Where to ski in January

Hi Guys

I've only been skiing twice but i'm hooked. I've been to les arcs(& La plagne) and the 3 valley's in france.

I'm now looking to book for 2010 but i'm not sure where to look, so i though i would ask some seasoned skiers. Can anyone recommend me european ski resorts that are comparable to the above. I have no experiance of italy or austria.

many thanks

Jim

If you're looking for a similar resort to Les Arcs and 3 Valleys, then you have a few options. Val D'Isere/Tignes, Alpe D'Huez spring to mind as favourites of mine.
I'd ask the question whether you think you got value for money from your lift pass, do you need that sort of sized ski area after just a couple of weeks skiing? You pay a lot more for the big ski areas. If you're getting the miles under your skis then fine, if not then maybe one of the medium sized areas would be a better option?

thanks for the reply

I like the large areas as i like to explore and i'm not too keen to keep skiing the same routes (other than access). I also enjoy the high altitude stuff above the tree line.

i would be skiing with a small group of 4 (including me).

ideally the accommodation would be ski to your door. After staying at les arc1950 it was a revelation not to have to queue in the mornings to get up the slopes or rush back to catch the last bus/lift home.

what do you suggest as good medium sized areas ?

If you like to explore then Val D'Isere and Alpe D'Huez will suit you.

Medium sized resorts, there are loads - Serre Chevalier (quite big actually), Montgeneve, Sauze, Megeve etc etc etc

Alpe d'Huez is a good shout, ski in/out chalets available, and I am off there in January.

I have also skied in Mayrhofen and St Anton in the month of Jan, both of which suit intermediates looking for a bit of everything with wide ski areas available. Mayrhofen is much cheaper generally.

You also might want to consider Verbier in Switzerland, although I skied there in March/April 2008.

I have been to Sauze d'Oulx and loved it, but the snow is erratic to say the least. Lovely cruising runs there though. You might want to look at Selva and Arabba in the Dolomites as well.

If you're looking to self cater, the Pierre & Vacances apartments in Flaine Foret might suit - good size ski area, and 100m to the slopes. Also quite close to Geneva for transfers.

Flaine is 60's award winning architecture, not to everyone's taste, but not as horrendous as you might think.

Plenty of skiing for a third weeker.