 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at a late deal on 28th feb or 6th march. My buddy likes the 28th as he only needs 4 days hol from work but this is the last week of the French holidays. Is the likes of la plagne and other French resorts really busy?, better to go the next week?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Paris is still on holiday. I'd be inclined to avoid.
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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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Evidently down in our part of the world, Serre Che, the last two weeks are not as busy as would normally be expected, this is mainly due to the road issues and the regions on holiday then (Northern) are evidently avoiding here. I heard this from someone who runs a very French bar and her OH is high up in ESF - they base this on knowledge with regard to lack of advance bookings for lessons, rental gear and apartment bookings.
HellsBells confirmed the above a few weeks ago saying that the first time in ten years that her apartment is not rented out - though obviously that might have changed now along with other factors so don't hold me to it!
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We did La Plagne the same week a few years ago.......never again!!
It would seem the only people who dispute this are those with a vested interest.
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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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Im away to montgenvre on sunday, not expecting it to be jam packed with skiers .. Unless ive been misslead 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There doesn't seem any very good reason to go to France during the Paris holidays if you can go the following week!
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The key here is Paris - It's fine when it's another group for the last week. Go on the 6th March!
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@Weathercam, agreed.
It's British and Paris half term this week - should be the busiest week of the season - and guests today and yesterday saying not a single queue (i.e. getting straight on lifts rather than the queue being 'only' a minute)... despite the fact there's loads of snow, it's a very quiet year. For once, we have British bookings for the next couple of weeks not French ones.
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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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@yorkshirelad, that means you will clash with the first week of Paris holidays, so you may well have been misled. 
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| Quote: |
It's British and Paris half term this week
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I thought that, @miranda, but was recently corrected. Paris weeks are next week and the week after.
Crowds probably vary - Les Saisies looks extremely busy, from the webcam - you can see the queue for the Chard du Beurre lift, which is the bottleneck for the whole of the rest of the Espace Diamant and it's been pretty long at times.
However busy, or unbusy, the Paris weeks are, the week beginning 5 March is sure to be less busy.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@pam w, yes, I just realised that - read it on here that is was Paris and took it as that but in fact the few French bookings we have are repeat guests and realised where they are from didn't fit with that.
Good for Les Saisies (though not good for people wanting a quiet time of it I guess!) - it's definitely a quiet year here despite the snow.
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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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@Weathercam, one of the weeks is now booked, but the last week is still empty from Sat 27th.
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| Gyro wrote: |
It would seem the only people who dispute this are those with a vested interest. |
I'm in a different sort of resort from most others so I guess it's different and I have no idea what La Plagne is like during French school holidays... but actually in a normal year we get fully booked by French families in the 3 non-British half term weeks and so it's in our interest to persuade people they'd rather come outside of those weeks... much better for off peak bookings! But the honest truth is that, round here, the first and last week when it's one zone on holiday are just not busy at all.
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You know it makes sense.
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@sj1608, seems that this is the first week of paris holidays and its not too busy, uk holiday finishes saturday so just the paris second week to contend with... Might get away with it😳
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@yorkshirelad, as I noted above, I'd thought that too, but was corrected. Paris holidays start next Saturday for two weeks.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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 booked for march 18th to avoid the french holidays.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi all
Thought I'd resurrect this thread, rather than start a new one.
I'm looking at flights now for next year and the BA ones from Heathrow to Geneva are looking pretty good value. Considering 24 February to 3 March 2018. However, I'm concerned that this seems to be half way through the French holidays... these dates would would be the second week of C (inc Paris) and the first week of B.
So the flights are cheap due to it not being UK half term, but would I be right in saying that it's going to be very busy? Especially if I end up in Morzine, which is easy for the French to drive to.
Many thanks
BB
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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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I was out in Chamonix 11-18 Feb this year (2 zones, plus UK) and really it wasn't bad - certainly not as bad as some of the alarmist commentary that sometimes crops up on here.
I was also out last weekend 9-12th and it was a bit quieter but not wildly different. Went over to Courmayuer for a day and that was at least as bad as Chamonix at Feb half term!
Surprisingly, Geneva airport on Sun 12th late afternoon (4pm ish) was carnage. Passengers held on departures level and not allowed up escalators to security, then 30 min security queue, and some of the lounges were full. In contrast, at the end of half term week it was about 10 mins to get through and plenty of space in the lounges.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@snowdave,
Many thanks.
I was keen to go earlier in March to help manage the snow and keep lower resorts more of an option. Also I don't like having to wait for ages after Xmas to get away 
Flights to Zurich a week later are now available on Swiss (BA haven't released their mid March flights yet), and they're the same price. So I might have a think about that - although the train transfer isn't an option as i'll have 2x children under 3... Not sure which resorts I'd go to from Zurich. St Anton would be my default, but not by train. Maybe Ischgl, but expensive private transfer.
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Would Chamonix have a huge influx of families on holiday during half term in comparison to the PdS, 3V, etc?
@Badbobby,
The previous week to your holiday would traditionally be the busiest week for French tourists. We dodged the bullet that is Paris, Lyon and Grenoble combined this year, but the week 17/2/18 is the one that you wouldn't want to be in the northern French alps. Personally, I avoid any of the mega resorts during the Feb half term (disclaimer : my kids have zone C holidays)
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| snowdave wrote: |
I was out in Chamonix 11-18 Feb this year (2 zones, plus UK) and really it wasn't bad - certainly not as bad as some of the alarmist commentary that sometimes crops up on here.
I was also out last weekend 9-12th and it was a bit quieter but not wildly different. Went over to Courmayuer for a day and that was at least as bad as Chamonix at Feb half term!
Surprisingly, Geneva airport on Sun 12th late afternoon (4pm ish) was carnage. Passengers held on departures level and not allowed up escalators to security, then 30 min security queue, and some of the lounges were full. In contrast, at the end of half term week it was about 10 mins to get through and plenty of space in the lounges. |
yup. That was the car show's fault though.
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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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@moody_git,
Ah, is that because it's the combo of UK + France (and prob some other countries) that make it so busy? Therefore, once it's just the French it's ok? Do the Parisiens typically go skiing on their first weeek rather than the second, especially with it being a bit later next year?
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It's generally not as bad as,say, 20 years ago in terms of queues in anynof the big stations due investment in fast uplift.
But that does mean more folks on the slopes.
Why not look to Aoste valley? E.g. Monterosa much quieter and not that much further a drive.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Badbobby, more simple than that; you'll get the combination of Paris + the population of the Rhône-Alpes on that specific week. That week can easily be busier (and more expensive if renting an apartment) than any other international holiday combination in most French resorts.
Have a look at this
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=128363
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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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Thanks all.
Looks like i'll keep my powder dry on Geneva flights and wait for 3rd and 10th March to become available. Or consider Zurich. tbh, with my v young family, I'm inclined to go with France (Morzine) as I've been a few times, its plentiful supply of self catered digs plus in town creche.
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