A group of us are planning on going skiing for my girlfriend’s 30th birthday in Jan 2014. Where would you recommend going? None of us have ever skied before! Kam, via email
Being a beginner puts you at a surprising advantage when booking a skiing trip as you can be more flexible when choosing a destination (experienced skiers are more limited as some resorts don’t offer challenging enough slopes).
Make sure you choose somewhere with a good sized ski school, because decent lessons will make a big difference to your holiday.
Look for places which offer free or discounted lift passes for beginner slopes.
And opt for a town that has a bit of life beyond the slopes as the après-ski scene is well worth experiencing – if anyone in your group doesn’t take to the slopes, they’ll be glad for a bit of alternative entertainment.
Your best bet is probably one of the larger resorts in the Alps, such as Saas-Fee in Switzerland.
This area has virtually guaranteed snow thanks to the large glacier and high altitude.
The car-free town has plenty of charm, but at the same time offers some decent après-ski.
The beginner slopes are set away from the main piste making it more relaxing to learn as you won’t have more experienced skiers and boarders whizzing past you.
The intermediate slopes aren’t too difficult if you do progress well. You can buy a limited lift pass, which is less than £20 for the day and will be sufficient for beginners.
The resort also has a British-run ski school, which has great reviews.
Lonely Planet’s Laura Lindsay will give you the benefit of her infinite wisdom if you email a question to traveltips@tntmagazine.com.
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