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The large scale resorts of Val D’Isere, Tignes and Val Thorens are
popular and well known, offering a wide range of
hotels, chalets, activities and leisure amenities to their millions
of visitors a year. But for some these places have too much hustle and
bustle, with Val D’Isere becoming rather chic and expensive, many are
looking to smaller scale resorts to offer a different skiing experience
altogether. The advantage to this being that you get a more private
holiday, ideal for families on a short break, with the drawbacks being
the slope quality and amenities on offer. |
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Big Resorts |
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V’al D’Isere, Tignes, Val Thorens of France, Aspen and Winter Park of
the USA and countless others in Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Large
resorts thrive with activity and you can be there for two weeks and
still have not done everything! From casual bars to wine bars,
traditional restaurants to chic eateries and activities arranged by
hotels for their guests such as bum-boarding and quiz nights. The social
side to large resorts cannot be beaten for those who like a good time
and to meet people as much as they do to ski. And the skiing comes into
a league of its own here, with ski passes often allowing you into
neighbouring regions and increasing the number of slopes available to
you. You simply get more for your money. Drawbacks, however, are the
prices of other things as restaurants can tend to be slightly higher,
but given the large variety it shouldn’t take too much looking to find a
cheaper alternative. |
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Small Resorts |
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The vast majority of small resorts, such as La Rosiere of France and
Sierra Nevada of Spain, are visited by families with children. The
smaller scale of them makes it a more relaxed atmosphere and you
generally have to walk less to get to where you want to go. However, it
can be a compromise between having more privacy and calm and having a
wide range of things on offer. Small resorts undoubtedly have a much
more limited supply of activities and amenities, with less restaurants,
bars and things to do when not skiing. The slopes are still of excellent
quality, but there are less of them and whether this is an important
factor is entirely different for each skier. |
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At the end of the day
your decision will come down to your personality. Young groups of
friends often opt for big resorts with their big nightlife, whilst
families prefer secluded getaways and a quieter time. If money is an
issue it is not always cheaper to go somewhere less commercial as places
such as Val D’Isere offer a wide variety of
cheap hotels which are of excellent standard and often a great place
to stay. Try lastminute.com for a good selection.
For the ultimate skiing
holiday with everything on offer it’s got to be a big resort you choose,
but for a relaxed and quiet getaway the secluded resorts win through.
Verdict? Up to you.
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