Advice needed - Want to go skiing for the first time

bonjovi

Hi

Myself and a friend are want to go skiing for the first time in feb/mar. As newbees we don't really know were to start.. We don't want to spend a fortune and would appreciate some advice?

Is there any other good site apart from www.directski.com that we should be looking at?

Also what additonal costs should we factor in except for; skii rentals, boots, lift pass, insurance, jacket/pants/gloves/glasses?

Thanks

olaola

A package is probably a good way to start your first ski holiday - so topflight, crystal and panorama come to mind. Not sure if there are any other companies that do packages from Ireland. Highlife do chalets, but it's quite expensive.

I personally prefer Austria - and I think it's geared well towards beginners, as they only do full day ski school in the resorts. Soll is good value for money, but I've never been myself. It's low, so you're risking snowcover, but I think there is decent snow all over Austria at this stage. So you should be safe enough.

My personal recommendation is Saalbach, it might be a little more expensive than Soll, but you get great value for money.

You'll have to add in ski school to your list. Some places will do deals with rental & lessons for a set price. I would avoid buying the packages from the operator, and do 5 mins research and choose a good place in town with a good deal which can usually be pre-booked & paid for.

Depending on what you guys fancy, if you're looking for a bit of apres ski, and for general convenience, I'd try to get a spot within walking distance/in the town.

Hope that helps you starting off!

allycavs

yes we too are interested in a ski trip. Woukld it be possible to book flights and accomadation then get a beginners ski pack inc. lessons when we arrive. We would like to rent all clothing, boots and equipment. is this possible?

Or if we book flights to a destination is there a package from a ski resort thatll arrange pick upsm drops , ski pass, lessons, equipment etc...

olaola

allycavs wrote: »

yes we too are interested in a ski trip. Woukld it be possible to book flights and accomadation then get a beginners ski pack inc. lessons when we arrive.

Of course! You'll definitely get better value by booking it all separately. I would recommend choosing your resort first, then start looking at accommodation. Otherwise you’ll go boggle-eyed with the choice.

Not sure about renting your soft gear (coat/salopettes etc) You can get good deals in TK Maxx/Lidl/Aldi/Kildare Village/Decathlon which will kit you out for under €100.

Pre-booking your ski gear (skis etc) will save money – there are usually good SkiSet discounts, the range of money saved will depend on the resort.

Every resort will have comprehensive information on their website. I'd suggest contacting them for more package info. Most hotels will have an inclusive price for accommodation and ski pass (which will work out a good bit cheaper than seperate) and they may also organise a pick-up.

Fattes

bonjovi/allycavs

Probably best for your first trip to go package for hotels/flights etc and have the backup of a resort rep if you need one, don’t buy anything off them just can be helpful to have.

- Clothing it will be cheaper to buy new stuff in TX – Maxx/Kildare Village, Decathlon (Belfast) than rent it.
- Ski equipment Rental (Boots.Skis.Poles)/ Ski School you can get better deals doing this independent of your TO so do some research for your ski equipment you will need the cheapest most basic package and for ski school lessons for the week!
- Get yourself up to the Ski Club of Ireland to get a taster before you book anything and it is a great way to get a head start on the skiing before you go. Even silly things like carrying equipment putting on Boots etc
- Best place for your first trip Austria anywhere lively Mayrhofen, SkiWelt, Saalbach, etc

Warning; It will change your life!

CardinalJ

Main bit of advice. NEVER leave your boots somewhere cold over night. You won't get them back on for ages.

Sansovina

Hi,

I am planning the same in end of Jan / Feb 2013 and really can't decide. I look at Austria and different options, but some of the ''deals'' are very basic - accommodation, flights and transfer. After adding all the packages (liftpass, lesson, hiring gear, etc) it all looks pretty expensive to be honest... Do you have any idea what kind of prices are ok and what are not, what is better to book myself, etc.

Many thanks!

Oh I wish it was easier:-(

olaola

Sansovina wrote: »

Hi,

I am planning the same in end of Jan / Feb 2013 and really can't decide. I look at Austria and different options, but some of the ''deals'' are very basic - accommodation, flights and transfer. After adding all the packages (liftpass, lesson, hiring gear, etc) it all looks pretty expensive to be honest... Do you have any idea what kind of prices are ok and what are not, what is better to book myself, etc.

Many thanks!

Oh I wish it was easier:-(

I kinda love all the planning of the holiday, which is probably why I enjoy planning a ski holiday so much! There's a good bit to organise
It does all add up - so I find the best way to choose (as the options can become overwhelming) is set a budget, then a country, then a resort. And narrow it down from there.

So some questions to help you make a decision:

Do you want to be in the centre of town, or do you mind getting a bus to the slopes?
Do you want Half Board/B&B/Self catering ?
Do you want to hit après ski?
Do you want to ski in/ski out?
Do you want a short transfer?
Do you want a hotel-style scenario or chalet?
What’s the level of your group?


To be honest, it all depends on the Country and then the resort.
It can be double the price depending on where you go.

Fattes

it all looks pretty expensive to be honest... Do you have any idea what kind of prices are ok and what are not, what is better to book myself, etc]

.

It can be but like most things in life there are various price point.

To reduce costs,

Pick smaller less known resorts, and avoid the big resorts. Stay 3* or Pension/B&B. In resort the Supermarket is your friend for cheap snacking and eating.

Go off peak avoid School holidays both home and abroad, Austria is more expensive during German/Russian/Irish and UK school holiday weeks, France is more Expensive during French/Russian/Irish and UK school holiday weeks

Although even expensive Mega resorts like the 3 valleys can be done cheaply if you are clever.

Beg steal and borrow for jackets gloves etc and shop in discount stores for anything you cant get.


Things that are a little harder to save money on;

Lift Passes – you may get free child passes or buy one get one free deals from TO but as a general rule it is hard to save money on.

Lessons – Generally a set price across most of the village ski schools. You can save money by bundling equipment rental, lessons and accommodation especially if the ski school owns all 3! Lesson Prices vary

Price Guide Budget (Soll,Andora etc) – luxury (Chamonix,Verbier,3 Valleys)

Lift passes €150 – 380 for a 6 day week

Ski and boot Rental € 70 – 190 a week

6 day half board package trip € 500 - 4000

6 day B&B package trip € 300 – 1,300

6 day self-catering package trip € 300 – 900

hawkwind23

we are learners and enjoy zakopane.
its very cheap and its a beautiful place.
www.discoverzakopane.com

to give an idea of prices from FEBRUARY

flights 70 return to Krakow with easyjet
transfer by coach about a fiver
nice lodgings were about 140 sterling for the two of us for a week
ski rental (full gear) 40 sterling each for the week
we got lessons , around 2 hours a day for 4 days , 60 sterling each!!!
the lift passes were 7 quid a day depending on how many times we went up
food and drink was the best , we ate every meal out and enjoy a good drink on the slopes and in the evenings.
breakfast was about 2 quid and a top 3 course evening meal around 7 quid
pint was a quid

we had the time of our lives and are heading back this year , perfect for beginners.
when you consider you get lessons for those prices its brilliant and its great to be eating out every night and not looking at prices.

hawaiigirl

Hawkwind23, I'm really interested in going to Kakopane, but when I checked the link above, the transfers from Krakow airport to Zakopane appear to be 350PLN (for 1-7 people), which is roughly €86...where did you find transfers for a fiver or am I missing something here??!! Thanks!

hawkwind23

sorry , the link advertises a private transfer.

what we did last year was use the coach , its very simple to do.

from the airport take the train to Krakow , be sure to have a few zloty as they overcharge in euros but its about a quid.
the station is just a few hundred yards from the airport exit , there will be loads of people walking there.
the train only goes to Krakow so you cant get lost , once in Krakow leave the train and walk to the bus terminal , its in the same building and signposted clearly.
so from airport to Krakow , maybe 20 minutes , add another 5 to find your way to the coaches.
then there will be numerous buses going directly to Zakopane, they all leave from the same area and have Zakopane displayed , they go pretty much direct , maybe one stop in Nowry Targ.
they cost about 15-20 zloty depending on which coach.
they are very comfortable and drop you off in the centre of Zakopane.

as there is 5 of us going this year we might just take a private transfer there to get on the slopes early , the cost is acceptable split 5 ways.
but on the way back we will definitely take the coach.
its extremely easy to do and a fraction of the cost!

hawkwind23

this was on the discover zakopane website.

How to get to Zakopane from Krakow Balice airport?
The cheapest way is to take a fast train from the Balice airport directly to the railway station in the city centre: a rail bus reaches Kraków within 15 minutes. It starts off from a stop situated some 200 metres from the passenger terminal. Passengers may take a shuttle bus at the terminal or they may also choose to go on foot to the rail bus stop, as it is at a walking distance (only 330 steps). The fare is 4 PLN (1 Euro).
Next to the railway station you will find a bus station with frequently bus connection with Zakopane. We recommend the buses belong to the Szwagropol company. The fare is 20 PLN (5 Euro). It takes two hours to get by bus to Zakopane. We do not recommend to go to Zakopane by train - it takes even 4 hours and costs at least 25 PLN.

s.keir

I'd say, best beginners' tip is to give Feb a miss.
It's high season everywhere so expensive on all fronts (travel/accom/ski school) and busy too.

Bargains are easiest to find in Jan and Mar.
If I was you, go for 2nd or 3rd week of March. On the whole, the weather is better (than Jan) and the snow is still pretty sure everywhere. As said above, as a beginner you just don't need a mega-resort. Anywhere with >60km of piste will be more than ample - and the lift pass will be cheaper.