Europe: Where to go

L

Legoman

Member
I need some help in picking a ski holiday for this year. Looking for somewhere with easy access side country or good in bounds terrain in Europe, but I have super limited funds.

Essentially looking for somewhere where I'm not going to be bored with some decent freeride terrain/trees, park would be a bonus but would probably only spend a half a day there at the most.

I don't have any touring kit or a transceive or anything like that.I spent 3 winters out in Canada mostly around the interior BC so I'm used to fun inbounds terrain.

Options are:

Courmayeur, Italy - stayed here when skiing in La Thuile but never actually skied the resort, footage from Nimbus looks epic but how easy is it too get to that stuff? Also the most expensive. Can also hopefully go to Cham for the day.

Kitzbuehl, Austria - again skied here but was teaching all week so didnt really get to ski any of the good stuff despite a 20cm dump (gutted). Fun area but seemed quite small from my limited perspective, what is the terrain like in the wider area as there is a lot of linked areas? Most sensible option but if theres not much to ski would take the one of the other options.

Bad Gastein, Austria - Don't really know much about it but what limited info I have suggests there is good terrain here and at Sportsgastein. Hotel is the suckiest by far but would put up with it if there was fun gnar gnar to be had.

Would really appreciate other NSers input, I have like 2 days to pick this, going on 26 January, any info would be appreciated.

I know there are probably lots more options our there but my budget is so tight I can pretty much only go to these places, was trying to do Le Deux Alpes but sold out before I could sort it out.
 
Out of the places you mentioned, Courmayeur for sure. It's really fun terrain and a few bigger lines high up if you want them.

I live and ski in Chamonix, but it's really not a great holiday destination because you need to know the terrain to make the most of it, and there are a lot of areas that are no joke if you get into trouble.

Verbier is between the two in terms of accessibility, but super expensive.
 
...and you're lucky you missed out on Deux Alpes. That mountain is boring as fuck.
 
This, all I've heard about Deux is bad things, loads of my friends have been there and said you just spend all day traversing, sounds awful.
 
Im going Kitzbuhel end of Feb, apart from that I cant help really, Kitzbuhel is pretty cheap and try stick to Austria if you can, its cheaper than switzerland by far.
 
Kitzbuhel and watch some FIS WC GS races.

I know i'll be doing the same this time next year.

Sick mountain too.
 
Don't go to Bankso, it's a shithole and the skiing is boring. There is some fun to be had in the trees but after 2-3 days you'll be bored.

Of the other 3, I'd go to Courmayeur, you'll have the most fun there for sure.
 
Mayrhofen - overall one of the best ski resorts in Europe. Snow park is epic (at least it was years ago. With wifi on the mountain), half superpipe. 40km - Hintertux gletscher.Soelden - overall one of the best ski resorts in Europe. Shitloads of naked mountains, and powder if you're lucky.

Ischgl - overall one of the best ski resorts in Europe. Shitloads of naked mountains, and powder if you're lucky. Shitloads of russians, polish, and prada people, park is fair.

That's my top 3 resorts.

Les Deux Alpes compared to those stink. Maybe that's good only on summer, whenever other resorts are covered with grass.

 
You're probably going to need a avy-kit and a whole bunch of knowledge for "inbounds" terrain as well. One of my friends was buried in an avalanche not far from the slopes in Verbier just before Christmas, and her friend actually died from the damages.
 
from personal experience:

if you have the $: verbier - massive resort, great terrain for freeriding, park good nightlife, but one of europe's most expensive, english speaking

val d'isere - great resort gets good snow, best skiing week of my life there, valpark, amazing bars, night life, english speaking

i'm lucky enough to have two expenses paid trips in february to verbier and then to pila, italy, ski instructing with some uk schools. never been to pila so pretty excited.

 
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