Ski Stag holiday

[andrew311]

Looking at doing a Ski Stag holiday late March next year for around 12 people. We'll have a variety of skiers from advanced down to first timers. My hope is the first timers will get some time in an indoor slope before we go so they can get on with it straight away rather than spending a day or two being taught how to put their skis on etc.

I've been to many of the French resorts and wouldn't say that the apres ski is good enough for a group of lads on a stag do so have ruled France out all together (tends to be mega expensive too) I've been to Andorra, Italy and a couple of the quieter Austrian resorts but asking about Austria seems the place to go for a good balance between skiing and pubs/clubs.

Any suggestions of resorts or any other advice form anyone who has done similar.

[Richieboy3008]

Try here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayrhofen

[andrew311]

Richieboy3008 said:

Try here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayrhofen

Will have a look into the snow record/alt. If it were souly up to me St. Anton looks good but seems to be little in the way for beginners.

[chip*]

Mayrhofen is over rated IMO. If you like queuing in the morning, busy piste and queuing again at the end of the day... Went to ZAZ (hop on free train)for a few days and it was much more civilised. Late March will be slush city at the base of the mountains so the higher the (resort) altitude the better.

[VEA]

St Anton /Verbier every time... cracking night life and plenty of... well you know to look at!

[Simon Brooks]

Have a look at Canada if you want to do something to remember, some great deals to be had if you look around

[maser_spyder]

Kitzbuehel.

But then I'm biased.

[andrew311]

Simon Brooks said:

Have a look at Canada if you want to do something to remember, some great deals to be had if you look around

Would love to go to Canada but I can't see the majority of the lads wanting to stump up the cash for a stag do.

[The_Doc]

maser_spyder said:

Kitzbuehel.

But then I'm biased.

Why, do you own it?

[j4ckos mate]

A couple of miles away from kitz, is ST johann,
equally lovely, and last time i went there was a brewery there, that had an octoberfest sort of thing upstairs,

i think it was zipfer beer i think??


if you get bored you can always go to Kitz

[andy ted]

I haven't been myself but I would be looking at Ischgl I think (as every stag do needs a strip club!)

St Anton has been toned down somewhat and a few of the good bars have gone. Saying that I think the moosewirt has a hotel now so it can't be all bad.

Else Verbier would also be good.

[maser_spyder]

The_Doc said:

maser_spyder said:

Kitzbuehel.

But then I'm biased.

Why, do you own it?

Not all of it, no.

[WreckedGecko]

I have had a few good lads holidays in Chamonix, but then from my perspective the best skiing there is all off piste so the beginner stuff might be a bit rubbish.

Good bars, lots of girls and strippers. What more do you need?

[ClaphamGT3]

Have had great boys week-ends in St Anton & Verbier. You can also get some amazing deals at the beginning/end of the season in Val Thorens (late March may count) - go to http://www.hotel3vallees.com

I also had an absolute blinder of a stag weekend in March in Bad Gastein in Austria. Would thoroughly recommend it

[Beardy10]

Chamonix is sausage fest in my opinion...and not a particularly nice town and the skiing is split up into three or four areas which are bus rides apart from each other. The advanced/off piste guys will want to be in a completely different place to the beginners. There will be no lunchtime meets etc.

Verbier is brilliant but will be expensive with the Swiss Franc at these rates.....having said that if a jobs worth doing do it properly. Great skiing, nice town, great bars and clubs and more ladies than I have seen in any other ski resort.

This is a video clip from one of the main apres ski bar in Verbier....

http://www.yellowmike.com/Verbierjanfeb06.wmv

That bar goes nuts every night between 5pm and 8pm....straight off the mountain in there for three hours, back to your hotel...change out of ski gear and then go out again. Job done!

[andrew311]

Had a good look over the past few days and a few mentioned are ruled out through either lack of stuff for beginners or low altitude at that time of year makes me nervous. Ischgl is just too expensive in terms of accomadation as is Verbier. Trying to get flights and accomadation for as close to £500 as I can so by time passes and kit hire goes on for those who need it it doesn't get much more expensive then £700. St Anton for a catered chalet with flights is about £550 which seems the best of the snow sure places that have decent nightlife.

A few companies do shorter breaks so may call round and see what the prices are like for 4/5nts. France is cheaper but I don't think the nighlife will measure up, seeing good prices for Tignes and Deux Alps but not stayed in any of the villages around Tignes so can't comment on nightlife.

[maser_spyder]

andrew311 said:

Had a good look over the past few days and a few mentioned are ruled out through either lack of stuff for beginners or low altitude at that time of year makes me nervous. Ischgl is just too expensive in terms of accomadation as is Verbier. Trying to get flights and accomadation for as close to £500 as I can so by time passes and kit hire goes on for those who need it it doesn't get much more expensive then £700. St Anton for a catered chalet with flights is about £550 which seems the best of the snow sure places that have decent nightlife.

A few companies do shorter breaks so may call round and see what the prices are like for 4/5nts. France is cheaper but I don't think the nighlife will measure up, seeing good prices for Tignes and Deux Alps but not stayed in any of the villages around Tignes so can't comment on nightlife.

Be careful with France. Accommodation is normally always cheap (and you get what you pay for) but beer is ridiculously expensive. Exact opposite to Austria, where accommodation is relatively expensive (and almost always excellent), but food and drink is stupidly cheap.

Are you looking at package tours? Or have you been looking at flights/hotels separately?

For 4/5 days you might get France cheaper, but not Austria, where hotels are traditionally booked for 7 nights, Saturday to Saturday. Booking less will just mean you're paying for the extra two nights anyway.

Actually, I organised a ski trip stag about four years ago, and ended up taking 11 chaps to Chamonix. I managed to do four nights for £200 each plus kit hire and lift pass. Actually, the apartment was ours for the week (worked out £7 per night each ), but the going out prices I knew would be expensive.

Plus side of a short Cham trip, very cheap flights to Geneva, relatively short and easy transfer (1 hour, 15 euros with Alpybus), and lots of cheap (crap) apartments to rent. Not my favourite place though, and I agree with the above about not being the best for mixed ability groups. For just a couple of days though, it's hard to beat for ease....

[andrew311]

maser_spyder said:

Be careful with France. Accommodation is normally always cheap (and you get what you pay for) but beer is ridiculously expensive. Exact opposite to Austria, where accommodation is relatively expensive (and almost always excellent), but food and drink is stupidly cheap.

Are you looking at package tours? Or have you been looking at flights/hotels separately?

For 4/5 days you might get France cheaper, but not Austria, where hotels are traditionally booked for 7 nights, Saturday to Saturday. Booking less will just mean you're paying for the extra two nights anyway.

Actually, I organised a ski trip stag about four years ago, and ended up taking 11 chaps to Chamonix. I managed to do four nights for £200 each plus kit hire and lift pass. Actually, the apartment was ours for the week (worked out £7 per night each ), but the going out prices I knew would be expensive.

Plus side of a short Cham trip, very cheap flights to Geneva, relatively short and easy transfer (1 hour, 15 euros with Alpybus), and lots of cheap (crap) apartments to rent. Not my favourite place though, and I agree with the above about not being the best for mixed ability groups. For just a couple of days though, it's hard to beat for ease....

I had been looking at DIY based around a flight into Geneva which was a very cheap £40 pp. But what pulls it back for the tour companies is the offeres on lift passes i.e. 2 for 1 offers and it makes it cheaper than I can do DIY (for a catered chalet anyhow). I know Austria will be cheaper when we get there, and much better nighlife just need to convince people that paying more up front initially is the way to go.

90% of people are up for a full week but I may make enquries into how much it would cost for 3-5nts just to compare. I don't expect it will be much cheaper than a week as you say.

[andrew311]

maser_spyder said:

(worked out £7 per night each)

Can you let me know where you found the 7 quid a night accom?

Cheers

[maser_spyder]

andrew311 said:

maser_spyder said:

(worked out £7 per night each)

Can you let me know where you found the 7 quid a night accom?

Cheers

Apologies for the late reply.

I did a load of googling, and found a privately let, fairly clean and tidy (but ultimately crappy) apartment that slept 12 for 550-odd Euros per week.

It was a sort of duplex thing, and basically like a big dormitory apartment. We split the 550 EUR 12 ways, came to 46 EUR each per week (less than 7 EUR per night). Actually, some stayed 2 nights, others 4 nights, but we kept that as the 46 each, regardless. So admittedly, some people paid the princely sum of 23 Euros per night (but they could have stayed the week for the same).

I guess 'chamonix apartment let' or similar will eventually find you something?

I'd have a look for the one we rented, but it's about four years ago, and I don't even have the laptop any more, let alone the email address I sent the enquiry from.

Anyway, there are hundreds of apartments like this in Chamonix Sud (actually, quite literally thousands), a good night of googling should find you something.