Beginners

[prinnycessa]

DH and I are thinking of skiing around March (2024) time. I haven't been since I was a teen so will need ski school and DH has never been so will need it too.

Where is good for beginners? We want to go for a week with a budget of £3k (flights, transfers, ski school, hotel inc. breakfast. Will take extra for lunch and dinner and anything else we want to do). No kids.

I know it's a tight budget for skiing but we are going to the Maldives later that year so have to trim budget off the ski holiday.

Also, has anyone used Ski Scott Dunn? If so, did you have a good experience?

I know it is far in advance but want to do the research now and book as soon as I can in March 2023!

Any recommendations highly appreciated! TIA

A budget of around £3,000 might be about right, although nobody knows how inflation will hit over the next 18 months.

I priced up a holiday in early March 2023 to get an idea of current costs, based on a couple travelling with a well-known Tour Operator, flying Manchester-Salzburg on 11th March 2023 and staying in a popular Austrian resort in a nice mid-range 3* hotel in the centre of the village, near the lifts.
TO Package - i.e. Hotel (half board), flights, transfers (£916 p.p) = £1,832
Ski school 5 days (£200 p.p) = £400
Ski and boot rental (£100 p.p.) = £200
Lift pass (£300 p.p) = £600
TOTAL = £3,032

On top of which you have airport parking, winter sports insurance (essential) and ski clothing, plus spending money for lunch and apres drinks.

You could possibly shave a bit off this by looking at organising travel and accommodation yourselves. E.g. if you can get cheaper flights with Easyjet or Ryanair, make your own way to resort (quite easy from Salzburg) and self-cater in an apartment, but as first-timers, you're probably better off going with a Tour Operator for the sake of a small saving. Hotels a bit further from the centre and lifts are also usually cheaper, but might require a ski bus or taxi to and from the slopes.

Where to go? As beginners, this is easy. Go anywhere. Early March is still OK in most resorts and you don't need a big, hard-core and expensive resort like Courchevel, St. Anton, or Kitzbuhel, or anywhere in Switzerland. Go somewhere smaller in Austria, Italy or France - or Andorra for a less expensive option.

Unless I've missed something I don't think you have any chance of travelling within Scott Dunn and staying within a £3k budget - not if you are paying for ski school, equipment and passes on top of your travel/accommodation costs? Unless you mean £3k each???

That's a reasonably healthy budget for two people. Especially if you're not tied to school holidays. We spent £4000 on a family of 4 in February the last time we went. This year is costing us closer to £5k.

Echo the above suggestion of a smaller resort. We were recommended Rauris in Austria as beginners. It's an easy train journey from Salzburg, so you can save on transfers.

They've just built a lovely new aparthotel right at the foot of the nursery slope and next door to the lift and ski schools. You start your week learning on the nursery slope and progress your way up the mountain.

DH and I paid for a private instructor to share rather than go into group lessons. We did 3 2 hour lessons with him (3 mornings) and had the afternoons free to practice by ourselves/stroll around the town/use the spa). By the Tuesday afternoon we were confident enough to have a go up on the higher slopes by ourselves (carefully and with plenty of stops).

www.booking.com/hotel/at/carpe-solem-rauris-by-alps-residence.en-gb.html?

@Havanananana thank you - that's really helpful. We were thinking Austrian alps or maybe Slovenian alps? Cheaper option and will get more for our money there

@RhubarbFairy thanks so much, that's super helpful. Having a look now and it looks lovely! I am thinking we should definitely go with a tour operator as it's a lot to organise for our first ski hol so I can suggest that hotel to them.

Thanks for confirming budget is OK. Was a bit worried as initially we planned for £5k for 2 but with Maldives in the same year and everything going up it's had to be reduced!

Forget scott dunn. Not doable on that budget and most of their hotels are Val D’Isere which has got to be the worst beginner resort as it’s known for being very steep! Go to a smaller resort since as first timers you won’t see the value of vast domains and varied terrain. Crystal isn’t bad if you want a package, I’m guessing from your Scott Dunn mention you don’t want basic so look at their ‘Finest’ options.

The only place in Slovenia that I would consider is Kranjska Gora, which is a good small resort for beginners.

"we should definitely go with a tour operator as it's a lot to organise for our first ski hol so I can suggest that hotel to them."
That's not how package Tour Operators work. They have contracts with a small number of hotels in a few selected resorts (so that they can fill a transfer coach from the airport and take 50 people to one area and negotiate a discounted rate from the hotels). While a TO package is definitely a sensible way to go for first-time skiers (because everything is organised for you) you are limited to the resorts and hotels that the TOs are contracted to.

Another thing to look out for with the UK TOs are any deals on lift passes (e.g. 2 for the price of 1 in low season), early booking discounts etc.

@FlounderingFruitcake thanks! Very helpful

@Havanananana noted, thanks. We've never used a TO before so thanks. Will have a look at Crystal as recommended by a PP. Hopefully £3k will still be able to get us a lovely hol as it's March and out of term time!

Neilson and Inghams are often good value for ski package holidays.

You should be able to get Italy for that if not in school holidays. Crystal do some packages to the Dolomites.

They've got Bardonecchia and Sestriere on there too for well under a grand per person for flights plus half board.

Agreed re the TO.

It is very easy to book it all yourself, it's not as complicated as it looks. You just need a check list.

Flights
Accommodation
Transfers (optional, we like to get the train)
Lift Passes
Ski hire
Ski lessons

I know both Ski schools in Rauris offer both lessons and hire so you book directly with them.

That's it.

We like DIY because of the flexibility it gives us.

"Hopefully £3k will still be able to get us a lovely hol as it's March and out of term time!"

Early March is a great time to go skiing - the days are getting longer and sunnier but it is still usually cold enough to keep the slopes in good condition and not too slushy. Remember that Easter falls early in 2024 - Good Friday is 29th March and Easter Sunday is 31st March - so the last week of March might be more expensive than usual (i.e. when Easter falls in April).

I'd go on Crystal and just sort by price and search for a Beginners resort.
Austria is good, but lessons are all day. If you're going to France I'd try to stay in a hotel as they have very strict cleaning requirements. My friend went with her daughter to Bulgaria and said it was actually pretty good - as a beginner you don't need loads of slopes.

The example in my first post is from Crystal - one week at the Berger Sport hotel in the centre of Saalbach, which is an ideal resort for a first ski holiday, if a bit pricier than some of the smaller resorts.

Thanks everyone! All noted