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Ski & snowboarding

Cheap skiing destinations please

25 replies

littlebellsmum · 17/09/2009 23:41

I've not skied since I was pregnant with DD, 6 years ago but think that it's time to intro the LO's to the wonders that is skiing.

Now money isn't plentyful - any suggestions of where to look for on a budget?

Thank You!

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alypaly · 17/09/2009 23:48

are there any?

I reckon spain and bulgaria are probably the cheapest. Definitely not france ,austru=ia or switzerland

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greygirl · 18/09/2009 11:04

depends when you go and what you want to do when you are there. Some rsorts are never cheap, but smaller resorts tend to be, as do january holidays (difficult with school). Also of course last minute holidays in quiet times (but you may not get free child places). And different operators (or by booking it yourself) will save/charge a lot of dosh
eg a self catering trip in january to bulgaria will prob be very cheap, a half term fully catered luxery chalet in verbier will require the sale of your family home
i would suggest snowbizz (who only go to one place but are cheap and seem good - but i will report back after this year), and crystal/thomson/neilson etc. la chamrouse and la tania in france look ok, as does passo tonale in italy. i am sure there are small austrian resorts. switzerland is (generally) quite costly. i quite fancy bulgaria/romania and andorrra but have no idea what they are like. i think kids just require a little hill and a large supply of hot chocolate so size of resort isn't such an issue for them (but maybe you are superqueenskiier

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greygirl · 18/09/2009 11:05

missing bracket at end
'queensuperskiier)

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:10

littlebellsmum Flaine has got a really good ski school and you can go off and ski whilst they are looked after.You can meet up at lunch time or leave them to have lunch with their new friends

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greygirl · 18/09/2009 11:15

yes you see i reckon there's prob some cheap(ish) flats in flaine.

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greygirl · 18/09/2009 11:16

trouble with andorra is ski school starts age 6. you have to watch out for things like that. no good promising them the disney princess run (which i believe there is in andorra somewhere) only to find they are too little for classes.

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:17

start at 3 in flaine DS1 started at 3 and DS2 at 5...

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tiredemma · 18/09/2009 11:19

I went to Austria (Zell am See) at new year- my ski instructor was from Slovakia and highly recommended the ski resorts there. Much better facilities (ski lifts etc) at much cheaper prices.

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:22

zell am see is beautiful for beginners...lift systems link in very well but if you are an accomplished skier it can get a bit repetitive as there are only a couple of runs to the bottom if i remember correstly.. Hotel Feinshmeck is fab..lovely rooms and good food..very central

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greygirl · 18/09/2009 11:35

slovakia looks great in the brochures.I don't know as we are being much help with OP though, i think so far we have said don't go to switzerland and consider selfcatering!

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:38

hoetel feinsmeck cost £500 all in ...thats half board and ski hire included as a late deal and we ended up with two massive rooms, above the chocolaterie coffee shoppe and opposite a traditional bar where some of the ski instuctors came for their apres ski sausage and beer!!!!! fab

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PestoLovelyMonster · 18/09/2009 11:42

I think 'cheap' and 'skiing' in the same sentence is a contradiction in itself...

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:45

totally agree PLM ...school hols is about £1k per person by the time its all finished...it soon mounts up especially with the food on the mountain and the hot chocs..

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tiredemma · 18/09/2009 11:46

alpaly - did you go to 'crazydaisy'?!!

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:50

remind me what was crazy daisy...its a while since i went to Zell... was that the night club that stayed open all night or until you fell out.

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tiredemma · 18/09/2009 11:53

It was a big white building- Restaurnant downstairs and a bar/nightclub upstairs.

Good apres ski (for kids) mini disco etc

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:54

was that the one right near the lake

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tiredemma · 18/09/2009 11:56

yes very close to the lake.

I love Zell (going back in feb), you are right though, I can see how the runs can be limited when you are an accomplished skier. Im way off describing myself as that type of skier so think it will be ok this year.

However my Inlaws are about to move to Morzine so I suspect that we will ski there in the very near future!

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alypaly · 18/09/2009 11:59

lucky you.. try La plagne..(only Belle plagne as it is pretty..Lovely ski school and such a wide variety of long wide runs.

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littlebellsmum · 18/09/2009 12:51

PLM, I know - cheaper is probably the phrase I'm looking for!!
Thanks for the tips on Andorra - having been before with a 3 year I was thinking of there but will need to check on the ski school as I am not teaching them myselves!!
Will look at Snowbizz and self catering.
Will also look at Bugaria and Slovakia
Thanks all

OP posts:
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movingnow · 18/09/2009 17:30

Slovenia?

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canella · 18/09/2009 17:36

we stayed in a resort in austria for our summer holidays called Ramsau am Dachstein. We rented a holiday flat with 2 bedrooms that slept 5 for 75 euros a night - it was a comfortable fit for us and 3 dc.

obviously i cant comment on the snow since we were there in 25 degree summer but there were loads of lifts in and around the village.

i'm sure you can fly cheaply to salzburg then hire a car for the time you're there. Was probably 1 hour from salzburg.

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movingnow · 18/09/2009 17:52

oohhhh canella I love Ramsau am Dachstein . I've been there winter & summer. It's more of a cross country resort than downhill but ideal if you want a family holiday and a few gentle slopes to introduce the children to skiing.

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skihorse · 19/09/2009 09:34

I'm always surprised when people don't look West. I have seen some extraordinary deals to Jackson Hole for example coming in at under 600 per person for TWO weeks! Now why on christ's earth would you pay more for a shit week in France when you could ski at "mecca"?

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Sixer · 03/10/2009 22:39

Montgenevre is great. Small, not bonkers like Andorra, Cheap.. walkable, no mad night life, great runs, snow sure, friendly, have a look at go-montgenevre.com Highly recommended, have been for the last 3yrs with DC. Great ski school, beautiful chalets.

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