 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, looking for suggestions for a chalet for 8 in a European resort that will have reasonable conditions first week of April. Grateful for tips on a particular chalet, a recommended operator or just which resorts to focus on. Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's gotta be Val d'Isere / Tignes. Would highly recommend YSEski based in Val.
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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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Thanks! I'll look them up 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Val D'isere is in no way guaranteed snow in April at only 1800m
Tignes yes or even better Val Thorens.
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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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@bangersandmash, Val D does have a glacier at La Fornet, as well as plenty slopes above 2000m. It would be an unusual season if Val D and Tignes wasn't fully open down to resorts first week of April.
I've also heard very good feedback about YSE. Another company with options in Tignes and Val D is Ski Bonjour. I took a good look at a couple of their chalets last year and spoke directly to a few customers. Accommodation looked good and customers very positive. Many of the big TOs have a range of chalets in the area.
In France, the other good bet is the Three Valleys. As @jimmjimm says, Val Thorens snow guaranteed. Courchevel snow reliable. Meribel/Les Menuires a bit lower, so conditions can suffer, though it is easy to move around the whole area for intermediates and above.
None of the above is cheap. I'm sure other snowHeads will suggest options beyond France.
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| jimmjimm wrote: |
Val D'isere is in no way guaranteed snow in April at only 1800m
Tignes yes or even better Val Thorens. |
An interesting statement given that they are essentially using the same mountain. Val D'Isere is down in the valley and Tignes is up on the hill. You can ski effortlessley across the whole domain from either.
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@intermediate, thanks I will look into Ski Bonjour as well. I know that VT is an option but am hoping to avoid 3V if poss as have skied there a few times.
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@JoyZipper,
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An interesting statement given that they are essentially using the same mountain. Val D'Isere is down in the valley and Tignes is up on the hill. You can ski effortlessley across the whole domain from either.
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Not sure about 'effortlessly'  but the whole area is linked and served by a great lift system. Val D and Tignes quite different in atmosphere. The full area pass actually includes quite a few mountains. I've skied on good snow right down to Tignes les Brevieres at 1550m many times in April.
I find Alpine Answers good for searching on different criteria for accommodation. They have quite detailed information and a map for each property they feature.
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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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Would be interesting to hear from the Val d locals as to when last there wasn't snow down to 1800m first week in April ! Loads of chalet companies at all price ranges. Scott Dunn. HIP hideouts. Fish n pips to give a few more options.
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Verbier, Zermatt, St Anton are all typically great in April to go with the good Espace Killy / 3V options suggested above. What's your budget & ski group ability / preferences?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@BobinCH, thanks for those suggestions. Abilities from intermediate to advanced, budget around £1000 pp
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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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| bangersandmash wrote: |
| @BobinCH, thanks for those suggestions. Abilities from intermediate to advanced, budget around £1000 pp |
£1000 including lift pass, ski hire or just for the package - accommodation, travel?
Your remit is very wide. Early April isn't late. Virtually anywhere worth going will be sure to have snow.
I don't use TO's these days but there are the big players - who have a big range and if all goes well will serve you well but don't go that extra mile and can be iffy if things don't go so well. And then there are smaller or high end companies that charge a bit more but provide a bit more service.
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| JoyZipper wrote: |
| jimmjimm wrote: |
Val D'isere is in no way guaranteed snow in April at only 1800m
Tignes yes or even better Val Thorens. |
An interesting statement given that they are essentially using the same mountain. Val D'Isere is down in the valley and Tignes is up on the hill. You can ski effortlessley across the whole domain from either. |
Could it have anything to do with there being snow on the mountain as it's up high and none in the valley as it's down low.
Just a thought.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Layne, that would be budget for accom (catered) and transfers. I appreciate the remit is wide, hoping to narrow it with the benefit of collective Snowhead experience. 
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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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@jimmjimm, not sure you're aware, but the lift go up from the village level, to higher places. Also, please list the recent years when skiing hasn't been possible in Val d'Isere early April.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Suspect that budget rules out Scott Dunn which is very high end but YSE has a good reputation. If you're going catered chalet and not bothered about nightlife a chalet in a satellite village to one of the big areas might give you the best bang for your buck e.g. Nendaz for Verbier
It's not catered and you need a car so probably not suitable but here's the details to some friends of ours place to give you an idea: http://www.chaletchambord.com
It's 4000chf per week for Easter. I'm sure you can find cheaper in France.
I'm not up to speed with the best operators but we used VIP a few years ago in St Anton which must have come in around £1200 each fully catered. Someone else will come up with some other alternatives.
Also see this thread from last year: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=131399&highlight=
Ps I'm right with you going for April
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=131593&highlight=
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@BobinCH, thanks for the links: seeing all that blue sky and snow fills me with longing
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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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| bangersandmash wrote: |
| @Layne, that would be budget for accom (catered) and transfers. I appreciate the remit is wide, hoping to narrow it with the benefit of collective Snowhead experience. |
Plenty of money I would have thought. I'm sure I've read on here people getting deals for £500-£600. For a grand you could look at the high end chalet holiday providers. Unfortunately that's not an area of expertise for me!
Have you skied Paradiski? I've skied 3V's, Espace Killy, ADH plenty of times and I still go back to Paradiski more often than not.
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I have skied Paradaski a few times from both sides of the Vanoise Express, always been good, I think Plagne Soleil was best but it was always self catering. In the early days really budget SC in Les Arcs! Only been to ADH once, in March, it was a heat wave and we nearly had to swim home by 3pm each day. I expect it's not always like that however.
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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've done the last 5 seasons in Tignes, and have been able to ski down into la daille in Val well best those dates. Whether it was pleasurable is another matter. V Hard on a morning, then a slushfest after lunch on many occasions. To come down Face in April you really have to pick your time if you are not an expert. After transfers your budget looks to be about £900 pp which will get you a reasonably high end chalet in Tignes, not so high end in Val, purely down to rental coasts in Val. The chalet I was going to recommend in Tignes is full, so waiting for a late deal may or may not be an option for 8. People are rightly getting wary of early and late season in the lower resorts which benefits the TOs in Tignes/Val.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@chocksaway, thanks, I agree it is way too risky to wait for a late deal with 8 of us.
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I like Paradiski but in April snow conditons a bit riskier than EK or 3V.
If you're talking first week of April 2018, that falls within main Easter holiday. £1000pp for catered accomm, travel and transfers should be possible but unlikely to be 'high end' accommodation.
@chocksaway, is right about snow cover at village level virtually every early April in EK. Last couple of seasons I've skied down to 1550m (Tignes) on fresh snow in early May and it was fine on the Val D side too.
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| Dr John wrote: |
| @jimmjimm, not sure you're aware, but the lift go up from the village level, to higher places. Also, please list the recent years when skiing hasn't been possible in Val d'Isere early April. |
Not sure if you're aware but from those higher places you ski DOWNHILL , and if the snow is patchy at the bottom, it's not much fun.
It's not a matter of if it is possible, is it pleasureable?
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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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| jimmjimm wrote: |
| Dr John wrote: |
| @jimmjimm, not sure you're aware, but the lift go up from the village level, to higher places. Also, please list the recent years when skiing hasn't been possible in Val d'Isere early April. |
Not sure if you're aware but from those higher places you ski DOWNHILL , and if the snow is patchy at the bottom, it's not much fun.
It's not a matter of if it is possible, is it pleasureable? |
There is huge amount of skiing higher up those lifts also allow you to download if you don't like the look of the runs home. We were there for mid April last year as Easter school hols were late and skiing back to Val d'Isere was quite doable.
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We arrived Easter weekend this year which was pretty late. No problem skiing back if you didn't leave it till 4 pm. Plenty snow low down, just a bit soft via of that big yellow ball in the sky. Can't understand the thinking that Val may have little snow.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| intermediate wrote: |
| I like Paradiski but in April snow conditons a bit riskier than EK or 3V. |
I'm calling that a dud. All three have plenty of a high altitude skiing that you can guarantee will be skiable and lower altitude runs and villages which may be running on artificial snow ribbons. There is nothing intrinsically to split them from that point of view.
| intermediate wrote: |
| If you're talking first week of April 2018, that falls within main Easter holiday. |
There is no such thing as the main Easter holiday. 1) It's late season and some people just don't go 2) the bank holidays for Easter w/e are split over two weeks and 3) most UK schools will be off for two weeks - so there isn't the heavy demand like there is at Christmas, New Year or Feb half term.,
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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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@Layne, as you said earlier, you prefer Paradiski. I love it too and have visited many times. But I stick to my opinion that in most years, EK and 3V would have a wider range of interesting skiing on decent natural snow in early April than Paradiski. So for an early booking it is a bit riskier.
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There is no such thing as the main Easter holiday.
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Accepted Easter far less busy than New Year or Feb half term. The main Easter holiday is the week Easter Sunday and Monday fall in. Demand is higher as a result.
Compare the price of accommodation, flights and packages for main Easter week with, say, w/c 17 March and that is fairly obvious. It is more expensive and usually busier in resort than the week which Good Friday falls in too.
The implication for the OP is that it affects what they'll get for their budget. Also it makes early booking preferable IMO. 
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Quite ridiculous to suggest that Val d'Isere might not have decent snow into the village but Tignes will. Yes the village is lower but slopes into Val are almost all North/North-East facing and tree lined. Sheltered aspect means they hold the snow really well. Runs into Tignes are far more exposed and face in all directions. Looking at resort height only is way too simplistic. Val d'Isere is rightly at the top of most people's list at that time of the season...
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You know it makes sense.
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Obergurgl is highly reliable at Easter (based on skiing there at Easter 5 years on the trot). Chalets are hard to find there, however. If money is no object, this one is amazing: http://www.thechalet.com
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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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@koru, thanks the chalet looks fabulous but I suspect slightly over budget. I've skied in Austria a couple of times but not for years and not in Obergurgl, what's it like for intermediate/advanced skiers?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| jimmjimm wrote: |
Val D'isere is in no way guaranteed snow in April at only 1800m
Tignes yes or even better Val Thorens. |
I have to disagree - the runs down to Val will be open in April. My choice would definitely be Val - much much nicer that VT particularly at that time of year.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@bangersandmash, there are some other chalets/apartments. Just google. Though hotels predominate.
Obergurgl is good, I would say, for intermediates. Lots of nice reds and some easy blacks. Snowsure and no crowds on lifts and pistes, even at what would be peak time elsewhere. Main downside: It isn't the biggest resort, so if you want to rack up as many miles as possible, never on the same piste, this is not the ski resort you were looking for.
For advanced skiers, there aren't really any tough blacks. There is some nice off piste accessible from lifts. Guides are pretty cheap (compared to, say, the 3V).
Amazing apres at the Nederhutte, though the rest of the resort is pretty quiet.
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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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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 took this photo of the YSE Val d’Isere chalets on 2nd April this year. The snow cover is typical April conditions.
They are in a great Ski in Ski out location, right next to the gondola station.
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FAQ
