Second time skiing - where to go?
Discussion
Right guys, went skiing for the first time last year and got bitten by the bug, now desperate to go back again. First experience was in Borovets, Bulgaria - not the most glamourous of places but it was incredibly cheap and had all we needed at the time.
Looking to book something up for next year now and we can be fairly flexible on dates between early January and the end of March, but the problem is we both work weekends and ideally want a Weds - Weds trip but all the package deals seem to be traveling on weekends.
So what are the options and tricks to finding the good deals? Book everything separately? Hire equipment in resort or book beforehand? Can you get lessons for second time skiers? Hotel or self catered chalet? Neither of us drink so all-in deals seem like a bit of a waste and we prefer to find our own restaurants or cook for ourselves anyway.
The girlfriend loved the tree lined winding slopes rather than wide open ones so where to go for more of that? Ideally under a 2hr transfer too.
Looking at all the websites is a bit overwhelming and we're not really sure where to be looking so I'm hoping some experienced skiiers will be along to point us in the right direction!
Looking to book something up for next year now and we can be fairly flexible on dates between early January and the end of March, but the problem is we both work weekends and ideally want a Weds - Weds trip but all the package deals seem to be traveling on weekends.
So what are the options and tricks to finding the good deals? Book everything separately? Hire equipment in resort or book beforehand? Can you get lessons for second time skiers? Hotel or self catered chalet? Neither of us drink so all-in deals seem like a bit of a waste and we prefer to find our own restaurants or cook for ourselves anyway.
The girlfriend loved the tree lined winding slopes rather than wide open ones so where to go for more of that? Ideally under a 2hr transfer too.
Looking at all the websites is a bit overwhelming and we're not really sure where to be looking so I'm hoping some experienced skiiers will be along to point us in the right direction!
Book it yourself.
For relatively cheap solution, fly to Geneva and get a seat in a transfer bus.
Head out to St Gervais, Les Gets or Contamines.
Alternatively, drive yourself.
Book a hotel direct. You might get lucky with a private apartment on Owners Direct or similar.
Lessons are certainly available for a second week skier.
For relatively cheap solution, fly to Geneva and get a seat in a transfer bus.
Head out to St Gervais, Les Gets or Contamines.
Alternatively, drive yourself.
Book a hotel direct. You might get lucky with a private apartment on Owners Direct or similar.
Lessons are certainly available for a second week skier.
Be prepared, the second week on skis is often the best one you'll ever have in terms of improvement!
We're doing four days in Morzine in February, google SkiMorzine, seemed plenty of flexibility in arrival/depart dates.
If you're not fussed about architecture, take a s/c apartment in Bellecote on the La Plagne area. Pig ugly but ski in/ski out, high altitude and tons of variety, looks cheap if you can keep off school holiday dates. Take the train to Bourg St Maurice from London, plenty of cheap transfters up the mountain if you don't fancy the fly or drive options.
Welcome to the 'got the bug' club!
We're doing four days in Morzine in February, google SkiMorzine, seemed plenty of flexibility in arrival/depart dates.
If you're not fussed about architecture, take a s/c apartment in Bellecote on the La Plagne area. Pig ugly but ski in/ski out, high altitude and tons of variety, looks cheap if you can keep off school holiday dates. Take the train to Bourg St Maurice from London, plenty of cheap transfters up the mountain if you don't fancy the fly or drive options.
Welcome to the 'got the bug' club!
When you consider most hotels in ski resorts make all their money during the ski season they don't like to have empty rooms so finding Wed-Wed is going to be tricky I would think.
Assuming the Wed-Wed idea was so you only take 1 weekend off work you could look at Mon-Mon if you book yourself.
1) Find accommodation that does Sun-Sun and book direct, letting them know you won't be arriving till Monday.
2) Either fly late (after work) Sun and stay in a cheap hotel Sunday night or fly early Monday morning and hire a car to drive to the resort.
3) Ski all week like everyone else, checking out of your accommodation Sunday morning and shoving everything in the hire car while you hit the slopes.
4) At the end of Sunday jump in the car and drive to another cheap over-night hotel before flying back some time Monday.
Assuming the Wed-Wed idea was so you only take 1 weekend off work you could look at Mon-Mon if you book yourself.
1) Find accommodation that does Sun-Sun and book direct, letting them know you won't be arriving till Monday.
2) Either fly late (after work) Sun and stay in a cheap hotel Sunday night or fly early Monday morning and hire a car to drive to the resort.
3) Ski all week like everyone else, checking out of your accommodation Sunday morning and shoving everything in the hire car while you hit the slopes.
4) At the end of Sunday jump in the car and drive to another cheap over-night hotel before flying back some time Monday.
You could try Falcade in Italy and stay at this place: http://www.panoramafalcade.it/ It is great value, well located (ski in and out) and the owners are really decent. The resort has plenty to keep you going and it is about a 1hr 30min drive from either Venice Marco Polo or Treviso airport.
Jan/ Feb are the best months. The resort is very quiet and you won't queue for more than 5 mins at peak times. I go there a lot and very, very rarely have to wait.
The town itself has some good restaurants but don't go there if you want a rowdy p1ss up.
Happy to help if you want more advice, I live an hour away from the resort.
Jan/ Feb are the best months. The resort is very quiet and you won't queue for more than 5 mins at peak times. I go there a lot and very, very rarely have to wait.
The town itself has some good restaurants but don't go there if you want a rowdy p1ss up.
Happy to help if you want more advice, I live an hour away from the resort.
I did a week in Megeve a few years ago. Really pretty place, plenty of tree lined routes. It is a little on the low side (altitude) but less than an hour from Geneva and the snow was great when we were there, also pretty quiet resort out of school holidays.
It is fairly pricey there though. Reason I bring it up is that we stayed in Chalet Sylvana with Stanford Ski and whilst we did Sunday-Sunday they do long weekends starting on Wednesdays etc. so may well entertain letting you stay Wednesday - Wednesday or similar. Worth a look anyway: http://www.stanfordskiing.co.uk
Onz
It is fairly pricey there though. Reason I bring it up is that we stayed in Chalet Sylvana with Stanford Ski and whilst we did Sunday-Sunday they do long weekends starting on Wednesdays etc. so may well entertain letting you stay Wednesday - Wednesday or similar. Worth a look anyway: http://www.stanfordskiing.co.uk
Onz
You thought about Bansko?
It's cheap tree lined narrow ish runs which is good
Or Austira have generally tree lined narrow runs which is to me much more pref to plateau.
That said plateau is also really nice skiing above clouds at times
Firstly set budget (Bulgaria is cheap and if you go elsewhere you will notice a big step up)
If your a newbie to skiing you want to get good ASAP why spend loads on pricy resorts when you can get good in cheaper resorts then fill yer boots in Val des etc. I'm not good enough yet but will go to other resorts once up to speed
It's cheap tree lined narrow ish runs which is good
Or Austira have generally tree lined narrow runs which is to me much more pref to plateau.
That said plateau is also really nice skiing above clouds at times
Firstly set budget (Bulgaria is cheap and if you go elsewhere you will notice a big step up)
If your a newbie to skiing you want to get good ASAP why spend loads on pricy resorts when you can get good in cheaper resorts then fill yer boots in Val des etc. I'm not good enough yet but will go to other resorts once up to speed
My usual advice would be wait until nearer the time, see what snow conditions are like and go then. Austria, France, Italy would all offer a 2nd week skier much choice and can be accessed via the budget air ways, you can book most things independently the only trouble I would see would be most English speaking ski lesson packages start and finish on the Saturdays.
Try Snowcoach. They own their own hotel near St Gervais. You can fly into Geneva 1hr transfer from hotel that they can arrange. Hotel is not in St Gervais so night life is limited. You can taxi though to St Gervais or down to the Casino. Hotel rooms are clean and warm but small and basic. Food is good English stews etc not Really French cooking. The advantage is that they have been flexible on start and finish days and they run their own resort buses to get you to ski school in time or on to the slopes. I must stress that they are a budget outfit but I would expect then to be slightly more polished than Bulgaria.
As to the St Gervais Megeve ski area. I know it very well and there are plenty of different runs to do of different levels
As to the St Gervais Megeve ski area. I know it very well and there are plenty of different runs to do of different levels
There are literally 1000's of resorts out there, many of which will keep you and the GF happy. It's your second week so you don't need 100's of KM's of piste, if your GF likes tree linned runs I'd point you in the direction of Austria, as the tree line is lower compared to places like France and Italy as it's further east. Transfers are well under 2 hours for most areas.
If you're going for a non Sat-Sat stay as suggested you're probably better off going DIY, you could look at one of the many resorts which are off the radar of the UK TO's and average punters to up your chances of getting a non-standard week (PM me if you want some suggestions).
If you're going for a non Sat-Sat stay as suggested you're probably better off going DIY, you could look at one of the many resorts which are off the radar of the UK TO's and average punters to up your chances of getting a non-standard week (PM me if you want some suggestions).
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff