And so Summer is long gone and Winter has officially arrived. I always convince myself that Winter is great, then when it finally arrives, I remember why it really isn’t. The cold, the wet, the need to wear fifty layers under a coat… Then suddenly those Summer blues arrive and I find myself reminiscing about Summer… I’m looking at you India and Bali! But the one thing that makes Winter seem that little more appealing is snow sport. I feel pretty confident when I say some kind of snow sport (whether it be skiing or snowboarding) is on everyone’s bucket list. Well, I know for sure it’s on mine. With Charlie being an avid skier, I have never been keener to go.
Last week Alps2Alps got in touch asking if I could write an article on 3 skiing resorts appropriate with beginners. Before I get started on the resorts, let me give you the down low on Alps2Alps.
I’ve heard tales from my friends who have taken buses from England all the way to their resorts. After almost 14 hours on a bus they finally arrive exhausted from lack of sleep and find themselves struggling to ski the first day. Although it may be cheaper it may mean losing out on a days skiing so I think if I was ever to book my ski holiday I certainly would fly and arrange a transfer at the other end.
Which is where Alps2Alps comes in.
Alps2Alps is a ski transfer who aim to cover all your needs at the lowest possible price. I’m sure you can guess that no airport can drop you off right in the mountains which is exactly why Alps2Alps are here to help, they cover all Alpine destinations to and from all main airports and even some train stations. To see a full list of their destinations click here.
Now, if I haven’t already made this clear, I have never skied before BUT this is where my good friends Mali, Alice and of course Charlie come in, all of whom are snow sport enthusiasts. I asked them each to pick out a couple resorts which they thought would be great for beginner skiers. Now this is where I step back in, after researching each of these resorts into further depth, I have chosen which resorts I think would be great for a skiing holiday whether you’re going with family, students or your other half.
Here goes nothing…
Val Thorens is one huuuuge ski resort, skiers of all levels will travel to ski there. What makes it great for beginners is, due to it’s size, there are a variety of green and blue runs for you to gain your confidence on. Bare in mind, if you go to a smaller resort there will be less blue runs to choose from which will leave you skiing the same route over and over again, not great for a confidence build as you have to try new routes and mix it up so that you can gradually move up in the skiing world.
As one of the larger resorts, this one is particularly great for students. When Charlie visited Val Thorens back in 2013, the apres ski is what made his trip a memorable one. There is a variety of bars and apres ski activities, all of which are reasonable priced. They even held a ski festival where live bands played on the slopes. It’s also one of the resorts lots of university ski and snowboard teams choose to go to, so you are more than likely to bump into another group of English students on the lifts and definitely in the bars.
All together the 3 valleys has (321 Alpine ski runs: (51 green, 132 blue, 106 red, 32 black)) which means if you wanted to you never have to ski the same one twice!
For each resort I have provided the three closest airports and how long it will take Alps2Alps to deliver you on your doorstep!
La Plagne is another good resort for beginner skiers. I’ve heard that with some ski resorts, many of the slopes run between trees and therefore can be quite narrow, making it difficult to navigate for the novice skier. La Plagne has large open pistes so there is plenty of room for everyone, without causing a traffic jam. There are plenty of different blues and reds to keep you busy, and even a snow park for those wanting to get some air time!
I think La Plagne is particularly great for families purely because of the amount of children friendly off piste activities they have! Dog-sledging, sleeping in an igloo and they also have a variety of ski schools that will ensure your kids are comfortable with their ability to ski.
Chambery Airport (1hr 40min)
Lyon (2hr 20min)
Grenoble Airport (2hr 20min)
Geneva Airport (2hr 50min)
Tignes is my final recommendation. Another resort my friends have been to and hailed it for its skiing. To be honest everyone i’ve spoken to recommends almost every single resort they’ve been! It seems you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to skiing. Some resorts are clearly aimed at the more advanced skier but the majority of them have a selection everyone can enjoy. Its often just a case of finding the best deal which I believe you will find in the three resorts I have picked out for you.
Chambery Airport (1hr55min)
Grenoble and Geneva Airport (2hrs40min).
I hope to see you on the slopes soon!
S x
