Poster: A snowHead
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Due to the dreaded A levels, I can't take my daughter out of school this year, so it's half term or nothing for her. I know that French resorts are horrible during half term, but I'm wondering about Italy.
I've been really impressed in recent years with the quality of skiing and relatively empty pistes in resorts such as Campoluc and Sauze D'Oulx. Has anybody out there any experience or knowledge of Italy in half term?
Thanks
Finny
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have been to Gressoney several times for half term, it was fine, slightly more people at the weekend.
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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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That was quick! Thanks.
So is it that more people are there in half term, but the overall numbers are so low that there is still plenty of space?
Finny
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@Finny, I think it's more to do with our half term doesn't clash with an Italian school holiday, there will certainly be more people at half term, but should be tolerable, the less British TO that go to the resort the better.
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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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@Finny, We've done Madonna for a few half terms and apart from the one where it clashed with Fesitval(?) it's been not to busy at all as long as you miss key lifts at ski school changeover time.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Madonna is fantastic. No pinch points on the lifts and you can ski to anywhere from anywhere.
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As a first world problem, we vacate Chamonix for Monterosa through the entire French school holidays if we can.
Not a problem.
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Doesn't seem to make much difference here in Bormio. The only week that we get any queuing is new year week.
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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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@peter42, that is good to hear. We are going to Bormio next half term as my son is racing at the English National Champs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We went to Val Gardena in 2015 during half term, relatively quite apart from the odd lift at certain times of the day. But that didn't effect where you could go.
You also have the benefit of the Sella Ronda to enjoy.
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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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Did Arabba more than once at half term. Very quiet compared to France. Pistes were not crowded and lift queues almost non existent. We liked Arabba because it gave us easy access to the Marmolada.
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Hi @Finny,
As with any resort over half term here in the dolomites we do get a little busier, but nothing like France, for the simple reason the more UK tourists go to France.
New Year does get quite busy as many Italian families go off to the slopes for this week.
The “carnival” date is based on when Easter is so it changes each year. Next year (2017) is 28th Feb.
Hope this helps
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You know it makes sense.
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Civetta is a quiet easy to access resort with excellent skiing for families. The flights to Venice are cheap and it's a quiet resort. You can also access Falcade easily which is also super quiet and Marmolada-Arabba on the same skipass. Well worth a look.
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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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We have been to Arabba for the last four half-terms. It gets busy at certain lifts at certain times of the day, but generally the pistes are not too busy. The Dolomites are a great area to ski in, especially if you want to go somewhere different each day.
We can highly recommend the Hotel Alpenrose in Arabba - a great hotel which is ski-in/ski-out. We would have been going back again next Feb, but my daughter's school has decided, for the first time ever, to move their half-term to the week after the state schools, and as a teacher, I can't get away the same week as her. Big family disappointment......
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sauze always seems relativly quiet but the chairlift at Sportinia is a real pinch point that could do with replacing.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Was in Alleghe in the Dolomites last year at half-term...very, very few English, but quite a few Polish families along with the Italians, but very quiet considering it was peak season, no queues, pistes almost deserted on bad weather days. Did a day up to Arabba & the Sella Ronda which was a bit busier in places and we did encounter some short queues at a few pinch-points on the Ronda.
As others have said, Italians love skiing at New Year (Capodanno) when it can be very busy, weekends tend to be busier too. There is no half-term school holiday in Italy, but some regions have a long weekend at Carnevale which thankfully falls on 28th Feb in 2017.
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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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We once went to Cervinia at half term (before kids, so it was by accident), and hardly noticed the difference. Sunny weather makes the biggest difference to how full the mountain is, in my experience.
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