Skiing over new year
Discussion
I'm looking to take the wife skiing for her 30th birthday (which just happens to fall on new years eve) and I am trying to work our what sort of area / resort would suit us best.
I am looking for somewhere fun, friendly and reasonably lively, although I haven't got a fortune to spend (there's a recession don't you know!). I also don't want to end up in the magaluf of ski resorts.
We went skiing in Austria earlier this year and loved it, although it seemed to cater almost exclusively to the German's. We'd like to try somewhere a bit different, namely France, Italy or Andorra.
Anyone been on a skiing trip over new years and got any feedback or advice? Andorra's reasonable but is that the sort of area I should be looking to avoid? Should I be worried about snow (or lack of) in late December?
Any advice / opinion are much appreciated.
I am looking for somewhere fun, friendly and reasonably lively, although I haven't got a fortune to spend (there's a recession don't you know!). I also don't want to end up in the magaluf of ski resorts.
We went skiing in Austria earlier this year and loved it, although it seemed to cater almost exclusively to the German's. We'd like to try somewhere a bit different, namely France, Italy or Andorra.
Anyone been on a skiing trip over new years and got any feedback or advice? Andorra's reasonable but is that the sort of area I should be looking to avoid? Should I be worried about snow (or lack of) in late December?
Any advice / opinion are much appreciated.
Stigmundfreud said:
Scotland, you'll at least be able to understand them
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/scots/index.htmGo to Switzerland if you want to find good English speakers
e: To contribute I went to Tignes and it was pretty good skiing, with the glacier you've always got options even if the weather doesn't turn out great.
Edited by john_p on Thursday 13th November 20:36
You're right about being concerned about lack of snow - you need to go high. Andorra is unlikely to be high enough, which is a shame because it's a cracking bunch of resorts and relatively cheap to enjoy yourself there.
Two suggestions - either go fully catered in a chalet and hope you're with a nice bunch. That way you'll have covered virtually all of the costs before you go as you'll only have to buy lunch. If you help yourself to the breakfast table, you can easily take lunch with you, especially if you buy a small unbreakable flask and fill it with cup a soups. Most fully catered chalets let the staff have a night off once a week, so you'll have to buy dinner out once.
The other suggestion is to go self catered and take as much food as you can over with you and buy drink from lidl for the evenings...
Cheapest high resorts - check out les menuires in the three valleys in france. It's a grim resort, but part of the best skiing area in europe and it's high. If there's snow anywhere, it should be here (although zermatt was very good last year!). Another few high but cheap resorts are places like flaine and les plagnes. Flaine has bauhaus accommodation, but they all look ok covered with snow. And you can get there in less than 90 mins from geneva, which also means that you can hit the duty free and by sleazy jet. La Plagne is pretty high and very large, as well as having a glacier there for the worst scenarios.
In austria, zel am zee might not be a bad choice - there's a glacier there, so there's always some guaranteed skiing.
There'll be a few other suggestions from everyone else - I can't speak for the swiss resorts. If you want guaranteed snow, you'll need to go to the US or Canada, but you'll probably get altitude sickness and it'll cost you a fortune.
Two suggestions - either go fully catered in a chalet and hope you're with a nice bunch. That way you'll have covered virtually all of the costs before you go as you'll only have to buy lunch. If you help yourself to the breakfast table, you can easily take lunch with you, especially if you buy a small unbreakable flask and fill it with cup a soups. Most fully catered chalets let the staff have a night off once a week, so you'll have to buy dinner out once.
The other suggestion is to go self catered and take as much food as you can over with you and buy drink from lidl for the evenings...
Cheapest high resorts - check out les menuires in the three valleys in france. It's a grim resort, but part of the best skiing area in europe and it's high. If there's snow anywhere, it should be here (although zermatt was very good last year!). Another few high but cheap resorts are places like flaine and les plagnes. Flaine has bauhaus accommodation, but they all look ok covered with snow. And you can get there in less than 90 mins from geneva, which also means that you can hit the duty free and by sleazy jet. La Plagne is pretty high and very large, as well as having a glacier there for the worst scenarios.
In austria, zel am zee might not be a bad choice - there's a glacier there, so there's always some guaranteed skiing.
There'll be a few other suggestions from everyone else - I can't speak for the swiss resorts. If you want guaranteed snow, you'll need to go to the US or Canada, but you'll probably get altitude sickness and it'll cost you a fortune.
last time I went to Austria ( St Anton ) it seemed to cater almost entirely for Ausies & Kiwis! Great fun though, and the 1st week in Jan is a great time to go if you can hang on till then - dirt cheap & V quite on the slopes.
If you would like to go to France I can recommend La Tania for being nice & cosy, but with access to the huge 3 valleys area ( but without the Britain-in-the-alps feeling of Meribel ) .
If you would like to go to France I can recommend La Tania for being nice & cosy, but with access to the huge 3 valleys area ( but without the Britain-in-the-alps feeling of Meribel ) .
You are 100% guaranteed snow in Finland/Lapland. I've been there the last 3 years just before Christmas and there has always been snow. It has been as cold as -18 and as warm as 0 Celcius. It's good if you're a beginner/intermediate, but there aren't that many challenging runs, so you might get a bit bored by day 6/7.
wadgebeast said:
You're right about being concerned about lack of snow - you need to go high. Andorra is unlikely to be high enough, which is a shame because it's a cracking bunch of resorts and relatively cheap to enjoy yourself there.
Two suggestions - either go fully catered in a chalet and hope you're with a nice bunch. That way you'll have covered virtually all of the costs before you go as you'll only have to buy lunch. If you help yourself to the breakfast table, you can easily take lunch with you, especially if you buy a small unbreakable flask and fill it with cup a soups. Most fully catered chalets let the staff have a night off once a week, so you'll have to buy dinner out once.
The other suggestion is to go self catered and take as much food as you can over with you and buy drink from lidl for the evenings...
Cheapest high resorts - check out les menuires in the three valleys in france. It's a grim resort, but part of the best skiing area in europe and it's high. If there's snow anywhere, it should be here (although zermatt was very good last year!). Another few high but cheap resorts are places like flaine and les plagnes. Flaine has bauhaus accommodation, but they all look ok covered with snow. And you can get there in less than 90 mins from geneva, which also means that you can hit the duty free and by sleazy jet. La Plagne is pretty high and very large, as well as having a glacier there for the worst scenarios.
In austria, zel am zee might not be a bad choice - there's a glacier there, so there's always some guaranteed skiing.
There'll be a few other suggestions from everyone else - I can't speak for the swiss resorts. If you want guaranteed snow, you'll need to go to the US or Canada, but you'll probably get altitude sickness and it'll cost you a fortune.
I'll agree with this, already snow there and the mountains are really good. Definitely put it on your list.Two suggestions - either go fully catered in a chalet and hope you're with a nice bunch. That way you'll have covered virtually all of the costs before you go as you'll only have to buy lunch. If you help yourself to the breakfast table, you can easily take lunch with you, especially if you buy a small unbreakable flask and fill it with cup a soups. Most fully catered chalets let the staff have a night off once a week, so you'll have to buy dinner out once.
The other suggestion is to go self catered and take as much food as you can over with you and buy drink from lidl for the evenings...
Cheapest high resorts - check out les menuires in the three valleys in france. It's a grim resort, but part of the best skiing area in europe and it's high. If there's snow anywhere, it should be here (although zermatt was very good last year!). Another few high but cheap resorts are places like flaine and les plagnes. Flaine has bauhaus accommodation, but they all look ok covered with snow. And you can get there in less than 90 mins from geneva, which also means that you can hit the duty free and by sleazy jet. La Plagne is pretty high and very large, as well as having a glacier there for the worst scenarios.
In austria, zel am zee might not be a bad choice - there's a glacier there, so there's always some guaranteed skiing.
There'll be a few other suggestions from everyone else - I can't speak for the swiss resorts. If you want guaranteed snow, you'll need to go to the US or Canada, but you'll probably get altitude sickness and it'll cost you a fortune.
ETA - Speaking from personal experience going before Christmas and weather reports
Edited by LeftBack on Thursday 13th November 21:26
If you want to ski avoid Scotland. Skiing over heather isn't skiing to me.
France is outstanding for purpose built resorts, cheap, a bit soulless but ski from and to your door. The negative is if you want a nice meal and apres ski they aren't ideal.
Italy is the opposite, very old fashioned, you will have to walk (most hotels run a shuttle bus), the resorts are generally smaller too. The upside is they feel far more natural and the hotels are usually in a village at the bottom of the mountain (hence the trek to a cable car in the morning) so it is a nice walk in to the town for outstanding food and drinks after skiing. If you go to cormayeur (sp) and want a cheap but lovely hotel try to get in to Bouton d'or, we went last year and paid about £300 each including lift passes it was a smashing holiday too.
France is outstanding for purpose built resorts, cheap, a bit soulless but ski from and to your door. The negative is if you want a nice meal and apres ski they aren't ideal.
Italy is the opposite, very old fashioned, you will have to walk (most hotels run a shuttle bus), the resorts are generally smaller too. The upside is they feel far more natural and the hotels are usually in a village at the bottom of the mountain (hence the trek to a cable car in the morning) so it is a nice walk in to the town for outstanding food and drinks after skiing. If you go to cormayeur (sp) and want a cheap but lovely hotel try to get in to Bouton d'or, we went last year and paid about £300 each including lift passes it was a smashing holiday too.
Heathwood said:
The wife seems to be homing in on Val d'Isere. Seems a bit pricey but perhaps its worth it. Anyone been there?
Ive been there a few years ago.As I remember the run back into town was a bit of a nightmare-not what you need at the end of the day when your legs are like jelly!!Ever thought about the Pyrenees? I live about an hour or so from them and reckon they're really under-rated. Went skiing last Christmas Eve and we virtually had the slopes to ourselves and is generally less busy than the Alps.
Have a look here: http://www.lespyrenees.net/en/bulletin-neige,0,pyr...
Most of the slopes don't open until the 29th November and the slopes have got plenty of snow already although they don't update the snow charts until then. I'd recommend Superbagneres (Bagnere de Luchon), St Lary, Peyragudes, Piau Engaly or Luz Ardidan. Superbagneres or St Lary are probably the liveliest or La Mongie is another - great skiing but the resort is hideous, very 60s looking and needs flattening and starting again, this time using an architect.
Have a look here: http://www.lespyrenees.net/en/bulletin-neige,0,pyr...
Most of the slopes don't open until the 29th November and the slopes have got plenty of snow already although they don't update the snow charts until then. I'd recommend Superbagneres (Bagnere de Luchon), St Lary, Peyragudes, Piau Engaly or Luz Ardidan. Superbagneres or St Lary are probably the liveliest or La Mongie is another - great skiing but the resort is hideous, very 60s looking and needs flattening and starting again, this time using an architect.
Heathwood said:
The wife seems to be homing in on Val d'Isere. Seems a bit pricey but perhaps its worth it. Anyone been there?
You're right, it's pricey. She's probably homing in on it because she's heard of it before, as it's pretty much one of the most famous resorts in Europe. Tell her it's like Cannes / Antibes in the south of france - it was good years ago, it's overpriced, all of the pretty people go there, but anyone who knows anything goes elsewhere. Tell her how much more you can make it a special skiing holiday by using the money you'll save on nice food / nice apartment / more wine.Or lie and tell her it's not high enough to guarantee snow at new year. Actually, that's not much of a lie......
It may have been said already, but New Year, limited budget and snow sure aren't normally found in the same sentance. Apart from this one!!
If your priority is to ski, then just aim high. You may have to compromise on the other things.
Chamonix will always have at worst limited skiing up on the Vallee. You could also try Les Deux Alps as it has a glacier.
Best of luck.
If your priority is to ski, then just aim high. You may have to compromise on the other things.
Chamonix will always have at worst limited skiing up on the Vallee. You could also try Les Deux Alps as it has a glacier.
Best of luck.
You're looking at about a grand each tbh, all in by the end of the hol. Maybe cheaper if you sort out your own accomm in self catering, your own sleazy jet flights and transfers, but the lift pass will still cost you about 100-120 quid and then there's your ski hire, lunches, food. Go a week later and it'll save you 150 quid.
Done it before for New Year and it was cracking; some very happy memories, but there was a large ish bunch of us.
Done it before for New Year and it was cracking; some very happy memories, but there was a large ish bunch of us.
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