Where to go for Christmas?

I would love any help or suggestions about the Christmas break I am trying to plan. I am looking for a skiing break on a budget, with 2 children (8 and 12 yrs), somewhere in France. Any suggestions for the best place to go? We have never tried skiing before! Is it best to book learn to ski packages before or while there? Also I would like other activities to be available - skating and so on.
Any advice greatly appreciated!

hi babyrose

Did you have a specific reason for chosing france?

I ask because I would reccomend Austria 10 times over France. There is typically more to do at resorts Child friendly instructors, More English speaking instructors as well.

On top of that Austria is awesome. I have skied France and Austria and I would rate france as low in comparrison. Austria is also Cheaper.

I would look at Maria Alm, Mayrhofen, Hintertux, Lannersbach, eggalm, and St Anton. St Anton will be the most expensive but then again it is one of the best places to ski in the world.
I would book your ski package when you arrive.

In austria there is plenty to do, my favourite is the rodelbahn which is basically a a road up to a mountainf resteraunt, you will get a taxi up between say 6-9 you can eat up there and drink, then they close the road and everyone gets on sledges and you sledge down this windy road steering with your feet racing to the bottom an incredibly entertaining evening.

Forget France try Austria

Cheers

Max

Totally agree with forget France try Austria.

However at Christmas you may want to consider some of the higher resorts in Austria (especially going by this years snow record).

Hi Babyrose,

I would be careful about responding to one or two individual preferences (or prejudices). Ski resorts throughout the Alps have their pros and cons. If you want to get some objective information about ski resorts consult a copy of The Good Skiing and Snowboarding Guide by Peter and Felice Harding or Where to Ski by Chris Gill and Dave Watts. Alternatively you could look at their websites.

I have ski-ed in several Austrian and French resorts with and without a young family.We have enjoyed them all.

One thing I would say. If you are set on going at Christmas choose a high resort.The snow is often not too good so early in the season in the lower resorts. You will find full details in the guides mentioned above.

Hope this helps.

Geoff Smith

15/05/2007 11:41:40 Subject: Where to go for Christmas?

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I would be careful about responding to one or two individual preferences (or prejudices). Ski resorts throughout the Alps have their pros and cons. If you want to get some objective information about ski resorts consult a copy of The Good Skiing and Snowboarding Guide by Peter and Felice Harding or Where to Ski by Chris Gill and Dave Watts. Alternatively you could look at their websites.

In that case I would also be careful of ebsites and books as they too are based upon individual's opinions.

The whole point of this site is for people who are in the same situation as you, who may have first hand experience of what you are about to embark on to be able to share that knowledge with you.

Where ever you hear it from it i going to be an opinion. It can' be prejudicial if the person has been there and experienced it as Max stated in his post, you can't prejudge something you have experienced.

I agree that Austria is better for families and first timers then france. Austria is definately more fun and cheaper imho.

hope this helps

Hi Sinorton,

In my opinion the benefit from consulting well researched guidebooks is that you have detailed information available on most of the main resorts. This includes snow records ;heights of resorts; extent of skiing areas; quality of pistes for beginners; quality of ski schools; facilities for families; prices of ski passes; costs of renting equipment and much more.

It just seems to me that with such a wealth of well presented comparative information it is much easier for newcomers to skiing to make sound judgements on which resorts in which countries might suit their needs best. Having identified some possibilities I can then see great value in using a chat line to ask questions and check out points about a shortlist of resorts with skiers who have experience of them.

Generalisations about ski resorts in Austria and France seem surprising to me given that in both countries there is a wide range of different types of ski resorts to satisfy different needs.

I'm afraid that I was brought up to value well researched evidence above anecdotal opinion.


Geoff Smith

In my opinion the benefit from consulting well researched guidebooks is that you have detailed information available on most of the main resorts. This includes snow records ;heights of resorts; extent of skiing areas; quality of pistes for beginners; quality of ski schools; facilities for families; prices of ski passes; costs of renting equipment and much more.

It just seems to me that with such a wealth of well presented comparative information it is much easier for newcomers to skiing to make sound judgements on which resorts in which countries might suit their needs best. Having identified some possibilities I can then see great value in using a chat line to ask questions and check out points about a shortlist of resorts with skiers who have experience of them.

Generalisations about ski resorts in Austria and France seem surprising to me given that in both countries there is a wide range of different types of ski resorts to satisfy different needs.

I'm afraid that I was brought up to value well researched evidence above anecdotal opinion.

We'll I don't doubt the value of books and websites, "well researched" isn't as much a generalisation as was made above?

The reason people ask question on this forum is becasue there is a huge amount of information out there saying that this resort is great and that resort is great. People want honest answers from people who have been to where they are going. If you don't want to read people's opinions or you just want to rubbish them because they are not published Travel journalists then that is a problem you need to deal with after all this is the purpose of the forum.

I think you'll find that we were all brought up to value well researched evidence and I resent your implication. Whilst I agree that books and websites are useful tools I would also say that the opinions of people who have been to the resorts with children and have used the schools, eaten in the restaraunts etc are of equal value, so for you to say that people should be wary of individual's opinions on a forum specifically for people to share their opinions is counterproductive. After all why should people value your opininion over anyone elses?

All I am saying is that with a wealth of similar information out there about various resorts people need a way to cut through it and get the answers that they want.

Yes there are generalisations made in the posts above but I think that you will find that most people who have had children in a french ski school and an Austrian ski school, whilst accepting that they are generalisations, would agree that they are essentialy right. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule in everything. I think that you will find that the people who use this forum are intelligent enough to know and understand that regardless of what you think.

Amen.

Still would rather go to Austria :D