Latest posts for the topic "first skiing holiday"

first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 18:14:53 GMT

hi all - we are planning our first skiing holiday for christmas (husband daughter aged 14 and myself ) none of us have ever skiied before - we are looking for a good resort in austria that cater for beginners and have non skiing activites like tobogganing ect we would like the hotel to be at least 3 star and we have GBP3000 budget for flight and hotel(half board)
any advice would be greatly appreciated- thanks

9

we are not that worried about nightlife

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 18:56:04 GMT

Hi nipper
everyone on here will tell you to try niederau, but I haven't been there so I wont!
Have you looked at passo tonale in italy? it sounds just what you are looking for and will probably be cheaper. :wink:

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:14:38 GMT

Hi nipper and welcome to J2ski,

With a budget like that you should`nt have a problem,As TSP said Neidarau is fantastic for first timer`s or seasonal skier`s alike.
Have a read of some of the threads on here and you will probably have a better idea of what you want out of your holiday.

AJ Adele

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:18:31 GMT

Is that your flights+accomo budget? Or for your whole hol?

The photos of Neiderau that Jan posts are enough to make me want to visit

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:42:36 GMT

that is the flights and accomadation - spending money is extra

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:45:05 GMT

thank god for that. You will have no problems with that budget I don't imagine and 3* would be attainable I don't know a great deal about Europe but Banff in Canada is worth a look-would be awesome at Xmas-truly white.

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:46:21 GMT

Hi Nipper at a grand a skull, :P I would be wanting a lot more than 3 star, unless you were trying Japan perhaps?!

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:49:32 GMT

Honestly I have never been to the places mentioned so far.

But, for your needs Filzmoos would be ideal. Small area, family orientated, extremely friendly, kiddy influence, and most importantly you will not have me and my snowboarding buddy to negotiate )

Seriously, as a dad of a 7 year old, who unfortunately I have not been able to take skiing yet, this place is perfect.

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 19:56:08 GMT

thanks for all replies i will be booking in the next week with inghams - i will let you know where i book

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 20:17:16 GMT

In that case definitely speak to them about Banff (Fairmont Banff Springs is magic) and Big White.

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 20:43:59 GMT

[broken record]

I can't recommend Obergurgl enough for your needs. It's the highest resort in Austria, ski in ski out, fantastic ski school, perfect for beginners, linked with Hochgurgl which is full of beautiful motorway blues, lovely village, one and a half hours from innsbrook, yada, yada, yada.

Niederau is supposed to be rather good too :D

Good luck :thumbup:

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 21:25:55 GMT

Rossfra8 wrote:In that case definitely speak to them about Banff (Fairmont Banff Springs is magic) and Big White.

You been their Rossfra8 ?Its a place i`ve wanted to go for year`s
My son would say it looks awsome.

AJ Adele

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 22:03:01 GMT

I know I am biased and say it often, but it is my fav place and go every year, try Seefeld, Austria and stay at the Alpina. So many extra activities, great ski school. Three ski areas plus sleigh rides, sledging, fantastic pool, bob-sleigh, ice skating, curling, loads of shops restaurants. Loads of cleared walks etc etc etc. Half an hour transfer from Innsbruck, and half an hour on a train to Germany.

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 22:46:48 GMT

Go to Filzmoos.
Close the thread please.

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 23:10:21 GMT

At the end of the winter, I ran a thread, "Austrian location for beginners and experienced skiers" Received some valuable replies.

Experienced skiers often forget the difficulties associated with a first ski trip. So, try and keep it simple. Europe, not Canada. Canada will be good for your fourth or fifth year.

Now everyone here knows that I am am out and out Niederau, so lets get this out of the way first. Niederau is highly rated for it's ski school, and has good beginner slopes right in the village. Hence, where I might suggest people staying at the Harfenwirt, this is an 8 minute walk from the centre, but if your skis are rented, you can leave them at the hire shop. There is a ski bus from the centre to the Harfenwirt, two min ride. Harfenwirt is very family friendly, Herbert plays the harp there, and also at the Bichlwirt, a 500-year old inn, 100 yds up the road.

Alternatively, stay in the village centre, at the Hotel Austria, or the Simmelwirt. Centre can be a bit noisy sometimes but convenient for the ski school.

The other place of interest is Filzmoos. I haven't been there, but after the suggestions, I did research, and it does look good for beginners.

Remember that beginners don't need a big area, 250 to 400km. A 30 km area is plenty for the first week. Area = number of pisted km.

As beginners, you will have, as Rumsfeld said, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. If you think of a question, fire away.

Re:first skiing holiday

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 08:39:05 GMT

hi there

Can't really recommend anywhere but we are going to Niederau in February and there are 3 of us complete beginners and have been given some great advice from the helpful chaps on this site,.

here are some photos that Jan kindly posted of niederau

http://s337.photobucket.com/albums/n376/skiareas/Austria/Niederau/

Karen

first skiing holiday

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 08:59:13 GMT

I'm a begginer myself, and i've booked Alpe D'huez, seems good for begginers with plenty of stuff for the non skier, and i got myself a decent deal. Worth to have a look

Re:first skiing holiday

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:51:53 GMT

i think we have decided on niederau and staying at the hotel sonnschein- i havn't booked it yet inghams booking lines closed at 5.30 so i left it a bit late to book it today will do it tomorrow - thanks for all the help - just one more question - is it very likly that there will be quite good snowfall at christmas time ?

Re:first skiing holiday

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 19:36:57 GMT

i dont know about the snowfall but I don;t think the resort is very high but have no idea about how much there will be at that time of year

Re:first skiing holiday

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:12:45 GMT

From mid December, almost all Tyrolean resorts are running with a mixture of artificial snow and the real stuff.

Re:first skiing holiday

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 10:29:28 GMT

Hello

I'm new to this and new to skiing. Not sure if it's considered poor etiquette to hijack someone else's query?

I'm also on my first skiing holiday and I'm looking to go to Bulgaria with my girlfriend. We'd have to hire everything and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on places to stay or packages that include accommodation and ski/snowboard hire?

Cheers
Canny

Re:first skiing holiday

Sat, 9 Aug 2008 10:49:49 GMT

Canny wrote:Hello

I'm new to this and new to skiing. Not sure if it's considered poor etiquette to hijack someone else's query?

I'm also on my first skiing holiday and I'm looking to go to Bulgaria with my girlfriend. We'd have to hire everything and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on places to stay or packages that include accommodation and ski/snowboard hire?

Cheers
Canny

Hi Canny, welcome to the forum. For your very first trip, I would suggest that you let a tour Operator sort out your Flight/Hotel/Transfer for you. As it's your 1st trip, you are a bit short on knowledge right now, plus as you are going to Bulgaria, you'll be outside the Euro zone, so paying for taxis etc is a bit harder.

Have you had a look at the big Tour Ops brochures yet?

It's worth looking in the Accommodation Offered section on J2ski. There are some Bulgarian advertisers.

For Ski hire, http://www.skiset.co.uk/j2ski/ offers Pamporovo, which will save money on walk in prices.

Re:first skiing holiday

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:31:47 GMT

I can also recommend Seefeld, I have been there so many times I have even worked the high season weeks for a period of 3 years. :D As said previously there are 3 main areas, all connected by a free bus, excellent other facilities (the pool is fantastic and open during the day, unlike others which open after skiing has finished). We used to stay in a hotel called the Hohe Munde, think this is now renamed but is in the centre opposite the church, The Post is another good choice right in the centre square about 5 min walk from the slopes. If you dont mind being a little further out perhaps 10 min from the nursery slope but close to a bus stop I can highly recommend the family run Hiltpolt hotel. oh btw there is now a cinema close to the station.

Re:first skiing holiday

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:45:15 GMT

Canny wrote:Hello

I'm new to this and new to skiing. Not sure if it's considered poor etiquette to hijack someone else's query?

I'm also on my first skiing holiday and I'm looking to go to Bulgaria with my girlfriend. We'd have to hire everything and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on places to stay or packages that include accommodation and ski/snowboard hire?

Cheers
Canny

Hi Canny

If you are new to skiing, can I ask why you are looking to go to Bulgaria? You will find other countries with much more to offer at similar prices for a weeks skiing, where your experience would be much nicer. Its fine if you like beggars and dodgy gear though.

Re:first skiing holiday

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:36:42 GMT

Tony_H wrote:

Canny wrote:Hello

I'm new to this and new to skiing. Not sure if it's considered poor etiquette to hijack someone else's query?

I'm also on my first skiing holiday and I'm looking to go to Bulgaria with my girlfriend. We'd have to hire everything and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on places to stay or packages that include accommodation and ski/snowboard hire?

Cheers
Canny

Hi Canny

If you are new to skiing, can I ask why you are looking to go to Bulgaria? You will find other countries with much more to offer at similar prices for a weeks skiing, where your experience would be much nicer. Its fine if you like beggars and dodgy gear though.

I could not agree more and people on this site can help. Do not go to bulgaria for your first trip (although I haven't actually been there so perhaps it is not fair for me to comment but one of my best friends (a great skier) is from Czech Republic and will not go skiing anywhere in Eastern Europe now that she has discovered France and Austria.... when will switzerland get cheap.. if the euro keeps going this way, hopefully sooner than I think. We all want to ski Switzerland.

Re:first skiing holiday

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:41:19 GMT

PS, I meant to say, when will the euro get so bad that Switzerland looks cheap? I can't wait.

Re:first skiing holiday

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:29:14 GMT

Hi canny.

My advice is DO NOT go to Bulgaria! I have been to several resorts in Europe and North America. Bulgaria was the worst ski holiday by far. The ski schools do not live up to their reputation at all. The pistes are badly signposted and not suitable for beginners, (it is necessary to ski part blue to get on a green - My husband who is a low intermeiate broke his collar bone because he ended up on a black by accident due to lack of signposting and his skis were not set correctly and did not come off when he fell. Equipment is dated (about 15-20 years out of date in fact)and poorly maintained, the locals are continually trying to rip off the tourists, (GBP2.00 for a mars bar on the mountain! and no one has ever got any change)

Aside of all that the town (in my case Borovets)was dirty and there was a severe lack of respect for health and safety. Streets are like ice skating rinks (even around the health center)

Hotel food is poor...have not met anyone who has said anything good about the food in any of the hotels.

While we were there My mobile phone was stolen and I was witness to other tourists finding that there ski's had been stolen from outside cafe/bars. A friend in our party had phone nd camera and money taken off him by a bouncer and when he asked for them back the bouncer denied having them.

One mountain was closed for at least 3 out of the 7 days we were there so the the only pistes open were overcrowded with extremely long lift queues (2hrs. The usual waiting time in the morning was about an hour. I was lucky to be able to get a taxi to midstation where I could get a chair and ski red and blacks but the beginners had to wait in the queues :shock:

I'm trying to think of a positive...but I can't.

Go to Austria

Re:first skiing holiday

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:54:30 GMT

I have around 80 weeks of skiing under my planks. Been mostly to resorts in Europe and the US. I spent a week in Pamporovo many years ago. The food was good, the tuition was excellent, and the hire kit was of good quality. The snow was rather icy though. It was cheap, and no-one ripped me off or stole my kit.
:-)

Re:first skiing holiday

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:03:16 GMT

snowb4ndit wrote:
One mountain was closed for at least 3 out of the 7 days we were there so the the only pistes open were overcrowded with extremely long lift queues (2hrs) I was lucky to be able to get a taxi to midstation where I could get a chair and ski red and blacks but the beginners had to wait in the queu :wink:s. :)

snowb4ndit, Which midstation is accessible via taxi? The mountain infront of the Rila or the one on the righthand side, the higher one?

Re:first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:44:38 GMT

The one in front of the Samakov hotel - the higher one. You can get a taxi outside there as well. (It cost about 15 levs in Feb of this year.)

I too went to Bulgaria many years ago and had a fab time with no complaints. Unfortunately this year when I went it was exactly as I've already described. Nearing the end of last season there were many others complaining about the same things on the 'Bulgaria Ski' website/forum.

I really don't think it's a good place for a beginner, of course that is my opinion and I really don't wish to offend anyone who thinks otherwise. :)

Re:first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:22:24 GMT

I'm not sure you can reach the midstation of the higher mountain by taxi certainly not a car in the winter, maybe a ski-doo taxi.

I agree with you about it not being that good for total beginners because the nursery slopes are almost flat then there's a big gradient increase to the next easiest slopes. The green pathway on the Rila side doesn't count as proper piste and the Mussala pathway on the higher mountain is marked as a green but parts of it are steepish blue in gradient like that short s-shaped bend. However the Mussala pathway is fun to ski due to it's length and the scenery.

Re:first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:24:56 GMT

My mistake...The taxi does not take you to mid station it takes you to the new 4-man lift (where the old T-bar used to be) you can jump the queue and either ski down from there or ski down about 100m to the Mid station and take the gondola up from there.

Re:first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:18:29 GMT

Some interesting reviews here:

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Borovets/reviews

http://story.bulgariaski.com/Bulgaria+Ski+discussion/BULGARIA+-+YOU+NEED+TO+LISTEN_215116/index.html#rep215116

http://story.bulgariaski.com/Bulgaria+Ski+discussion/borovets+general+report_212231/index.html#rep212231

first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:44:19 GMT

I agree Switzerland is fab I've booked a four day break in Adelboden in March

Re:first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:50:03 GMT

nipper, For your budget I'd give the Scandinavian resorts in Finland, Sweden serious consideration. Far more likely to be snow sure at Christmas.
Plus they do all the other stuff like tobaganning, husky rides, reindeer rides, etc.

Re:first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:26:49 GMT

and about 3 minutes worth of ski runs....!!!

I believe the phrase is "limited extent"

Re:first skiing holiday

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:22:36 GMT

Tony_H wrote:and about 3 minutes worth of ski runs....!!!

I believe the phrase is "limited extent"

Tony, They're beginners going as a family. The daughter is 14 so making a a broad brush assumption I'd say the parents are in their 30s. When I started skiing in my 30s I didn't learn anywhere near as fast as a 19yr kid in our group, there with his dad. Statistically 30 somethings don't pick up the technique as fast as teenagers. For beginners it's more than enough.

Re:first skiing holiday

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:33:08 GMT

I understand that, but I was making reference to the fact that the Nordic resorts really do have a very limited terrain. I guess as first timers learning it might not be such an issue, but the bleak cold weather might not be so pleasant.

My first ever time skiing was when I was 33. I had never even touched a pair of skis before then. I went to Val Thorens, and my group covered quite a lot of ground as our instructor took us out on a number of different slopes, something you might not be able to do in Finnish resorts for example. I didnt take to skiing at all for the first 3 days, but by the end of the week I was making parallel turns and itching to learn more. The rest, as they say, is history, and I have 3 weeks a season on the snow if I can afford to.

I really wanted to point out that the extent is limited, and thinking about how much standing around you tend to do when you are in a beginners group, I am not sure doing it in some of Europes coldest weather would be my idea of fun. I also understand off the snow everything is very expensive up there too.

If I was being asked for an opinion, I would suggest they consider going somewhere in the Alps with a bit more of a traditional atmosphere, and where it isnt going to be minus 20 every day.

Re:first skiing holiday

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:43:03 GMT

Tony_H wrote:and about 3 minutes worth of ski runs....!!!

I believe the phrase is "limited extent"

I am going to Finland next year because I fancied something different. But I think Tony is right I think the amount of runs will be quite limited. For us though because we board, ski and cross country ski I think it will be fine for us, we are quite new to the sport. We also wanted all the snow experiences, husky, reindeers, northern lights,snowmobiles etc.

Re:first skiing holiday

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:27:41 GMT

Wrap up warm, Rose.

Re:first skiing holiday

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:31:24 GMT

Tony_H wrote:Wrap up warm, Rose.

I am already investing in every-thing that can be heated, boot warmers, glove warmers etc, just looking for heated knickers now :lol:

Re:first skiing holiday

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:14:49 GMT

Nipper, Some of us are dangling on a thread as it were. Have to decided where to go yet?