Andorra

FortuneChip

Folks,

Anyone have good knowledge of Pas De La Casa?
I'm trying to organise a week away in January with a few mates relatively cheap.
Directski have flights, accom, board carriage & passes for about €650.
From what I can tell, you wouldn't need as much spending money there as somewhere like Val D'Isere or Chamonix. And, if reviews are to be believed the apres ski is pretty good.

My only concern is that it may not be challenging enough. I'm a pretty strong intermediate, can navigate black runs competently, and would have no problems on reds.

Going with much less experienced boarders, so trying to weigh up some pros & cons of Grandvalira. Basically, would I find myself getting a little bored?

Fattes

I would be more worried by its really poor snow record, traditionally Andorra gets much less coverage than its European neighbours due to its location. I am not a big fan of the place, the skiing is limited and the lift pass is expensive for the terrain it accesses. Skiing is not bad when the conditions are good but it is a little limited if you are looking for the more challenging side of things. Long ass transfer too.

You are nearly as well off hitting the Ski-Welt in Austria where the prices are comparable to Andorra with out the duty free shopping.

FortuneChip

Cheers Fattes, I've a pretty limited knowledge on Austria, but I'll check it out.
I had thought Andorra was pretty snowsure.
I'm trying best to accommodate the beginners on the holiday without compromising my own trip!
Last year I hit Oberstdorf, and found myself short of new runs by the end of the week.
Year before I was in Val D'isere/Tignes, and couldn't believe how much was available for all standards, quite pricey though.

If only there was a cheap, snowsure resort, that catered for everyone's ability without charging too much for a pint

Fattes

FortuneChip; Tends to get a much smaller snow depth than most European resorts, at the high end in Andorra you are looking at 130-150 cm but in say Mayrhofen you could be looking at 220-280 and in Verbier 300 +

So its more the depts tend to be lower and the snow is more prone to be icy etc. Sauze D'oulx in Italy might not be a bad bet or Livigno, but livigno has a long transfer.

Austria anywhere on the Ski Welt is probably carbon copy of Andorra but in Austria. Its always hard with such a varied group

FortuneChip

I'd looked at Livigno & "The Milky Way" alright. Both seem like good options. They're on the shortlist.

I've been looking at Les Deux Alpes now, and initial costs seem alright.

I like that a lot of reds & greens run from the same lifts, so I can leave the beginners, without completely leaving them!

Probably won't be booking until the end of the month, but I want to have as many ideas as possible.

Cheers again!

cormee

Not sure Les 2 Alpes would be considered suitable for beginners, there are a few greens beside the town, at the bottom of the valley, but besides them there wouldn't be many opportunities for learners. There is one blue ( I think) slope that takes a lot of the traffic back to the town at the end of the day, it gets absolutely chaotic from about 4pm on

FortuneChip

The ratio looks to be shifting towards some lads with more experience, and I saw a really good deal with Crystal, so the beginners will just have to buck up!!! But honestly of the beginners, one of them has two weeks experience, the other one week, and that was in an icy Chamonix. So I think he'll brave it
There looks to be a number of blues higher up from the base

Yeah, I usually leave a run early if it means avoiding the 4pm rush. Been at plenty of resorts that funnel into one final stretch and I'm familiar with the chaos!

am i bovvered

Hi FortuneChip

Could you tell me the details of the Crystal package. We have always skied DIY but maybe there is better value in the package this year.

Thanks

FortuneChip

Sure,

They have a number of "Ski+" deals, which are almost All Inclusive: flights,airport/resort transfers, accom, lift pass & either rentals (excluding boots which are 40 approx extra) or ski carriage.
We're more than likely going with self-catering this year, in an attempt to save a few extra euros rather than eating out each night.

I don't know if it necessarily works out cheaper to go with a package, I usually lose track when doing DIY, but for the sake of convenience, I'm happy to do it.
The deal I saw for Les Deux Alpes comes to around €580 all inclusive, I think that's a steal for a week.

There are other deals to avail of, I saw in Val D'Isere there's a deal whereby you buy one full price lift pass, and receive a 2nd at Half Price.

Honestly, I've just been "trial-booking" several holidays at different resorts etc, and comparing the total costs

Fattes

It is getting to the stage that for certain resorts it is actually working out cheaper for package weeks rather than DIY

cormee

FortuneChip wrote: »

Sure,
The deal I saw for Les Deux Alpes comes to around €580 all inclusive, I think that's a steal for a week.

My hotel room alone, for one week, last Feb, in Les 2 Alpes, b&b, came to more than that! The lift pass I think is about €240. Can't imagine how the tour operators can cut a profit out of that.

jasonbourne.cs

Fattes wrote: »

I would be more worried by its really poor snow record, traditionally Andorra gets much less coverage than its European neighbours due to its location.

went few years back end of first week in January , snowfall was non-existent for the week i was there and existing run's were practically sheet ice !

would not recommend

mawk

Pas fe casa ain't bad. Grand Valeria is a big space with a bit for everyone.
Not nearly as cheap as it was a few years ago though.. Big price increases.

Les 2 alps is very expensive. All ten euro pints and such.
Also I stayed in residence du soleil. Which was a filthy disgusting unstaffed tiny kip. Avoid them.

cormee

mawk wrote: »

Pas fe casa ain't bad. Grand Valeria is a big space with a bit for everyone.
Not nearly as cheap as it was a few years ago though.. Big price increases.

Les 2 alps is very expensive. All ten euro pints and such.
Also I stayed in residence du soleil. Which was a filthy disgusting unstaffed tiny kip. Avoid them.

That's expensive! I never paid much more than a fiver for a pint, but we avoided the apres-ski pubs and went to smaller, quieter, places

FortuneChip

cormee wrote: »

My hotel room alone, for one week, last Feb, in Les 2 Alpes, b&b, came to more than that! The lift pass I think is about €240. Can't imagine how the tour operators can cut a profit out of that.

January is always going to be less expensive than February, but I honestly can't believe it's 580. I've checked, double checked, and then once more for luck, and that price includes everything!

Fattes

Trust me the TO is still turning a tidy profit on that, they bulk buy hotels at wholesale prices and leverage that with the resort tourist office to do packages for lift passes etc. They will do deals like buy x amount of season passes and collect them as 7 day passes for client, it’s a way for resorts to generate early season cash flow and for TO’s to bundle deals and make a killing.

FortuneChip

I'd be under no illusion that anyone is being charitable, but if it means we can get discounts against DIY prices, I'm all for it

Fattes

FortuneChip wrote: »

I'd be under no illusion that anyone is being charitable, but if it means we can get discounts against DIY prices, I'm all for it

All with you there, whatever way is cheapest and most cost efficient is the way to go.