J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Wanderer

I am firmly of the view that winter tyres are an essential piece of kit when travelling to ski resorts.

However, I am travelling to the Dolomites in February and cannot get them from any of the car hire companies in Venice, despite the Italians introducing new regulations requiring cars in the alpine areas to be properly "equipped" :twisted:. It would appear that having chains meets the legal requirement.

I feel I have no choice but to take a very expensive taxi transfer instead. Its very frustrating :evil: :evil: :evil:.

Hi Happy

I haven't skied Cortina but have skied Sella Ronda (though based near Campitello on other side). If you were going for a full week, I would probably opt for Val Gardena. This give you direct access to an amazing selection of skiing on your doorstep :lol:. However, as you are planning on only 3 days skiing a smaller ski area is fine. While you have mentioned that getting to Cortina is cheaper, I think you may find that the accommodation is more expensive so make sure you check the total costs before making your final decision if cost is important :wink:

andyhull wrote:I've experienced a longish delay at a fogged in Chambery, not one of my better ski memories. A 9am departure turned into a 11.45pm departure from Grenoble.
Surely if the aircraft is faulty the airline would have put them in a hotel?

The Article indicates that the tour operator claimed that there was no hotel accommodation available locally and could not get them back up to resort because of the snow :!:

While I know the TOs scrimp on all costs, it still amazes me that they accept the crappy service provided by Chambery. It is a small regional airport completely unsuited for the huge numbers that go through it every Saturday for the ski season :evil:

A Crystal holiday flight from Chambery was delayed by 36 hours due to a combination of bad weather and problem with the plane after the steps hit the door. 147 passengers were left stranded in Chambery airport.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/my-family-are-all-sick-after-ski-trip-horror-reveals-woman-after-sleeping-on-airport-floor-30877004.html

Having experienced short delays in Chambery, I can only imagine how horrible an experience this was. At the best of times, the airport struggles with the volume of passengers on transfer day. On bad days, it is simply overwhelmed and the airport does little to manage the situation. The bar/restaurant is too small for the crowds and quickly runs out of food. It also tends to stick to its normal operation hours, no matter how many people are around looking for service :twisted:

Welcome to skiing - it is a truly wonderful sport but beware it is addictive. Once you get a taste, it tends to become a compulsion for very many people :P.

Soll is a lovely and lively resort. It is quite compact so you will figure out where to go fairly easily. I would try to book something for New Years Eve before you head out. It is a really big night in Austria and most of the hotels will be laying on Gala evenings with fancy meals, music and dancing. There will almost certainly be a big firework display at midnight as well :shock:.

In terms of the skiing, the 1st couple of days may be a little frustrating as you will probably only get as far as the beginner slope just up from the village. However, it won't be long before your instructor is taking you up the mountain proper and you will get a sense of what the mountains have to offer :lol: One piece of advice - do not attempt to ski down to the village at the end of the day - it is a difficult run that is definitely not suitable for a total beginner. Always take the gondola down :wink:

I am sure it won't take very long to hook up with the season worker community once you get there. Just beware of the level of partying - most people struggle with a week in St Anton never mind a whole season.

You could try natives.co.uk. Its a dedicated website for season workers.

Alan. I haven't stayed in Pozza itself but did stay further down the valley in Moena. There is a bus service to the lifts up onto Sella Ronda but its not great, especially later in the day. Maybe allow for the occasional taxi fare! I'm off to Vigo di Fassa myself in February!

Munich and Zurich have fairly easy train links to resorts in Austria or Switzerland. For example you can get to Soll from Munich by train in less than 2 hours. St Anton from Zurich takes a little longer but a great resort.