Les Arcs or Niederau? please help

hi there

I am trying to get my first family skiing holiday underway and I am in need of some advice.

there is myself (havent skiid for 15 years), hubby never skied at all, 2 children age 8&9 never skied, child age 13 has had one week with the school

I posted earlier in the year and with a big help from Jonathon ), I thought I had definitly made my mind up to go to Les ARcs 1800. he had some great ideas on how to save on lift passes and was really helpful so if we go to France I think it will probably be to Les ARcs.

We cannot get a package holiday with 2 adults and 3 children in the room, becasue 1) it is very hard to get a room for 2 kids let alone 3 and 2)because one child is 13 he is classed as an adult. So I decided to go it alone and with some help was going to book our flights through easyjet (from Newcastle) book an apartment, found in the apartment section of the forum and hire a car from the airport. Because i want to spend the time skiing with the kids I decided to book private lessons with a guide instead of group lessons where myself and the kids would be set up in different groups.

I have started looking again and I touched on Austria, Niederau. now bearing in mind that on this first holiday we probably arent going to be able to make the most of a vast ski area as we will be learning in the morning and me and oldest child might get to have a ski in the afternoon.

We dont really need much for adult enjoyment but something for the kids like night sledging or somwhere that has a swimming pool would be nice. I have been to Soll twice before but would like to go somewhere a bit different but not too expensive to do on our own. The only thing about going to Innsbruck is the flight from newcastle. You cant get them from easyjet. The only thing that really puts me off going to Les Arcs is that people say it is expensive, but do they mean when you get there or the price of holidays?

Do most of the cheap flights go to France or is it just me? We would be looking at going in the Feb school holidays or do you think we should go in the April hols? It is all really new to me as the last time I went there was just me to think about and not the kids and getting lessons for different levels. Looking roughly for les arcs we can get private lessons for half a day for 150 euro which is probably what I would have expected to pay and would keep my family together.

Do you think it is worth looking at Niderau? is there something I am missing with the flights? At a push we could fly from Edinburgh, Leeds, Durham Tees Valley. Also I dont really fancy having to get on a bus to the slopes with the kids cause I can see one of them putting someones eyes out with their skiis or something. I would like somewhere within walking distance of the lifts.

Any ideas just throw them out please

I would DEFINATELY recommend Niederau, I went there on my first ski holiday having never so much as seen a ski in real life before and had an amazing time. The red ski school there have a brilliant structure, where no-one had to do anything they werent comfortable with, but they still made sure you progressed.(http://www.1-skischule-wildschoenau.at/skischule1_eng.html)

I dont know what other people think (dont feel I can comment after 1 week skiing) but I think it'd be better for you to have seperate lessons at the right ability, rather than trying to get lessons together, then everyone will progress at what feels right for them! When I was skiing, the kids were whizzing down the slopes after 1 day, while I was still practicing 'side-sliding'!! :shock: So your OH might get left behind in a family lesson!

Id say that everywhere in Niederau is within walking distance of the nursery slopes and gondola so no worries for buses, although if you and your eldest did fancy anything more challenging, there is always Auffach (short bus ride away). But certainly, your younger kids, and OH wont need to go anywhere else if they have never skiied before, there's plenty to do for beginners!

I went through Thomsons, flying from Newcastle, but Im pretty sure it'd be easy enough (and cheaper) to book everything online. I havent checked easyjet, but they might fly to Munich airport, which is just as close as Salzberg. And if you could make it from Manchester, you might find you have a lot more options, (only an hour more in the car than Leeds!)

Some of the hotels in Niederau also have family rooms/apartment type suites, check out the Harfenwirt and the Sonnschein for a start! There is tobogganing and sleigh rides available, plus a ski show, and lots of the hotels have swimming pools! So plenty to do for adults and kids, and the Irish bar (O Malleys) has an Elvis and a Karaoke night, that I saw plenty of kids at!

Also, I found it pretty cheap for drinks and food (certainly cheaper for drinks than Newcastle!!!) so its pretty great all round!!!

Interesting challenge!
Les Arcs is a good place to go for all round skiing. I am not a fan of France generally because of the accommodation and the rude French people in the lift queues. I would do Austria every time over France. However, I appreciate your limitations with the regional airports - most package tours are Gatwick or Manchester flights. However, dont limit yourself to Easyjet because they are not that much cheaper than the charter flights compared to what they used to be, especially when you see what you pay to take bags and ski equipment with you.
I would try Thomson, First Choice, Thomas Cook etc for flights, and I would start with www.skyscanner.net
Niederau isnt somewhere I have been, but is a favourite of many on this forum, and appears to be perfect for beginners. Flights should probably be into Salzburg.
You should perhaps also consider Filzmoos, perfect for beginners.
As for when to go, because you are looking at school holidays, its not going to be cheap. I went last Feb to Italy and the snow was as poor as I have had, and then when I went around Easter time, it was fabulous, so there is no logic in when you go. You really need to go somewhere the snow is going to be guaranteed though, ie high altitude, with skiing above 2000m ideally. Les Arcs may just be the better bet in that case.

Can I suggest you have a look on some of the "deals" websites:
bookableski
directski
snowdeals
skideals
icelolly
teletextholidays

and of course the usual suspects
neilson
inghams
crystal
etc, because you may be surprised how cost effective a learn to ski package holiday might be compared to doing it yourself with the likes of Easyjet. If you do end up booking your own flights etc, I would consider the following airports, form where you can work out where to ski:
Geneva, Turin, Grenoble, Lyon, Chambery, Zurich, Sion, Milan, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Munich.

Good luck. Let us know what you go with.

Hi Karen

If you really want to go to Les Arcs I would definitely not recommend 1800 for absolute beginners as there's a distinct lack of nursery slope(s). Higher up in 1950 and 2000 would be a better bet as they've got wonderful wide open slopes, it is pricier up there though. Plan Peisley and Vallandry are supposed to be good for beginners too.

If the budget can stretch try esprit, they're a great family company and have got quite a few chalets in les arcs which accommodate all sized families!

Good luck
Caron

thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I think I have made my mind up and I think I am going to go for Austria. i think we will probably have to go from either Edinburgh or Manchester.

A package holiday is definitly out of the question because the occupation in our room is more than any tour operator offers so I will have to do it myself.

I have had a quick look on Thomsonfly website and to go in the school holidays in Feb (flights only) for the 5 of us is £2000 but to go in April school holidays it is only £600 for the flights. Why are they so cheap in the Easter holidays? is it because skiing is rubbish in Austria at that time of year? or have I come accross a bargain?

Rooms - like I say this is just so tricky because of the occupancy in the rooms. It might be better if we find an apartment to rent for the week rather than trying to book a hotel but I have asked the Sonnschein for a price for the 5 of us.

Hubby thinks I am being a bit previous trying to book up now but I am worried that I will be able to get the flights but not the hotel or other way round.

I had a look at places to stay in Filzmoos but there doesnt seem to be many apartments to rent. I only had a quick look at a couple of sites so I will have a look around. The room occupancy is a real pain in the bot because I dont really want to have to get 2 rooms, there will be far too many fights of who is going in with who and I dont really want to be split up on our holidays.

What do other people do who go on holiday who have more than 2 children?

Does anyone know which airline flies direct from Newcastle to Salzburg?

Once again thanks for all your help. I am trying to take it in but it is such a lot. It would be much easier getting the tour operator to do it for me but I dont think I have that option unless I split the kids up.

Karen

not sure when easter is next year,if it is late you should check when the resort shuts for the season.
many of the lower austrian resorts [ie niederau soll etc] shut at the end march beginning of april.

kids school holidays next year 14th Feb for 1 week and 4th April for 2 weeks.

I have just been looking at the height of the resort for niederau and it is not very high and from what I have read it is the first to dry up. Also Filzmoos says (on this website) that it is just OK for beginners. only gets a 2 star rating.

karen72 wrote:kids school holidays next year 14th Feb for 1 week and 4th April for 2 weeks.

Les Arcs at Feb half-term will be busy and expensive. Les Arcs in April is much less busy and you've a better chance of finding accommodation at a reasonable price - snow will almost certainly be good then too.

As caron-a says, Arc 1950 or 2000 would be good bets - there's at least one chairlift (serving a nursery slope of a very good length) that's free and well located for beginners.

April may be pushing your luck to get good snow in Niederau.

karen72 wrote:Also Filzmoos says (on this website) that it is just OK for beginners. only gets a 2 star rating.

Sorry... some of our ratings are a bit rusty...

Here's what'll be on j2ski within a week or two...

"Filzmoos has a small ski area of its own with easy links to many other ski areas in the area for which a collective pass is available. This makes it an ideal choice for beginners and intermediates who will enjoy the feeling of being somewhere special without the intimidation or characterless feel of a modern 'mega resort'."

That sound more like it? 8)

W.r.t. the February versus April dilemna... given the choice; for kids or beginners I'd probably opt for April and go high enough to be reasonably sure of snow. You're likely (but not guaranteed, of course) to get better weather in April than in February and that can make a big difference to a tired, damp child (or adult).