Intermediate Couple skiing in Chamonix

A snowHead

Hi all! We're an intermediate-level skiing couple considering a ski trip to Chamonix from late March to early April. We're not looking to ski icy moguls, difficult blacks or off piste. Blues, reds, and easy blacks are more our thing. Not sure if this helps but we've skiied Mammoth, Big Sky, Portes du Soleil, Dolomites, Grandvalira, Aspen Snowmass & Niseko before. We'd love to get some advice in planning our trip.

1) Is the snow coverage still good to ski in Chamonix around this time of year?
2) Which area is best for intermediates? I've read Les Houches & Le Tour have more intermediate terrain, but are these areas big enough to keep us entertained for 5-7 days of skiing?
3) Which area is best to stay in? Chamonix Town or close to a ski area like the 2 areas I mentioned above? We ideally prefer ski-in/ski-out accomodations with a spa, be close enough to walk around town and have nice dinners in the evenings. Not interested in bars or parties. We haven't decided if we want/need to rent a car yet.

Many thanks in advance!

A snowHead

Blunt answer - choose another resort. Chamonix is an amazing place - great town, fabulous scenery, amazing steep skiing/off piste/touring.

It's poor for exactly what you're looking for - mid-level runs, interconnectivity and ski in/ski out.

Despite having my own place in the Chamonix valley, for the ski trip I do each year with a big group of friends with wide range of abilities, we go to the three valleys.

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Agree. Paradiski or Three Valleys would be far better choices.

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Thanks Snowdave, I've read that Chamonix is quite challenging for intermediates as well. But we have the Ikon pass and would love to capitalize on it with one more ski trip in Europe this year (closer from Asia than the US), and we'd like to visit somewhere we haven't been, which only leaves us with Kitzbuhel & Zermatt (other than Chamonix). Would Kitzbuhel & Zermatt be better with what we're looking for?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Melella, Zermatt is a fabulous resort and there are plenty of the sort of pistes you describe there. Most accomodaation is in the town (which is great for walking around) but not ski-out. Some places near the sunnegga funicular are almost ski-in - you ski to the end of a track and then get into an elevator down to a tunnel at street level with lots of hotels within 5 minutes walk. There are a number of hotels up on the slopes which would provide ski-in ski-out but then you miss out on the walk around town.
Snow should still be good at that time of the year.

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@Melella, I’d echo others’ comments about CHamonix. Zermatt ideal for you given Ikon, but I’d avoid Kitzbuhel at that time of year.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Melella Zermatt much better and a different experience with full pedestrianisation and electric taxis, plus you can go to Cervinia.

If you go for an Epic Pass next year instead of Ikon, that would give you 7 days in the Three Valleys. Also worth considering for the future that French lift pass prices are way cheaper than North America and are exactly the same price whether bought in advance or on the day, so compared to air travel, hotel etc it's much less of a consideration in the overall cost as to whether they're already covered or not.

After all it is free

@Melella,
Of those three I'd go to Zermatt.
All of them are proper towns/villages ie were there before skiing became a thing. For ski in-ski out you really need to be looking at purpose built resorts.

@Melella, if you're coming from Asia, then by the time you've paid for flights, transport, accommodation etc. you'll probably be hitting £2k/person.

The net cost of going to a resort that fits your requirements will be pretty neutral:
Zermatt - agree with @DCG, @Inboard, &@Je suis un Skieur, that it would be good, but accommodation etc. is pricey there.
Kitz - too late in the season to rely on snow
Three valleys/Paradiski/Espace Killy - the difference in accommodation cost could be sufficient to make it neutral vs Zermatt

Basically - I wouldn't let the ski pass tail, wag the resort choice dog.

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I believe you can pay for relatively little to upgrade your Ikon pass to the Chamonix Unlimited pass, then with a rental car you could ski one day in each of ...

Brevent/Flegere
Grands Montets
Le Tour
Valle Blanche (with a guide)
Courmayeur
St Gervais/Megeve
Les Houches

The only trouble is by the end of March (particularly this season), Les Houches will be really struggling, and probably St Gervais/Megeve too.

It's a personal call if getting in a car every day is worth the chance to ski a different area every day, but if that doesn't sound like fun then Zermatt is definitely the better option.

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@hold_my_biere, les Houches is struggling pretty badly right now Sad

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Do not skip Chamonix. Skiing is good for any level if you know where to go, maybe Le Grant Montent the one is less friendly for non-advanced skiers but still got some decent runs for intermediates.
You can visit each day Le Tour/Vallorcine, Brevent/Flegere, Les Houches and take a bus day trip to Courmayer/italy which is really nice too. You can also visit St Gervais one day. And then you still have the other Chamonix attractions to do such as Aguille du Midi, mer de glace and even the spa which is great.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks everyone for your feedback and suggestions, much appreciated! We have the ikon pass because my family are in California and we ski there almost every year during Xmas. With the insane lift pass prices in the US, just skiing 5-7 days would make up for the price of the ikon pass, but we've also been able to use it in other places like the Dolomites and Niseko. However it sounds like Chamonix just isn't the right resort for our ability, preference and time of year. We're expats working in Asia, if it weren't for the family ski trip in Cali, we likely won't get the ikon pass because lift tickets anywhere else in the world are much more reasonably priced.

Zermatt sounds like a winner if we stick with the ikon pass, and if the skiing is amazing (for our ability & preferences), we don't mind the higher prices in Switzerland. But if the cost is going to be a wash with much better skiing elsewhere, it makes sense to consider another ski resort altogether.

If we threw the ikon pass out the window, and a few of you have recommended Three Valleys, would you still recommend the same? Given the time of year (late Mar-early Apr), our level (challenging blues to easier blacks), our preference to ski a large resort with good connectivity and/or abundance of intermediate terrain (mostly reds & blues), a nice town to spend our evenings, and we're not on a tight budget.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

If not wedded to a ski pass it might be worth checking out Tignes/Val D’Isere too.

A snowHead

I’d also go for Zermatt. We skied there in 1st week April and the snow was excellent except for the final blue run back to town which was poling slush. But there’s a not too tricky black alternative. The town is very pretty, the skiing is amazing. Only downside is it’s expensive but as someone said, you would have already invested in airfare so diff wouldn’t be huge.

A snowHead

Plus the train to get there is a great alternative to road transfers.

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@Melella, Skiing in Zermatt is great, BUT if you want long distance intermediate cruising (Zermatt areas are a bit disjointed, tho' each is large), ski-in/ski-out and a huge ski area, there's nowhere (in the entire world) quite like the Three Valleys. At that time of year, I'd stay in Les Menuires (ideally Reberty or near the Bruyeres lift), Val Thorens, or Courchevel 1850.

If, on the other hand, you also want a fantastic town steeped in alpine heritage and some really spectacular views, Zermatt wins on those, vs 3V.

Either way I doubt you'll be disappointed.

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My wife and i are headed to our first time skiing in Europe in a few weeks. Zermatt for the last week of March and Chamonix for the first week of April.

A little bummed to hear the conditions in Chamonix are so dire but we did book a private guide for the week so hopefully they can help us find some good skiing in the area.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I'm sure there'll be some good skiing to be found with a guide and transport flexibility, @npennington85, and Chamonix is always an exciting destination. It's just not ideal, especially at the moment, for intermediate piste skiers wanting ski in/out accommodation!

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@npennington85, the conditions in Chamonix are not generally "dire", just Les Houches at the moment. There's huge amounts of snow above, say, 2,200m.

And in early April, no matter how much snow fell previously, you'd be expecting spring like conditions* up Brevent and Flegere just as they are south facing *and one would be hoping for sunshine!!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

Okay well feeling better now. Thanks everyone!

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@Melella, you've said you would enjoy a spa, walks around town and nice dinners in the evening together and you've mentioned that the budget isn't really a concern. I think you'd have a hard time doing better than Zermatt, which I understand is a beautiful luxury town with wonderful skiing and great snow conditions.

I've come to feel that ski-in/ski-out is vastly overrated. In France I've only seen extremely dingy, mold-filled ski lockers, boot dryers that don't work, and dark, smelly, tiny areas where you can boot up. You'll probably have to carry your skis up and down stairs, and likely up and down a street to get to a skiable piste. And because you're near a piste, you will never be in the nicest part of the town to walk around.

We've not been to Zermatt, but we've been to Arosa several times and there is a fabulous large ski locker room directly underneath the main lift. I think this isn't unusual for Switzerland. That room is well-lit, comfortable and clean with toilets and sinks, good solid lockers with lots of space for gear, and wide padded benches for booting up. After you get kitted up in the morning, you just walk straight out onto the lift. In the afternoon, you can leave all your gear safely drying and go straight out for a drink in town. For me, it's a vastly superior experience to ski-in/ski-out.

I love skiing in the 3V, but we are doing a family/friends holiday on a budget. We ski first lift to last lift, we enjoy cooking meals together and playing cards, we make sandwiches for lunch and eat them on the mountain. I don't think that's the kind of holiday you're after. For a more romantic holiday with excellent skiing, if you want an overall vibe of luxury and elegance, Zermatt's got to win hands down.

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@diaphon, you've obviously sampled some grotty "ski in/out" places in France. There are plenty of nice ones but probably not many in a valley town like Chamonix.

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Much of the accommodation advertised by Peak Retreats is ski in/out. I don't think you've looked very hard.

You know it makes sense.

@Melella,
If not using the Icon pass then look at the big three in the Tarentaise - 3 Valleys, Paradiski, Espace Killy (the latter having just had a decent snowfall).

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Just another vote for Zermatt. I've ridden everywhere mentioned and that's my suggestion.

Cham you'd likely hate, it's beautiful and awe inspiring, but not a place for the feint of heart who don't have transport, avalanche gear, and know what they're doing. Sure, there are beginner slopes and easier stuff, but it's a very old place and you'd not build a ski resort there, or like that, today.

French motorway stuff... sure, but Zermatt is way prettier and is also old, and has an area plenty big enough for anyone for a week. It's essentially separate areas, but they all converge "In the village", so don't expect to switch areas in one day, just pick whatever zone you fancy each day. And ride into Italy if you like, where the slopes are a bit motorway style. And the on-mountain restaurants are second to none.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I skied Zermatt, the Dolomites, and Chamonix last year in mid to late March. Even with a poor snowpack, all three were great.

I'd recommend Chamonix. Upgrade your pass and ride the Midi tram on a nice day, even if you don't ski the Vallee Blanche. Easy half day and worth it for the eye popping views.

The views across the valley from Flegere are unreal. And, even if the snow is poor down low and you have to ride the lift down, I thought there was plenty of reasonable terrain for a half or even full day.

I had a car and my lodging was at a bus stop...both worked for getting to a ski area. Was really glad to have a car, though.

Easy to get 5-7 days of skiing in Chamonix, even with poor snow conditions.

When we skied in Zermatt we stayed in Tasch (prices in Zermatt were a touch offputting...!). If you can afford to stay in town, Zermatt would be great. We thought the skiing was pretty good with a bunch of options. Did find some of the main "easier" runs a tad slick and if low visibility, a bit more interesting (ha ha). We also had a bit of rain there as well. Still...worth seeing/doing.

Have fun!

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I visited Chamonix for the first time this January (stayed in Les Pelerins, less than kilometre from the town centre, for a mainly off-piste and touring orientated trip). I was pretty shocked by how much hassle it was to get between the different ski areas on the free bus system. The buses were almost always over-crowded to the point where you had to fight through a massive scrum of people to get both on and off them, and sometimes it wasn't possible to get on at all as they were so rammed. Plus they were not as frequent as you'd want and often late or with a significantly longer journey time than timetabled. Which meant often spending an hour and a half to two hours every day enduring a very unpleasant and tiring journey. And this was at a supposedly quiet time of the season!

A complete contrast to resorts like Espace Killy where the navette buses are a pretty efficient and trouble-free way of getting around the different parts of the ski area.

Those in my chalet who had cars didn't fare much better, as they sometimes found there were no spaces left in the car parks around the main lift stations, plus had to pay a pretty steep 18 Euros or so a day to park

The furthest afield I went for piste skiing was Le Tour, and also visited La Flegere, Brevents and Grands Montets (very icy!). There was some good piste skiing (mainly on the upper parts of Flegere when I was there) but nothing outstanding, and I thought the standard of lifts was pretty poor given the fairly expensive lift pass (e.g. Le Tour has a lot of drag lifts) and the size of the ski areas somewhat limited too.

It isn't really a ski resort, more a collection of disparate and poorly connected ski areas.

The main plus point was the very nice town centre, although it was quite pricey! Plus incredible views from the ski areas across and down the valley.

I'd go back there for off-piste or touring (most likely if there was mini-bus transport included as part of the trip), but definitely not for a piste-orientated holiday. And definitely not on those horrendous buses again Shocked

For what you are after, in France I think you'd be far better off going to the Three Valleys, Espace Killy or the Paradiski ski areas. Extensive and varied terrain at all of these, and a big choice of accommodation with more ski-in ski-out options than you are likely to find in Chamonix.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Plus the train to get there is a great alternative to road transfers.

After all it is free

The incredible mountain views from Brevent/Flegere plus the chance of going up the Aiguille du Midi (only worth it on a clear sunny day) do make Chamonix a very different destination. Some other mountain areas are quite dull in comparison!

Help!!

Intermediate Couple skiing in Chamonix

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