Recommendations for ski virgins

I've recently done the same as you - young kids, first timers, first-timer (or nearly) wife.

Here are the things I think are indispensable wherever you go:

1. Short transfer from airport: that means places like Livigno are impractical.
2. Flexible child care: it's wonderful to spend time with the children skiing. But help with getting them ready/dropping off/picking up from ski school is a real blessing so you aren't stressed about it.
3. Good schools. MJy kids had two great instructors on their first time, and made huge leaps and bounds (sic). Second time was a disinterested and rather timid type who went through the motions with a big group, and was fiercely expensive. We couldn't move them because no space anywhere else. Once you've chosen yr destination seek personal recommendations for ski schools
4. Close proximity of hotel to accessible slope/lift. Unless you want to be carrying three or more sets of skis and poles for a nice long schlep. Getting on buses and suchlike is a PITA.

There is such a huge choice that getting all these things in one place is by no means impossible. The problem with asking this group is that everyone has their little pet resorts - which is fine, but hardly objective. I'd get a ski guide, and spend an hour or so filtering down all the things you need from the holiday then doing a bit of research on one or two. EDIT: I see you've booked Niederau... I must go, it's been hyped on this site so much it sounds like skiing;s answer to the Holy Grail..

Cheers!

Aye, Timeforabeer...it was driving me nuts, day after day of constantly researching ski resorts. The tour operator websites aren't overly helpful as they only want to point out the advantages. Sites like www.wtss.co.uk & wwww.welove2ski.com are great because you get an impartial review of the resort. Forums like this are great because people can recount their personal experiences. I'd agree that what's champagne for one might be lambrusco for another but that's the beauty about experience.

I was originally going to go for a Mark Warner holiday but they are just so ridiculously expensive and I'm lucky that none of my lot need 5* treatment. I've found that trying to achieve all factors don't half push the price up!

I've just booked Niederau for 6th Feb 2010. My decision was greatly influenced by the reputation of the ski schools and that it is a family friendly village. We're staying at the Simmerwelt, which describes itself as being 150m away from the ski school meeting point. I'd not considered the childcare option to be honest and it's now given me something to think about.

Coop,
Congratulations on coming to a decision. I hope you and your family have a great holiday.

Ally

Cheer Ally....really looking forward to it and bl**dy months to go!

One downer about going via Nielsons is that they use the 'Blue' ski school as opposed to the 'Reds'. I say it's a downer because everyone on here raves about the Reds and not much is mentioned about the Blues.

Am I better off hiring everything seperately just so that we get into the Reds or am I fussing about nothing?

Coop,
I don't know the answer to that one, I'm afraid.

I think there is a large variation between teachers, and it's not just about which ski school they belong to. We've had excellent and awful teachers with the same school during the same holiday. And the problem is that sometimes you can't change groups because there's nowhere to go to.

However, I do know that you can book your own lessons independently of the tour operator, because I did that. We travelled with Inghams and I booked everything else myself - lessons, ski hire, and ski pass, and the rep was quite pleased really, because she didn't have to come round later with everything.

I got really cross when we went to Zell am See, which was the first time I'd skied on snow for 35 years, because we booked everything with Airtours and we had to walk past a perfectly good ski hire shop to one 'miles away' which Airtours used. So ever after that I've booked our own ski hire and found the nearest one to our accommodation. But I shouldn't think you'll have that particular problem in Niederau because it's so small.

Ally

Should've gone to Radio Rentals

Tony_H wrote:Should've gone to Radio Rentals

Radio Rentals T? Thought you were a modern man.

Dave Mac wrote:

Tony_H wrote:Should've gone to Radio Rentals

Radio Rentals T? Thought you were a modern man.

One with a memory