where to go for 1st ski trip to Europe
 

I am thinking about skiing in Europe next winter with husband and sons 8 and 10. We are all advanced skiers. We have been to Switzerland, Germany, Austria and France, but not to ski. We will have 10 days. With our sons along, we are not interested in night life other than a good evening meal with a glass of wine or beer (for the adults).

Any suggestions for a family friendly ski resort in Europe? I was thinking about Italy since the boys and I haven't been there. Thanks!

I haven't been, but two of my sisters and their children (aged from 7 upwards) have been on ski trips to Andorra a few times, and have had a great time. We were in Grindelwald in Switzerland last summer with children, and are going back in January for our first ski trip. It looks like a really good ski resort with lots of lifts, and if summer is anything to go by, the scenery is awesome. We will be there for the January Snow festival and the Lauberhorn ski race, which should provide a bit of extra entertainment for us parents who don't ski. With many children with us, we didn't investigate the night life either!

I can't believe someone is actually asking this question!

I thought everyone knew the answer: Schweiz !

might depend on the time of year. there must be ski sites that would get you some more precise answers and resort names.

i have not had the pleasure of going to saas fee in switzerland, but it is on my list.

Consider the large Serre Chevalier ski domaine, which consists of a number of lift linked villages along a valley in the Hautes Alpes. Briancon, the town at the beginning (or end, depending upon which way you look at it)of the valley, has a fortified old town section which dates from medieval times. It is full of little shops and charming restaurants, which feature the hearty fare of the region. One of the joys of this area is that it is a traditional resort, a far cry from the unattractive pupose-built concrete monoliths of many French Alp resorts. It is a great family place in that it does not have much of a glitzy apres-ski scene, and most of the skiers are European. My family and I (husband, daughter and her husband, and our son) spent a week there in March of 2000 and loved it. The skiers were challenged enough, and my husband and I, as non-skiers, found enough to do in the area to keep us busy. As advanced skiers you may have heard of the famous La Meije, a mountain in nearby La Grave, which is all off piste and must be skied with a guide. Our son and son-in-law "did" La Meije one day (with a guide) and weren't sure they'd live to tell it!

Serre Chevalier is the home of Luc Alphand, Olympic skier, and also winner of some World Cup races. He still lives in the area, where he owns a microbrewery. I just googled his name and see that he has recently opened a brasserie in the nearby mountain village of Vallouise. Serre Chevalier has been a best kept secret, but with the Turin Olympics of 2006 only 70 or so miles away, I imagine it will become better known to the world at large and plus chic, like its better-known counterparts to the north, such as Val d'Isere, Charmonix, Megeve, etc., alas.

Its location is especially good in that it is in the southern Alps, so the weather is relatively warm, but the slopes are north facing, so the snow is somewhat protected. In early March we met "the kids" on the slopes for lunch and ate outdoors in the sunshine in shirt sleeves, and some young things were wearing tank tops.

We stayed in Briancon at the Auberge du Mont Prorel, literally 10 meters across the road from the MP ski station. It was a small family run place (changed hands since then, I hear, however) with very friendly owners, adequate 2 star lodging, good food, and full of Alpine ambience!

Check out www.serrechevalier.com and www.briancon.com Also www.ifyouski.com has reviews.

Good luck with your decision; I'm sure you will have a wonderful time wherever you go.

PS: Another plug for Serre Che, as they call it--it was really inexpensive back when the dollar was strong and imagine it is still among the least expensive of the French ski resorts.

typo in Chamonix

go to skieurope.com and do a skiers match and list your prioritys...http://66.9.207.38/ski-europe/skimatcher/searchpage.asp

As you are all good skiers and skiing is your main focus (not a little skiing and a lot of apres ski and/or day tripping to other places), I suggest you go for a high altitude resort--Lech/Zurs or Ischgl for example--where you are most likely to have good snow.
The skieurope.com web site is a excellent suggestion. You might also find this article interesting:
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/news/st...445900,00.html

On a related winter skiing note, St. Anton needs women! The resort went all out to market their "extreme" skiing capabilities, etc., with the unexpected result that during the season, men now outnumber women 8 to 1. On the slopes, the men don't seem to care, but off slopes...well, they'd like to see more than just their own stubbly mugs. St. Anton is retooling its image to attract more female skiers and boarders, offering some special deals for women. In one article, the reporters interviewed a few women skiing at St. Anton. The ladies said it was impossible for them to go out at night without being besieged with invitations for drinks and dinner.

Having skied in Europe, I'd say stay in the US. Fogetting the long trip, big time change, etc., there's no place like the US west as far as snow conditions. Also, you'll find there no such thing as a lift line - not that nobody's waiting, but there's no control - everyone pushes and shoves to make their way to the chairs.

I have skiied in both Vermont and Switzerland and didn't notice much of difference regarding ski lines.

I have to agree with BarryK -- I've skied in Chamonix, Val d'Isere, and near Innsbruck, and I'd take the US west coast ski conditions and trails any day over the Alps! We live in London and Europe is ok for weekend trips, but any longer winter trips are to the US for much better skiing! If it's for the different culture on the other hand, then yes, European resorts are lovely and I can recommend all of the above that I've been to (although maybe Chamonix has too much nightlife for you?). But how much culture do you really get on the slopes?