 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, my wife and I had our first ski holiday earlier this year to Seefeld in Austria and have definitely caught the ski bug, we are looking to book a weeks skiing going on the 5/1/13 from Bristol, due to a family wedding and not being able to get away from work any other time! Could someone recommend a good beginner type resort with a good chance of snow for that first week in January ? I have been told that Italy has more gentle and longer easy runs than most, could anyone please advise on a resort to look at. Many 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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Norfolkman, Corvara in the Dolomites would suit you very well and the region has very good snow making if necessary. Lots of recommendations here for Chalet Verena with Colletts
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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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Cortina.
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Pila? looks like alot of 'red' slopes on the piste map, but most would be graded blue elsewhere, slopeside accomodation and friendly locals!!
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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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Norfolkman, welcome to Snowheads.  It's a good week to go - lower prices, better chance of good snow than Christmas and New Year, fewer crowds.
Personally I would look for somewhere where your accommodation is very near lifts and ski school meeting place - which would definitely rule out Cortina. Pila (though I've not skied there) sounds a better bet.
There are loads of places in Austria and France which would suit you, too, with gentle runs. Maybe if you say a bit more about what you like, what sort of place, what sort of "apres ski" and - most important - what sort of budget you have, you will get plenty of suggestions.
You won't need to book early for that week, so you have plenty of time for planning.
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Hi, we are looking to spend around £2000 but this would be for travel, accommodation , ski passes, ski hire and some group lessons. We would prefer an apres scene geared more for adults than have loads of kids around. Thanks
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Just go high if booking in advance in case of poor snow. If you are fit and have been to plastic and indoor snow and know you like skiing then you could cut out 3 years of beginners resorts and go to Val d'Isere. IMO the king of French resorts it has everything, including enough teaching slopes to get you well under way and slopes to progress to..
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Since you're looking to fly out of Bristol, one obvious choice is to take the Easyjet flight on Saturday to Salzburg, from where the whole of Salburgerland opens up to you.
Saalbach is a good option. Plenty of nice easy blue runs up on the mountain (rather than down in the valley, although there are the usual beginner slopes there too), simple transfer from the airport to your accommodation with the Holiday Shuttle, good snow record and very extensive snow-making facilities as a back up, famously good apres, excellent ski schools, good value for money compared with France and as the Euro keeps falling, your £2000 will go even further.
Organising it yourself is no big hassle. For accommodation, look at HomeAway.co.uk for self-catering, or if you prefer catered or B&B look at Pension Enzian, Norika or Michaela, or send a request to the Tourist Office at Saalbach.com. Ski Miguel have a catered chalet in a good location if you want to go with a Tour Operator.
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one obvious choice is to take the Easyjet flight on Saturday to Salzburg
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it's certainly a good idea to book flights at this point, to one of the ski-friendly airports, and then think about accommodation much later. Then you won't need to "book high" if the snow is OK - if it's cold and snowy, high resorts are not the best bet.
Ideal "Apres" for you, is what? OK, adults, but do you mean 18 - 30 year old drunken "adults" and loud cheesy pop where you can dance on the tables in your ski boots or a bar where you can expect to have an adult conversation and not have to sidestep vomit on the pavement on the way home?
I've never been to Seefeld but I get the impression that it's a fairly sophisticated place and more the latter than the former. If you enjoyed that, it's possibly best to avoid the "famously good apres". 
Another big variable is how close you want to be to the skiing. If you're happy with a bus ride to the slopes, you have more choice, obviously.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, Saalbach's 'famously good apres' includes cheesy pop/dancing on tables (at the Hinterhag Alm, if that's your thing), live bands in Castello and Bauers, a quiet beer in Steiners, watching rugby/footy in Bobby's late on a Sunday afternoon, piano music in the Alpenhotel and much more besides. Pavement pizza's are thankfully a rarity
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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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Think the 18-30 days are behind us now as far as apres is concerned and don't fancy doing the sidestep over vomit on my way back to hotel ! Lol
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You know it makes sense.
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musher, yes, that's what I've always thought - better class of leisurely, moneyed, skier there.
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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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pam w,
You don't have much money left after a weeks skiing there with the family!
Still, very nice and a good resort to learn in. Some interesting routes down Rosshütte for the gnarlier ones in the family as well.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I was going to suggest Hotel Dragon in Cervinia with Inghams. It's literally 50m from the nearest lift, Cervinia is great for beginners as there are loads of long fairly gentle blue runs. Can get windy though, and if it does it can feel very cold. However, it seems that Inghams aren't offering flights into Turin from Bristol this year. I know they did last year as the couple we shared our table with for meals at the hotel flew in and out of Bristol.
We had some top up lessons while we were there and were very happy with the ski school.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Norfolkman, +1 for Pila speak to Carole at Pilaski.co.uk and she will sort you out. Not sure what flights you can get from there but if you can go to Turin then it is a quick transfer. Or go to Geneva for a 2.5hr drive.
Huge flat wide teaching area at the top of the resort lift structure so should be good for early snow. Great happy instructors too.
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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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Saalbach. Perfect for beginners, as it's very easy to find the right pistes to progress up the difficulty ladder without making the steps too big each time, and the Kohlmais area has loads of good easy runs.
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ZAuchensee in Salzburgland, Austria. 45-60 mins from the Airport. Good snow record, Nothing Scarey, good variety of Terrain.
SEnsibly priced, EXcellent ski school, ski in ski out convience, links to Flachau if you facy skiing a different hill.
http://www.holiday-pearls.at/en/
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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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Would anyone recommend passo tonale ???
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Norfolkman, went to Passo Tonale at Easter this year right on the end of their season. It has lots of easy runs (some of which weren't open as there was a lack of snow due to warm weather late in the season). With enough snow it would suit beginners very well. It also has a glacier, the top of which is easy to access and ski. The black run down from the glacier under the gondola is not overly difficult and (given the lack of snow) we saw plenty of snowploughers coming down it.
The town itself is certainly not your average Italian resort. It is a mountain pass town plain and simple. But it has a few bars and a couple of good pizza restaurants.
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