French School Holidays 28th Feb?

A snowHead

I've managed to get a week off for a last minute ski trip on the week starting 28th Feb. Lucky me.

However, I understand that this may coincide with French school holidays. Does anyone know whether this is the case?
More importantly what impact do the school holidays tend to make on French resorts? Lift Queues, numbers on the piste etc?

I realise the answer to this might vary regionally so we are looking at resort near to Geneva: PDS, Samoens, Les Clusaz...

I'm happy to go to Italy or Austria but it would be good to have a full range of resorts to choose from.

Thanks for reading

A snowHead

@EdYarker, yes, it is French holidays but it is the final week, so won't be quite so busy as the middle two. Paris will also have returned to school. These are the areas that are still on holiday then

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@EdYarker, I agree with @Hells Bells, it will be busy, but not as bad as the next two weeks. I'd go to Italy, personally. wink

I have an apartment in a French resort but I don't stay there in the school holidays - I don't do lift queues if I can help it. If you are looking for a DIY trip, fixing your own flights and accommodation, you will find French apartments and hotels very expensive until 7 March, when prices will plummet for the remainder of the season.

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@EdYarker, It won't be too bad. Our lads' trip to Chatel has regularly been the last of the four French holiday weeks (though this year we have managed to defer to the following week).

Two key things apply. Firstly it is only some of the French on holiday that week rather than other nationalities as well. Secondly it is not Paris and that makes a big difference.

Choosing the areas and times you ski can also help. If you hit the main uplift at the same time as ski school it can get a bit busy and a quick coffee stop at 11.30 followed by lunch at 14.00 means you will be skiing whilst the French eat lunch.

It's really not as bad as the doom-mongers make out.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We've skied in the last week several times, and it has been fine.

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Thanks very much for your quick replies.
I have actually seen a very enticing deal to Chatel, so I won't let the holdays put me off if I decide that's the best on the table.

Italy is fab (as is Austria) but travelling from Bristol and less than two weeks to go it maybe a case of just going for whatever's out there and £449 for AI hotel in Chatel including lift pass is by far the best I've seen so far!

After all it is free

@EdYarker, that's a great deal, would be interested to know where you found it ( once you've booked of course!)

I stay here during the Frnch holidays and I think most of the panic is cowdoo to be honest

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Well, I have to come home sometime, so during the school holidays makes sense. I was there at New Year but doing stuff other than downhill skiing. Quite sizeable queues and the village street, where I can normally park no problem to do some shopping, was crammed. I haven't skied half term for some years but last time (probably about 2005 or 2006) we just gave up at 2.30 when the afternoon ski schools started and I found pistes unpleasantly crowded all day, with more stupidity than normal.

No, it's perfectly doable if you have no choice - but if you have a choice, there are better places to ski than a French resort in school holiday times, especially Paris holidays.

And some resorts are better than others. And it's not just "big versus small" My son tells me that if you know the lift system well the Espace Killy is fine, because you can get away from the crowds. But Les Saisies, with two major lifts from the "front de neige", is very crowded in school holidays, with lift queues longer than I am prepared to put up with (I don't call a 15 minute wait"fine" and sometimes it was longer). Even when the lower lifts in the wider domaine are all open (which they weren't at New Year) you can't avoid some "bottleneck" lifts and when the best snow for miles around is in Les Saisies, which is not infrequently the case, it can be very busy indeed.

This week probably isn't bad because just about everything is open, with good snow down to low levels.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@pam w, New Year is far far busier than February holidays (confirmed by tourist office statistics too). . All surrounding nations cramming their skiing into one week. February is much more spread out, the only bad week is usually the one where Paris and the UK collide, and even then only in resorts popular with both.

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But then I find places like the 3V or the EK busy in mid January......

You know it makes sense.

@pam w, as do we in January in Serre Chevalier, but many people are unable to ski in those quiet times and quite like skiing in France . Count yourself lucky that you can choose.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

@pam w, The OP had a question about a particular week (not coinciding with Paris) when he was considering a ski holiday in France and wanted to know what it would be like. A few of us who have direct relevant experience gave him some feedback. You told him why you don't spend that period in your particular bit of the French Alps. Helpful? Not really.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

However the OPs question was actually

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The thrust of the question was about French school holidays and French resorts near GVA (including PDS). No-one was doing any persuading.

You should be sufficiently openminded to accept that people who actually spend time there during French holidays know what it is like.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

he asked for the information to make a choice between a range of destinations, including France and in particular he is asking about crowds. I told him that though less crowded than the other French holiday weeks that week will still be considerably more crowded than the following week and that I don't think France is the best destination for that week.

I think that was the kind of information the OP was after but, of course, others might disagree. I have no axe to grind; I don't care where the OP goes on his holidays but I would choose somewhere else, personally, given the choice.

Sorry if that upsets folk.

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I have spent several seasons in Courchevel. Based on my experience Hells Bells is right: the main period to avoid is when Paris region is on holiday. And if it overlaps with the UK half term as well then it can get ugly in places. By 28 Feb it all calms down. If you choose a large area like 3V there are many more choices of piste if you want to get away from people. The 3V resorts are 2 hours from Geneva, with frequent transfers available.

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French School Holidays 28th Feb?

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