I need lots of help please

Hello,
I need lot's of advice really and any would be appreciated. I have always wanted to learn to ski and have finally come to a point where I can afford to do it, but I just don't know where to start.
Does anyone know of any good ski schools? Where are the best places to go and at what times of year? Also I am considering going on holiday on my own, is this a good idea or would I get lonely? Could drag my boyfriend along but hes not interested in sking?

Hi There.

I would say that pretty much anywhere you go in Austria is going to have good instruction.

Going on your own yes you will have fun and I am sure you will meet people but I would say go with someone or in a group if you can. A group of learners having lessons for the first time can be an incredibly funny and enjoyable experience.

If your Boyfriend doen't think he'll enjoy the skiing get him to go anyway because there are plenty of other things he can do whilst you are skiing and the chances are if you get him out there he'll have a go, but if not there is mountain sledging (which is Awesome by the way) Great Bars resteraunts and so on.

If he does't want to go still then take a girlfriend.

I would reccomend St Anton, Mayrhoffen or somewhere like that. GO for it and have yourself a great time.

Ps deffinately have lessons.

When you have been let me know how you got on.

cheers

Max

I would just like to add that I had no intention of ever going skiing. Usual thing of why go somewhere cold when you can go somewhere hot instead.

Some skiing friends of ours decided they would get married in Zell am See in Austria so a group of about 20 of us all decended on the resort. The best time ever!

Ski lessons in a group can be a right laugh although at the same time, the first few days can also be quite hard. Austrian ski school's tend to run for a large portion of the day but stick with them and by the Wednesday you'll be looking back at the little bit of slope that you first started on and thinking to yourself, 'what was so hard about that?'

Both myself and my girlfriend are now completely hooked. We're now on two ski holidays a year and I wouldn't be bothered if I never went on another hot holiday again. The irony is that ski holidays aren't that cold anyway.

Have fun!

Hi

I was in the same position as you a couple of years ago. I always wanted to have a go at skiing to see what it was like but my hubby didn't really care either way. We were very much "two weeks in the sun" kind of holiday people. Anyway, went to Niederau in Austria for the first time in Jan 06. Fantastic! Got completely hooked, went again to the same resort Jan '07 and have booked again for Jan '08. Some people say it is a good idea to have lessons before you go but we didn't and it didn't affect us in any way - we were skiing easier parts of red runs on the 5th and 6th days. The lessons are brillant fun, everyone has a real laugh and we've kept in contact with some of the people we've met in ski school. Our ski school ran from 1000 - 1200 hrs and from 1330 - 1530 hrs each day but this year we were out skiing from about 0900 hrs and after ski school finished. Even though hubby initially was not really intersted in a ski holiday, he was having serious withdrawl symptoms the first time we came home - he just wanted to be skiing!! If your boyfriend is still not that interested, depending on the resort there will be other stuff for him to do. Friends of ours (who we met on our first ski hol) go, she skiis all day and he walks in the mountains and then they meet up for lunch in a mountain restaurant and then again in the afternoon. There's also other stuff like toboganning, sleigh rides, ice skating and of course the apres ski! Austria is supposed to have the best ski instructors and their English is brilliant. Some of the ones we know in Niederau are from the UK but others are local. We have spoken to others who have been skiing in Bulgaria and France and apparently they don't compare. Stuff it, book your ski hol and have a brill time!! :lol:

Hi there, I cant' agree more, Austria is the place to go for beginners, the instruction is excellent and their English is pretty good too. We went to a place called Kirchdorf, Thomson do an 'all inclusive' package to this resort which includes ski/boot hire, lift pass and lessons plus half board accomodation. I would recommend going to your nearest dry slope for a few lessons to pick up the basics, i.e. snowplough and turns as this will give you a head start in Austria and you will progress to a higher standard quicker which means you get to do more skiing rather than standing around waiting as most instructors will teach at the pace of the slowest member of the group. My wife and I went 2 yrs ago with some friends who had not skied before and they were so hooked we went back again this year (Jan07) The wife was very much like your other half, dis-interested but after the 1st week she took the bull by the horns as it were and took lessons through the summer and hey presto this year she LOVED it. We've booked up again for next Jan and I don't mind if we don't have another hot holiday again, skiing holidays are so much more socaible as well!! I'm sure that if your boyfriend goes he will love it, the other plus point for Austria is its authenticity. The smaller villages really are picture postcard stuff and other european resorts tend to have been built with a job lot of concrete! Hope you have a great time what ever you decide and if you have any questions, even if they seem daft do ask as there are many knowledgable contibutors to this site who are only too happy to help. :D

Regards

Nick

Take a look at the Postalm resort just outside St Wolfgang. It's great for beginners - lovely wide slopes in the sun all day and never far to go for a drink when you need one!

If you get on well you can always ski the nearby Dachstein West resort.

Well i'm another huge fan of Austria :-)

Resorts to recommend would be Niederau (as already said), Saalbach, Zell am See, Filzmoos (where i learnt, limited but great for beginners, brilliant instruction as well).

I would recommend St Anton to anyone other than beginners. Its a great resort and i love it, but for a beginner its way to extreme. It doesnt have many beginner slopes at all, and you may find yourself half way down a run which suddenly gets too steep for you, and you end up having the embarassment of walking down!

So the smaller Austrian resorts are best for beginners really, although Obergurgl/Obertauern would be a good choice.

Have fun!! :D

Niederau in Austria is my favourite. Lots of people there learning on boards and skis. Instructors really good.

Been there twice. Jan 06 was fantastic, snow was a couple of feet deep in the village.

The snow this year in early January wasn't so good but all the slopes were open.

Jan 08 is already booked and I'm hoping for another bucket load of snow.