 Poster: A snowHead
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We have booked La Plagne for 26th Feb 2022. This is the last week of the french half term holidays (zone C only, 2nd Paris week).
Looking on line the consensus appears to be to avoid France at all costs during Paris week.
We have to go on that date due to leaving at least ten days between trips just in case self isolation upon return is still required.
So, do we stick with it and hope it’s not too bad. Or switch to another country?
We really can’t be doing with long lift queues and crowded pistes.
My friend went to La Plagne during the last week of half term last season and it wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t Paris week.
Any advice would be really appreciated as would suggestions for alternative venues.
Looking for high, snow sure, ski in/ski out.
Thank you in advance for any replies.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, @Eggfried100, predicting the future is easy. Getting it right is the hard bit.
La Plagne can get very busy during half term time, and your dreaded scenario of "long lift queues and crowded pistes" is not uncommon.
But with Covid we are in a different era, and how exactly things will be next year is impossible to say.
Will self isolation on return still be required? Maybe. Maybe not.
Will La Plagne slopes be crowded, as they often are in French half term holidays? Maybe. Maybe not.
I have survived Feb half term with young kids in Val d'Isere, Courchevel, and La Plagne (Montchavin).
If you stick with La Plagne, then avoid Bellecote, and ski through lunchtime.
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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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@Jonpim,
Thanks for the reply. I understand that we can’t predict the future. If it was any of the other zones apart from Paris I would be quite happy to stick with it. But reading on line it comes across as a big red light.
We are staying in plagne centre so hard to avoid bellcotte, and it brings the dreaded Bergerie lift queues into play.
We are just two middle aged pals. No kids. Looking to put some mileage in.
I have some limited knowledge of La Plagne as we arrived there in 14th March last season. Fortunately we got to ski for two hours before they closed the resort and sent us home. It appeared that La Plagne has a lot of short lifts which I would imagine makes the problem worse as it would be queue after queue. I’m sure someone who knows the resort well would know where to go to avoid the crowds. As an effective first timer to La Plagne we wouldn’t have that knowledge.
But they are just my assumptions. I could be wrong.
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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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@Eggfried100, Having worked a couple of seasons in La Plagne there is absolutely no way I would actually pay to go there during any of the French school holidays. The only worthwhile time to ski is between 12 and 2, and even then you can often get stuck in massive (30 minute plus) queues to get home. There are quieter areas, but you would end up spending top notch prices for only skiing a few bits of the terrain, then spending lots of time in queues. Please bear in mind though that I hate queues, and consider anything over 10 minutes as unacceptable!
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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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@RobinS,
That is what I thought it may be like.
I think somewhere else might be a better option. Austria springs to mind
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
We are just two middle aged pals. No kids
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 There has to be a better way than to go to a French resort in the French holidays when you don't have kids in school.
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Austrian half term (Semester) is over by then, though I’m not sure about other European countries that typically travel here for skiing. My experience tends towards your week being fine, re crowds and long queues.
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Ski in/ski out isn’t necessarily the most typical option. I’d definitely recommend looking at Saalbach Hinterglem. Saalbach has some really great option for accommodation very close to the slopes, it’s a large skiing area (largest in Austria), there’s plenty variety for going out and, if you are that way inclined, a great Apres, Apres vibe.
Flachau is another option, possibly. Again, ski to town and access to a decent ski area.
Neither option is bank-breaking, IMV.
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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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| Eggfried100 wrote: |
| We have to go on that date due to leaving at least ten days between trips just in case self isolation upon return is still required. |
Why not just go for two weeks on another trip ?
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It's Fasching in Bavaria that week and also school holidays for south/central Netherlands, so Covid-aside that would be a busy week in Austria too. Having said that lift queues of more than 10 minutes are pretty rare.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Can you not go the second week of March which will be low season in France. Much cheaper, much quieter. Often the best week of the season.
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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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Middle of February?
EVERYWHERE is snow sure.
Ski In-Ski Out
Why? Honestly why?
French mega resort in Paris Half Term?
WHY? 100% guarantee of crowds and queues...and unnecessarily expensive
Go to Austria, Switzerland, Italy...or look in the thread of unexpected and lesser known places.
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| Quote: |
Why? Honestly why?
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Why not? LOTS of people like ski in/ski out. Ski busses suck. A short walk to lifts is fine if you can leave boots and skis in a nice warm locker.
But why anyone without kids would choose to go to France or Austria in peak weeks is a good question!
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You know it makes sense.
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@rjs,
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Why not just go for two weeks on another trip ?
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It’s a bit complicated due to a number of cancelled trips with different groups. Like others we now have a backlog of cancelled/moved trips. A nice problem to have I know.
I’m in Tignes on 22nd January and in Obergurgl in March 19th. I need to allow two weeks between returning from trips in case we still have to self isolate. That means my only options fall in the french/European half term. The 26th is probably the least busy of these weeks. So I can’t really book for two weeks and let one pal travel back alone and another have to travel out alone. Plus the trips need to be booked separately as we are using a voucher.
So Feb 26th it will have to be.
I could book Obergurgl for that date but it’s a small ski area and I’m not sure that I wouldn’t get a bit bored spending two separate weeks there. I know you can also ski Solden on the same lift pass. It may be our best option as it’s normally fairly quiet there whatever the time of year. But I would rather do lots of skiing on the same slopes than spend half my day queuing.
I know it may sound like I do nothing but ski but that’s really not the case. We just got a bit ambitious booking for next season before this season got cancelled so now have a backlog of mainly already paid for trips to take. One dating back to March last season.
I think Obergurgl may be the solution.
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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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Xmas or pre Xmas somewhere like Tignes?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Quote:
Why? Honestly why?
Why not? LOTS of people like ski in/ski out. Ski busses suck. A short walk to lifts is fine
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I would counsel against "ski-in ski-out" accommodation, which I've always previously considered a priority. The gondola station is directly opposite my front door, where several pistes also end up. However it's currently closed, due to Covid, meaning that I have to walk for approximately 10 minutes to another gondola on the other side of the village, where there is also a ski bus stop enabling me to reach other gondola stations within a further 10 minutes. However this has all brought home to me how disgustingly lazy I've become. Instead of crossing the road to the lift, I now have to stick my boots in a back pack and walk. So often I find myself just pratting about in my apartment, rather than making the effort, whereas in normal times I might just nip out for a quick run - even as late as 3.30pm. I'm embarrassed to admit how lazy the years of ski-in ski-out has made me. It's a very bad thing.
I can see also that the physical effort in getting to and from the lifts (for many people, humping ski equipment) is also invaluable fitness training, and that ski-in ski-out is also likely to contribute to unfitness, and even obesity.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@tatmanstours, I'd say that walking a few 100m on an icy road in ski-boots is not a good thing - for the boots or the risk of slipping and injury. If you think that the small extra exercise prevents obesity then maybe you should spend longer skiing 
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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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