First Ski Holiday - Advice

Hi guys/gals, this is my first post.

Me and around 9 friends are planning to go away on a ski holiday for the first time next year. We're all in our early 20s and I'm looking for resort recommendations. We're not set on any location just yet, so I'm totally open to suggestions. We've been going to the Snow Centre up in Hemel Hempstead to have lessons to get a taste for it. We're also planning to have some sort of lessons on the real slopes too!

I also wanted to know how much we should be (roughly) paying each for a chalet (that sleeps 10) and ski passes and any other costs we might overlook whilst we're planning this. I'm sort of hoping that the large group number might help us reduce costs *fingers crossed*.

Any help or suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance!

Hi Realph (is that the correct spelling?) So, the permutations are endless (which country, 'posh' chalet, middle type chalet, sleeping in bunks chalet, chalet miles from the slopes. Also the costs vary a fair bit depending on your choice of country, i.e. Switzerland, USA tend to be more pricey than say, Italy, France, Andorra (don't bother with eastern European resorts, sorry to eastern Europeans but definitely not personal. As a reasonably rounded up figure if you use one of the big tour companies (Thomson, Crystal etc.) you will find all in prices of between £400 to £700 for the week to include flights, transfers, chalet meals and wine and beer, but, generally, not lift passes although some companies will include ski hire. Booking direct with a chalet owner would cost between £350 to £600 but you can double these figures is you go upmarket in a stylish chalet in, say, Val d'Isere. Lift passes, depending on the resort can be between £170 to £300 for the week and add another £150 for a week in ski school. Also, budget in lunches and drinks during the day, allow £20 to £30 per day. I would recommend getting a book with all the facts in it and there possibly isn't a better book than the Where to Ski and Snowboard (you would probably get one on Amazon for about £5 or £6 pounds. Also all prices differ depending on the time of the year and other factors, so avoid Christmas, New Year, half term and Easter. You've got a lot to do! Best of luck.

If you want value and reasonable costs ..Andorra..

daved wrote:If you want value and reasonable costs ..Andorra..

For a first time ski holiday I would suggest Andorra :thumbup:

Me too! great place for first timers!

I highly recommend the smaller independent chalet companies... I don't like/nor am I happy paying for an 18 year old with no prior life/catering experience cooking my meals and cleaning properly - this is normally who big Tour Operators like to employ (because they don't know enough to complain)!



Some of my friends run a catered chalet, they do the hosting themselves and are very experienced, so you should defo look around.

I don't recommend using Where to Ski & Snowboard, it's written very unfairly and gives great resorts rubbish reviews because said resorts aren't 'middle class' enough or have the right rep with the right people (if you know what I mean) ...

and Andorra is as ugly as sin, and very meh..!

As previously said, avoid the likes of Bulgaria however tempting the price may be.

First timers, all early 20 somethings, no brainer for me......Pas de la Casa, Andorra.
Mainly english/aussie instructors, cheapish beer and food.

In early Jan or other off peak weeks you should be able to get your travel, accom, lift pass, ski hire for around 500-600 quid.

Or maybe Bulgaria, heard that's great too!