HELP FINDING SKI HOILDAY IN APRIL STAG DO

Hi all
we are thinking of going skiing on a stag do in April total beginners average age 38, party size 10 plus , AVERAGE BUDGET £500, 1 weeks stay , looking for somewhere to ski but also with a bit of nightlife.
Questions
1. Is there good places to ski in April for beginners
2. Is our budget realistic <including ski hire,passes>
3. what do you all think of chamonix
4. things to do for the folk who decide skiing is not for them

Thanks in advance for all your help :D

Your budget is very optimistic for April as its the school holidays!
I would go to livigno on a stag-high enough at 1800m for good snow, last year it was 20degrees and there was still excellent coverage bu mainly the après and nightlife is mentally good. It's also tax free so cheap as chips for drinking!
Chamonix in not renowned for being a beginner resort

You will be pushing it for April as Easter falls near the beginning, however with this year's snowfall you may be lucky. Soll in Austria should suit the stag party and beginners bit but not sure if there will still be snow, so maybe you need to look at a resort with access to a glacier (Kaprun/Mayrhofen, etc) Depends which is most important skiing or drinking - although will warn you off going on the slopes when you are still hungover!!

Yes, as above. Bending over to do your boots up after a few beers squashes the stomach - there is an inevitable consequence :shock:

The word 'DAMP' springs to mind!! - and don't eat yellow snow!! :wink:

1. Yes there are many. April things can start to get iffy in terms of snow quality-the majority of resorts start to think about closing by mid April. I avoid school holidays like the plague so I've no idea what it will be like numbers wise. But by April the Germans/Austria/French are starting to think about sunny beach holidays rather than skiing. Spring/April skiing can be rather splendid though 20 degrees on the mountain and warmer in resort-enjoying a beer on a sun lounger in shorts and t-shirts is awesome!

2. Sadly IMO your budget is wholly inadequate for a week anyhow. Chamonix is actually very easy to get to from Geneva and an abundance of accommodation that will offer short stay. You may get a good deal that brings your flights and accommodation to <£300 but I'd expect that to be room only or B&B at best. Lift prices don't get discounted unless you get a deal form a UK TO. So bargain on £200 for that, ski and boot hire £80-£120 for a week.

3. Chamonix is a fantastic resort IMO to others it's very disjointed meaning it's a pain in the arse getting around, It celebrated for it's off piste and challenging terrain and less so for it's suitability for beginners or timid intermediates. For France the nightlife/Après is very good extortionate French beer price aside.

4. Chamonix would actually be pretty good in this respect, could get up the gondola to meet the skiers for lunch and as it's a proper town there is more to do and see. I can't think of anything worse than being a non-skier in one of the big purpose built French resorts. In this instance I'd usually recommend a proper town as a base but many of the resorts I would recommend usually I wouldn't risk in April (unless you can book late).

Some of these are sweeping generalisations but generally nightlife is limited in France and what there is, isn't unusual to charge 7-8 euro for a pint food is also very pricey. Austria has good beer and it's available most places for around 3 euro a pint, food is also more reasonable but it lacks the huge areas generally that France has but has some high altitude snow sure area and some of the best glacier skiing. As previously mentioned Solden in Austria is a good shout, I'd also add Ischgl and St Anton for good April snow and excellent nightlife-if you can learn to ski in St Anton it's said you'll be able to ski anywhere.

Many thanks all for your reply's, has any of you guys had any experience with skiing in Bulgaria. Bansko has been mentioned to us as a possible place to go, I am now realizing that my budget was a bit low but would love to try and keep the cost down as much as poss :D

Bansko would be great...but probably rather green ) unless you are really lucky