 Poster: A snowHead
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hi peeps,
Just back to work after a wonderful trip to the 3 valleys over xmas and i am now faced with booking up my next ski trip  I'm loking for somewhere with quiet-ish, nice long easy runs (blue/reds) and possibly a little nightlife. We're pretty new to skiing (low intermediate) but well hooked now, so far we've been to the following:
* Arinsal (Andorra) - great night life but limited skiing
* Cervinia (Italy) - great skiing for confidence building, night life not so good
* Soldeu (Andorra) excellent skiing and nightlife, hoping to revisit later in the season
* Les Menuires (3 valleys - France) massive ski area but very busy slopes and limited nightlife.
I'm thinking about booking something cheap-ish for February as i'd also like to fit in another trip at the end of the season (March), any suggestions gratefully received. I know i'm being really vaugue but there is just so much choice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You've got France, Italy & Andorra, how about Austria or Switzerland?
Zell Am Zee or Saalbach for a bit of an Austrian experience?
Switzerland can be done cheaper than you'd expect if you hire an apartment through the tourist office, or a lower star hotel, and DIY it via Zurich - depending on flight costs. We got a really good, cheap apartment in Laax last year (though if you're after nightlife I'd suggest Flims instead).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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looking just at France:
Les Arcs - not particularly quiet, but it is a big area so you needn't be amongst crowds. nightlife not brilliant but ok. good variety of styles of piste (with lots of long cruising runs above Arc 2000)
Alpe D'Huez
Morzine / Chatel etc - although being low, they will suffer if March is a bad month for snow (but you should be fine, esp with the season moving progressively later). will have some bottlenecks at busy times.
Tignes - ugly, some nightlife, but as reliable for snow as the Alps can be
Val D'Isere - fantastic resort if you can cope with skiing in Chelsea / Kensington. Great nightlife (with the same caveat)
the list goes on...
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The_Mac_Daddy, I reckon you'd love the Dolomites (Sella Ronda): Selva, Arabba, Corvara etc. etc. etc. Lots of long relaxed runs, fabulous scenery (pink cliffs), great food. It was originally part of Austria (known as the South Tyrol), so it has an interesting cultural mix and history.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If its Night Life your after, I've just been browsing through a thread about Pas de la Casa - the skiing appears to be fine and the night life positively Ibiza on Ice!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi peeps, i like the idea of trying Austria, Saalbach looks good and not too expensive (found deals for around £400 - half board) so that's on my short list. SCUK says Zell am see isn't very good if you like ski convenience? i guess that means you have to walk to the lifts or something but no biggie i guess.
Having just done France i might give it a miss for this next trip.
SCUK has no review for Sella Ronda for whatever reason?
I've skiied the Pas de la casa area and it was good, but not as good as Soldeu, when i go back to Andorra it will deffinately be Soldeu i think.
Well thanks, chaps. You've given me some food for thought. i'll have to have a shop around and see what comes up.
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The_Mac_Daddy, depending on your hotel you might be a walk from the lifts but it varies and there are lockers there (IIR). If the snow's bad you can't ski back down to the town (both times I've been that's not been a problem) and beginners may need to get a bus to the nursery slopes, that are in the valley.
I've only skied Saalbach one day, but had two nights out there (both from Zell) and would love to go back for a week or two.
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zell am see and kaprun give a good range of skiing options and the nightlife in zell is pretty lively - also a short transfer from salzburg - which gives you potential for cheapo ryanair fligths through stansted
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The_Mac_Daddy, Its usually a bus ride to the slopes in Zell, but most hotels provide a courtesey bus. I've skiied both Zell and Saalbach and for skiing, I would go for Saalbach, its also a really pretty town. Zell is bigger, very scenic, but the skiing is not as extensive or convenient. I guess if you add on Kaprun then you have a similar level of terrain but it means getting another bus. Saalbach is more accessible. It sounds like a good deal as the vast majority of hotels in Saalbach are of a high standard with good facilities.
You might want to double check historical snow reports depending on when you are going in March. Kaprun has the glacier so that may swing it for you.
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As David posted the Sella Ronda is great. Can be busy though but will add a new dimension to your experiences of skiing. Not the most reliable for snow so book either last minute or middle season.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The_Mac_Daddy, What about the Ski Welt? We went there early in our ski career and it was great because none of the runs is terrifyingly steep and you can get a real sense of travel from one village to the next. The only downside is that none of the runs could really be classed as long!
Sauze d'Oulx would aslo fit the bill quite well.....great skiing there for early intermediates and if you're feeling a bit more confident you can head over to Sestriere and have a stab at the blacks!
Both are fairly well served by tour operators so you should be able to pick up a late bargain.
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