Tips for a skiing holiday

vaughanj

Hey I am planning a skiing holiday for about 8 people at the end of February for a week. We are all beginners and haven't much of an idea about the whole thing in general!
Firstly, is it too late to go skiing, snow-wise? and where would have good snow at that time?
What stuff can you rent there and what should you buy?
Are the all inclusive sites(flights,accomm and food) good value like on skiweekends.com and the like? Or is it better to book everything separately?
Thanks a million for any replies that can help our clueless selves!

leinad

Andorra all the way, cheap and really nice place great for beginners my one and only trip was the best holiday i've ever had an hour lesson was 20 euro and after that we had all we needed to know - nightlife was brilliant too

irishben

Have to agree, Andorra is great for starting. Bus journey is a bit long from airport (Toulouse) if you're going to Arinsol, but its a great spot, slopes are great. season wise, upto March is fine. just factor in the costs of ski lift pass, equipment hire and lessons. First time i went, i did not,
Just to warn you also. once you ski, no other holiday is the same. Enjoy.

mawk

I was in andorra last week. ski conditions aren't great very icy the whole way across grand valeria. not great for beginners, no powder

Fattes

mawk Thanks for reminding us all of the risk of Andorra, even in the best year of snow in Europe since the 70's Andorra is still ICY

EileenG

Buy stuff you will use again in Ireland, so decent jackets, thermals, gloves. Borrow as much as possible. See if you have friends who will lend you goggles, ski pants, ski socks, etc.

Once there, you can rent boots, skis/boards and helmets. You can also book lessons and lift pass on the spot.

In general, I reckon most tour operators are a rip-off, unless you can get a last minute deal and are not too fussy about where you go.

I suggest looking at the French youth hostels, which provide full board, accommodation and lift pass as a package, no single supplements and generally good craic. There are hostels in Tignes, Les Arcs, 2 Alps, Chamonix and several other good resorts. You could also check out UCPA which do similar packages.

I personally like the CIS in Val Cenis (www.cis-valcenis.com) which is cheap and great for beginners. Val Cenis is north facing, so keeps its snow, and has the longest green run in Europe, so ideal for beginners.

Austria can be great value, but you need to pick a resort with a good snow record. My tip: make sure that there is a lift which will take you down from the middle station. If conditions are bad, the good skiing is on top, and the run down to the village at the end of the day can be total ****e.

lexa

Livigno might be worth considering. I’ve gone a couple of times with groups and got pretty good deals on packages and it would certainly be better value than France or Austria if you are going via a tour operator.If it’s your first time, it’s probably easier to go for a package anyway as organising transfers, accommodation, ski passes, lessons & rentals can be a hassle and is often not any cheaper than going with a package.Livigno itself is a good resort, there are 2 mountains but as beginners you’ll probably just stick to one side but there should be more than enough to keep you occupied. It’s got a good snow record although it can get incredibly cold. Food is generally very good and reasonably priced and alcohol is also very cheap as it is duty free. I’ve also been to Andorra before and there was no snow. We had a great time, but not much skiing done so I wouldn’t take the risk.The downside to Livigno is the transfer from the airport which can take up to 5 hours.