 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, we are planning our first half term ski trip next year, have been lucky enough to go at easter so far but GCSEs loom next year so decided to do the dreaded half term thing.
I've checked our holiday dates and it coincides with french zones A and B, although they are each for 2 weeks so we maybe lucky? Our half term is 13-20 feb and zone A is 6-20th, zone b is 13-27th.
I've no idea what this means in terms of resort business and we're thinking of Les Arcs as we like big linked resorts and have done 3V twice now and want to try somewhere new.
Any advice? Other option is italian Milky Way as I think italy is less busy at half term but I'm not overly keen on the fact it seems to take a long time to get from one part to another whereas les arcs looks more easily accessible. I've heard Vallandry is less busy?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sat 13 will probably be the busiest changeover day of the year in the Tarentaise - each of the 3 zones gets 2 weeks of holiday over a 4 week period - next year it is B, A&B, A&C, C. The 13th Feb being A&B. A is the local area - Lyon Grenoble etc. Advice would be book with a tour op who travels on a Sunday - or book an apt t Sun - Sun. If you have to do Sat - prepare for a long transfer both ways or arrive in resort by 9am or leave it until after 8 pm (unless you enjoy sitting in a traffic jam). Not what you want to here I realise - but forewarned is forearmed.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I would also add that the Italians don't have the school holidays the way the French do. Our experience this year in Italy at half term was a dream compared to the usual French nonsense. No traffic queues arriving or leaving & we didn't encounter any queues at all on the slopes. I've decided to dump France at half term now & am looking at Italy instead. Fancy somewhere in Selva for next year.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I definitely wouldn't go to France for half term - and I have an apartment there! The holidays are usefully earlier next year. Mid to late March should be excellent.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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There is a lot of skiing to had in Italy, Switzerland, Austria...add Germany, Spain. Andorra and Scandinavia
All of those are much less affected by Half Term, some are hardly affected at all.
It is a flippin mystery to me why so many people go to France for Half Term, in the full and certain knowledge that it will be A: very crowded, B: very expensive and C: journey hell.
Go to France at other times by all means....but please don't believe that 3V, Val D'Ispere and Le(s) Plagnes Arcs are the only places for a "normal" British trip of intermediate skiers (which most Brits are).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I would love to be able to go in term time but sadly I work in a school so have no choice. I have never found the resorts too horrendous at this time and have had several excellent half term holidays. I agree that any child in year 10 or 11 really cannot afford to miss any school time but up until then I see no problem taking them out.....obviously the school should ideally agree !!!!!
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my daughter and son in law are both teachers, so I know what you mean. But you don't have to go at half term, and if that's your preferred time, you don't have to go to France. Sure, it's possible to have a good holiday - plenty do - but how much nicer without the lift queues?
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| rungsp wrote: |
| .......It is a flippin mystery to me why so many people go to France for Half Term, in the full and certain knowledge that it will be A: very crowded, B: very expensive and C: journey hell.......... |
Couldn't agree more, I know ex-pats here in Serre that go back to the UK on the busy weeks.
And totally agree about Italy - we went there quite a few times to escape the French hordes and the difference was staggering!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Agree with Malarkey9, we've had 3 February half term holidays in Italy and they've all been really nice and quiet. Last year to La Thuile and the year before that to Claviere. Not sure I'd go back to Claviere, but really enjoyed La Thuile, as did the children. Great prices compared to France and we hardly encountered any queues - in fact often having pistes virtually to ourselves. You can get over to Rosiere in France as well. Agreed not as extensive as some resorts, but I'd say worth it for the quietness and lower prices. Area lift pass also gives you 2 days in Courmayeur, Gressoney, Champoluc, Pila and Cervinia. We stayed in Hotel Planibel, 2 min walk to lifts, in fact some days we could ski over the road to our front door.
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We've an apartment in St Gervais in France and have avoided the half term week until now because of the horror stories.
Due to the vagaries of the school calendar this year we could either try the half week or wait until Easter but I'm greedy so we decided to do both and hope for the best. It really wasn't that bad! The queues were greater than we were used to in January or March but not terrible and they weren't any worse than over the new year period. I usually go on a January trip to Alpe d'Huez and the off peak queues at the DMC there are far worse than anything at St Gervais in peak season.
The only real grumble was the tunnel and roads were very busy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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they weren't any worse than over the new year period.
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In my experience new year is the worst for crowds in France - and of course, being early in the season, not reliable for good snow cover either so sometimes the crowds can't spread out. New Year seems to be busy everywhere - about the worst time to go on a ski holiday, really. But in Italy, in particular, judging from reports here the UK half term can be far quieter than it is in France (when it always coincides with French school holidays). In Austria it depends a lot on how other holidays fall and therefore is likely to vary from year to year, but there have been reports of some very big lift queues in some places in recent years.
In many places, if you know the resort well, you can escape the crowds and the worst of the queues, even at half term though there are usually some bottlenecks. In Les Saisies itself you can't really escape the crowds but staying in one of the other Espace Diamant centres makes it far easier (though it also reduces the chances of good snow, as LS always has the best snow cover).
But my niece and her family will be at my place in February 2016, as they have for several years now. They like the resort and the apartment costs them only £150 for the week. They drive, so in cost terms the holiday costs no more than any other time of year though they have encountered some major traffic and Eurotunnel holdups. My niece is a teaching assistant but sometimes there are INSET days just before holidays which mean they can get away earlier. generally they arrive early, beating the traffic, on the Saturday and they ski the last Saturday then stop over, usually at Beaune, on the way home. They are a bit fanatic - next year they'll have 2 weeks at christmas/New Year, a week at half term and a week at Easter. My place won't be available for all those times but it makes early discounted purchase of a season pass very worthwhile!
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You know it makes sense.
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My season pass for the Espace Diamant cost me €347 last year. That's less than 2 weeks full pass. It does include a rather modest reduction for being elderly - it's the same price as a student pass. But the adult price is the same as two week passes.
I've yet to use any of my "free days" elsewhere, except a couple of days in Les Contamines. I keep intending to....
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FAQ
And that would have still been a problem had we been travelling back from Austria, Switzerland or wherever.
Hoping for better, injury free, luck with that system again soon 
