 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Me and a friend are looking to go to either VT or Val d'Isere for the 5 days in the first week on january next year. Ive only ever skied a few resorts in USA, then a fair few times at both Whistler and Big White in Canada but they are now becoming to expensive as a student. Im just curious which resort people would recommend to visit for the first 5 days in jan. What are queues and snow conditions normally like at this time of year?
Also curious to know peoples opinions on each resort… which do people prefer etc?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The first 5 days in January include New Year's day and will be one of the busiest weeks of the year if not the busiest. If you can I would suggest going the week before or after or even Easter
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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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The first 5 days in January include New Year's day and will be one of the busiest weeks of the year if not the busiest. If you can I would suggest going the week before or after or even Easter
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Well it is an option to go from the 3rd to the 8th of jan and do a few days at my mates place in Flaine first. Is it likely to be any quieter there? we were going to do 5 days at one place and then 5 at the other
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If you can so 3-8th then it will be relatively quiet in either, Val D will be more expensive once in resort, though it is a few years since I was in Val T. If expensive apres with people 'who need to be seen to be seen' is not your thing then Tignes, next door to Val D, (same mountains, same lift pass) will be cheaper. Its all down to where you fit in.
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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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Both are not great if it's snowing as v high and few trees, but of the two ID go Val D for a Jan trip. Be prepped for a very different experience to usa skiing....Euroski is busier and more piste oriented.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If under 30, go to Verbier or Val d'Isere.
If over 30, go to Val Thorens.
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Val d'Isere. Every time!
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Val Thorens . No brainer.
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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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For January I'd go to Val D out of the two, just because there is some tree skiing. VT can be very cold and bleak in Jan. However, given the time of year, I'd look for somewhere a little lower, so that you can ski more in the trees if it snows and gets windy. VT does open up the options of going over to Meribel and Courchevel both of which are great. Flaine is a little lower and has some good skiing. Any trip that takes in a few days of the NY week will be heaving. If you can get accommodation for an odd number of days that week, I'd go for it, as no hotel is likely to offer that, they will want a 7 night, Sat to Sat booking at extortionate rates!
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We've travelled to Val D the first weekend after New Year before now. I didn't find it particularly busy - most of the families with kids would have gone home that day to get them back to school.
Snow - well lots of places with issues this season but with high slopes you've more of a chance of it being okay.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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They're both very good, IMO Val D is better for piste skiing but Val T is better for off-piste.
Both are normally reliable but with the last two years in mind I'd opt for Val T due to the height, although the highest point in Espace Killy is above the 3 Valleys the latter has a larger number of slopes above 2500m. If we have another poor start then Val T will be miles better.
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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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If you can get accommodation for an odd number of days that week, I'd go for it, as no hotel is likely to offer that, they will want a 7 night, Sat to Sat booking at extortionate rates!
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Well reason its going to be odd number of days is working around my uni holiday and my friends college term time so we have a 10 day trip. We were going to do 5 days in her chalet in Flaine then wanted to go to another resort for other 5 days but wasn't sure where best as id have thought was still fairly early season.
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@jocrad,
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We've travelled to Val D the first weekend after New Year before now
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That was my point as well. New Year week will be very busy, the week after is probably one of the quietest of the year.
@ben.metherell, What dates are you actually thinking of? Are you looking at Chistmas week in Flaine and New year week somewhere else? Going out a little after Christmas day and returning round about 6/1/17?
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You know it makes sense.
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What dates are you actually thinking of? Are you looking at Chistmas week in Flaine and New year week somewhere else? Going out a little after Christmas day and returning round about 6/1/17?
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Thinking of probably going out on the 29th ish December and then coming back on the 7th or 8th. Was originally thinking we would spend the first 5 days in Val D or Val T then would spend the rest of the trip in Flaine in her chalet
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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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Val D is a lovely town, well laid out with great connections and wide range of shops bars and restaurants catering to all tastes. Val T is a concrete monstrosity with an appalling layout full of dreadful bars and restaurants catering for the endless gangs of students and cheapskates. It's also the worst place on earth to be in a snowstorm.
Up to you.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Flaine will be busy as will everywhere at new year. The week after the holiday will be much quieter and cheaper. If your budget is tight neither of those resorts is a good choice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Dr John wrote: |
Val D is a lovely town, well laid out with great connections and wide range of shops bars and restaurants catering to all tastes. Val T is a concrete monstrosity with an appalling layout full of dreadful bars and restaurants catering for the endless gangs of students and cheapskates. It's also the worst place on earth to be in a snowstorm.
Up to you. |
No its not ....
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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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| ben.metherell wrote: |
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What dates are you actually thinking of? Are you looking at Chistmas week in Flaine and New year week somewhere else? Going out a little after Christmas day and returning round about 6/1/17?
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Thinking of probably going out on the 29th ish December and then coming back on the 7th or 8th. Was originally thinking we would spend the first 5 days in Val D or Val T then would spend the rest of the trip in Flaine in her chalet |
You need to reverse it and go to Flaine first and somewhere else second. But I wouldn't go to Val T or D. I would go to Les Coches/Arc 1600/1800 because of the skiing possibilities in bleak weather.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Agreed.
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| .....and more piste oriented |
Surely the other way round  ie You are confined by strict resort boundaries in North America (duck under the rope and lose your lift pass...) vs the unlimited, ski where you like off-piste of Europe....
Val D and Val T are both brilliant but different. And, as has been suggested, don't rule out Tignes - which is generally well recognised as having more convenient/easier access from slopes to resort at the end of the ski day.
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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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Yep, both brilliant resorts - my favourite is Val T but for Jan I can see Val D probably being a better bet. I tend to save my VT trips for March/April.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@mountainaddict point taken, I meant there are a lot more pistes in Euro resorts, and more people stick to them. My experience of USA skiing is small piste km but more usage of inbounds-offpiste.
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