Need advice on Skiing / Snowboarding holiday please

[George]

Hi all, me and a friend are looking to go on a snowboarding / skiing holiday in February or March and are in need of advice.
 
I'm 24, my only real experience of skiing was a school trip when I was 16 in Saas Grund / Saas Fee in Switzerland. Since then I've only ski'd once which was this year at the Snowdome, but I picked it back up again fairly quickly and felt confident.
 
My friend is confident boarder and went two years ago to Tignes.
 
Our first questions relate to where and when. When I went on the school trip I remember the snow at Saas grund being quite 'icey', as if it had melted and frozen again, it wasn't the best to ski on. But when we moved up the mountain to Saas Fee it was far more powder like. This was in March and the weather was fantastic, very warm and sunny. We would like to try and achieve that balance again if possible.
 
Location wise Andorra had been mentioned due to theory of it being good value. We need flights, accommodation, ski/board hire and a lift pass. We are also looking for somewhere with a bit of night life, something to do in the evenings.
 
Apologies for my vagueness and lack of knowledge
 
Thanks
 
George

[Mk5 GTian]

I've always been skiing to Italy. Brilliant skiing, great food, crazy people and super-hot women!

Bardonecchia, Santa Caterina, Caspoggio, Aprica & Molveno are all fantastic, and in the Dolomites. Well worth taking a look, and cheaper than Austria, France & Switzerland.

[icenutter]

The choice can be overwhelming.  We normally end up getting a paper brochure, and a copy of 'where to ski and snowboard' then we are pretty ruthless with what we want. Then we go round in circles for a bit, but at the end you take a punt.

I think things are pretty competitive out there at the moment, so in my experience cost and quality are pretty closely matched.  One persons cheap is another persons nasty, expensive can be ponsy.  Staying in a chalet is normally quite a good deal as you normally get good food at reasonable prices.

We've gone to somewhere in France every year for the last 10 or so, I've never been skiing in Italy.  I can whole heartedly recommend Val d'Isere. There's a massive range of accommodation - from cheap self-catering, loads of chalets, to super swanky hotels.  What I like about it is that the town is 'real' - there are proper locals, decent bars and it looks good.  The slopes are quite varied too.  Its high too.

In my experience the lower the resort the poorer the snow.  Portes du Soleil, can be a bit hit an miss.  Significantly you might get lucky, or then again you might not.  I've even skied in a t-shirt in Meribel in February...

Just take a punt on somewhere, then when you know exactly what you want the resort will choose itself!

[Tamiyoman]

Personally I prefer Austria or Italy to French resorts (less busy and not much so need to sharpen your elbows at the lifts, the french cannot queue!), if your going in MArch I would go somewhere higher (Glacier resort) to ensure good snow.

Been to Val'D myself and it was good snowboarding altho it was full of Ra' Ra's (Daddy has a ferrari don't you know!), personally I preferred Tignes (Above Val'D in same valley), if your looking for awesome Apres ski Ischgl in Austria cannot be beaten by many places altho its expensive as there are more Russian Oligarch's there than there are in Courcheval (another place I would avoid as it's stupidly expensive and makes you laugh/cry whenever you get your bill, £20 each for a baguette and orange juice at lunchtime on mountain and this was 8 years ago!!).

If you want 3 valleys France (biggest ski area), try Meribel or Val Thorens if you want 3 valleys on a budget and are no fussed about amazing nightlife try Les Menuires or Val thorens, no nightlife at all try La Tania in 3 valleys.

Les Deux Alpes is also a good bet as it has large ski area and a glacier and nightlife is ok.

Italy both Sestriere and Sauze D'oulx are good (Been twice to Sauze and once to Sestriere)

I am going to Solden (Austria) this year for my 40th with 9 friends 

[majinvash]

Hi

What is your budget and can I guess that you intend to ski and not learn to board?

How good are you realistically on skis? When you say your friend is confident, again how confident?

There are many excellent resorts and I can recommend to the cows come home but if your ability is limited, you could end up paying a lot to have access to an amazing large area you will never use

Mat

[R32UK]

andorra was great! 

[George]

Thanks for the advice all!

Budget is around £600 to include half board accommodation, flights and ski pass - if this is even possible?

I can parallel ski, turn, stop etc fairly well. My friend only went snowboarding two years ago and he's confident enough.

I understand what you're saying Mat, I remember Saas Fee being a very good mix for all abilities, but I'd probably want somewhere larger?

Thanks,

George

[majinvash]

Its not impossible bud...  but if you want a snow sure large ski area, its a bit of an ask.

Bulgaria Borovets is a nice enough notive, intermediates resort.
As are most of the places in Andorra like Soldeu.
Lavinio in Italy is also pretty good.

They have a fairly good range of runs and have a cheap night life. And are cheap to get there and stay.

For a huge Ski area.

Your £600 if you take out 6 days riding pass at a more premier resort, you are left with pretty much £400 for flights, transfer and board. That is before the over priced food and drink.

I would recommend the following.

Les Arcs in France.
Stay at a Hostel, I only ever stay at www.loftbourg.com/ amazing place.
Buy all your food at the supermarket
Fly there and get transfer with Coolbus www.thecoolbus.co.uk/

Your looking at having paid about £170 to get there
Its 195 Euros for the week stay.
6 days lift pass is 263 Euros.
Budget 10 Euros a day for lunch or take a packed one.
Live off the Lidl Supermarket opposite the Loft, which is so cheap it will make you cry when you get home.
Party with all the Lofties every night.

That is probably the cheapest you will get a week at a decent French resort.

You wont be staying in Resort but its 5mins chair lift into the resort and has cheap beer and wine in the super markets.

In Les Arc 1800 you are looking 4-5euros a beer and shots ouch...
In Bourg St Maruice you are looking 1-3euros for a bottle of very easy to drink wine or a crate of beer.

I did a season there couple years back and spent 6 weeks there last year after I got back from my season in Utah.

Great mix of runs, the snow is usually pretty good. Even in bad years it holds the snow really well and its currently dumping out there.

Best resort personally for me in Europe is Avoriaz but that is a costly place to go play. With the port du soleil pass its a huge crazy area of fun :)

Alternately.. Look out for last minute catered chalet deals. If you can get one of them you are set... but they are around £700-1000 at the mo for decent large area resorts..

I am sure people will be able to find you cheaper places than I know but I tend to follow the snow and the runs.... I have been to some smaller resorts and been bored silly of them in a couple of days

Keep ESF out of the park

[George]

Wow, thanks for the comprehensive reply Mat, I'll take a more in depth read tonight.

Maybe something like this is a better idea, saving money with a last minute holiday and going the middle to end of this month:

http://www.igluski.com/saas-fee/chalet-hotel-ambassador_p20392?holidayid=41073940#

Includes flights and transfers and has good reviews on trip advisor.

I obviously need to do a lot more research and get a better understanding of what we want out of the trip.

My friend doesn't need to hire any gear, and he said he can go to £700 maximum for accommodation, flights, transfers and ski pass

What does ESF mean? 

[majinvash]

ESF - French Ski School .. Gapers always hang around on the landings or block the kickers



Never been to Saas Fee but if the snow is ok then yeah looks good. Catered Chalets are awesome and usually good enough to party in every night anyway. ( Although they usually have Wednesday or Thursday off, so budget in a restaurant meal as well ).

Just you really need to budget in the food and drink. If you want to get on it every night you need to easily budget for about £40-50 a night.. You will get so dicked in a resort bar its untrue

Don't forget you need to get ski holiday insurance and make sure it covers you for off piste. Even if you are not going back country, if you ride outside of the pisted runs and hurt yourself its technically off piste and you can end up being screwed by the insurance companies.

[George]

Are catered chalets just chalets with half board meals?

Great tip regarding the ski insurance,

Thanks for everyone's advice and patience, it's all helping us!

[majinvash]

Yeah pretty much.

Breakfast and dinner.

Usually cake and tea for when you arrive back from the slopes.

And as much wine as you can drink in the evening.

Plus you usually end up sitting with everyone else so its way more social than hotels.

[Tamiyoman]

Livigno in Italy has a 4 to 4.5hr coach transfer tho from memory?

[no golf clubs at all]

If you do go to Andorra pas de la casa check out the Font D'Argent Hotel.

We stayed there last Easter and it was way better than any we had stayed at before. Lost of places in pas are low standard catering for the very young. This is perfectly located and right next to all the nightlife.

Personally though I would not go back to Andorra due to the limited uplift but having now had 4 holidays there 3 guys only and 1 family I have done my dash there.

Meribel in the 3 vallies may be a good choice though if you are beginners it's a tough descent back home, courchevel (my once area of choice) is fooked due to ridiculously wealthy Russians its really no place for yer average Brit nowadays, tho we did stay in a good and superbly located hotel through inghams. Hotel Anemones.

St Anton, austria is a good mix of night life and great skiing.

Went to sestriere hotel du col last year have to say I loved it as prices were not stupid on the slopes for food. 3eu for two coffees on the slopes.

Go high is my main advice though. 2000m if you can.

[jedi-knight83]

Borovets in Bulgaria is sh*t! I wouldnt go there again if it was free!

Im actually off to Mayrhofen tomorrow for a week. Thats costing £640 all in (lift pass, flights, fully catered chalet accommodation with sauna etc. I booked for a whole group of people so got a bit of a discount.

If your after somewhere to party you cant do much better than st anton. Went there last year and its great. Good skiing and good apres.

Andorra is nice but if your in any of the towns other than pas de l casa then its a bit quiet at night. Its also hit and miss on snow I found as its so far south and not a very high resort. Went in feb once and ended up sun bathing.

Also avoid france... biggest problem with france... THE FRENCH... rude obnoxious people. Italy they are much more polite but then ive not been to an italian resort that has great night life.

Id say austria is your best bet.