New skier, hope to go this winter!

I'm shocked that Niederau hasn't been suggested yet !

Val Thorens, Three Valleys. Although expensive, it has the widest, flattest beginner slopes you could want. (Like 100 metres wide) Plenty of opportunity to bring yourself on, without sheer terror of steep, narrow, busy slopes. Just be sure to avoid the school holidays, both french and british.... :mrgreen:

I learned there Xmas week. It wasn't too bad in terms of busy. I have absolutely no desire to return strangely enough.

There is an area called the Grande Terche I think near Morzine but tucked away. You could stay off the beaten track in a catered chalet up there for 1/2 the price of a standard resort. Plus the runs are empty because everyone heads for the miles of slopes thing. Perfect place for learners, and it you do pick it up quickly these catered chalets will drop you off 10 mins away at any of the places around the Portes du Soleil. I mention this because a friend of mine lives near there. She doesn't run a business but she says that these slopes were perfect when her kid was learning but that now she is expert, they are just too tame.

See your post is a month or so old so not sure if you've booked yet, but I'll give my 2p anyhow. When folk who have never skied before start looking into it most don't realise the sheer amount of resorts on offer in a variety of different countries. People who have skied before will naturally recommend places they've been to and to some extent to re-validate the choices they made. My first ski holiday many moons ago was to Soll in Austria, I had the time of my life and would say that it's a good resort for beginners. Generally as a beginner you don't need a huge or linked resort, you need something with good nursery slopes, and for later in the week some confidence building runs, and a good ski school. You certainly don't want to spend the money on an area pass for a large area that you won't use, but you do normally have the choice of a local or area pass.

These days with several indoor slopes around the country it's easy enough to head to one and get a half day or full days beginners session in. This will teach you the basics and by the end of a full day (some people half) you will probably be able to negotiate the main indoor slope using plough turns. From then on a few more hours indoors can really put you at a standard that will put you on to most if not all blues in the majority of resorts. We all learn at different speeds of course but I've went to the indoor slopes with complete beginners who were trying to get ready for their first holiday and it's surprising what you can do prior to your fist trip. If nothing else doing this equips you to make the most of your expensive holiday. The indoor slopes are a bit flattering though i.e. regardless of how many hours you spend it won't make you an off piste god, or equip you to tackle steeps and challenging conditions.

I went with a group of beginners to Le Rosiere in France about 3 years ago. It was chosen with some of the above considerations in mind. It was in my opinion a good beginner resort, due to it being quiet and having easily accessible nursery slopes. Everyone got some indoor time in before the holiday and by the end of the 3rd days skiing nearly all of the group were getting all over the mountain and over into the linked Italian resort of Le Thuille.

Totally depends on what you want, I like Austria as an overall experience but ski at least once a season in France.

Pas De La Casa was pretty good when i went, high and resonably priced. been a while since i was there- might be busier now

http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Andorra/Pas_de_la_Casa_Grau_Roig.html

Pas de la Casa? Andorra seems to have got a lot more expensive than when I went a few years back......

Tony_H wrote:I'm shocked that Niederau hasn't been suggested yet !

That couldn't be anything to do with your persistent and negative slagging off of Niederau? The lovely thing about J2ski, apart from the wealth of first hand knowledge, is the ALMOST 100% majority of kindly comments.