Snowboarder and Skiier in need of advice please

Hi all, me and a friend are looking to go on a snowboarding / skiing holiday in February or March and are in need of advice.

I'm 24, my only real experience of skiing was a school trip when I was 16 in Saas Grund / Saas Fee in Switzerland. Since then I've only ski'd once which was this year at the Snowdome, but I picked it back up again fairly quickly and felt confident.

My friend is confident boarder and went two years ago to Tignes.

Our first questions relate to where and when. When I went on the school trip I remember the snow at Saas grund being quite 'icey', as if it had melted and frozen again, it wasn't the best to ski on. But when we moved up the mountain to Saas Fee it was far more powder like. This was in March and the weather was fantastic, very warm and sunny. We would like to try and achieve that balance again if possible.

Location wise Andorra had been mentioned due to theory of it being good value. We need flights, accommodation, ski/board hire and a lift pass. We are also looking for somewhere with a bit of night life, something to do in the evenings.

Apologies for my vagueness and lack of knowledge

Thanks

George

George 3G wrote:Hi all, me and a friend are looking to go on a snowboarding / skiing holiday in February or March and are in need of advice.

I'm 24, my only real experience of skiing was a school trip when I was 16 in Saas Grund / Saas Fee in Switzerland. Since then I've only ski'd once which was this year at the Snowdome, but I picked it back up again fairly quickly and felt confident.

My friend is confident boarder and went two years ago to Tignes.

Our first questions relate to where and when. When I went on the school trip I remember the snow at Saas grund being quite 'icey', as if it had melted and frozen again, it wasn't the best to ski on. But when we moved up the mountain to Saas Fee it was far more powder like. This was in March and the weather was fantastic, very warm and sunny. We would like to try and achieve that balance again if possible.

Thanks

George

Hi

For a March trip I'd consider Cervinia in Italy.
Great snow, very good value for money and
Zermatt over the hill with lift connection.
The only downside might be quiet nightlife.
Good base is chalet hotel "Dragon" with some live music right by the main lift.

Thanks Biki, the date isn't too important, just whatever is best for snow, sun and not busy from the school holidays.

I'll take a look at Cervinia

Serre Chevalier as an area would probably suit but Les Arcs/La Plagne must also be worth considering for higher mileage.

:)

Bump, any more suggestions on where and when please?

Thanks!

Hello George,
I think the paucity of replies is linked to the vagueness of what you are looking for.
In March pretty much everywhere over the Alps and the Pyreneese will have decent snow conditions (except maybe some very low places).

If it were me the key would be somewhere that would suit a relative novice on skis and a better boarder. So probably a pretty compact area where it is easy to both ski/board together and also go you separate ways some of the time and meet up easily.

What type of accommodation? Self catering, hotel, chalet?
What sort of budget?
How important is ski in/ski out and ease of access to the slopes? Do you want to walk 50m to the first lift or is a bus ride from the town OK?
How are you getting there? Regional airports for example fly to fewer destinations and the seats tend to go sooner than from Gatwick for example.

If you and your mate can narrow down what is important for you then maybe a phone call to one of the travel agents (rather than tour operators) may help you find something. I have used both http://www.skisolutions.com/ and http://www.igluski.com/ in the past with good service.
The advantage of a travel agent over a tour operator to me is the wider choice.

But - with more info from you you may get better suggestions from here as well.

Thanks OldAndy!

Would the snow be generally better in March than Feburary? What about ensuring we visit a higher altitude resort to also increase chances of better snow?

Accommodation - Half Board

Budget wise - £600ish including accommodation, flights and ski pass - if possible?

Location - Would prefer to be near within walking distance to the slopes, but not crucial. Depends how much of a premium there is

We are based in the West Midlands so Birmingham, Bristol or Cardiff are ideal, but willing to travel to Gatwick or Heathrow

I remember Saas Fee being a very good mix for all students of different capabilities, I would like somewhere similar but maybe bigger?

I'll take a look at those two companies

Once again all advice is appreciated!