Ski Europe

[Horn Chick]

I'm going to London this winter and want to go skiing for a few days when I'm in that part of the world. My friend that I'm visiting (she just moved there temporarily) is asking locals for advice on which country/resort we should try but I thought I'd check horn fans too. I'll be there in Jan or Feb.

Thank you!

 

[Hou-Tex Horn]

Couple of years ago, we opted for Europe vs. Colorado (etc...) and ended up staying in Innsbruck and skiing at the Stubai Glacier and St. Anton in Austria and St. Moritz in Switzerland. I want to say (for 2 people) it was one of the cheaper trips I have ever been on ($300 flights, $80/nt hotel, $25 lift tickets). If you want more info, let me know.

 

[mynametaken]

Each resort offers different things just like in the US. Where I've been:

St. Moritz: very trendy. Lots of young Northern Italians and big crowds on the weekends. Big and spread out but skiing was good. It was windy as hell and my lift broke down for 30 minutes in a windstorm. luckily they had a plastic bubble to shield the wind.

Davos: upscale jet-setters. Huge mountain and some of the best snow I saw over there. It's not a bad train ride from Zurich.

Interlocken: not a lot of snow when I was there. I remember there being lots of young people there. Not sure how easy it would be to get there from London.

Saalback: this was a very family-oriented mountain. Very cool layout with the mountains surrounding the town so you can basically ski a full circle. Not very crowded but I don't know how easy it would be to get there from London. Probably have to fly into Salzburg and rent a car. I've heard Kitzbuhl is good, too.

Grimentz: another smaller location not far from Geneva. Lots of young people there, too. Seemed like a good bohemian laid-back place. Transportation there may be difficult if you don't have a car.

If you're looking for a party place I'm sure the Londoners will have a better feel for where everyone goes. If you're looking to ski I loved Davos.

 

[UTinBigD]

The wife and I went to Zermatt, Switzerland (swiss/italy border) in March and really enjoyed it. Great lift system and lot of terrain to ski on multiple mountains. You can even ski over in to Italy with the same lift pass. Plus the Matterhorn makes for a great skyline. I boarded and my wife skied and there were several rental places to choose from. I brought my own boots, because I was not sure if they would have my size.

The town is really only accessible via train. It was about 4.5hrs from the Geneva airport if memory serves. The town is neat but really expensive. They know you are ‘trapped’ there with no real alternatives for food/drink/entertainment. That being said the night life was really good. We saw several bachelor/bach’ette parties that had made the trip to party there. And the restaurants were also excellent with a great mix of French, Swiss, Asian and Italian. Our favorite was a South African place.

Overall we had a blast, but after a week, it adds up. I think it would be great for a few days, but again, it would probably take a full day of travel from London.

 

[Ankf00]

if the Alps have as poor a winter as last year, you're better off saving your money and skiing Tahoe/Park City/San Juans when you get home. But hopefully last year doesn't repeat itself.