 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone! I've recently been on 2 ski trips to Andorra and Morzine, and I absolutely loved Morzine and the flexibility to ski the rest of Portes du Soleil. I mainly learned to ski as an adult in Europe, but have been to Lake Tahoe, Big Bear and Whistler before (originally from California, although it's been so long I don't remember them well). I would classify myself as a conservative intermediate skier who prefers challenging blue runs than red ones, although I don't mind a well-groomed red run once in a while.
My question is, I want to take my family on a ski trip in April, which consists of mostly beginner-intermediate skiers and 2 moderately advanced skiers. I loved how many gentle blue and easy red runs there were in Morzine/Les Gets, and the variety of terrain in Portes du Soleil. Also accommodation, restaurants, ski passes and rentals were very good and reasonably priced, on top of the charming scenery of Morzine.
Can anyone suggest elsewhere that is comparable or better I can take my family? Ideally I'd like to visit someplace new, with potentially better skiing than Morzine plus the other aspects I've mentioned. I don't mind if it's pricier, but not too keen on a snobbish crowd. Lots of gentle terrain in a large/linked ski resort, with good food in a charming town that has a variety of shops would be excellent! (Which I felt Morzine offered)
We're not too big on night life, and as long as it isn't more than 3 hrs drive from an airport, anywhere in the world is fine, although there is a strong preference for Europe for a change of scenery since my family are all from Cali. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 15-02-19 20:17; edited 5 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Les Saisies. Smaller but has everything you need and perfect terrain.
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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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In april?@pam w,
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Les Saisies. Smaller but has everything you need and perfect terrain. |
Thanks for the suggestion! Would you say Les Saisies is nicer than Morzine if I didn't have to try a new place? I really enjoyed skiing down from pretty much the top to the bottom of Pleney on a variety of blue (& occasional red) slopes that seemed neverending in Morzine/Les Gets, although some parts were too flat, and some were littered with moguls by mid afternoon (guess I can't have everything right?)
April (after the 15th) is another concern, but happy to consider options for a ski trip next winter as well.
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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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You need to go high at that time of year @Melella, so you’re looking at places like Tignes, Avoriaz, Val Thorens in France, Zermatt in Switzerland.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Les Saisies is at 1650 and closes 22 April. It won't be at its best. But better than Morzine. 
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Thank you both! In this case, would it be safer to stick with somewhere like Whistler for late April, then save the European ski holiday for next winter between Dec to Feb?
If for next winter, what better options would I have other than Morzine? I've read Meribel, Tignes, and just now Les Saisies, but would really love your input  I've ruled out places that have predominantly red and black slopes cuz my family likely can't handle them.
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| Quote: |
would it be safer to stick with somewhere like Whistler for late April, then save the European ski holiday for next winter...?
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Yes, probably. But the ideal time for a holiday to France might be either mid January - first week of February (after the very expensive and crowded New Year, and with a much better chance of decent snow) or mid March (after the busy French holiday period - four weeks to be avoided).
It's a long way to come from Whistler for a late April holiday when, realistically, your choices are limited to resorts like Tignes or Val Thorens (definitely not Meribel, too low for late April) which might not be as suitable for your group.
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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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PDS could be problematic in April, better to go somewhere higher, from experience I have found that Espace de San Bernardo, La Rosiere and La Thuile have been good for late season skiing. Check out the snow records but La Ros at 1850m and with skiing at up to 2800m is always open until the last week in April, we've had some terrific skiing there at that time.
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Thanks again! I guess we'll have to save our Europe family ski trip for next year then.
If going during prime season (Jan/Feb/Mar), what other resorts can you suggest that's comparable to Morzine for our group? Abundance of gentle terrain/large linked resorts/charming town/less then 3 hrs from airport would be our priority.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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next year for europe I think, but to help further what ages and ability are your group as that would make a big difference to choice of country /area.I we family used to love morzine (young kids) but times change and as weve all got older( kids now have kids) now prefer austria or even italy over france but thats mainly because Ive grown to like a nice preferably family run hotel and a more village feel, not keen on s/c and even less on a cat chalet. plus I prefer spending my hard earned where folks appreciate my custom, we are all different in our choices/likes
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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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As mentioned in the title and the original post, we are a group of adults (30s & 60 to be exact) who are mostly low-intermediates with only 2 more advanced skiers, and have a preference for Europe for a change of scenery, but no need for crazy night life as we'll be renting a chalet to enjoy some family time together in the evenings. But with that said, we don't want to be in a ghost town at night just in case we want to walk around and have plenty of choices for dinner at a nice restaurant. Somewhere with an atmosphere like Morzine would be great, but would like to try another place which has a good amount of slopes suitable to our level that won't disappoint.
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Somewhere on the Sella Ronda or just off it would be great for you. The linked area is supposed to be a bit bigger than the biggest linked area within the PDS to give you an idea of the size of the ski area. The pass covers a lifetimes worth of skiing. Apparently Selva if you want some drinking type nightlife, but for restaurants I doubt the villages of Alta Badia could be bettered. Being in a village a few lifts off the SR has as many pluses as minuses IMO so you could look at places like St Christina, Ortesei, and maybe Alba and other places in the Val de Fassa too (though I think one of the nicest runs there is a long black). The skiing is easy, the weather usually great and the scenery is outstanding. The food is as good as the scenery. Fly to Venice, Treviso, Verona or Innsbruck (closer but in Austria so more mountain passes between). The area is so big that some airport->village combinations are much better than others so check (here) first. There’s lots of information on this forum about the area.
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You know it makes sense.
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@what...snow, the issue is April
If it wasn’t then it would be Colfosco or corvara in Alta badia
The blues are a amazing the pistes are perfect and pretty empty
And the food.....
I’m lying awake at 430 in a cheap hotel just short of there now thinking about getting my ‘extra’ day in just 4 hours
I think you will need to go high or leave it late to wee where as snow in Austria
For future years get to the Dolomiti!
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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 Thorens is great in April but it is a long way from charming or classic Euro architecture. You seem like you are describing Italy to me. How about somewhere that is good late season like Cervinia? Maybe stay in Valtournenche for a nicer village.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Melella wrote: |
Thank you both! In this case, would it be safer to stick with somewhere like Whistler for late April, then save the European ski holiday for next winter between Dec to Feb?
If for next winter, what better options would I have other than Morzine? I've read Meribel, Tignes, and just now Les Saisies, but would really love your input I've ruled out places that have predominantly red and black slopes cuz my family likely can't handle them. |
Or have a look at Norway, Sweden and Finland, winter lasts longer that far north.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks for all the suggestions! Let's forget about April for now, as some of you are right, easier for us to do Whistler this late in season.
But I'd welcome any suggestions in Europe for the next season between Dec to March. 
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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 have a similar family dynamic - with the addition of a couple of nervous new snowboarders - and all had a wonderful week over New Year into the first week of January in Valmorel. It’s a purpose-built bijou resort but a far cry from the schlocky 1970s style architectural horrors you can find in so many purpose-builds. Instead, the resort is constructed in wood and natural stones and is pedestrianised. The main thoroughfare is ridiculously quaint - feels like a skiers’ Diagon Alley - and we stayed slapbang in the centre in a cosy 3-star hotel, Le Bourg. It was a minute away from one of the main ski lifts or a few minutes on a telepherique to the resort’s main gondola.
As for the skiing; It’s not an extensive ski area but we had plenty to do, (even though some of the beginner slopes weren’t in best nick). We know the PdS extremely well and even though there was less to do in Valmorel, we thought the skiing compared favourably... lots of cruisey blues, (occasionally, a bit steep in parts for the more nervous of our party - we thought some of the labelling was a bit off), a few decent reds and an extremely lovely super-long green - which sometimes veered towards being blue - arriving in a village called Doucy. The lift system was a bit creaky - a few draglifts - but the pistes are well-tended. The resort links to St Francois Longchamp via a chairlift crossing a pretty steep chasm. The crossover runs were definitely mislabelled we felt - pretty challenging for the less able in our party - but St Francois itself was a fun day for the family.
Valmorel feels very much like a French resort - and a bit of a hidden gem. There were some excellent mountain restaurants and the setting was glorious. We were pleasantly surprised because overall the trip was very good value. We’ve literally just returned from Kitzbühel, which we enjoyed immensely for the most part, but the difference in costs for food and accommodation was very noticeable!
If you are still considering an
April trip then Saas Fee or Verbier might work. Both are lovely resorts. In terms of skiing, Verbier is more extensive and offers more variety (we love the forested Bruson satellite resort, easily reached by gondola, and for ‘blues’ heaven go to Savoleyres)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I tend to agree that late April is not really a great time to be skiing in Europe. You might get lucky, but coming all that way it's a bit risky. I think you're right to focus on next season.
La Plagne is good for intermediates. Very big linked area (links across to Les Arcs even if you want), with lots of cruisey blues. There's also some more challenging terrain for the more advanced skiers. Not amazingly pretty, but not as much of an eyesore as say Val Thorens. Speaking of which, the 3V are also very nice for cruising. Much as I like Tignes, I think you want to be at least confident on reds to get the most out of the Espace Killy, so would maybe save that for a few years down the line .
Outside of France, Saalbach in Austria is generally considered an excellent resort for intermediates. It's also more of a real village than the high French purpose-built resorts tend to be. One of the posters on here, Richard, has an excellent guide to the place which he'll be happy to send to you (drop into the dedicated Saalbach thread and ask him).
And then of course you have the Dolomites in Italy, which offers a huge amount of linked pistes, mostly cruisey reds and blues, so would also be an excellent choice.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Melella I think you're looking for proper Alpine "Europe" as well as the skiing, so The Dolomites (Sella Ronda) are fabulous but if you're coming all that way I'd say Switzerland or Austria also tick the box. Consider flying in to Vienna or Salzburg and visit the seat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire or the home of Mozart. Hit the Ski Amade in Salzburgland and you might be able to catch the Women's Night Slalom in Flachau or the Men's at Schladming. Now they're both proper European Ski Experiences. Alternatively, there's no sight more impressive than the Matterhorn from Zermatt. Not cheap mind. Cervinia is a dump by the way, so plus one for Valtourneche if you go on the Italian side.
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