First Ski Holiday - when is the best time to go!

MaryMaryMary

Hi,
Looking for some help. Im hoping to book my first ever ski holiday this week. I have been looking at the different resorts/countries etc and the most reasonable i can find is Andorra. I had originally planned on going last week in Feb/First week in March, but am concerned this is too late. I dont want to pay all this money to be dissapointed! Any suggestions on the best times to go?
Thanks in advance!

Overflow

As you may have found out skiing can be quite expensive

Andorra is very reasonable, thats where i had my first ski holiday.
We went to a place called Arinsal, nice little town with a busy nightlife and access to a wide area of slopes. It's also a perfect place for beginners.

I'm not sure what the snow conditions in Feb/March are, you could check this website:
http://www.igluski.com/snow-history

EDIT: Going by that site, it actually seems like Feb/Mar are the best months for snowfall. This is true for a lot of European resorts. It can vary every year and good snow conditions cannot be guaranteed !

robinph

No guarantees, but once your going before the middle of March your pretty safe. There is no way of telling what it will be like next March just yet, but I've been to Andorra a couple of times in the last weeks of March and it was fine.

Edit: Just found this which is worth taking into account for when you go and to where as well:

EU school holidays 2011

magotch07

hi

i went to andorra last year around the same time you are thinking of going....i got a lil shock when i got to arinsal and there was no snow on the ground but there was no need to worry as soon as ur up in the gondola your are fine there is loads of snow......i would defo reccomend arinsal it was my first time sking and it was the best holiday i have ever been on.....one thing i would say though if your thinkin of going to arinsal stay in the pricess parc hotel.....it is pricey but its HB and the food is very good other hotels where HB too but the food was really really bad and because its HB you save a fortune i found it hard to spend money there

zuroph

Arinsal in March can be good, you can be up skiing for the day and come down and change into short and teeshirt for a stroll in the sun before night.

Fattes

Late March and early April is normally the best time for snow condition in the alps in France/Austria/Italy and Switzerland.

Anforra is a difficult one to call as previous posters have siad conditions have been good when they have been there but the snow record for Andorra is poor in comparison ot the main Alpine nations.

As I have said elshwere yoiu are probably better off going to Soll in Austria or similar instead of Andorra as you get more value and quality for the money you are spending.

FOr ski Gear keep on eye on TK Makk from the first week of Spetember they always have great gear and super value

EileenG

If you are trying to keep costs down, take a look at the CIS in Val Cenis, especially the first week in January. For that week, they are charging €355 for seven days full board, including lift pass and ski hire. You make your own way there. It's also a good place for beginners, as it has a long, very easy run which will always bring you down safely.

www.cis-valcenis.com

Just about everywhere is cheap in early January, and snow is often good. But it's cold and the ski day is short. Avoid the period from mid February to early March, that's when most European schools are on holidays and the resorts are packed and expensive.

bcirl03

Fattes wrote: »

As I have said elshwere yoiu are probably better off going to Soll in Austria or similar instead of Andorra as you get more value and quality for the money you are spending.

Tough one to call between Arinsal and Soll - Soll is at a lower altitude than Arinsal so whilst snow is never guaranteed you've a better chance of decent snow with Arinsal. Ski schools in both are good. If you have kids Soll will be better as its Austria and they love kids. Finally and this may be the clincher, transfer to Arinsal will be about 4 hours, Soll no more than an hour. When I look at transfers I always think of coming home, going there you don’t care but coming home you more than likely want to make a fast exit.

Been to both and for first time adult it would be Arinsal, if you have family its Soll. Either way you'll have a blast.

Sorry if I'm sitting on the fence here

Fattes

whilst snow is never guaranteed you've a better chance of decent snow with Arinsal

Big issue between the 2 here is Arinsal base is of rock where under the snow in Soll is alpine meadowns as low as soll is it only requires a couple of cm of snow to open where as most of the pyraness resorts & Rockies for that require allot more snow to function.

Great Duty free shopping in Andorra

MaryMaryMary

Cheers Everyone for your replies!
I was actually looking at the princess parc hotel, looks to be nice and good review on trip advisor!
I never thought Ski holidays were so expensive, but i know it'll be good fun! I priced a ski jacket in North face last week, i nearly fell over 279e and that was mid-range! Fingers crossed Aldi or Lidl have there gear in soon and i can have that organised too!
Getting prices from directski.com so working out at around 970 HB with ski gear hire, lessons transfers etc.
Only thing thats putting me off andorra slightly is the 4 hour bus transfer... but im sure it'll be scenic!
Thanks again guys n girls!

bcirl03

Alidi usually has the ski gear around the Christmas \ New Year period and it's perfect. For a first timer don’t be wasting your money on expensive jackets that in most cases your paying for a name. Wait a couple of years before you do that

Good luck with the bus ride, bring a decent lunch as the place they stop off in on the way up to the resort is a rip off.

EileenG

Also, keep an eye on charity shops. I've bought some brilliant stuff in charity shops for a fraction of the price they would have cost new. I got a Patagonia jacket for a tenner that retails for over 300 euro.

If you are kitting out children, you can't beat Aldi and Lidl, they have great kit at reasonable prices. I've skied in a Lidl jacket and stayed warm and dry when people in much more expensive stuff where sopping wet and freezing.

Jane M

MaryMaryMary wrote: »

Hi,
Looking for some help. Im hoping to book my first ever ski holiday this week. I have been looking at the different resorts/countries etc and the most reasonable i can find is Andorra. I had originally planned on going last week in Feb/First week in March, but am concerned this is too late. I dont want to pay all this money to be dissapointed! Any suggestions on the best times to go?
Thanks in advance!

I've been to Soldeu in Andorra at the time that you are thinking and it was a great time. Not many families and kids about and the weather was perfect. Blue ski every day and warm, but the snow was in great condition. Also, the ski school was fantastic! Must join the ski school if you go to Soldeu, loads of fellow Irish and the instructor was Native English Speaking made a great difference to enjoyment and learning, Best of luck, have agood one!

Fattes

MaryMaryMary' TK Maxx do the best combination of qualtiy and Price for ski gear

Layers are yoiur friend a shell jacket with a good mid layer/bAse Layer or fleece under them as needed for weather and cold

markhenry5

I can agree completely with Jane m. Soldeu is a very good choice. The snow is very relaible despite what fattes says. The ski school is excellent. The transfer is only 4 hours if you fly to Barcelona or Girona. Its 2.5 hours from Toulouse or Carcassone. If you need advice on accommodation, just ask me.

Fattes

The snow is very relaible despite what fattes says.

I dont say historical snow records in comparison to the central alps and North america say.

Like I said before its not my opinion it is fact based on snow reports

markhenry5

Central europe and western Canada/ States get very large amounts of snow generally ( whistler in 08/09 being an exception ). Andorra does get less but it does get it consistently and it gets it spread over the season. A better stat would be resort conditions over a season along with depts. Soldeu also has one of the largest snow making ops in Europe. In ten full seasons I have experienced one with poor snow, (Still 90 % open) and nine with great conditions. 90% of Soldeu is meadow based also. I'm just concerned that you would put people off from what is a great ski area. By the way - ladies world cup comes in 2012.

Fattes

I was not encouraging people not to go I reccomended the ski school highly. Taking all factors snow reliability, Transfer and cost and the variance in natural snow. I was a saying that overall some Austrian resorts may be a better option.

What I did was compare the snow record and the snow depts as you said in a previous post

Snow Making is expensive so if a resort has one of the largerst cover for snowmaking it is for a reason as with Soll and a number of other resorts, they invest in snowmaking because mother nature does not always oblige and historically they have had problems with snow especially at the bottom of the resort altitude range.

Also man made snow is not as grippy as natural snow, breaks down quicker and can have an adverse effect on the enviroment depending on the technique used.

Resorts like Big White, Sunshine, Obergurgal, and a number of others dont even have snowmaking they are that sure mother nature will provide.

Below is a list of the snow depts for Soldeau v mayrhofen for the 3rd week of every month its an average over the past 10 years and is for the top of the resorts.

Mayrhofen Nov – 108cm Dec - 138cm Jan- 156cm Feb – 164cm March – 176cm April -152cm

Soldeau Nov – 14cm Dec - 70cm Jan- 123cm Feb –139 March -122cm April - 65

Overflow

Jane M wrote: »

I've been to Soldeu in Andorra at the time that you are thinking and it was a great time. Not many families and kids about and the weather was perfect. Blue ski every day and warm, but the snow was in great condition. Also, the ski school was fantastic! Must join the ski school if you go to Soldeu, loads of fellow Irish and the instructor was Native English Speaking made a great difference to enjoyment and learning, Best of luck, have agood one!

Warm weather = bad snow conditions !

Unless your skiing in the shade all day.

Fattes

A couple of examples in relation to snow conditions you where obviously not there the years it was bad. Within the industry Andorras snow conditions are notorious the place even finished up a season nearly a month early and before you provide your robutal here are some links

http://www.goneboarding.co.uk/mobile/forum/soldeu-andorra-9-march-will-there-be-any-snow/threadid/24730/showthread.aspx

http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1130089.php

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/2433279/Travel-news-in-brief.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6185345.stm

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/skiing/end-of-the-run-442642.html

http://www.jetsetjob.com/ski-season-employment/ski-runs-close-early-in-andorra-worst-season-for-20-years/

http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/files/documents/skiindustryreport_2008.pdf

robinph

MaryMaryMary wrote: »

... last week in Feb/First week in March...

Can we at least agree that for these dates it really doesn't matter a whole lot?

There will be snow anywhere that calls itself a ski resort, and unless global warming climate change speeds up significantly in the next couple of months any snow that fell in said resort in Feb will still be there till the middle of March and perfectly skiable.

Also the only snow condition that is required for a beginner is that it is white and cold when you fall over in it. The technicalities of different snow types and how good they are to ski them are mostly irrelevant until you've been a few times.

noddyone2

Hi, Andorra is good for learners, but the transfer from the airport is awful, can be up to 5 hours. Italy is good. Anytime after mid-March can be tricky for snow as it can be slushy and difficult to ski in. Get hold of a book 'where to ski and board' - wll wotrh the money. Most important book lessons. You're fooling yourself if you don;t. Direct ski are probably cheapest, inghams more upmarket, book a package until you're more confident. Do a bit of walking/excercising for a few weeks before you go, makes a difference. mail me if you wish. Happy skiing, better than any beach holiday!

Fattes

Heavy wet snow or icy nearly there snow can have a huge mental impact on first time skiers and they may never return.

Heavy wet snow is a night mare to snowplough on and leads to allot of falls icy conditions are very hard on the legs and again difficult to snowplough in

If you check the links below Andorra actually closed in the 3rd week of march in 2007!

For 1st timers I will always recommend a resort with a top run of 2000 meters plus and in Austria followed by Italy and then Andoraa but you wont beat the austrians for the OVERALL experience. FYI Switzerland and Canada have my fav resorts

Soldeau has a great ski school but unless any one can refute the above links a dodgy snow
record which does not help newbies to the sport

Fattes

noddyone2; Great suggestion you can look it up online aswellhttp://www.wheretoskiandsnowboard.com/

zuroph

Heading to Font Romeu jan 22nd, always a good break, and cheap. Drinking is the only thing that'll cost you there.