Christmas sking for beginners - landing in Geneva
Discussion
I'm looking at taking the family skiing in Europe over the Christmas period. Leaving boxing day for a week and we fly to Geneva (BA Avios free flights). I'd hire a car and look to drive somewhere so looking for decent recommendations of guarantied snow so I'm assuming I'd have to go somewhere high, that wont cost the earth and is decent for the wide and daughter to learn as beginners.
Suggestions on resorts and accommodation would be greatly appreciated
Suggestions on resorts and accommodation would be greatly appreciated
France is pretty expensive and you'd be looking at the big three valleys stuff to get guaranteed snow. With recent years, it's still been thin on the ground at Christmas and there's artificial snow everywhere. Three Valleys is £££££ at Christmas - cheapest resort place would be les menuires. There's a few good little feeder resorts (St Martin du belleville / la tania) at the bottom of the mountains - I wouldn't guarantee you'd be able to ski down to them at that time of year though.
Might be better off going through the Mt Blanc tunnel into Italy where there's a load of suitable resorts (where a lot of the kids go these days for their school skiing). It'll be a helluva lot cheaper and you'll still get the same snow as France. Courmayeur would be a good place to start and if you've got a car, there's Pila and La Thuile available too.
Everything on the Italian side is cheaper - food on the slopes, kit hire, ski passes. France is bigger, but if you're beginners that won't matter.
Might be better off going through the Mt Blanc tunnel into Italy where there's a load of suitable resorts (where a lot of the kids go these days for their school skiing). It'll be a helluva lot cheaper and you'll still get the same snow as France. Courmayeur would be a good place to start and if you've got a car, there's Pila and La Thuile available too.
Everything on the Italian side is cheaper - food on the slopes, kit hire, ski passes. France is bigger, but if you're beginners that won't matter.
Your biggest issue is going to be your dates by the looks of it. The busiest weeks of the season are Christmas, New Years, and the Half Term block and if you're looking at a week from Boxing day that 7 nights Thurs/Thurs split across the 14 of the Christmas and New Years weeks. Most accomodation's going to be trying to fill the same beds for two full Sat/Sat weeks.
As for where to go, if this is your wife and daughters first week skiing screw "guaranteed snow" and focus on "painless, fun, and enjoyable" as that's what will lead to this being the first ski trip of many vs. refusals to ever go again. And for beginners snow quality makes very little difference.
Avoriaz would be my suggestion.
As for where to go, if this is your wife and daughters first week skiing screw "guaranteed snow" and focus on "painless, fun, and enjoyable" as that's what will lead to this being the first ski trip of many vs. refusals to ever go again. And for beginners snow quality makes very little difference.
Avoriaz would be my suggestion.
Tindersticks said:
Geneva airport is f
king mental over the Xmas break. As others have said Christmas skiing + not spending the earth don’t go together. If there is good snow the locals will be out in force as early snow is rarer and rarer. You will need to go high ish. Flaine might be an option.
Flaine is a good shout - self catering apartments at le pierre vacances. And it's one big bowl, so different classes / abilities can all finish up at their respective end times and meet up where the tennis court / black grouse / main lifts location is. king mental over the Xmas break. As others have said Christmas skiing + not spending the earth don’t go together. If there is good snow the locals will be out in force as early snow is rarer and rarer. You will need to go high ish. Flaine might be an option. Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff