Best European Ski Resorts For You??

[alan147]

After we hit Bansko for the second time this year we are looking to go skiing again before the season closes.

Anyone have any recommendations on good resorts for 2 couples to go?

Girls are beginners 2 guys more intermediate.

Price, Accommodation, Transfers, Flights all need to be taken in to account?

Thanks, look forward to your replies?

[lilywhite]

Hi, I have a soft spot for Sweden "Are". Approx 100km of pistes along a really pretty frozen lake.
If your travelling from the UK I think Neilson are the only operator providing packages but if you want to go independent then skistar are the ones you want to be googling as they do liftpasses, rentals, lessons and provide links to hotels etc.
We have twice travelled with Neilson and got great deals both times. March/april are the best times to go, not busy at all, warmer and with longer days and less likely to get winds high enough to close the higher lifts.
Lovely alpine style village, easy to get around on foot or by skibus which runs into the evening.
Plenty of green and blue runs for the beginners in fact its a great resort to get a sense of travelling across the mountain for the less experienced or more easily intimidated.
There are also some more testing red and blacks but nothing too scary IMHO, there is a little tree skiing and some off piste if your into it too.
It is expensive to eat and drink out in Sweden, beer is no worse than any euro resort but spirits are extortionate, for that reason we go either self catering or chalet board, the supermarket is pretty reasonable and swings and roundabouts price wise, loo roll more expensive but bread cheaper, no rhyme nor reason! The system bolaget is the government run offy and is approx the same cost wise as a UK independent offy so we usually stock up with beer and bacardi from there.
Instructors are almost as at home in English as Swedish and all that I have encountered have given me a sense of achievement at the end of a lesson, group lessons are very reasonable priced and private lessons whilst pricier are actually well worth the additional spend.
The only slight downside is that the majority of the lifts are drags, not so bad for skiers but crap for boarders.

[MarkA]

Hi, I'm going to Are in four weeks or so with my wife and six year old. It sounds great, but you're the first person I've met who's actually been. Question - we're thinking of hiring a car for transfers and getting around the resort. What do you think? Are the roads clearish? Will we be able to park around the village?

Thanks.

[lilywhite]

The roads were kept very clear and they have to have winter tyres fitted during the snow season, I would have thought you would be fine. As for parking it depends where your staying? We took a coach transfer. Have a wonderful time, I was chatting with one of the instructors via facebook the other day and he was saying the conditions are excellent at the moment but very very cold so leave the cotton tee's at home and pack all your synthetic baselayers your going to need them!
We went last feb and had temps around -22c and then at the end of march where they were a balmy -11c!
Keep an eye out for Mr Bramwells in the Tegerfjall area, teepee serving great hot choc ans sausage wraps relatively cheaply and in the beginner area of Rodkullen (lots of lovely cruisy greens and blues with a great view of the lake) theres an eaterie called Ulladalsstugan which serves amazing potato pancakes with salt pork and lingonberry preserve, the other end of the resort at Copperhill they do enormous pizzas (2 hungry adults share size) which are excellent value but unless you like really fatty meat avoid the reindeer one!

[MarkA]

Fantastic, that's really useful. We're staying self catering at Holiday Club Are, right in the centre. It's a big plce, so I assume it'll have parking. Thought it might be easier to get about with a six year old and all the ski gear with a car. Big wide blues and greens sound perfect. He'll be having his lessons in Are Bjornen so I imagine we'll be down a that end a fair amount. Any other tips?

[lilywhite]

Are by is directly up the hill from the holiday club, the Bjornen area is a little east of you (connected by pistes but you will probably need to get the reliable bus to that area directly if lessons are early) The kids area is great with animated critters that talk to you! I'm sure your kiddy will love it. The copperhill hotel is close to that area and great for a pizza to share lunch.
The main supermarket is in Station Are which is connected to the holiday club via footbridge.
Along the same road is the system bolaget which is the government run offy and also an outlet shop which seems to always have a sale on, its across the station carpark and looks like a barn from outside.
You have a swimming pool with flumes on site too.
The Duved/Tegerfjall area(linked to each other but not Are central) also has a smaller child friendly zone and a larger concentration of reds and steeper blues, well worth a visit but probably more of a take turns babysitting area unless your nipper was born to skis.
From Are Bjornen it is easily possible to get to Rodkullen via the lifts and very gentle blue runs/transit routes which even confirmed snowploughers should be able to navigate without trouble. Rodkullen is where there are a lot of easy flattish green/blue runs, there are 2 paralell drags to the top, the further you travel to the west away from central Are the more gentle the slope gradient and its at the furthest end of that area where you will find my favourite slopeside eaterie Ulladalsstugan.
If you have any specific questions do ask, I get excited even discussing skiing!

[jskier2412]

Favourite resort, got to be Whistler, BC. I did my season there and fell in love totally.
But I can't afford to go to Canada every year, gutting! I am heading out to Tignes this season with my boyfriend for his first ski trip...so I had the same sort of questions, where is good for a couple...I have been to Tignes before and the skiing is great for all abilities I found. I have gone with Alpine 1550 Ski to stay in one of their Chalets in Tignes Les Brevieres, they are close to the slopes, catered, hot tub and sauna and seem to be close to a bit of nightlife too when we fancy a walk down into town. They did a great deal too, I think they are a fairly new set up but they were really helpful and fitted in with our budget. They offer accomodation and hire as they have a hire shop in the Chalets! Check them out...I was impressed!

[otisdelarosa]

Hi. Vermont in Canada has nice ski resorts. But if you want to have more choices with ski packages and hot deals, I can recommend a website. These people have been our ski trip provider for a year now and we love their services. check it out.

[URL="http://www.skiorganizers.com/"Ski Resorts | Ski Packages[/URL]

[lilywhite]

Hey Otis how long has Canada been in Europe? Sounds great tho!

[powderfiend]

Also, how long has Vermont been in Canada ha?

In Europe, I'm a big fan of Kitzbuhel, excellent skiing with options for all skill levels/moods and the Hotel Elisabeth was an amazing place to stay. I'm looking at places further afield these days though, a lot of the popular European resorts are just way too crowded these days.

[MarkA]

We're in Are right now, had a great days skiing today in Are Bjornen. Sun out, not too cold, good blue runs we're all enjoying. Thanks for all the info lilywhte!

[lilywhite]

Hey MarkA glad your having a great time, we are heading back out there on the 25th, am very excited and counting "sleeps!"

[AllThingsAlpine]

Switzerland probably have the best ski resorts I my opinion. But it's all very expensive. I usually head out to Chamonix. Easy and quick access from Geneva, world class skiing from easy to touring plus cheap accomodation if you want it!

[Aladam888]

Austria, France and Switzerland has got the best ski resorts for beginners and intermediate skiers.
P.s. Canada is so not in Europe

[GerryW80]

France has a variety of choices for skiing sites!