Skiing Advice Needed For Beginners

6541

Hi all, I am looking for some advice. me and my buddy want to go on a Skiing holiday this December. We both need to use up our company holidays.

None of us has ever Skied before. Both 40, like most Irish love to party as well.

Where would you recommend two 40 year old blokes go to mix beginners skiing with a good party vibe ?

Would you do a DIY job or book a package ?

Any help appreciated.

irlirishkev

Have a look at Crystal Ski for package deals. Package is probably easiest for beginners going on their own.

At 44, the thought of partying the evening before a day's skiing makes me shudder lol, but when you're on a package deal, there will be (optional) evenings out organized by the carrier. Good craic by all accounts and from what I've seen, a mix of agegroups etc.. You'll also get half board so breakfast and dinner included, and you can eat lunch on the slopes with your Ski Lesson group (group lessons are more craic than private, and you'll likely meet group members in pubs etc..). Lessons can be organised through your carrier as well, often with a discount. Same with ski rental.

Somewhere like Chamonix in France would probably tick enough boxes for first time. Short enough transfer, big enough town if you decide Skiing isn't for you. Plenty of skiing for beginners.

robinph

For a first trip your as well going with an organised package, even when you do know what you are after they are often a simple way to do things even if all you take from them is the flight/ hotel/ transfer.

You'll have some over excited 20 something to organise everything during the trip and answer queries as far as transfers, ski hire, passes, lessons, place to eat and drink are concerned. They will try to sell you evening activities as well if you are at a loss for things to do, and this can sometimes be more than just another pub crawl as have had night-time skidoo sessions previously which was great fun organised by them. Most destinations will have pretty active selection of bars/ clubs to chose from, but if you are doing things right you'll probably be too knackered by the end of each day anyway to be going on too late (early) partying.

cnocbui

You need to be fit, particularly your legs, so get cracking on that 2 months before going. I'd recommend Italy over France, based on the utter horror story that was our one trip to France (Morzine).

Zell am see in Austria is also a good shout. Great place to ski especially for beginners(Like myself). Nightlife is amazing and overall its not overly expensive.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117798003#Comment_117798003

I've been to three resorts and couldn't recommend this one enough. Great town, best nightlife of the three spots I've been. Excellent restaurants, short transfer, excellent value. And great slopes. Although on your first year you'll be pretty stuck to a couple of slopes for the first week. If you're in a very good group you might get to do a mini tour.

I'd probably go package for my first holiday, but you can easily do a DIY job there. Alpen Apartments have loads of apartments in the area. You can fly into Salzburg or Munich if there's nothing to salzburg.

I went for my first ski holiday in 2017 and I haven't shut up about it since. Hands down it's the best holiday you can go on.

maddness

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117797774#Comment_117797774

All good advice but don’t go near Chamonix, it’s not for beginners at all.

Andora is popular for beginners as the mountains are very tame and another good place to learn is Livigno in Italy.

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117798198#Comment_117798198

I'd echo this. Although I've only ever skied in Austria so am biased.

My first trip was to Westendorf in Austria and I've since been to Niederau and back to Westendorf. Both are great for beginners with possibly Niederau getting the nod for pure first timers skiing, but Westendorf has livelier night life. Both can be as quiet or as mad as you want them though, I was in Niederau during Fasching week and it was mental (in a good way !).

I've not skied in Zell am See but I've been there at Christmas Markets time and its a really lovely spot. Personally if I was going in December I'd pick Zell over the others because December can be a little early for the snow some years, and you have the benefit of the glacier 20mins up the road where its guaranteed.

DIY can save a bit of money, but for a first timer a package is just easiest, let someone else worry about the little things. Unless the saving is big enough to justify. Handy enough to get to, say, Zell from Salzburg or Munich, and flights to Munich would probably be much cheaper and definitely more frequent.

Avon8

I'm surprised (in a good way) by those saying Zell am see is excellent from a liveliness point of view, as it always looked like a small resort. It's just been connected to the Ski Circus (Saalbach-Hinterglem) though so that should open it up hugely ski wise and give a few more options. Will definitely check zell out though now for a day/evening

OP, a trap ive fallen into when going on ski holidays with lads is focusing too much on the very late hours partying and therefore not being able for the skiing, and early evening partying therefater. The best social craic on a ski holiday is 3-7pm after a good days skiing (with a ski school for beginners), and skiing into the bars on the mountain or foot of the mountain for apre-ski. In a lively Austrian resort at least these will be blaring music from 3 onwards and have full dancefloors etc (in non covid times at least). Having 1 or 2 late nites while incorporating that every day is a better strategy imo than 5 late nights and risk missing your days skiing and subsequent craic

I'd think a package is easier to meet people first time, albiet more expensive

dzer2

Definitely a package holiday for the first time

You will get a package with ski hire boot hire and lessons from the package provider

Fitness will be Key to how good you will get and how enjoyable the holiday will be

Be prepared to fall a lot over the first few days. be really determined to succeed.

Bring layers rather heavy clothing and a small back pack for a drink and putting the clothes you are not using in.

Austria over France or Italy as the ski lessons are for a full day and cost the same as the half day lessons elsewhere

Only buy your pass when you need it, you might not need a ski pass for the first 2 days

In Austria a twin room is a double bed with 2 single mattresses.

The food is great and the drink not too expensive.

DoraDelite

Not to be a party pooper but it's worth bearing mind that there is likely going to be restrictions in some (and maybe all) places this winter with regard to the likes of aprés ski. I can't see a lot of places allowing the usual ramming people into bars and such. If that's the case then it's not going to matter where you go really if it's night life you're looking for.

blue note

I've been to Soll in my first year and I heard it was the party town of Austria. I think we hit it on European midterm week, but it was dead. We couldn't find a bar with people in it after about 9pm.

Zell am see had a few bars that kept going until after we were able to. We went back the next year because the resort was just perfect for us.

And I was in Andorra on my last trip - pas de la Casa. Like Soll, I heard this was the Ibiza of ski resorts. It turned out to be a lovely resort, but not mad at all. The bars were nicely busy, but not a complete party town. The restaurants were best in this town. But I probably wouldn't go back because the lifts weren't as good as Austria. In Soll and Zell am see you fly up the mountain. There were a couple of lifts in Andorra where I think I'd have been as quick walking back up the slope. In my limited experience, Austria blew Andorra out of the water in terms of ski infrastructure.

And as regards package vs DIY - I'd go DIY because it takes stress out of it. DIY is dead easy and you might get cheaper accommodation in a better location. The ski rental places for the tour operators are often not the most convenient. You really want the place beside the first lift you get up, that way you're not carrying your gear any distance unnecessarily. But in your first trip when you don't know what you're looking for, just get a package and don't worry about anything.

And an important thing is not to get disheartened if the skiing doesn't click right away. For me I went for 3 lessons in Dublin before going (which was a great idea). It very much clicked for me here, but then when I hit the slopes and the ground was uneven and I started moving towards things all that went out the window. For the first 3 days I couldn't get it at all. I looked like a hopeless case on the mountain. But on day 4 I was starting to get it. And by day 5 I was quite content with my skiing. I'd steady myself going straight and successfully turn. It was only when I got home and saw a video of myself that I realised I was barely going faster than backwards. Looking at me you wouldn't think I was skiing at all, but I know I was getting it at that point. By the time I went on my second break, I was flying around.

robinph

We couldn't find a bar with people in it after about 9pm.

That's your mistake there. You shouldn't bee looking for a bar at 9pm, you should have started the drinking earlier. If you are looking to start drinking at 9pm then what were you doing from 3pm? ;)

What you'll often find though is a different bar is the packed one in the village on different nights of the week as they take it in turns to get the customers all pilled in at once, and the tour guides or ski school instructors are the people to ask about those details. Or do the first evening pub crawl with the tour guide that takes you round the various bars in town and figure out which one will then be busy on which evening.

First trip though, if you've the energy for partying late into the night then you are doing it wrong.

cnocbui

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117800470#Comment_117800470

I learn't at Livignio, and it is excellent for that, as you say, but OMG, the tranfer from Milan airport to resort by bus is soooo long!

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117801018#Comment_117801018

Oh we started earlier! Our routine was to hit the bar after the slopes, so about 4:30. The pop in to dinner after 7 and then back to the bar for 9. But everyone else seemed to go to bed! Whereas in Zell am see there were a few bars that still had good crowds in them.

I wasn't looking for Coppers in Austria or anything, just a bar with a few groups in it at least. But the town was completely dead that week. The Jam Jar was good immediately after the slopes closed. I heard going over that the Slavenstadel was the place to go, but that place was decent until about 6 and then dead later.

trashcan

I'd say the most important tip for a beginner is - take lessons. You hear these tales of (mainly 20 somethings), taking a mornings instructions and then heading off to the black slope - madness (if you can believe it). At 40 you probably wont find it that easy. I was 45 when I first went, not fit or sporty at all, and I spent most of the week falling over. Still had a great time though and that was 2009. Have been every year since, except this year. It probably took me 3/4 trips to feel competent on the skis, but as I've said its still really enjoyable. Westendorf is a great place I think, but I am biased, have never been anywhere else. As regards nightlife though there are probably livelier places.

robinph

Doing some dry slope lessons will be a very good idea if you can. If nothing else you'll have a better idea how to put your boots and skis on and know what muscles are going to be hurting because they have never been used before. Anything you can do that could potentially speed up the learning on actual snow would be well worth it and if you can get to being able to use the button lifts on a dry slope and get down again you'll be a long way to skipping out of the total beginner groups on the actual snow and progress to exploring some of the mountains sooner during your holiday.

irlirishkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117802189#Comment_117802189

Good points! I'd completely forgotten I'd had a few lessons in Kilternan before I started skiing. And yes, you don't really learn to ski, but you learn boots, skis, what the snow-plough is, and button lifts. All very helpful for when you get to a real slope.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117801182#Comment_117801182

my memory of that transfer is the really narrow roads up a mountain that were covered in ice and snow.

I'm actually in the middle of booking a trip to Soelden next year. Second time away skiing since 2009 was last year and we did everything DIY. Not sure did we save a whole lot compared to package deals as we didn't check. Zell am see is a small village but to mirror what the above said, the nightlife is fantastic. Apres ski is great fun and you usually finish up around 10pm so you can rest the remainder of the evening in time for skiing the next morning. Your best bet is to get to the lifts before 9am as they can extremely busy. You can also go to neighboring ski resorts like we did. We went to Saalbach which have great slopes. Some are labelled blue but from our experience, they are baby reds if anything. Very steep and can be quite nerve wrecking if you're nervous.

I'm booking lessons at the moment as i'm now classed as intermediate. Lessons are crucial there is two options, private(more expensive) or group. I went in a group and all of us started at the same level and finished around the same level bar a few. Instructors are very helpful and will focus on the weaker students so that everyone can keep up at the same pace.

In terms of getting there. We flew dublin to luxembourg(we have friends living there & stayed the night), luxembourg to munich, Train from Munich to salzburg to Zel am see. There is obviously far easier ways of getting there.

Hope this helps.

Centre Hit

I've been to Söll a few times, was where I learned to ski. Went on Diy trips but we had a few experienced skiers who had been there before, so made it much easier. I would recommend going on a package for your first trip to make it easier as the whole experience can be a bit daunting when it's new. As someone else mentioned, we also found the town to be quiet after 9pm but the best craic is on the pubs from about 4 pm as you're making your way down the mountain. At the bottom, the moonlight bar was always heaving by the time we got there about 6. We'd stop in to the bar on the blue run to the bottom, so were always delayed.

I've gone to Saalbach as well and found that much livelier in the evening. Definitely want to go back there, as found the skiing great as well. Söll is a quick enough transfer from Munich and found the Saalbach transfer just a little long from Munich, but the driving conditions weren't great and prob slowed us down.

I would say, don't worry too much about late bars anyway, as you're better off being up the mountain as early as you can manage. It's much quieter and you'll avoid the big queues at the gondola. Don't get me wrong though, we'd have a fair wack of pints by the time you'd get to the leaba anyway. We've only gone on Wednesday to Sunday trips, so always try and get the mix right as it's only 3 days of skiing!

Have Ischgl booked for January so can't wait for that, 🤞all works out this year!

olaola

Package is probably best alright for first time. I do think sticking to Austria is a good bet - the skischools are all day, so you'll get a decent run at learning and it's generally good value. Most craic (in the before times) is to be had at aprés, but not sure how much of that will be happening this year! We have settled in Saalbach/Hinterglemm the last few years. Good for beginners, but the aprés in Hinterglemm is better than Saalbach. Some nice bars and decent places for after dinner drinks, if you're looking for them in Saalbach. The beginner slopes in Saalbach are so well situated, they're hard to beat.

Wasn't wild about the schlep to the slopes involved in Soll. Would rather do without. Town is very quiet, but the apres was alright. Schladming had unreal skiing, but it's a bit disjointed and probably not the best for beginners. Zell am See is a nice town, I can't remember if we needed to get a bus to the slopes or not... Kitzbuhel was the year of woejus snow, so I can't really comment. Ishgl had fantastic aprés, but you need to get the gondola up to the beginner area. Which isn't really much of an effort. It's also 99% men as far as I can recall. St Anton was nice - nice town, aprés wasn't as epic as was promised, loads of nightlife. Not sure what it's like for a beginner here. Westendorf was a nice, pleasant village. I didn't ski this year, as I was pregnant. But it's more of a family resort if you were looking for something more relaxed.