be busy as its half term for the French as well. Morzine to the north of the A40 might be worth considering too, but as Plake suggests Chamonix fits the bill with easy runs at Le Tour and Les Houches
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Crans Montana would fit the bill as well. Great views, all sorts of skiing, although the variety of shopping available in Crans could lead to Mrs Boss blowing the holiday budget in an afternoon!
I can do it from Calais in 8 hours
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Poster: A snowHead
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Megeve or Crans Montana, based on my experience of both resorts. Neither are cheap, but it is possible to holiday cheaply in both. Plenty of off slope activities, and easy slopes for novices. Both have loads of shopping 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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La Clusaz is not amazingly big but it's very beautiful and traditional, good for beginners - particularly Croix Fry - and is easily reached from Calais, we have done it 3 times! Not very expensive either. Non-skiing, well, skating to dog-sledding, and a lot more!
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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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mwareing, seems like your boss needs to grow up
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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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Lech certainly isn't cheap.
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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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clive ward, do you know him ????
I don't think that a family ski trip during the school holidays is ever going to be cheap... although some resorts will be less extortionate than others...
Thanks again for all of your suggestions, i'll pass them on.
Although I shan't be mentioning Chamonix though. They were there last year and lets just say his snow chains and brakes didn't get on very well together and a v. long journey home (via the only remaining hire car in Chamonix and then eurostar with 3 kids and only the luggage that could easily be carried) and a costly car transporter ensued... (let that be a lesson, make sure that you have european breakdown cover....)
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