I've had a few lessons but really I'm a rank beginner. Looking to go away for a week or so around wintertime. Not looking to slum it but at the same time don't have oodles to spend. Say around £400 all in. Is that enough? Ideally would like to get some kind of all-inclusive package.
Ideas appreciated.
Andorra probably your best bet. Extensive slopes, good instruction in English, cheap beer (compared to the Alps), mostly half board hotels and a very relaxed atmosphere. Soldeu the best resort by far if you can stretch to it.
Would budget £400 for flights transfers and hotels only. Lift pass, equipment hire and drinking money can easily add another £300-£500 on top of that.
Would add - don't go self catering if you can possibly help it. When you factor in the cost of eating out, or buying overpriced food from the local supermarket then you won't really save anything.
Plus you'll have the pain in the arse of deciding who's going to cook, and you won't have the big benefit of tea and cake left out by the chalet boy/girl when you return cold and knackered from the slopes! 
£400 all in? no chance.
look at UCPA/ Action Outdoors for all inclusive deals.
Our friends have ski snowboard Slovakia and their prices are pretty reasonable
bet you could do a week in Scotland for that price. i've not been myself, but if they have a season as good as what was reported this year then it's supposed to be well worth it.
I know a guy out in Jasna, Slovakia after being out there the last 3 years.
http://www.propagandasnowboards.com
email me if you want more info
Tignes is good for snow
Not as pretty as some resorts due to it being above the tree line, but guaranteed snow, and thats what you are going for
+1 for Tignes, think it was expensive though.
+1 tignes
I think your budget needs to be revised upwards a bit.
1 week lift pass could set you back £200 alone....
Re: Andorra
Great for beginners, but skip it if any of your party are seasoned riders. There won't be enough there to keep them happy.
I do wish that the Andorran custom of offering endless rounds of free toasties (cheese, ham, onion or any combo thereof) in bars would take-off elsewhere. Utterly inspired!
If you don't mind mixing it with Aussies, then try Alpen rider. Can't beat them, for any money!
Thanks all. 
Enough here to be going on with.
To keep it cheap look at the resorts location in respect to the airport. Some of the resorts are miles away and unless you have enough people to fill a minibus the transfer will cost loads.
Oh, and avoid Bulgaria.
Why avoid Bulgaria mate? Im looking to go abroad this season, after being at scotland the last 2 years.
Montgenevre with Skitopia.
Nice little resort on the French Italian boarder that is a bit cheaper than the surrounding resorts.
Skitopia accommodation is hostel style with at least two (usually four) to a room and cheap but filling food. Prices at the moment are £600 but I have managed to book late with them for the last two years and only paid £400 for flights, accommodation, lift pass and 1/2 board.
ski weekends did 6 days skiing halfboard for £239 last year in brides les bains (meribel). Really good food and access to the 3 valleys, I doubt you'd need 20% of the slopes if you're a beginner.
6 days lo-season pass is around £150, so VERY good value all in. I did a weekend last year and loved it, I'll be going back for longer in 2011
Livigno/Italy - watched the Burton European open there a few years ago. Tax free (for tourism purposes)and not too challenging for beginners.
Book a last minute deal for the weeks just after new year. Flights from the south-east have most capacity, therefore usually cheapest discounts. If you have a choice of cheap places, check out which resorts have free beginners lifts as this may save you the need to buy a lift pass whilst you 'hone' your skillz.
We once paid £225 per person for 4 people going to Risoul at Christmas for a 3* HB hotel including liftpass. That was about 6 years ago, but incredible all the same.
Been skiing 25 years now. It's not possible to go for a week for £400 including spending money and passes.
Passes are very expensive in many European resorts, so scope these out first. Don't go to France or Switzerland, they are more expensive than Austria and Italy. You might find a small local resort that is cheap, but you won't find many Brits. I know of one or two near Grenoble, but they so small that they are half day resorts for an experienced skier. This size of resort could be OK for you, but it could be limiting when conditions are poor. With a larger resort, you get the option to go higher/lower, or just elsewhere, to get the best conditions depending on the weather/temps.
As a beginner, don't pick a super resort (several valleys and a large ski area). All you will do is waste money on an expensive pass and an extensive area that you won't be able to access.
Many resorts have free lifts on the nursery slopes. These will suffice for the first day or two, saving you 30-50 Euros. So don't buy a week's pass when you arrive, buy your pass when you are ready. Selva Gardena and Canazei in Italy's Sella Ronda have huge easy nursery slopes. The lift for this was free when I last went there and a member of our party spent the best part of a week learning to board on these slopes.
Pick somewhere with lots of easy gradients and give yourself a chance, but my snowboarding mate reckons he prefers the steep stuff because it's easier getting up after a fall. I dunno about that, but then i'm a skier.
The other thing you need to avoid is resorts with a lot of level(ish) tracks, unless you like walking. You'll be frustrated by all the skiers polling past you.
Andora is probably your best bet. Much cheaper than the usual popular destinations. You can get full board packages including passes for close to you budget if you pick the right moment to book.
Go early/late in the season. Check resort websites to get tariffs, but expect a shorter ski day at the beginning of the season and slush at the end. Snow cover is potentially an issue, although the late season is frequently much better than people imagine.
I haven't been to Slovakia or Bulgaria, but from what i've heard, it is cheap and basic. Lifts aren't great and these resorts fall below par. Again, this is not such an issue to a beginner.
If you want a reliable source of information on ski resorts worldwide, you must buy a book titled "Where To Ski". There is also a website if you google it. This reference has been spot on accurate for me every time i've used it in the past seven years.
Make sure you always wear a helmet and proper wrist guards!
Not enough money mate. Try slovenia: Austrian charm at Bulgarian prices. And the book Where To Ski is the defacto industry bible for ski resorts so get a copy.
Ignore the doubters Rockplough ... you can just about manage it for that price! Got a week in Austria all inclusive for £275 this year flying from Glasgow. Obviously lift passes are on top of that but the small area pass was about £150 I think.
The resort was tiny but riding still good 
oh no not more powder by Stuart Marshall, on Flickr
Oh and don't go to Bulgaria unless you're a beginner ... it looks very flat! Scotland is probably more fun than Bulgaria.
Ignore the doubters Rockplough ... you can just about manage it for that price! Got a week in Austria all inclusive for £275 this year flying from Glasgow. Obviously lift passes are on top of that but the small area pass was about £150 I think
Well thats already over £400 and he has not hired board and boot (if he needs too) or had a beer or a sandwich for lunch yet. You are easily going to add another £200 to that £425.
Find the extra money if you can though, snow sports are fantastic up there with alpine (bike) riding holidays.
Bazzer
True ... hadn't considering that he wouldn't already have his own kit.
Although if he's on a budget he can surely stuff his face for breakfast and wait for the free cakes!
Re: AndorraGreat for beginners, but skip it if any of your party are seasoned riders. There won't be enough there to keep them happy.
There's plenty in Andorra for seasoned riders - you just need to know where to look. The off piste is fantastic, and there's some amazing tree runs and natural jumps. The best thing is that because of the high proportion of beginners going to Andorra (who tend to stick to the pistes) then much of the best off piste can remain untracked and unexplored for days after fresh snowfall. UK pro rider Tyler Chorlton is based in Andorra which tells you something.
I've been to Andorra twice and considering the costs I think it compares pretty well to any of the major alpine resorts I've been to, Val d'Isere included. Lift infrastructure is spot on and as a friendly beginners resort then you can't fault it.
I reckon on Aviemore!!! Went last season and it was cool.
Ignore the doubters Rockplough ... you can just about manage it for that price! Got a week in Austria all inclusive for £275 this year flying from Glasgow. Obviously lift passes are on top of that but the small area pass was about £150 I think.
!!!!????
I'd budget for £700 doing things on the cheap.
A run of the mill ski holiday in the Alps costs £1000 with equipment hire.
I have my own skis and boots and any regular skier would benefit having this kit, but you do now get stitched up for carriage by air carriers. Driving solves this, but it's a long schlepp down to the Alps in one day.
Servicing is easy. It takes me about 20 mins to edge, fill, scrape, wax, polish mine. I use an old travel iron and some proper ski maintenance tools.
I reckon on Aviemore!!! Went last season and it was cool.
I'd be genuinely surprised if it was a cheap option though.
gixer-chris - Why avoid Bulgaria mate?
1)It's flat.
2)Ski areas are small.
3)Bad snow records.
4)The baggage handlers will rob from your suitcase on the out-bound flight.
Pick any of the above (or all if your unlucky).
Mate of mine did bulgaria last winter, no snow for the first half of the week, lifts broke down when it snowed for the second half of the week.
Meribel for begineers
"bet you could do a week in Scotland for that price"
I would doubt it...
Cairngorm Lift Pass £180 for a week !! Thats way more expensive than any where in the alps (with probably the exception of the Aiguille du Midi)
Accomodation b&b say £30 per person per night? £180
Which leaves £40 to get there, pay for food and drink.
Meribel for beginners
At £400 for the week all in you wouldnt even get a shed in Brides les Bains with a reblochon thrown as a freebie.
TBH, you wont get much for £400. Look at the Crystal website £415 gets you the last week in March in Chamrousse, which wont have much snow left on it then (its quite low and gets Grenoble's weather system)
If you want a good deal, find somewhere with higher lifts (ie: Alpe d'Huez, les 2Alpes, etc) and go self catering in April. Expect around £450 for the appartment, £200 for the lift pass, £80 for board hire with an online discount. Drive there and bring the groceries with you/ eat pizza for a week!
Or, go in March, do more or less the same in Andorra, bring back loads of booze and fags to your mates to subsidise the travel costs!
There's a more realistic 'cheap' ski holiday!
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