wheres best for newbie

magotch07

hi all going sking with the gf in feb 2010 just wondering where the best place to learn to ski is at the moment...ive heard good stories on both Austria and Andorra but wondering what you guys would reccommend

Fattes

Austria, Austria and ehhh Austria

Andorra is not bad but it has long transfers and can at times have unreliable snow.

Austria Generally has short transfers and because of the type of mountains only need a little snow to open plus they have pretty much 90% of their slopes covered by snowmaking. List of resorts below for you

St Johann

Allpach

Bad Geastain

Naasfeld

Zell em see

Mayrhofen

Saalbach

Soll

Flachau

magotch07

Fattes wrote: »

Austria, Austria and ehhh Austria

Andorra is not bad but it has long transfers and can at times have unreliable snow.

Austria Generally has short transfers and because of the type of mountains only need a little snow to open plus they have pretty much 90% of their slopes covered by snowmaking. List of resorts below for you

St Johann

Allpach

Bad Geastain

Naasfeld

Zell em see

Mayrhofen

Saalbach

Soll

Flachau

thanks a million so i guess its Austria

I_luv_2_ski!

Kaprun is right beside Zell Am See so is pretty much the same transfere time but seems to be cheaper...i was looking last year and found better value accomadation in Kaprun!!!! plus i think where the beginers learn to ski in Kaprun (on the Maiskogel) is better then in Zell Am See (ski school slope) as the Maiskogel is much longer and you dont have to get back on a drag lift every 5 mins!!! and the grag lift they have are very easy to fall off as I proved a few times (theres a wire at waist level which comes up and goes behind your bum to drag you but you have to hold on to it or it will fall and so will you and the whole conver has to be stopped so you can get back up and get back on!!!) where as the Maiskogel...you go up in a chair lift (which are so much easier to get on to) or else a gondola (which you walk on to) depending on your instructior and it takes about half an hour to get back down before having to start again. Also from Kaprun they bring you up to the glacier which has a few lovely runs for beginers but I've never in my time up there seen instructors from Zell (you know them from their ski suits)

its up to you really but thats just my view on it!!!

Also if your looking for a cheap holiday Bulgaria (dont mind Fattes...clearly hes in love with Austria and all it has to offer for the more advanced skiers) is good for beginers due to the amount of blue slopes it has but lack of red and black tend to keep more advanced skiiers away...and bulgaria as a country is very cheap to eat and drink in (dinner from about €10-€15 (2 courses) a head Flirt vodka €4 a ltr bottle...wine from €3 a bottle....you cant go wrong)

olaola

I started skiing in Zell - it's pretty good, but they have this horrible rope/bar thing which you have to use for the first few days. From all accounts - Saalbach is great for beginners, as the t-bar is easy to use and you don't have to get a bus to the slopes. They are all in the village.

I_luv_2_ski!

olaola wrote: »

I started skiing in Zell - it's pretty good, but they have this horrible rope/bar thing which you have to use for the first few days.

thats the thing talking about!!! :(:(

Fattes

Also if your looking for a cheap holiday Bulgaria (dont mind Fattes...clearly hes in love with Austria and all it has to offer for the more advanced skiers) is good for beginers due to the amount of blue slopes it has but lack of red and black tend to keep more advanced skiiers away...and bulgaria as a country is very cheap to eat and drink in (dinner from about €10-€15 (2 courses) a head Flirt vodka €4 a ltr bottle...wine from €3 a bottle....you cant go wrong)

Now you know me better than that the advice was given for a beginner based on the overall package:D Have skied Bansko and would go back as long as the negative stuff was fixed. None of the negatives where to do with skiing.;)

All opinions are personal but I truly belive as a beginner the best all around experience will be in Austria, Dont tell anyone but Austria is not my fav place to ski:D

olaola

I_luv_2_ski! wrote: »

thats the thing talking about!!! :(:(

It's literally a pain in the hole
I don't remember much else about Zell, other than that bloody 'lift'!!!!

I_luv_2_ski!

Fattes wrote: »

Dont tell anyone but Austria is not my fav place to ski:D

where is ur fav place so???

Fattes

Kicking Horse Canada for the skiing, and the atmosphere. Does not have the same apres ski as Austria but there is always a good vibe with the locals

I_luv_2_ski!

I plan to go to canada when I'm not a student...I'll go when I'm older and have the money...and the way jobs are at the mo that could be awhile!!! haha

T-rev

Yeah now I am torn between Livigno and Soll or Saalbach in Austria.

Which would any of you recommend?

What do you need to look for when picking a resort for beginners?

bovril

T-rev wrote: »

Yeah now I am torn between Livigno and Soll or Saalbach in Austria.

Which would any of you recommend?

What do you need to look for when picking a resort for beginners?

I went to Soll last year and it was my first time skiing. I did do the 4 lessons in Kilternan before I went. I'd highly recommend doing that if you can. The main beginner slope in Soll if you have done no skiing is beside the main boot and ski hire place and is about 10 minute walk from the village(there is also a free bus). We did a couple of warm up runs on this the first morning and then they took us up to the main mountain and we did some blue runs and in the middle of the week some red runs. School/rental everything is organised very well. The gondola to the main slope is not in the village and we used to get a 2 minute bus journey to it from the hire shop in the mornings. Some people don't like this inconvience but I didn't know any different when I went and it was fine.

The Apres ski is fantastic and there are some lovely restaurants in the village.

Soll as with most of the Austrian resorts is no more than 2 hours transfer from the airport. This was my deciding factor in picking Austria over the likes of Livignio. I couldn't face getting off a plane and onto a bus for 4 and a half hours.

I_luv_2_ski!

Yea the transfere to Livingo is really long but once you get there its a tax free haven...but then going homw you have that really long bus journey and i dont know about you but if i was asleep on a bus for 5 hours i wouldnt be able to get off it when i woke up! never been to soll or salbach but my parents are going to salbach this year and they got their accom quite cheap! other people i know were is Soll and thought it was really good!!!

TBH I've never heard anything bad about any of the austrain resorts except the usual long ques during kids hols and the likes!!!

robinph

I_luv_2_ski! wrote: »

Yea the transfere to Livingo is really long but once you get there its a tax free haven...but then going homw you have that really long bus journey and i dont know about you but if i was asleep on a bus for 5 hours i wouldnt be able to get off it when i woke up!

I've done it in the back of an ambulance and it's really not that bad. Sure it wasn't as long as 5 hours either the transfer, it is long but I'm sure 5 hours is a bit of an over estimate.

I_luv_2_ski!

its over 4 hours so may as wel round it up to 5!!! lol

Fattes

Livingio transfer is an absolute pig especially if there is bad traffic etc Scenery is lovley but 4-6 hours on a bus depending on traffic after a flight :mad: Love the resort though tax free and some great places to eat


Soll is probably the cheaper of the 2 Austrian options and it will be half of dozen of one or the other between the rest of the comparisions for that and saalbach

Canada is allot cheaper than you think, Some of the resorts like Bannf winter is actually their off seaoson. Lift passses are the most expensive thing €900 for 15 days:eek: But not a que in sight and fresh powder every morning.:D

I_luv_2_ski!

Fattes wrote: »

Lift passses are the most expensive thing €900 for 15 days:eek: But not a que in sight and fresh powder every morning.:D

we got our holiday for that!!! so i wouldnt be spending it on a lift pass!!!! well like i said....not till im older anyway!!! being a student is gay!!! haha

The Big Gig

Thumbs up for soll. Went to badgastein as a beginner and then soll for my second trip. I much preferred soll. Going again for a third trip in feb. It really has everything you need as a beginner and intermediate!

superhooper

In Soll is it easy to get to the slopes?

bovril

superhooper wrote: »

In Soll is it easy to get to the slopes?

I stayed there last year and it was very easy. I used to walk to the hire shop (where I used to store my boots/skis overnight). This took 5-10 mins. The hangover usually was gone by the time I got to the shop. I was then lazy and used to get the free bus straight outside the door of the hire shop two minutes up the hill to the gondola which then brings you up the main mountain. There is a button lift near the hire shop too which you can take up to where the gondola is.

There is a main road you have to cross on the way to the slopes from the village but there is an underpass. On the village side of the underpass is the best apres ski bar (Salvenstadl). This is less than 5 min walk from the hire shop.

There is some accomodation on the hire shops side of the village but I think that is very expensive. The village itself is tiny, pubs and restaurants are very close by.

There is more than one hire shop of course but the one I'm talking about here is http://www.stoll.at/skicenter/. You can't miss the place it's massive. I am going back this year but thinking of going with the hire shop under the main gondola.

magotch07

whoa loads of info here thanks guys