Norway - a good place for a first skiing holiday
But there was one problem, our 3 children were not happy that I wasn’t joining in (admittedly they had a point, as I’m usually the first to point out that taking part isn’t optional) so I vowed that next time we would choose somewhere especially suited to a nervous beginner like me. And so an extensivehttps://phenix.travelcounsellors.com/sites/Phenix/SelfService search began, and I landed on Geilo, in Norway. Getting to the resort takes a while – after landing off an early morning flight to Oslo, we has a short transit to the central train station to connect with a 3 hour direct train to the resort. It takes 3.5 hours, but this is the famed Oslo-Bergen route and the scenery is gorgeous, a real winter wonderland at every turn. On arrival the hotel, collected us to take us on the short 10 minute drive to where were staying. This was at the Vestlia Resort. A large hotel which doesn’t feel like one. It’s stylish and smart with plenty of space to spread out in the huge restaurant or bar areas. We loved our suite too – fining space for our family of 5 can be a challenge, but our daughter loved being able to spread out in the generous lounge space, and sibling squabbles were minimal with our boys in a separate bunk room.
The food set-up too, works well for families. Norway is not a cheap destination, but as long as you don’t mind sticking to the (delicious) fixed menu every night half-board at Vestlia is good value, and the children can eat from the buffet instead which is a win-win. Whilst they explored the basement bowling alley, we enjoyed our wine flight in peace! A place to read Claire Powells’ ‘At the Table’, a novel where food is a central theme. So, to the skiing. It was fabulous for those learning to ski, plenty of green and blue runs, English-speaking instructors and best of all it was quiet, even over the Easter weekend when we were there (and there was plenty of snow, literally tons of it, all real!). It’s more hilly than mountainous, but the scenery is spectacular all the same, and the ski lift is literally right outside the back door of the Vestlia resort, which made getting out in the mornings a relative joy, and also meant any of us could come back easily if we needed a breather! There are red runs too, and some black if you really want a challenge. You can also take a bus for a few minutes to the other side of the valley, for even more quiet slopes and scenery. At the end of the day, you can relax in Vestlia’s large swimming pool (complete with jacuzzi and water slide), or visit the adults-only spa. If you tire of skiing there are other winter activities too – our afternoon out driving with the Huskies was a real highlight, and a chance to see even more of that lovely quiet landscape. I’d never really thought of Norway as a ski destination before, but now it’s a real favourite. There are so many ski destinations to choose from – let me help you find the one that’s right for you, even if you’ve never skied before!
