 Poster: A snowHead
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I’m really sorry if this has already been posted recently!
However...
We usually ski as a family at Easter, however I’ve noticed it’s pretty late next year and not being a great fan of ice I was thinking of going at half term. We skied in La Plagne last year at half term and it was horrific. Horrendous lift queues everywhere and very little skiing as a consequence.
So I was wondering if you’d be so kind as to come up with some alternatives for us? We really enjoy the skiing in La Plagne and the variety suits us down to the ground. My husband and I are both good intermediate skiers, eldest (11) is just about complete on the Oxygène intermediate levels with second son close behind ( with youngest having completed two ski holidays (5).
I skied Cervinia a lot as a child but really do like doorstep skiing which the hike to the plan Maison bubble generally tends not to be... unless you lovely lot can tell me differently now! Italy is definitely somewhere of interest for this trip!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We’ve skied Montgenevre (this year) and La Rosiere (last) at half term and had no issues with queueing at all. This year we managed to get Sunday to Sunday accommodation, so the drive down was very stress free as well. Both resorts have a lot of accommodation close to the slopes.
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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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Oh that’s worth knowing! We’d practically written off France after last year’s experience. We usually self drive too and it took us nine hours to get from Lyon to Aime. Was truly awful!
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Eek! When we did Saturday, we left home on the Friday morning, stayed in Aix Les Bains Friday night, then left about 8.30, ahead of the worst of the traffic. There are a few threads about half term with lots of good advice. I’d attach a link or two if I knew how ... but the search facility is quite easy to use. 
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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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Staying in Chambery this year when we go at Easter and keeping everything crossed. We usually find the autoroutes full of Belgian cars so hoping we’ve got ahead of most of them this year 
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| reh_stuff wrote: |
| Eek! When we did Saturday, we left home on the Friday morning, stayed in Aix Les Bains Friday night, then left about 8.30, ahead of the worst of the traffic. There are a few threads about half term with lots of good advice. I’d attach a link or two if I knew how ... but the search facility is quite easy to use. |
This is the way to manage the journey on half term weekend. Basically do your driving on Friday and get as close to your resort as possible staying in the valley overnight. Then you go up the hill Saturday morning as everyone else is coming down.
You could try Italy or Switzerland during French holidays.
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Yep hopefully that’s what we’re doing at Easter Sarah! Got stung big style last year 
Think I’ll look at Italy more, do you have any experience of La Thuile?
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We stayed in Claviere HT 2017 and skied Claviere / Montgenerve. It was cheap and lovely and quite, but the skiing was very limited compared to La Plagne. Also the Italian ski school was poor compared to Oxygene in La Plagne.
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Thanks for that. Ski school is a big one for us as we want the kids to enjoy their lessons.
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@SkiWithThree!, no experience of La Thuile. But if you are looking at Claviere and Montgenevre then the recommended school there is Apeak that I and a few other Snowheads have had good experiences with
https://www.a-peak.com/en/
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| sarah wrote: |
@SkiWithThree!, no experience of La Thuile. But if you are looking at Claviere and Montgenevre then the recommended school there is Apeak that I and a few other Snowheads have had good experiences with
https://www.a-peak.com/en/ |
Sorry to but in but do you have any personal recommendations of anyone at the school please? I’m a very nervous intermediate and it’s holding me back. I’m putting myself back into ski school next year in Montgenevre and will be looking for someone with the right approach. Cheers
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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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@SkiWithThree!, we did les menuires this half term, we had a fantastic time there, loads of ski in/out accommodation. Hardly noticed any big lift queues for that time of year, as there are so many lifts to get you up the mountains.
We self drove as well, staying overnight in Albertville on the Friday night, and heading up to resort early Saturday morning.
At present, planning the same thing for next feb as well!
Cheers
Terry
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Likewise will be half-term for us in 2019 as boys are in A level year and daughter GCSEs. From previous trips, as has been said, secret to journey time is to drive as much as possible on Friday and beat the queues on Saturday.
In terms of lift queues, found it to be a matter of timing! Either get out early and onto lifts before ski schools, or go later and ski through lunch time.
Last season the snow was poor which would have added to queues, generally in bigger resorts it's bearable. There are plenty of threads on here about small French resorts which are generally quieter - I don't have link handy I'm afraid but sure someone will recommend places
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You know it makes sense.
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If driving for French half term I would avoid the Tarantaise resorts (i.e. Paradiski, 3 Valleys, Espace Killy) - obviously great skiing but too many people trying to get up and down one valley.
Further north (e.g Porte du Soliel and Grand Massif) - you're about an hour closer to Calais - which helps even if the traffic is bad.
Chatel at half term was pretty straightforward one time. But most apartments there won't give you doorstep skiing (except for around Linga).
Word of warning about Flaine - at half term although the drive was OK the resort parking was full one time. Had to unload - then park at the Vernant car park and ski back!
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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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That’s great to hear that France is still an option. Thanks all. Yep, we made that mistake Bobsterman, but we didn’t get on the Arpette all holiday, only managed up to glacier once and even the low resorts to Montalbert were rammed.
We are still stuck around ski school with our motley crew, so all tips are very gratefully received!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| bambionskiis wrote: |
| sarah wrote: |
@SkiWithThree!, no experience of La Thuile. But if you are looking at Claviere and Montgenevre then the recommended school there is Apeak that I and a few other Snowheads have had good experiences with
https://www.a-peak.com/en/ |
Sorry to but in but do you have any personal recommendations of anyone at the school please? I’m a very nervous intermediate and it’s holding me back. I’m putting myself back into ski school next year in Montgenevre and will be looking for someone with the right approach. Cheers |
It's a long time ago but Seb was good, he's the boss too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| bobsterman wrote: |
If driving for French half term I would avoid the Tarantaise resorts (i.e. Paradiski, 3 Valleys, Espace Killy) - obviously great skiing but too many people trying to get up and down one valley.
Further north (e.g Porte du Soliel and Grand Massif) - you're about an hour closer to Calais - which helps even if the traffic is bad.
Chatel at half term was pretty straightforward one time. But most apartments there won't give you doorstep skiing (except for around Linga).
Word of warning about Flaine - at half term although the drive was OK the resort parking was full one time. Had to unload - then park at the Vernant car park and ski back! |
Chatel is not a particular easy half term drive, the traffic can be hell. Gridlocked through the village. Requires very careful planning and there are many threads on it. Also not great for doorstep skiing. The new apartments around Super Chatel are convenient. But anyone used to Paradiski, 3 valleys ski from the door convenience will find Chatel very different.
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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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| sarah wrote: |
| Chatel is not a particular easy half term drive, the traffic can be hell. Gridlocked through the village. Requires very careful planning and there are many threads on it. Also not great for doorstep skiing. The new apartments around Super Chatel are convenient. But anyone used to Paradiski, 3 valleys ski from the door convenience will find Chatel very different. |
Yes - I did say it won't give you doorstep skiing.
Skiing through (not staying in) Chatel recently I noticed it had expanded a lot in recent years - so maybe the traffic is now worse.
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Don't know about the driving... my only experience of France at half term was a trip to Valmeinier. It was pretty good. Some of the pistes were busy, but there was rarely a queue for a lift and then there were some pistes that seemed practically deserted. The area isn't huge but probably big enough for a young family.
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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 good case for going to Italy but if you stay in France then consider Les Contamines. We are there every half term and don't generally have a problem with queues or too crowded pistes (obviously if a main lift has a mechanical and last run down at the end of the day are different).
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@SkiWithThree!, half-term will be carnage in the popular resorts. Tignes or VT at Easter? Will be high enough to avoid ice, will be quiet, lots of ski-in ski out accommodation, loads of mileage for Intermediates. Long sunny afternoons. What’s not to like 😉
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@BobinCH, Easter Sunday 2019 is 21st April - even for high resorts I think it's a chance. What I'm not sure yet is whether schools, as they have done in past, will have early Easter hols.
Easter a no-go for us next year due to A Levels and GCSEs
Been a couple of times at half-term and apart from a few pinch points - I don't think it's the hell every makes it out to be
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| Boris wrote: |
@BobinCH, Easter Sunday 2019 is 21st April - even for high resorts I think it's a chance. What I'm not sure yet is whether schools, as they have done in past, will have early Easter hols.
Easter a no-go for us next year due to A Levels and GCSEs
Been a couple of times at half-term and apart from a few pinch points - I don't think it's the hell every makes it out to be |
School holidays for next year will already be published. We are Fri 5th - Tues 23rd.
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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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@galpinos, as are we - having just checked. However still a no-go for us due to exams. Christmas or New Year a possibility, however for various factors Feb half-term looks the only realistic option
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Our schools are breaking up 5th April 2019 also. Which is two weeks later than this year which is 'especially' early. In 2011 we went 9th to 16th April. I'm not actually sure it would make that much odds to the conditions in the sense of it can get pretty warm and slushy any time from mid-March - and hence icy in the morning. By the same token you can get a good hit of late season snow right through April. The great thing of course is that things are quieter, the days usually a little warmer and certainly longer. And it costs you less! So if you found half term in La Plagne a pain maybe you shouldn't dismiss the later 'Easter' for 2019.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| MelH wrote: |
| We stayed in Claviere HT 2017 and skied Claviere / Montgenerve. It was cheap and lovely and quite, but the skiing was very limited compared to La Plagne. Also the Italian ski school was poor compared to Oxygene in La Plagne. |
I think it is better to be based in Montgenevre rather than Claviere as you would be able to ski both resorts but retrace your steps less. Eg. if you were staying in Claviere maybe you would not have reached some of the furthest runs in Montgenevre eg. Baisses. There is also far more in terms of family apres ski in Montgenevre eg. roller coaster, ice rink, durancia pool etc. Last time we went to Montgenevre I expected to spend a day in Serre chevalier or Sestriere (included in the lift pass) but the children, who are confident skiiers were happy skiing in Montgenevre/Claviere for the whole week.
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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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Wow! Thanks everyone. Loads of good advice here. I’ll maybe rethink Easter then, I must admit I do like skiing in the sunshine. We don’t break up until 12th April next year (we’re in Wales) so would mean not getting to the slopes until 14th. That said, that would mean skiing for my birthday which I did quite a lot as a teenager. Hmmm.......
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