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Advice - First time ski holiday?



 
 
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  #11  
Old November 23rd 06, 05:03 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Matt T
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Posts: 158
Default Advice - First time ski holiday?


Dan wrote:

Hey,

My friends and I want to go on our first skiing holiday but the choice is
overwhelming so I'm asking on here for some advice. We are beginners, party
animals (good nightlife a must!) and being students, on a limited budget.
We're from the UK so english speaking resorts would be a bonus though some
of us have a basic grasp of french. Can anyone recommend a resort that suits
us?

Ideally we're looking at travelling either in the months of January or
February from a London based airport. Duration between 4 days and a week.

Also, we have no skii equipment or ski clothes. Where is the best place to
hire these? At the resprt or at a shop in England? Are there any good
websites which can tell us the basics on what we need for our first ski
holiday? Are there any other places where I can get good adivce?

Any help much appreciated.

Thankyou

Dan


Hi Dan,

I'd agree with most of what's been said already:
- Hire jacket and salopettes in the UK. Depending on how near London
you are, 47 degrees (http://www.47degrees.com) will rent you clothes. I
used them for my first ski trip and they were fine. Alternatively, as
already suggested, ALDI will do dirt cheap ski clothes to buy. I
imagine they're not the only ones now either. A friend of mine also
hired some clothes that he then picked up and returned in Gatwick
airport. Seemed like a good service, and the clothes were quality
goretex. I can't remember the name of the company, but google around
and you might find something.
- You'll need sunglasses and/or goggles. You can get these cheapish as
well if you hunt around. You can get away with wearing goggles the
whole time (boarders do) but if the weather sets in you wouldn't get
away with sunglasses all the time, if that makes sense.
- Gloves or mits - don't underestimate just how cold your hands will
get! You might be able to hire some, otherwise spend as much as you can
afford, or borrow!
- Thermal underwear - I bought some from M&S 8 years ago and it's
still great. Thermal vest and long johns - if you don't feel the cold
so much you will get away with these, plus a fleece and a goretex
jacket. If you feel the cold like my wife, pack an extra fleece and two
t-shirts!
- Hire boots, skis, boards, poles in resort - cheaper, less hassle and
they can change or fix things if and when they go wrong.

Go in January, not February - Feb is half term holidays for everyone so
prices go through the roof and the pistes are way too busy. January,
especially the week after new years, is bargain basement time. Okay, so
it can be colder, and the day's can be shorter, but you can dress for
the cold and it's your first trip, so a shorter day might suit - sounds
like you'll want to hit the bar early too!

Go for a week - it usually works out about the same price as going for
4 days one way or another.

If you go in Jan and take advantage of the prices, you might want to
consider a catered chalet seeing as it's your first time. You'll get
your breakfast, tea and dinner 6 nights out of 7, the transport and
transfers are sorted, they'll sort out your passes and lessons for you
and it's more personable than a hotel. Unlike in self-catered you'll be
able to grill the chalet staff for hints and tips. Check out the
websites for Skiworld, Crystal, Ski Total, Neilson...see what prices in
Jan are looking like - also they usually group resorts according to
'beginners/intermediate/advanced', 'Great apres ski' that sort of
thing. You could consider using a booking agent like ifyouski.com to
search around for you - you won't pay any more usually. Skiclub.org.uk
has a fair amount of info on resorts and the companies that go there as
well.

Not been to Andora or Austria so I can't comment, but I hear from
others that both are good, cheap, party-oriented options, although as
already mentioned Andora's not as cheap as it used to be. My first ski
holiday was in Les Deux Alpes in France with Skiworld. It got me
hooked, it was fairly cheap and we partied every night. Benidorm of the
Alps, somebody once called it, but it probably shouldn't put you off.

Other expenses? Ski pass, lessons and equipment hire have already been
mentioned. Insurance - make sure you've got some with winter sports
cover! I've lost count of the number of people I know who've really
needed it - getting rescued off a mountain and taken to a hospital
ain't cheap.
Also, eating in mountain restaurants for lunch ain't cheap either -
have a large breakfast and ski through, or budget 10 Euros a day for a
plate of spaghetti. Take a huge bag of mini mars bars on holiday with
you as well.

Good luck with it and, as they said in Point Break "It'll change your
life, swear to God." - okay, so they were talking about surfing, but
they could've been talking about skiing.

Matt

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  #12  
Old November 23rd 06, 05:11 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
MoonMan
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Posts: 236
Default Advice - First time ski holiday?

Florian Anwander wrote:
Hi Dan


Also, we have no [...] ski clothes.

I don't think that you can rent skiing clothes anywhere in the world.
(Exception: skiing boots).

Sorry Florian, most UK ski shops I've been to rent Clothes.


For example SnowSun at the Ipswich ski slope or SnowFit in Norwich. I'm not
sure about Bartletts but phone and ask.



Chris


  #13  
Old November 23rd 06, 07:49 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Adrian D. Shaw
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Posts: 32
Default Advice - First time ski holiday?

Felly sgrifennodd Florian Anwander :
I think Austria is the place with the leat expensive hotels. Andorra is
the spot with the cheapest parties.


Really? We're Ferienwohnung people, but for us, Switzerland always seems
cheaper. We are going for one week in Austria this year though -
splashing out!

Adrian
--
Adrian Shaw ais@
Adran Cyfrifiadureg, Prifysgol Cymru, aber.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru ac.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ais/weather/ uk
  #14  
Old November 24th 06, 09:49 AM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Rob Convery
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Posts: 3
Default Advice - First time ski holiday?


"Dan" wrote in message
...
Hey,

My friends and I want to go on our first skiing holiday but the choice is
overwhelming so I'm asking on here for some advice. We are beginners,
party animals (good nightlife a must!) and being students, on a limited
budget. We're from the UK so english speaking resorts would be a bonus
though some of us have a basic grasp of french. Can anyone recommend a
resort that suits us?

Ideally we're looking at travelling either in the months of January or
February from a London based airport. Duration between 4 days and a week.

Also, we have no skii equipment or ski clothes. Where is the best place to
hire these? At the resprt or at a shop in England? Are there any good
websites which can tell us the basics on what we need for our first ski
holiday? Are there any other places where I can get good adivce?

Any help much appreciated.

Thankyou

Dan


For Clothes have a look at TKMax as they have some very good stuff for not a
lot of money.


  #15  
Old November 24th 06, 02:26 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Alex Heney
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Posts: 80
Default Advice - First time ski holiday?

On Thu, 23 Nov 2006 15:23:20 +0000, Alex Heney
wrote:

snip

Depending on just when you are going, ALDI usually have ski clothing
on sale for a week some time in January, and a set of jacket and
salopettes only costs around £40 to buy - and they are perfectly
adequate, I will be wearing mine again this year, and first wore them
on a trip to Canada with temperatures of -29C.


Further to this, I have just seen that ALDI have them in next week -
30th November. Things usually only stay in stock there for a few days.
http://uk.aldi.com/special_buys/special_buys_pid_45236.html
--
Alex Heney, Global Villager
.... "I'll be Bach." - Johann Sebastian Schwarzenegger
To reply by email, my address is alexATheneyDOTplusDOTcom
  #16  
Old November 28th 06, 09:50 PM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Dan
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Posts: 3
Default Advice - First time ski holiday?

Thanks for all the advice. Really appreciate it. I'm saving the whole thread
for future reference.

Dan


  #17  
Old November 29th 06, 08:52 AM posted to rec.skiing.resorts.europe
Paul Schofield
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Posts: 17
Default Advice - First time ski holiday?


"Dan" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the advice. Really appreciate it. I'm saving the whole

thread
for future reference.

Dan


When its over let us know how you get on

Cheers

--
Paul Schofield



 




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