Tag: Europe

Courchevel 1850 Resort

The Courchevel 1850 resort in France is one of the best ski resorts in the world if you happen to be a beginner. Yes, we were all beginners once, and no one knows better than the Courchevel 1850 resort, that if you get the beginners right, the intermediates and advanced will follow. With over 50% of all runs dedicated specifically to beginners, it is a haven for those learning to ski, or looking to refine their skills and expertise whilst on vacation.

Rumoured to be the most expensive resort on the French Alps, this isnt strictly the truth. You can find really good deals if you know where to look, and there are really good discounts for group bookings, although you get what you pay for, so dont expect a cheap vacation. Courchevel is part of the Three Valleys resorts, and itself is divided into four distinct areas from the bottom to the top: 1300, 1550, 1650, and 1850. In general, the further up you go, the more expensive your trip is likely to be, so it is wise to consider going slightly further down, where you can still find some amazing skiing, both off piste and cross country, as well as some great downhill runs. With an astonishing 65 ski lifts across the resort, the Courchevel is an enormous skiing resort, and attracts a wide variety of tourists from across Europe, and indeed the world.

The Courchevel 1300 is located right at the very bottom of the resort, and is truly beautiful in an unspoilt, picturesque sense. It is a fantastic challenge for beginners, and is ideal for those looking for some relaxation out of their skiing vacation. Alternatively, moving up, there is the 1550, which is seen as the playground of the locals. Here you can benefit from some amazing self catering deals, whilst still managing to find great skiing, so this is perhaps a good consideration for those with families. Again, moving up there is the 1650, home of the famous ski school, and a number of top quality restaurants. With largely chalet accommodation, this is also a great resort to choose for your French skiing vacation. Finally we have the 1850. The 1850 is home to the rich and the famous, and youre looking at an arm and a leg if you want to ski there. Although the skiing isnt that much better (unless youre looking for off-piste), there are heftier queues, and the resort isnt overly child friendly or family orientated.

Of the four resorts on the Courchevel, you are guaranteed to have a great skiing vacation whichever you choose. Each has the benefit of world class skiing, although the facilities may differ between each. It is important to decide what it is you are looking for, and then to base your choice around this, so you can make the most of your skiing vacation. Why not consider taking a few lessons in the world famous Courchevel ski school? Or how about sampling some of the extensive night life these resorts have to offer? Whether you are a dedicated skier, or have never been on a pair of skis in your life, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for on the Courchevel, and you are guaranteed a vacation to remember.

Top

Tignes

Tignes in France is a skiing location that is much different from the boarder adjacent Alps, and other skiing facilities that have put France firmly on the skiing map. The rise of Tignes, initially came with the rise of tourism in the area. During the last 10 years the facilities have been improved immensely with a new state-of-the-art training facility, and freestyle snowboarding facilities being built in the area.

Over the past 10 years, the area has welcomed over 1 million skiers from around the world and has hosted events such as the European freestyle snowboarding championship and the French Skiing open. The facility has two parallel mountains that are near local townships, making the area an ideal place for holiday makers and serious skiers alike. With a 25 000 feet slope, and on-site mountain safety rescue the area really has pulled out all the stops to place it self up their, as one of the top skiing destinations around the world. The world renowned training facility has multi-lingual instructors and even has 4 classrooms, where skiers are taken to watch footage, and get shown the ropes from a less practical perspective. The slopes 1 million visitors in the past 10 years have came from all around the world, many of which learned how to ski on their first visit to the slopes.

With many great deals for holiday makers, and with accessible road routes all over mainland Europe it is no wonder Tignes is generally considered the first choice for holiday makers looking to Ski in the region. Tignes has also went to some effort to promote itself even further by a 5 million dollar regeneration project that went on in the region. A new ski slope was built, along with the infrastructure to allow the development of hotels and even a shopping precinct. The area has also underwent major changes in order to make it more accessible, for more of the year, with an indoor facility being built and flood lights making it possible to ski and snowboard late into the evening. Snowboarding is also seen as a major plus point of Tignes, with other skiing facilities in the area being far less welcoming to the snowboarding masses. Tignes is home to expert freestyle snowboarding facilities, and is also home to the undisputed number one snowboarding training camp. With snowboarders from around the world visiting Tignes the area now sees more than just skiers amongst its busy hotels and pubs.

On the down side many skiers criticise Tignes for the lack of difficulty on its slaloms, however this is simply not the case. Tignes is home to around 8 slaloms, all of which have different difficult ratings. I can assure anyone who feels unsure of the difficulty level on the last two slopes, should give them a go before they say anymore. However, they do raise an interesting point. Tignes has under went major regeneration in an attempt to make their facilities safer, and has also altered many runs to accommodate beginners, which may have took the sting out of certain slaloms.

Despite this, the facilities are amazing, and the training is out of this world. I was strapped to a machine in order to measure my heart rate, and also asked to run on a tread mill so they could record my recovery times. The restaurants let you sample original French cuisine and also provide many opportunities for a lovely night out. For those looking for a more adventurous night-life the Della 1 pub and club will provide all the fun you will need. Della 1 is only a 10 minute walk from the hotels – and a further 15 minute walk for those staying in the log cabin village overlooking the mountains. Whether you stay, or whether you are a skier or a snowboarder you should surely go to Tignes and sample the runs. The facility is also perfect for learning, and those that have never skied before.

Top

Solden In Austria

Solden is a world-renowned skiing facility that is often referred to as the home of skiing in Austria. With views that are simply breath-taking, the countered rocky mountains are also home to tourists from around the world that visit each week to experience the slopes that are not only challenging, yet also custom-built in the case of certain slaloms. Solden is also a great place to learn skiing with expert teaching facilities, and a team of 20+ on hand to help new skiers learn, and experienced skiers improve.

The resort is located around 50 miles out with Innsbruck and 20 miles west of Otztal. As you can imagine the area is dedicated to Skiing, with hotels and guest houses attempting to leverage skiing upon their brand, to attract a loyal customer-base from the slopes. This is something that has worked, and with 6,500 snowboarders also choosing to hit the Solden slopes each week Austrias skiing capital is showing no signs of regression.

With the increased popularity of skiing activities in Solden, the company operating the slopes has more than 20 instructors working at one time, putting wind behind their suggestion that over 1000 new skiers start on their slopes each week. With the rise of snowboarding attracting a teenage audience, Solden has attempted to accommodate, through offering drinking facilities and clubs near by, where the teenagers on vacation can chill at night, after a hard day on the slopes. The fun and entertainment does not stop at clubs, or 5 star hotels for that matter, Solden is also home to the Solden Firework Display, providing 2 hours of fireworks every second evening. The look of the fireworks, as the light flashes off the snow is simply amazing and this is one of many reasons why Solden is famed for character and personality, over and above its Austrian counterparts.

So what other features set Solden apart from the rest? Offering night time activities under the fireworks, it is possible to ski and snowboard under floodlights. This is something that has not only attracted skiers from around the world, but also internationally renowned DJs and musicians that feel the cool and hip Solden slopes is a perfect place to hang out.

Skiing at night may appear to be a very dangerous activity, however I have been assured that only basic slaloms are allowed and that the night is primarily aimed at snowboarders, that dont cover as much distance on a board. Austrias Solden slope has hosted many events to a global and European audience, and just as would be expected, the crowd and the competitors both enjoyed the event, with the winner being a native Austrian himself at the last Stella Artios Cup, that seen over 500 competitors from nearly 40 countries taking part.

With the rise of snowboarding, great skiing locations such as Solden are doing everyone proud in maintaining skiing as well. Through welcoming the snow boarding community with open arms, we are able to see a unity between the sports at the Solden peeks, and we are also seeing younger children being exposed to Skiing, through choosing to go snowboarding and seeing it their.

Whether you are a young child, or an adult, whether you have skied or snowboarded before, Solden is the best location in Europe and throughout the world for skiing activities on a recreational and competitive level. With deep snow, and a firm texture I would recommend Solden to absolutely anyone.

The ski lift is newly fitted making it a very smooth and comfortable ride. The lift covers over 20 miles and was voted the third-best ski lift in the entire world. With excellent accommodation and among the best snowboarding and skiing facilities in the world, I would recommend Solden to anyone looking to experience skiing for the first time, or someone looking to take their skiing to the next level through riding a challenging slalom.

Top