Ski resort information websites - which are the best?

A snowHead

In my experience, the sites that come up first on a Google search tend to be ones like On the Snow, J2Ski, Snowforecast etc.
I expect there are loads more. One lesser known site that I quite like is Berfex. Their information seems to be presented more clearly and completely.
On the Snow seems pretty comprehensive and frequently updated. Snow Forecast has good maps (including tons of obscure resorts), and I think J2Ski's travel info is particularly good.
Are there any more obscure ones that you'd recommend?
Also, any more pros and cons of the ones I've listed above?
All thoughts/info appreciated.
Thanks.
Neil Neige

A snowHead

I've used www.ifyouski.com quite a bit.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Did you mean Bergfex? I agree if its Austria your travelling to but often they don't show you the cheapest tickets for lifts. List price for 5 days is often more expensive than for 6? For one trip it was 155 euros for 5 days but if you bought a 6 day pass it was 115 euros, go figure. Very Happy

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Hmmm, I'm not sure I would trust any ski resort information website where they have never visited the resort. Most of them just buy basic information from a single database. Most of them are crap to be honest. J2Ski has the distance from airport thing that is quite useful. Skinets have some people in resort and is run by ex-reps so they know useful stuff.

I would sooner trust a crowdsource place like snowheads where you will at least find one or three people who have been to all but the most obscure resorts.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

ifyouski.com doesn't seem very accurate (just looking at some places I know). People would be much better off looking at the resort's own websites.

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Thanks pam w, worth knowing that Sad

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

pam w,

After all it is free

NickyJ, Bergfex is extremely accurate in terms of summarising the information just about any where in the Alps. It may be less well-known in the UK but over here it is seen as pretty well the best initial resource. But asking here once you have some idea of where you might go is probably a good idea as this place is definitely unbiased, especially if you take those praising the places to high heaven who have a link to accommodation in said resort with a pinch of salt! wink

Joking aside, I've read far more accurate, warts and all type reports, here giving really good feedback. OK there are always a few who have extreme views one way or the other but on the whole I think you can get a pretty good idea of what you are looking for by summarizing all the pros and cons listed.

Ifyouski is a sales site dressed up as an unbiased info site. J2Ski is not that comprehensive resortwise, and does not check their facts too well. SnowForecast just regurgitates whatever the tourist offices send them. They all have info that is of interest but all of them really need to be taken as being less than gospel! wink

As above, Bergfex. And some site called snowheads (if you ignore the occasional "oversight" where some people forget that the Alps do extend beyond the Montreux-Martigny valley).

J2Ski used to be handy for potential powder alerts. Get an email reminder on a Wednesday - handy for those of us that can decide on a Wednesday afternoon to go skiing at the weekend, but live far enough away that booking a hotel is necessary, rather than sneaking in an early morning day trip. Unfortunately, by last year those powder alerts were arriving on a Friday morning, so not so useful.

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Neil Neige, Best site is snowHeads for some resorts - just put up a question about Les Arcs or La Rosiere

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I quite like http://welove2ski.com/

snow reports

kieranm, while they all have years of experience, they have to be some of the biggest free holiday grabbers in the business. I've never read a negative review from any of them. Peter Hardy has to be one of the biggest posers in the business and his reviews in the DT have me in fits of laughter - reality check, no never on his shift m'dears! Laughing

There is no one killer site.

Best to use a halfdozen or so.

You know it makes sense.

Samerberg Sue: yes I can see what you mean, but I quite like a bit of positivity and enthusiasm. Can't say I've read any of the Telegraph stuff.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Surprised nobody has mentioned skiinfo.com. they license their data on ski resorts to most of the above named sites and also publish their own news, forums etc.

A snowHead

There are some good one resort sites out there, of particular note is www.latania.co.uk

A snowHead

As a DIY independent skier I for one would vote Bergfex.com the best.

It tell me (most of the time) :

(1) Link page to the resort's official web page. Thus the word from the horse's mouth too.
(2) Location (important to DIY who will have an interest to know how to get there)
(3) Piste map (my main selection criterion)
(4) Ski pass cost (for budgeting)
(5) Accommodation information (if I want to pursue) from staying in a cow shed with only running water to 5 stars hotels. Selection to fit all pockets and able to stay any number of nights.
(6) Resorts in the same area, same region or same county (DIY skier wants option of visiting neighbouring resorts as the resort with accommodation may not the real resort targeted, staying in Cervinia to ski Zermatt, Abdelboden to ski Staad, Arabba to ski Cortina d'Ampezzo ..... etc)
(7) Possibly mainly created for Austrian, Swiss, Italian and German resorts but now have France and Slovenia
( Cool

Every resort big, small, medium, cheap, expensive ... and not just those the TO haing connections and able to maximize the profit
(9) The top 10 most popular choices (where the majority Bergfex users are going, not necessarily the best but the choices of the many experienced European skiers)
(10) The web site seems to be interested in establishing the data base accurately rather than getting money from the users. Accommodation is always arranged by the user with the accommodation provider and not with Bergfex. I don't always use its listed accommodations but the choices are representative of the competitive market and definitely good for checking with hotel providers. I was surprised by the standard of the listed accommodations in Bergfex as sometimes I just booked the cheapest like, 25 Euro per head B&B, with free parking and within 5 minute walk to chairlift, turned up and couldn't find anything to complain (usually the case with the Austrian and Italian).
(11) Many resort choices offered by the TO are usually the ones I should avoid as they are small, poorly equipped, out of the way and not representative of the Alpine skiing experience.

I have no idea how Bergfex makes from money from but it has been the most reliable source of information and accommodations in my years of Alpine skiing visits.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Bergfex is OK for factual information, though its treatment of linked areas is inconsistent - some resorts within linked areas are listed as having just the local pistes, some in the same areas as having the whole lot. But as long as people go through to the resort information pages, and read the things intelligently, they can get what they want.

But for the few resorts I looked up, which I know, the brief "description" is pretty hopeless - just from the resorts' own blurb, by the look of it. Wholly uncritical.

I've only noticed a few instances of people with accommodation to sell relentlessly pimping their own areas - one in France, one in Austria. wink

It becomes counter-productive. On the whole, I think snowheads is the best source of info, provided people read a range of views. But to get the best out of snowheads you need to ask specific questions, identify what's most important, and least important, for you.

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Limited area but loads of info:
http://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/en

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Many thanks for these responses - yes, Bergfex was what I meant! Seems to be the preferred website, Snowheads aside (although I wouldn't group Snowheads in this category).
It looks like Snow Forecast is the only one to include the English resorts so guess it might have a more comprehensive list than the others.
Also, what to people think of the ski resort info parts bits on the Where to Ski and Snowboard site (http://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/resorts/), and the Ski Club of Great Britain's (http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/default.aspx)?

Help!!

Ski resort information websites - which are the best?

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