Discussion
Had a phone call last night from my mates misses asking if I could arrange a skiing trip as a suprise for his birthday in December.
But seeing as I've only skied a couple of times at my local ski centre I don't know about where's good to go skiing.
There will be a few of us going and most of us are skiing novices but as long as there's plenty of ale I'm sure we'll be ok, not looking for anything pricey because my friends who are going have three kids and it's close to Christmas, just somewhere lively where we can have a good laugh. The date we are going is the 10 December.
Any help appericated thanks!
But seeing as I've only skied a couple of times at my local ski centre I don't know about where's good to go skiing.
There will be a few of us going and most of us are skiing novices but as long as there's plenty of ale I'm sure we'll be ok, not looking for anything pricey because my friends who are going have three kids and it's close to Christmas, just somewhere lively where we can have a good laugh. The date we are going is the 10 December.
Any help appericated thanks!
Nimbus said:
10th December..
Your main limitation is going to be where there is actually a decent amount of snow, and a resort with its lifts open.. thats fairly early in the europeans season...
Be cheap tho
Tignes, Val Thorens, Deux Alps would be the kind of place I'd head for..
I'd agree that France is probably your best bet. It's always a bit of a gamble going in Dec, but if it's anything like W09.10 then you'll be fine! Most of the lifts in the major resorts should be open by this time. Alpe d'Huez and Val d'Isere could be worth a look tooYour main limitation is going to be where there is actually a decent amount of snow, and a resort with its lifts open.. thats fairly early in the europeans season...
Be cheap tho
Tignes, Val Thorens, Deux Alps would be the kind of place I'd head for..
Unfortunately France is pretty pricey, especially with the Euro conversion rate. Just a lift pass at somewhere like Tignes is over 200 euros for 6 days now, ski/boot hire 100 euros, 150 euros on 6 mornings tuition. And that's without flights, accommodation and transfers. Can easily spend 10 euros each on lunch, 20+ on dinner.
If it's on a budget then self-catered apartments are worth a look - but bear in mind that the numbers of guests will include convertible sofas or fold-out beds. An apartment for 8 will normally have three bedrooms, with a couple of people sleeping in the lounge. Can save a lot of money though if you don't mind cooking, and if you're staying near the slopes you can return for lunch too - we'd grab some baguettes in the morning and stock up on cheese, ham and salami from the supermarket rather than pay 8 euros or more in a cafe. If you're realistically not going to cook every night then catered chalets can work out pretty well instead.
Andorra, Bulgaria, Slovenia may work out cheaper and having smaller, less challenging ski areas isn't an issue if you're beginners.
That date could be a bit tricky too - resorts will be opening up around that time but usually the first proper week (where flights and accomodation are in full swing) is the week after.
If it's on a budget then self-catered apartments are worth a look - but bear in mind that the numbers of guests will include convertible sofas or fold-out beds. An apartment for 8 will normally have three bedrooms, with a couple of people sleeping in the lounge. Can save a lot of money though if you don't mind cooking, and if you're staying near the slopes you can return for lunch too - we'd grab some baguettes in the morning and stock up on cheese, ham and salami from the supermarket rather than pay 8 euros or more in a cafe. If you're realistically not going to cook every night then catered chalets can work out pretty well instead.
Andorra, Bulgaria, Slovenia may work out cheaper and having smaller, less challenging ski areas isn't an issue if you're beginners.
That date could be a bit tricky too - resorts will be opening up around that time but usually the first proper week (where flights and accomodation are in full swing) is the week after.
Here's some bumff from a snow report that I get emailed to me. It'll give you an idea of some of the Austrian / Swiss / Italian high altitude resorts that you could also try out ....
In the Alps, Tignes will re-open its glacier at the weekend, all being well, after less than a month since it ended its summer snow season. The resort will be open through to next May and for the next two month will, with the exception of a brief opening of Les 2 Alpes in late October and the indoor snow centre in Amneville, be the only area open in the country.
Six glacier ski areas are now open in Austria after the Stubai and Kaunertal glaciers joined already open Hintertux, Sölden, Mölltal and Pitztal glaciers at the weekend. The Dachstein and Kitzsteinhorn Glaciers remain unexpectedly closed, although the latter has a 42cm (17 inch) base.
In Switzerland it’s still either Saas Fee or Zermatt with a metre to 150cm lying and terrain parks open. It’s still a few more weeks until the glaciers of St Moritz, Gstaad and Engelberg join the party.
In Italy Val Senales still has a metre base, it received 5cm (two inches) of new snow on Saturday to freshen up its slopes
In the Alps, Tignes will re-open its glacier at the weekend, all being well, after less than a month since it ended its summer snow season. The resort will be open through to next May and for the next two month will, with the exception of a brief opening of Les 2 Alpes in late October and the indoor snow centre in Amneville, be the only area open in the country.
Six glacier ski areas are now open in Austria after the Stubai and Kaunertal glaciers joined already open Hintertux, Sölden, Mölltal and Pitztal glaciers at the weekend. The Dachstein and Kitzsteinhorn Glaciers remain unexpectedly closed, although the latter has a 42cm (17 inch) base.
In Switzerland it’s still either Saas Fee or Zermatt with a metre to 150cm lying and terrain parks open. It’s still a few more weeks until the glaciers of St Moritz, Gstaad and Engelberg join the party.
In Italy Val Senales still has a metre base, it received 5cm (two inches) of new snow on Saturday to freshen up its slopes
johna said:
I forgot to mention that it whould be a long weekend that we are going for.
In which case... I'd book an easyjet type flight to Geneva asap while they are cheap. (ie as soon as they are on sale..)
Also book a hirecar.. now...
Then decide on the resort literally the day you fly out, that way you know you'll get decent snow.. and it will be open..
Turn up in resort on spec, and go round the local hotels to get a cheap place to stay, they will have room...then hit the bars
The resorts will be pretty quiet ( often dead as the locals go home as soon as skiing is over..), but you will get accomodation, and it'll be cheap.
I've done this for many years, and never had a problem getting accomodation, tho if you are a big group you may end up staying in different hotels..
Only stopped, because the era of genuinely £20 'disposable' flights has gone, so booking 3 weekends in a row, and then only using them if the snow was definetly good, was no longer financially sensible.
In the old days, ( 3-5 years ago ), car parking at the airport was more expensive than the plane ticket, so if skiing wasnt going to be good, it was cheaper to write the tickets off than use them).
Basically, for a long weekend, where you are tied to the date... book the plane tickets asap, and be flexible which resort you are going to.. Its the snow that counts, and Geneva gives you the biggest 'target area'.. Val Thorens/Tignes etc is all within an easy 3 hours drive.
The advice about booking flights and car hire now and then turning up on spec/booking a few days before is pretty good. You could probably get a good deal on an chalet/apartment if you book in the few days before you go. You need somewhere where the skiing is at a decent altitude. I'd have a look at Verbier too...it's a dead easy two hour drive from Geneva (all motorway bar the last bit up the mountain) and all the skiing is above 1500m (and what you want is above 2000m) . They have a nice area of blue runs at the top of the lift system for beginners. Great place for beers but it will be quiet.....like France it'll be expensive. High resorts tend to be expensive because they have the best skiing......
If you are booking flights early then look at 'proper' airlines, too. When I flew to Geneva in Feb SWISS were a third cheaper than Sleazyjet and for that you got a proper service, with checked luggage, 8kg in-cabin and one other hand luggage item. If we could have flow a couple of days earlier, it would have been £75 return, all in.
Ive had a wicked weekend skiing in Santa Caterina. Its 1800m so you should be snow sure, and flights can be had quite decently to Milan. As this is piston heads, the route back to the airport also coincides nicely with a trip to Monza. Beautiful.
You could also try somewhere like Avoriaz. Plenty high enough and lively too. Other resorts I would have mentioned have already been listed. The idea of a geneva flight and see where is good closer to the time is a good idea, as early December snow can be sporadic
You could, of course, head to somewhere like Sweeden or Norway. Pretty much guaranteed some of the white stuff. Have heard thescenery women are nice to look at too...
You could also try somewhere like Avoriaz. Plenty high enough and lively too. Other resorts I would have mentioned have already been listed. The idea of a geneva flight and see where is good closer to the time is a good idea, as early December snow can be sporadic
You could, of course, head to somewhere like Sweeden or Norway. Pretty much guaranteed some of the white stuff. Have heard the
For a long weekend, Chamonix.
Cheap flights to Geneva, and it's an hour up the road.
Loads of apartments in town, so that should be easy.
It's a concrete hole, but it has good mountains, and loads of places to eat/drink, etc. Not the cheapest resort, and certainly not the prettiest, but it's very easy to get to and home again.
Cheap flights to Geneva, and it's an hour up the road.
Loads of apartments in town, so that should be easy.
It's a concrete hole, but it has good mountains, and loads of places to eat/drink, etc. Not the cheapest resort, and certainly not the prettiest, but it's very easy to get to and home again.
We did the Geneva/Easyjet thing last year the week before Christmas 2009. We stayed from Weds-Sunday in Morzine/Avoriaz/ The snow was great, but very cold.
Not my favourite resort but had a great chalet, good hearty food and staff who drove us everywhere in their minibus, and also did some really helpful ski guiding. Lots of snow (we had to stay a night a Geneva airport on the way home because it was the weekend the UK got snowed in before Xmas).
Get in touch with these guys, they do great early season deals and short breaks.
http://www.reach4thealps.com/Winter/home.php
Not my favourite resort but had a great chalet, good hearty food and staff who drove us everywhere in their minibus, and also did some really helpful ski guiding. Lots of snow (we had to stay a night a Geneva airport on the way home because it was the weekend the UK got snowed in before Xmas).
Get in touch with these guys, they do great early season deals and short breaks.
http://www.reach4thealps.com/Winter/home.php
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