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Snowboarding Holidays


Willy

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Hay all,

Well me and a good few mates (15 or so) are looking to organise a snowboarding trip for next year (A long way off I know). By the way my group would more thank likely consist of 10 lads, 5 girls, ranging from 18 to 16 years.

Few questions:

1. Is there anywhere that would be happy to accept this sort of group with age range in France?

2. Would a self catered chalet, hotel or youth hostel be best for this?

3. Would it be easier/cheaper to grab a lift on a coach (know this can be done) rather than fly?

4. Are there any serious legal matters I should know about, like insurance for myself, not covered by my parents etc?

Shall add more questions when they pose a problem.

Willy

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I just got back from Tignes in France, went with 20 people from Uni. We stayed in a self catering hotel thingy which is a good way o do it because food is generally expensivein resorts and you can save loads of money by buying shit loads of pasta before you get there.

On the travel front, i'd defintley recommend flying!!! It is mind numbing on a coach for 20+ hours. Flying gives you the option of transferring from either Lyon on Geneva which are both about 4 hours away from the big resorts if i remember correctly. Then you just have the short coach trip from the airport. You need to get some Winter Sports insurance, covers things like major lift and piste closure and equiptment theft, can pick it up for about £30 a year.

Most places will accept groups of 16 years and up if there are some 18 year olds. I went at 17 with 8 mates so shouldn't be a problem.

Think thats about it really...

Oh and start praying for snow now.

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Il be going in december this year :D

Should be going to either italy, or bulgaria, they are the better choices... france is ok, but there isnt going to be much snow left at all in the years to come!

This year (like 4-5 weeks ago...) the snow was at its limits! it was only 106cm deep!

Start praying mister! lol

I could tag along :D or you's could tag along with us :P

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Il be going in december this year :D

Should be going to either italy, or bulgaria, they are the better choices... france is ok, but there isnt going to be much snow left at all in the years to come!

This year (like 4-5 weeks ago...) the snow was at its limits! it was only 106cm deep!

Start praying mister! lol

I could tag along :D or you's could tag along with us :P

yea because the snow season is at its best in december??????? erm, if its cold enough still, mid march -early april is often the best time for big daily powder dumps, the rest of the season is more guesswork and luck, kinda like the weather over here, predictin rain etc.

as for the years to come. are you telling me this lack of snow in some resorts this year, compared to the mountains of snow there last year, is all due to global warming, and despite tiny little increases over the last 30 years, suddenly weve had a massive temperature hike in 12 months, and this will be the same next year, and in 3 years theyll be snow??

or are we just havign a mild winter. as for being a lads holiday, doubt anywhere, except maybe a few family owned chalets, which are rented out when not in use, will refuse you.

legal things, insurance is a must, breaking a leg in france is expensive.well actually its the same price as over here(£50+ petrol money to big dave, thats per kneecap). but the cost of getting you towed off the mountain, bandaging, and medical care is astronomical.

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but there isnt going to be much snow left at all in the years to come!

How exactly do you know that?

... Sort out a holiday with that many people and you should be able to get yourself a free holiday! Self catering is cheaper but if your all 16 - 18 then its gonna be a nightmare preparing food unless your very organised OR everyone deals with there meals individually. If your going in December book a high altitude resort (Tignes, Val Thorens ec..)

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Anything over 1600 should have permasnow really, There's always snow towards the top. Like will said, Val Thoren (or anywhere in 3 vallees) is a good choice because it goes up to 3200m at the highest point. We went to Les Arcs this year in December and the snow was fine, and that's only 2400m (I think?). So yeah, don't worry too much, wherever you go it'll be amazing.

Coach trips for 24 hours are really, really boring. Flying would be way better if you can do it cheaply (and you often can).

For accommodation, I've stayed in a couple of French youth hostels and they're amazing! Really nice and they feed you too. Definitely worth considering anyway. Or just get some self catering apartment, that's probably the cheapest way if you're organising it all yourself separately.

You may be on your parents' insurance - it's worth checking to save £20. But obviously make sure it covers winter sports and not just normal holidays.

And no-one's gonna refuse you. They've had worse than you I reckon ;)

Have you ever boarded before? If not, I think it's worth getting lessons before you go (dry slope) but it's up to you.

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Anything over 1600 should have permasnow really, There's always snow towards the top. Like will said, Val Thoren (or anywhere in 3 vallees) is a good choice because it goes up to 3200m at the highest point. We went to Les Arcs this year in December and the snow was fine, and that's only 2400m (I think?). So yeah, don't worry too much, wherever you go it'll be amazing.

Coach trips for 24 hours are really, really boring. Flying would be way better if you can do it cheaply (and you often can).

For accommodation, I've stayed in a couple of French youth hostels and they're amazing! Really nice and they feed you too. Definitely worth considering anyway. Or just get some self catering apartment, that's probably the cheapest way if you're organising it all yourself separately.

You may be on your parents' insurance - it's worth checking to save £20. But obviously make sure it covers winter sports and not just normal holidays.

And no-one's gonna refuse you. They've had worse than you I reckon ;)

Have you ever boarded before? If not, I think it's worth getting lessons before you go (dry slope) but it's up to you.

like the spanish, having f**king baths at 02.00, 3.30, and 05.00 in the morning and using the washing machine every night at 11, wtf were those willy above us thinking?

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Hay all,

Cheers for the info. Shall look into the youth hostel side of things, and yes ive been like 10 or 12 times before so I can board just fine (Y). Me and the mates are planning anywhere in the 3 valley's or morzine. Anywhere with a night life really that will have snow (recomendations?).

Insurance kind of things I've realised I need to get my own, got a £25 quote from a specialised extreme sports one apperantly. Will get parents to read through it to check all is well though just in case...

Keep the info coming boy's

Willy

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Nah, I didn't think you sounded like a twat :P

All the big French resorts have a decent night life as far as I can tell - it's only the really small Austrian/Swiss ones that are a bit posher and smaller that maybe aren't so good? But I dunno. Everywhere I've been has been good. Some are crazy expensive though - Courcheval and Val D'Isere spring to mind.

Anyway, if there's 16 of you going, you'll make your own fun :)

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Courcheval has great nightlife but it can be expensive but if you stay at 1300 rather than 1600 or 1850 it is cheaper. Tignes has really good riding and due to the glacier and altitude it generally has loads of snow, over 1m while i was there but the nightlife is shit and it's a horrible looking village.

There are now alot of russians and eastern europeans in the big french resorts now which is also drivingup prices and also meaning that resorts are catering to their needs. I went to courcheval a few years ago and was asked to move from my table at a resteraunt because some rich russian group wanted a window seat!

Try pick up the GoodSki Guide, it'll deffo help choosing a resort.

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