 Poster: A snowHead
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Suffering decision paralysis from the choices to ski/snowboard February half term ~9th-17th (as a mate works in a school).
3 adults, two are fairly new to skiing (blues and reds OK), previously been to Flaine twice and also enjoy some off piste bits between runs.
Was looking at France (but not Flaine), Austria and Andorra, main thing is maximise the chance of snow but providing good value.
We certainly don't mind staying in basic accommodation (a warm shed is OK  ).
Interested to know of any recommendations, tips to save money, or places to avoid given its half term.
Flying from south west, although Ive read on here some people even go by train.
Been searching through sunweb, crystal and even looking at UCPA centres.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not France. Probably some good places in Austria but you'll also get recommendations here for Italy. Fly to Turin, rent a cheap car, loads of choice. And welcome to snowheads 
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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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Italy
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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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Recommend Italy found Champoluc area not too busy apart from one particular lift.
Also found Salen, Sweden not too bad for queues for Feb half term
Austria - have stayed in Radstadt and visited around that area, was OK but still quite busy.
Bansko, Bulgaria don't touch with a barge pole at that time of year.
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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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Whilst I agree not France in general - it's not necessarily a complete write off. I've done it once (Paradiski) and it wasn't too bad and someone on here was saying the resorts in the Maurienne don't suffer so much. But yeah unless you have other reasons Austria or Italy will be less busy.
The other standard advice for those stuck with school hols is to go at Easter.
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sauze d'oulx probably worth a look.
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There's just no particular reason to go to France in school holiday time when there are loads of lovely places in Italy, which are likely to be busy only at weekends. Cheap car rental (ideal for 3 adults) is available. And if you drive to Aosta (which is an attractive city for a wander) you can find cheap digs and go up the gondola to Pila or drive to other places, including Champoluc.
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Highly recommend Ellmau, Austria. Easy transfer from Innsbruck and the Skiwelt area - huge amount of blues / reds and 70+ restaurants on the mountain....
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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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Been to Andorra (Grandvalira) at half term and not bad at all. If you're confident with Reds (or even blacks), they're fairly quiet as it's generally seen as a beginner's place.
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Whether it would meet your "good value" criterion I don't know, but we found self-catering in Switzerland to be cost-effective over half term. While it is expensive, its prices don't go up at half term so were similar to France and there was nothing like the lift queues. You have to be careful about eating out, and even more so drinking.
We can also confirm from experience that Andorra and Austria were not too crowded at that time.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Italy . Ryanair or I think easyJet Bristol to Turin and then drive to any of the resorts which are within 1hr and half , there are lots I’d suggest Pila or La Thuille , but there are others such in the Milky Way area , Sauze etc
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| There's just no particular reason to go to France in school holiday time when there are loads of lovely places in Italy, which are likely to be busy only at weekends. Cheap car rental (ideal for 3 adults) is available. And if you drive to Aosta (which is an attractive city for a wander) you can find cheap digs and go up the gondola to Pila or drive to other places, including Champoluc. |
Errr...that's exactly what I've just booked. Cheap digs in Aosta and ridiculously cheap car hire at Milan airport.
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If you go to Andorra over Shrove Tuesday, which is usually UK half term week, it will be quite busy up to Tuesday at 2pm then quiet for the rest of the week. They don’t get the rest of the week off.
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You know it makes sense.
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Dolomites. We stayed in Corvara last half term and no queues all week. Going again this year, this time to Selva.
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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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Italy is the only European country that do NOT have school holidays in February.
Of course you can go to AU, CH or FR; but why would you pay 50% extra plus have massive skilift queues?
Piemonte did not get a proper retour d'est yet this winter, so snow cover is modest in Via Lattea, Bardonecchia etc.
Go to Aosta. La Thuile, Valtournenche, Aya's, Pila (in that order).
Or go to Livigno, but beware long transfer. Bormio also modest snow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Onnem, +1
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| swoafs wrote: |
| Dolomites. We stayed in Corvara last half term and no queues all week. Going again this year, this time to Selva. |
How would you rate the Corvara pistes themselves, as I’m visiting with fair weather skiers (and they definitely won’t be skiing to other towns on the Sella Ronda!)?
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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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| Snow&skifan wrote: |
| swoafs wrote: |
| Dolomites. We stayed in Corvara last half term and no queues all week. Going again this year, this time to Selva. |
How would you rate the Corvara pistes themselves, as I’m visiting with fair weather skiers (and they definitely won’t be skiing to other towns on the Sella Ronda!)? |
Perfect for fair weather skiers. Wide, impeccably groomed every day and the grading is very flattering.
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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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| Snow&skifan wrote: |
| swoafs wrote: |
| Dolomites. We stayed in Corvara last half term and no queues all week. Going again this year, this time to Selva. |
How would you rate the Corvara pistes themselves, as I’m visiting with fair weather skiers (and they definitely won’t be skiing to other towns on the Sella Ronda!)? |
Alta Badia (Colfosco, Corvara, La Villa, San Cassiano) is the benchmark for easy slopes with incredible views and superb food/drinks tops every few hundred metres. Barely any lifts that don’t have a blue option. I went at half term many years ago. Queues weren’t bad, a few at Biok but pretty good. Food and scenery is the best. Not many snowboarders as it has a reputation for sunshine but it’s snowed heavily both times I’ve been there. I did a TR the last time (I did one at half term but I think the photos have disappeared).
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=4957122&highlight=spring+alta+badia#4957122
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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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| Kennyboyo wrote: |
| Been to Andorra (Grandvalira) at half term and not bad at all. If you're confident with Reds (or even blacks), they're fairly quiet as it's generally seen as a beginner's place. |
Arcalis was practically empty last year at HT. Got some cheap flights into BCN and drove up and stayed near Ordino.
Arinsal/Pal was a bit busier with Brit beginners mostly.
The day over at Grandvalira starting from Encamp was a bit busier with a few queues here and there, but so many pistes everyone spread out.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@worthy, can't help thinking you're leaving it a bit late for HT this year.
Flights to obvious ski destinations are usually stratospheric and most of the packages are sold out or very pricey, but if you think laterally and do something DIY, you should be able to find something.
Skyscanner is good for finding which flight routes are still reasonable, but do check & book direct with the airline.
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@worthy, as @luigi says, flight prices will now be sky high. But with 3 adults, driving is ideal and costs the same all year round, give or take. Also solves your transfer problem and you can take loads of stuff to keep self-catering costs down. Dolomites or Andorra are both a long drive. But La Thuile (through Mont Blanc tunnel from Chamonix) is doable and the traffic not too bad if you do a Sunday/Sunday week. Problem then might be to get your teacher back to school on Monday. Best bet might be to ski the last Saturday till mid afternoon, then get 6 hours north before stopping overnight.
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@worthy, Skyscanner is showing Sat-Sat flights with Ryanair from Stansted to Bergamo or Turin 10-17th Feb for under £100 return (plus baggage)
Gatwick to Venice or Luton to Salzburg with Wizz for similar, flight times were a bit awkward though.
You might be able to find something similar from regional airports. If you can fly Friday or Sunday, you might get it cheaper, but you need to make sure you can get accommodation to match.
Cheap car hire in Italy or public transport (Bus/train) is pretty good from Salzburg to the resorts in the province.
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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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| swoafs wrote: |
| Dolomites. We stayed in Corvara last half term and no queues all week. Going again this year, this time to Selva. |
I've been four times at half term to the dolomites(Scottish not English holidays though it varies within Scotland and often coincides).
First time was to the Val di Fassa and it had some of the worst queues I have experienced just about anywhere, particularly to access the main Sella elsewhere was not too bad .2nd time was to Ortisei again there was a lot of queueing in places but you could avoid the worst of them generally.. Last couple of times has been to Corvara which by and large have not been to bad though there has been queues at places on the Sella Ronda and elsewhere such as to access the Hidden Valley. Although I think Italy has a lot of resorts that are not busy in Feb the popular ones in the dolomites can be very busy indeed.
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@T Bar, eek; maybe we were very lucky then. We went round the sella Ronda and didn’t find a queue anywhere. Will report back after this year!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@swoafs, Hopefully you're lucky will hold.
I'm back this year I love the dolomites, but before 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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| Onnem wrote: |
Italy is the only European country that do NOT have school holidays in February.
Of course you can go to AU, CH or FR; but why would you pay 50% extra plus have massive skilift queues?
Piemonte did not get a proper retour d'est yet this winter, so snow cover is modest in Via Lattea, Bardonecchia etc.
Go to Aosta. La Thuile, Valtournenche, Aya's, Pila (in that order).
Or go to Livigno, but beware long transfer. Bormio also modest snow. |
Not sure this is entirely correct.
They DO get some time off for Carnivale (pancake day).
This varies region to region. Some get no days , some get 2 and some get a week.
Obviously this changes year to year - but this year it falls in UK Feb HT (for most).
This year Feb HT is going to be awful pretty much everywhere so we are not bothering.
2025 , pancake day is early March so should be a great year.
https://www.expatica.com/it/education/children-education/school-holidays-in-italy-79714/
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| T Bar wrote: |
| swoafs wrote: |
| Dolomites. We stayed in Corvara last half term and no queues all week. Going again this year, this time to Selva. |
I've been four times at half term to the dolomites(Scottish not English holidays though it varies within Scotland and often coincides).
First time was to the Val di Fassa and it had some of the worst queues I have experienced just about anywhere, particularly to access the main Sella elsewhere was not too bad .2nd time was to Ortisei again there was a lot of queueing in places but you could avoid the worst of them generally.. Last couple of times has been to Corvara which by and large have not been to bad though there has been queues at places on the Sella Ronda and elsewhere such as to access the Hidden Valley. Although I think Italy has a lot of resorts that are not busy in Feb the popular ones in the dolomites can be very busy indeed. |
Canazei/Campitello/Alba in Val di Fassa aren't good at HT because of its popularity with Danish families who do have a Feb HT that always seems to coincide with the UK HT.
The whole Sella Ronda can be pretty busy in February. Smaller resorts in the Dolomites are better at HT.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks for the great suggestions. Various compromises so we'll see how it pans out 
We have left it late but managed to find reasonable flights and accommodation (self-catering) for skiing at La Thuile; well that's the plan.
Obviously not cheap but much cheaper than many other options.
I want to get out for another week end of March/April so will be more on the ball with that as ideally I want a full week of tuition.
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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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La Thuile is a great choice, we've been 3 times at Half Term and never been a problem queue wise and prices are reasonable for food and drink. Take lots of clothes though, it can be VERY cold.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Some people suggest Austria or Italy in order to avoid the queues in Fr
if we are talking for this Feb, 10-17 Feb will be the busiest week in the whole saison for the ski resorts in Austria and South Tirol
maybe some other places in Italy but S.Tirol one from the top 5 destinations for people from Germany
and the week 12 till 17 Feb is the carneval week in Germany. Bayern and BW have school holidays + holidays for Belgium, Holland etc
Avoid Austria, and South Tirol especially all the villages which are connected with sella ronda
PS in german forums many said the Sout Tirol was relative overcrowded (compared to other years) also before Christmas and also mid January.
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