Every year, we receive lots of enquires from people thinking about organising their first ever ski or snowboard holiday. Whether it’s a family group with small kids or grownups planning a trip with friends, the one thing these enquiries have in common is that they have LOTS of questions!
If the mountains are calling you, but you’ve never skied before, the prospect of planning a first ski holiday can be quite daunting. Where to go, where to stay, what to organise and what to take with you – these things are second nature to seasoned winter holiday goers, but if you’ve never been before, then how do you know what you need to do?
Well, worry no more – with 12 years of hosting skiers new and old in our chalets (and having been on lots of ski holidays ourselves), we’ve put together this handy step by step guide to help you plan a hassle free first winter adventure
- Choose your dates and resort
Your first task is to decide where to go – do some research online and make sure you choose somewhere that’s good for beginners and/or families. You’ll need a resort where the beginner ‘green’ slopes are easily accessible on foot but where there are also plenty of gentle ‘blue’ runs to progress to once you’ve grasped the basics. If you’re a family, do consider average temperatures and avoid very high exposed resorts as you don’t want the kids to be too cold! Although we never booked with them, we always found the big tour operators brochures handy for resort comparisons and they’re good to leaf through over a glass of wine! For both family and group beginner skiing, we of course recommend Les Gets!
When picking dates, if you’re tied to school holidays, then Easter skiing is increasingly popular and prices are cheaper than February half term. If not, then
January is a brilliant choice – with quiet slopes and no queues for lifts you can really make the most of your time on the hill. If you have friends who ski a lot, they’ll invariably have lots of advice, which can be helpful, but they are also likely to talk at length about snow conditions and how you must consider this, which may be confusing! As a rule, if this is going to be your first ski holiday, you really don’t need to worry too much about the snow – whatever the time of year, there will be enough for you, as a beginner, to learn to ski on and to ski all week to your level. - Book your accommodation
There are a lot of options to consider here – hotels, B&B’s, self-catered apartments, but by far the most convenient choice for your first holiday is a catered chalet. Catered chalets offer half board accommodation, so your breakfast, afternoon tea and dinners with wine are taken care of. This means you don’t need to worry about
supermarket shopping, cooking or eating out in the evening when you are tired! If you choose an independent chalet rather than a big company, you’ll also benefit from direct contact with the owners before and during your stay, who will be very happy to help you arrange all aspects of your holiday and answer any questions you might have. Remember that, as a complete beginner, you DON’T want ‘ski in ski out’ accommodation (you can’t ski yet!) but do choose somewhere that’s walking distance to the slopes or easily accessible by bus/car. Our chalets make a great choice! - And flights
Do try and book as early as possible to secure the cheapest flight prices – we like to use www.skyscanner.net to compare details. We’ve found that the smaller regional UK airports tend to offer some cracking prices, even last minute, so, for example, think about flying from Leeds/Bradford rather than Manchester or London City rather than Heathrow. Also think about your arrival time in resort – those later flights might be a bit cheaper, but do you really want to start your holiday by arriving in resort at midnight? And for the early flights, do make sure that your accommodation can store luggage for you if you arrive before check in time – you don’t want to be trailing big suitcases around the resort until 4pm! - Book your airport transfers or car hire
Consider how you’ll get from the airport to resort. If you’re staying with an independent chalet company, they will be able to organise shared or private transfers for you. If you’re with a big company, your coach transfers might be included with your holiday. If you’re going self-catered, car hire could also be an option. If you’re travelling to Les Gets, we highly recommend Skiidy Gonzales for transfers to/from Geneva airport and can provide you with a discount code if you’re staying with us. - Book your lessons
Perhaps the most important thing to organise – how well your lessons go will have a direct impact on how much you enjoy your holiday and whether you’ll come again! You MUST book your lessons as soon as possible so that you get the slots you want. There is a lot to consider, but generally: If you’re
staying for a week – book into ski school every morning. Depending on your budget, you can go for a large school or a smaller independent company, where your class will be smaller. If there are a few of you, then you could go for a small private group lesson, rather than joining an existing ski school course (where you’ll be with other learners). Whichever option you choose, you’ll have your afternoons free to spend together and practice what you’ve learnt so far. If you’re on a short break – book some private lessons for at least your first 2 days – either one to one or as a group if there’s a few of you. Having a dedicated instructor will give you the best chance of getting up and skiing in as short a time as possible. Again, depending on budget, you can choose a large school or an independent company. If you’re coming to Les Gets, check out our lessons page for some recommendations. - Select and purchase your ski pass
You’ll need to buy a ski pass and can usually do this online in advance (sometimes at a discounted rate) or in resort when you arrive. If you’re staying with an independent chalet company, they can purchase your passes for you so you don’t need to worry about it. Also, pay attention when
you book your ski lessons as sometimes a free or discounted lift pass is included in the lesson price. How do you know which pass to buy? Well, most ski resorts in Europe are part of a larger ‘linked’ ski area (for example Les Gets/Morzine is part of the larger Portes du Soleil area). If you’re a beginner, you will not need to buy a large area pass – in this example, just the Les Gets/Morzine pass will give you enough range for your first trip. If you’re staying with us, we’ll send you a link to purchase your passes at the best possible rate. - Sort out your equipment hire
If skiing, you’ll need to hire skis, ski boots, poles and a helmet. For snowboarding, you need a snowboard, boots and a helmet. In every resort, there are lots of shops to choose from and they’ll vary hugely in terms of the
service you receive and quality of kit. As a beginner, you need somewhere that will look after you and ensure your kit is well fitting and comfortable. This is where, again, it really is best to choose independent accommodation who will help you with this and can also usually get you a good discount! It’s also advisable to use a hire shop where you can leave your kit overnight, so you don’t have to carry anything back to your accommodation each night! Again, this is something we’ll help you to arrange once you’ve booked with us. - Get the kit you need for the slopes
It’s always worth asking friends if they have anything you can borrow – there’s no point buying your own kit until you know you’ll ski again! And rather than buying new, Vinted is great for picking up barely used kit. Getting the right gear for your first ski trip needn’t be complicated or expensive.
As a minimum (assuming you are hiring a helmet) you’ll need:
– Ski trousers (salopettes)
– A ski jacket
– Ski gloves
– A warm hat
– Waterproof boots or snow boots
– Ski goggles and sunglasses
– Not clothing, but you’ll also need Suncream for your face and lips!
Depending on the weather forecast, you’ll also potentially need a fleece and thermals, but you can buy these cheaply online or from regular shops & supermarkets (Primark and Asda being good examples). If you do want to buy some new kit, then the SportsPursuit website has a good choice at good prices.
So there you have it – an easy 8 step guide to planning your first brilliant ski holiday – why not get started today?
Prices at Chalet Virolet or Chalet Teleporte start at 695 euros per adult and 595 euros per child for 7 nights on a half board basis (catered 6 out of 7 nights). See full prices here.
Or stay self catered at Apartment Le Wetzet – prices start at 1750 euros for 7 nights rental. See special offers & prices here
So let’s start with morning coffee – if you fancy a brew before you hit the slopes or trails, then pop in to Les Notes Gourmand. They serve lovely latte’s, hot chocolates, cappuccinos and have a selection of nice teas. If you’re already hungry, they serve delicious crepes – we recommend trying the crème de marron (sweet chestnut paste) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and squirty cream :>.
Wild Beets café is also a great place for morning coffee and does a good brunch – try the avocado and poached eggs on toast (gluten free and vegan options available). However, this place has become a firm favourite for a healthy and tasty lunch too. Their menu is full of delicious wrap and salad ideas, or you can compose your own, choosing from a huge selection of leaves, protein, veggies and dressings. And for a vitamin boost, their red berry smoothie is not to be missed!
favourite (also an excellent choice for dinner) is Les Copeaux – it does a tasty, well priced plat du jour and their house wine by the carafe is very quaffable! It’s great for a fondue, pierrade or try their speciality ‘Lou Rapins’ – fried potato rosti accompanied by local charcuterie and cheeses – delicious.
We really love Barbylone where you’ll receive a very warm welcome, a lively atmosphere and the biggest and best Aperol Spritz in town. They also offer sharing platters of charcuterie and cheese if you’re starting to feel peckish.
We can’t recommend ‘Les Durs a Cuire’ highly enough. Located next door to Barbylone, it’s stylishly decorated and the service is excellent. The food is just delicious and the portions are very generous. They are
really good at fish – they do a great Fish & Chips and usually have another fish main course on offer. Their fishcake and poached egg starter is also a definite winner. In the season, they offer different daily duck and beef options, so there’s something new to try each time you go. Oh and their fries are the best in the village!
Le Tyrol is a great all rounder and our first choice for families. It’s cosy and warm with a very extensive menu (this is the place if you want to try snails :>) and great pizzas (wood oven). Their ‘Mont D’or’ has to be tried – it’s a full baked cheese served with charcuterie and veg to dip into it – like your own mini fondue – it’s delicious! Their onion soup is lovely, plentiful and served with croutons and sprinkling cheese on the side. Very well priced house wine here too and if you have room for dessert, try the ‘pain perdu’ – sweet eggy brioche served with salted caramel ice cream – yum!
For an absolute treat, L’Outa is a wonderful choice – it’s small but beautifully presented and proposes traditional French cuisine – oyster platters, cassoulet, pot au feu and of course an excellent fillet steak. It’s also a lovely place to pop in for a glass of wine (their selection is impressive) and some delicious cheeses from La Ferme de Caroline on the Chavannes.
If it’s takeaway you need, then Pizzalino does simply the best pizzas in town (fresh chillies :>) at a very reasonable price. La Becanerie (used to be K2) has really tasty burgers to eat in or takeaway and Bhaaji offers fantastic takeaway and eat in Indian cuisine.
If it’s takeaway you need, then Pizzalino does simply the best pizzas in town (fresh chillis :>) at a very reasonable price. La Becanerie (used to be K2) has really tasty burgers to eat in or takeaway and Bhaaji offers fantastic takeaway and eat in Indian cuisine.
(you may well find yourself drinking with the ESF :>) and the biggest and best Aperol Spritz in town. They also offer sharing platters of charcuterie and cheese if you’re starting to feel peckish. And of course there’s Bar Bush which is always buzzing at apres time, with cheesy tunes, good vin chaud, salt & vinegar crisps and friendly faces behind the bar. Quiz night is Friday in the winter and Thursday in the summer – you’ve got to be in it to win it!
***NEW RESTAURANT ALERT*** – we can’t recommend ‘Les Durs a Cuire’ highly enough. Located next door to Barbylone, it’s stylishly decorated and the service is excellent. The food is just delicious and the portions are very generous. They are really good at fish – they do a great Fish & Chips and usually have another fish main course on offer. Their fishcake and poached egg starter is also a definite winner. In the season, they offer different daily duck and beef option, so there’s something new to try each time you go.
Now, we know that for some prospective guests, the thought of sharing the living area, dining table and even the hot tub with strangers, is a scary one. The most frequent question we’re asked by those who have yet to experience the shared chalet is ‘won’t it be weird?’ And we can understand that there will always be a bit of trepidation about who you might find yourselves sharing with for the week. However, speaking from 13 years of hosting experience, we can honestly say that it’s never been weird! We welcome around 150 guests per year into our chalet and around 70% of these are sharing with ‘strangers’.
We find that time after time, following a few drinks and dinner on the first night, our guests generally get on like a house on fire and often end the week hitting the slopes together. Conversation flows easily – after all everyone has one big thing in common – SKIING!!
for there to be discord in a big sole occupancy group! Before we started to run 
chalets have ensuite rooms these days, so guests still have their privacy. Yes, you might be super unlucky and land a chalet with that one person you can’t abide – but, in our experience, the chances of that are low. You can mitigate the risk by choosing your resort and chalet carefully, so that you’re likely to find yourself with like-minded guests looking for a similar standard and pace of holiday. It’s also worth mentioning that here at 
Following a warming bowl of porridge at 
where we’ll spend a couple of hours enjoying some beautiful, peaceful runs accessed from the Rosta, Ranfolly and Grains D’Or chairs. Our favourite piste is the ‘Melezes’ down to the Perrieres Express – a long, wide well groomed run through the trees and usually very quiet, perfect for honing your technique!
Chevrelles piste to the Cortenaz restaurant for frites and a Coke to recharge the batteries.
Time for a late lunch! So, back over on the Les Gets side (via another favourite piste the ‘Ambresalles’), we’ll head up the Rosta chairlift for a bite to eat at the Rosset’Taz restaurant. They serve really good, fast food (burgers as big as our head :>) and the view from their terrace is gorgeous.
At Apero time, we’ll head to Barbylone or l’Apreskibar for a drink with friends (both bars often have live bands in the early evening) and of course call into Bar Bush for a quick snifter before dinner.
So let’s start with morning coffee – if you fancy a brew before you hit the slopes, then pop in to Les Notes Gourmande or Café Alba. Both serve lovely latte’s, hot chocolates, cappuccinos and have a selection of nice teas. If you’re already hungry, Les Notes Gourmande serve delicious crepes or you can grab an English bacon butty at Alba!
Gets. Just one last place to mention – we’re super excited that there’s a NEW bar/restaurant in town this year called Le Comptoir/L’As des Neiges. It has a huge outdoor sunny terrace and will serve casual food and apero in the bar and high end Savoyard inspired classics in the restaurant. We can’t wait to try it!
around 1hr 30 mins, so allowing for the 1hr time difference, you’ll be landing before 9am. If you book a great local transfer company, such as 
decide to hit the Chavannes side first (5hr pass is around 38 euros) or sample our ‘locals mountain’ Mont Chery (around 23 euros) you can get in a full afternoon of skiing (and of course a spot of lunch with a view).
Spring skiing conditions lend themselves well to a family ski holiday. Typically, 
in April, the snow is best in the mornings and can get a little softer in the late afternoon. So, get the kids booked in for morning lessons and you can enjoy your skiing while the snow is good and the little ones are learning. Compared to the busier half term and New Year holidays, the slopes will be much quieter and you won’t be facing huge queues for the lifts, so you can really maximise your slope time. 
Here in the Portes du Soleil, ski pass prices are also reduced at Easter. From the 1
Luxury Catered & Self Catered Accommodation 