Some beginner ski holiday advise please

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but I couldn’t see a ‘new to the sport’ type category.

I'm currently looking into booking a skiing holiday with coaching for my son and I for next year, ideally the busiest February half term period, but I’m aware this will be a nightmare in terms of cost and crowds? My son will just be 13 then and is keen to learn to ski but neither of us have even put a pair of ski's on before! So I'd like some advice please:

1) 6 day packages seem to be the norm beginner holidays but how about a 4 day break in January covering a weekend, could that be an OK introduction to the sport and cheaper?
2) Which location would best suite new comers (on a budget), a couple of websites have suggested Bulgaria?
3) What equipment/clothing would we need to buy and what would that cost?
4) Who would you recommend booking with etc?

Basically I’m looking for recommendations as to where and when to go and what companies to use in terms of booking etc as there are hundreds available (e.g. Neilson).

Thank you

RJS

hi
you should go to the thomson ski website that was who i took my first ski holiday with them and can honestly say they were excellent.
Have a look at ruka in finland they have some excellent blue runs there perfect for learning on and also a fantastic ski school
hope this helps
jay

Big questions not suited to short replies, I'm afraid!

How about Andorra for your trip? Relatively cheap and top quality English-native-speaking ski schools.

The web is a fantastic resource for your tour operator/equipment needs. Why not start at skiclub.co.uk If you ignore the over-optimistic snow reporting, the site has a shedload of information and advice for first-timers.

Good luck.

Borrow as much clothing as you can - you may not like the sport. Also TK Maxx have some excellent ski/board apparel at good prices.

Avoid the crowds simply by going somewhere the crowds don't. Half term is always a tricky one. You only need a tiny resort to learn at and the bigger ones always attract the biggest crowds. France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Scandinavia you should rule out simply because of the costs.

Bulgaria is a good cheap option with easy pistes but the food and service can be a bit harsh.

In Slovakia, (two hour flight) there are many small, local hills perfect for beginners in the area around Jasna (a big ski area). I run a chalet there and can easily transport beginners to these little local slopes.

chaletslovakia makes a great point. You don't need much vertical for your first week of skiing. Save money and miss the crowds by spending a few days or so at a smaller ski hill, then finish up with a day or so at a mountain resort.

Just to explain. Any populated area where it is cold enough will have small ski hills 100M to 300M high that the locals use to ski. They will have lifts, ski school etc.

Trencher

Go somewhere guaranteed snow, ie not slovakia. Somewhere cheap. Somewhere close. Somewhere with good snow. Snow is essential if it's sh*t and you don't like your first skiing holiday then you will never continue. Try somewhere like Neiderau-1 hour from Innsbruck!!

i taught my best friend to ski at alpe d'huez (fr) last year. we stayed in hotel chamois (http://www.holidayalps.com/hotel-le-chamois.htm) which is owned and run by brits. it's cheap and clean and v close to the cage lift that takes you to the pistes. you can fly to and from grenoble cheaply from london and the ski schools are good. there are enough green and blue runs to keep you happy as a beginner and if you feel more adventurous you can try some harder runs. and there's a great lift up to 3,300m (you don't have to ski the black run down, but it's worth the trip). the resort has a lovely outdoor heated pool and ice rink included in your ski lift pass. i've been here every year for a weekend and it's always great. pretty much guaranteed good snow as it's high up.

Thanks Guys there's a lot to go on there.

I'm considering a shorter 4 day break over a weekend towards the end of Jan to keep the costs down.

A few people have recommended Bulgeria, many issues to consider so please add any further thoughts.