T4molie

Guys (and Gals )

Myself and Mrs T4 are trying to decide where to go early next year for skiing

We're both fairly intermediate level skiers and in the last few years have been to the following.....

Andora - El tarter (Boarding)
Austria - Neiderau (Boarding)
Banff - Lake Louise / Sunshine Village (boarding)
Whistler for the last 2 years (skiing)

We both love Canada (and Whistler) so much that in Feb of this year we went back and got married on top of the mountain

So.... having been to Whistler 2 years in a row we've been trying to narrow down another place to go - anybody who's been there will undoubtedly agree with me in saying that it's a tuff place to better

We've been considering the following......

Back to Banff - this time obviously to ski. We'd been looking into either going back and staying at the same place we stayed last time (The Inns Of Banff) or splahing out and staying at the Fairmont.... not trying to show off here, it could be a while until I get to ski again after this trip cos the wife wants a couple of kids

Unfortunately I've read mixed reviews about the Fairmont and basically I don't want to fork out the extra £££'s to get there and be a little disappointed with it (for eg my parents stayed there in a std room a couple of years ago and they said that it was a little on the small side)

So anybody stayed there or could you recommend another of the hotels to consider?

Vail - seems to look good but again mixed reviews about hotels there? Also flight upgrades don't seem to be readily available and if they are they're alot of money (BA the ar$e ripping barstewards).... I'm 6ft 3 so extra leg room would be good!!

A couple of other places we've been looking at in europe are Courcheval or Alpe d'Huez but it's a while since I've been to europe and having got used to the uncrowded slopes of Canada I'm a bit concerned that I'll spend my time watching out for other skiers as opposed to enjoying myself.... without hitting / hurting anybody else

Think I've waffled on for enough.... all comments / suggestions will be much appreciated...... over to you lot

Andy

Brendan Hughes

Did you board out of Sunshine? Loooooong flat run...

I adore Banff/LL. Always stay at the same pokey little inn, it's brilliant. Isn't IoB at the far end of the strip? Try somewhere closer to the centre, so you can walk into town in the evening.

Banff Springs, lying on your back surrounded by warm water looking at the treetops as the snowflakes land on your chest... mmmmmm

Fernie?

Went to Vail once, hated it. Ridiculously expensive, no package charges for the ski lessons (buy 5, pay for 5 ), and I had to share my chalet with a total *******. Can't remember what the skiing was like.

HTH


(mmmm, cinammon beaver tails....)

speedymonkey

Val Thorens gets my vote, its massive and has masses of runs
Check out the piste map



High altitude = good snow pretty much all the time (well normally any way).

One of the lads that came with us spent 4 months in Whistler the years before, and he loved every minute of it, its got some fantastic runs, and the view from the the top of the 'Cime De Caron' are top class, you can see Mount Blanc, and it feels like your on top of the world

Take the black run, and cut off the piste straight away, and go for the powder, its proper scary at the top, but as you power down the feeling leaves you and turns into pure excitement and plenty of 'COMEEEE ONNNNNN's'

Its the best place ive been in Europe by far, however i cant compair it to America, as i cant afford the prices over there
I WILL go to Vail + Beaver Creek one day tho

DaveMiddleton

I am going to Whistler for Xmas so will soon see what all the fuss is about. Last 2 years I have been to Aspen which up till now (and I have ski-ed all my life in the Alps) was WAY better than anything before. It is just a fair haul from Denver (4-1/2 hours by vehicle- although you can risk flying which is sometimes cancelled due to snow). But conditions, organisation, queues, assistance and friendliness-unparalleled. Like "If Carlsberg did ski holidays"!!!)

T4molie

Brendan - yep boarded out of Sunshine...... once My legs were cream crackered towards the end of the day and that run finished me off..... hot jacuzzi and a nice cold beer afterwards

Yep IoB is at the end of the strip but tbh it was only about a 15 min walk to the centre which doesn't bother me and the Mrs and it also gave me the chance to grab a few snowballs Can you suggest any other places closer to the centre? And whether the ski bus stopped outside or not?

Seem to remember looking at Fernie last year but wrote it off because it was a long transfer, but will have another look

Most of the reviews that I was reading about Vail - people were suggesting to go checkout other resorts near by!!!

Speedmonkey - will have a look at VT Do the slopes get crowded at all? I'll mention the "porper scary" to mrs but I think I may be doing that myself

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Jackson Hole was very good, been to Les Get in France a few times since, also good but more family oriented.

Brendan Hughes

This map is quite good - Banff Map: Visitor Map of Banff, Alberta, Canada
Select Lodging, check the boxes for hotels and B&Bs, then you have to click on each one in the r/h box and it shows you the location. (there used to be one which showed the location of all, I can't find it now), so just keep clicking and then closing the info box for each hotel, finally you'll see them all on the map. Ski bus goes down the main Banff Ave. I always stayed (3x) at Irwins Mountain Inn which I thought was the acceptable limit of walking into town (Wolf St/Banff Ave crossroads), esp in -20C. I have no idea of the quality of any of the others. I can't see IoB, and I can't see Swiss something (Swiss chalet), so a bit strange . Ptarmigan looks quite nice, from its website.

(Why am I giving advice on this, I haven't been for 6 yrs )

T4molie

IoB is no 22 which is twice the distance from centre

All info is much appreciated fella

mrtheedge2u2

Ischgl in Austria is also good!

Brendan Hughes

Oh good Irwins is by no means luxury, it's very simple but cheap and clean and central and good enough for me.

Other suggestion if you haven't done it already - take a day off from skiing and do a 4-hr dog sledding trip. An absolute hoot! (We reckoned that 2hrs wasn't enough, but we were knackered at the end of 4, so 8 would be a killer; there's a lot of running involved, while doled up in ski clobber). Plenty of leaflets in the hotels, we went with these guys - dogs for adoption

EddScott

Breckenridge -

This is a great place to go

Account deleted by request

Gets my vote to - have been to banff, sunshine, lake louise and would rate this as just as good if not better.

Nice to have a change to

chop

BMWhere?

If you've already discovered the joys of North America - then I would stick to that - Europe just doesn't compare and thats coming from a bloke who lives on the Swiss/Austrian borders!

I went to Winter Park in Colorado last year and also did a day trip from there to Copper Mountain! Both really amazing places and incredibly quiet compared to Whistler or Sunshine Village!

I've never been to Vale, but I expect it to be busier and more expensive the Winter Park or Copper Mountain without having any better conditions or better ski area!

I found Winter Park much better than Copper so it would get my vote again for Colorado!


To put into context, I've lived in South Germany for nearly 11 years and skied every corner of the Alps (although not every resort!) - France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany. I've also been to Andorra but won't go back unless I have to!

I've been to Banff/Sunshine/Lake Louise once and Whistler 5 times. I wouldn't travel to Banff again from Europe (although maybe consider it from UK!) but Whistler is fantastic! Although having discovered Colorado last year I'd have to think twice about Whistler again!

The downside with the USA is the Apres-Ski is a bit rubbish! Canada is much better, but for apres-ski you can't beat Austria and in Austria you can't beat Ischgl!!!! ...although Sölden and Mayrhofen come in a close 2nd and 3rd

I don't like France much - Too high and icy exposed pistes and the worst lift queues in the Alps! Its also far too expensive!

Western Switzerland (Wengen area) tends to be quite low and often suffers from lack of snow, but can be great if the conditions are good! In the south of Switzerland, Saas Fe, Zermatt etc. the skiing is great but so are the prices! The best part of Switzerland is the East - Davos, Lenzerheide, Flims/Laax are all really good.

Italy is also great around the Sauze Doulx/Sestriere area but snow conditions can be a bit iffy!

Western Austria gets my vote though for Euro-skiing. Avoid St. Anton - I just don't like it there! Lech/Zurs is better than St. Anton and on the same ski pass! Ischgl and Sölden are both fantastic ski areas - probably two of the best in Europe. From Sölden its also worth a couple of trips up the valley to Obergurgl/Hochgurgl for really quiet pistes and great skiing! There's also lots of great little resorts dotted around which are great for a days skiing - hire a car and do a bit of touring

Eastern Austria is not my favourite really - its a little too low and the snow can often be a bit dodgy! Mayrhofen is pretty good though and just down the valley, the Zillertal Arena is extremely quiet and great skiing. Zell am See also stands out as a great resort as does Kitzbühl although Kitzbühl has the same problem as St. Anton - Full of idiots who talk a good ski but in practice...!


If you want my recomendation... well just ask yourself why I might travel from the Swiss/Austrian border with so many ski areas on my doorstep all the way to Whistler or Colorado and you have my answer!!!!




Oh, and just to make you all jealous - I'm heading to Sölden tomorrow evening for a long weekend on the glacier

Steve Whitehorn

iTrader: (13)

I also live near the alps.
Used to go to rockies most years and ......
Breckenridge Colorado - Gets my vote
Steve

BMWhere is right - the only downside to the US is that the ApresSki isnt all that.

HUDDERS1

Chamonix

BMWhere?

I think you'll find it spelled €hamonix

French resorts are all overcrowded and have terrible lift queues! Also as they are all really high, in bad weather you're really exposed and there's no tree line to give you definition!

Yeah, they're great resorts on the sunny day after a heavy snowfall, but you'll get more days on sheet ice than powder!

alistair

You just can't go wrong with Whistler.

speedymonkey

Dam this thread
Its making me look at cheap deals to America, and i cant afford it, + im tied down to a holiday in the sun with the missus next year

Ive only been skiing and boarding in Europe, never had the $$$'s to do america, but this thread is making my toe edge jittery

T4molie

You need to watch that fella Luckily my mrs prefers her skiing holidays - hurrah

BMWhere?

There would be serious compatibility issues if my Mrs got in the way of my skiing! ...or diving! ...or watching motorsport!

To me its like a religion!

I want to believe

Tremblant

BMWhere?

OK, that's me done for the week!

Time to leave for the Glacier @ Sölden!

Tomorrow morning I'll be on the Piste!

T4molie

You lucky lucky barsteward

Enjoy and thanks for your info

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