Val cenis feb half term

A snowHead

Anyone been to val cenis feb half term? Interested in how busy slopes get and lift queues?
Been here at Easter and loved this place no rip off prices great mix of tree skiing and open bowls decent amount of skiing

Need to go feb half term next year due to GCSE’s
Not skied feb for years but wondered if val cenis could be quieter than the big name resorts

Anyone got any other suggestions flights already booked to malpensa though of montgenevre or les sybelles as other options

Can’t find any decent places to stay in Italy for 2-3 families wanting apartments in same block. France seems best for this

A snowHead

@JDgoesskiing, take a look at Champoluc. There are lots of apartments in the town. We found it very quiet for Feb half term - on occasions straight on lift with nobody in front, Esprit ski school was waiting at one to get some more adults to get the kids up the lift

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@JDgoesskiing,
Ive been at half term. The week we went wasn't bad at all but it wasn't the peak week of the French holidays, though it was within their holiday period. As I've only been the once at half term it may vary but from our trip it was reasonable..
La Thuile has pretty good skiing and self catering.

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thanks for replies, like the la thuile/la rosiere area but been there lots so planning somewhere different
Champoluc is good idea will look out for apartments there
any further info on feb half term valcenis would be great as i loved the area so do want to go back

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I' ve been to neighboring Valmeinier in the Paris week, it does not get any busier. Worst was 5-10 minutes wait on sunday peak time. Lots of room on the slopes. I also spoke to couple want to Val Cenis. Same story.

Simply no comparison to the big industrial stations of the Tarentaise.

First time Maurienne, for me, what a revelation!

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I was looking at the Les Karellis website recently, and they provide an interesting calculation that equates number of resort beds to kms of piste. If you're looking to avoid peak season crowds, then their claim seems to make a lot of sense. I think someone else may have previously pointed this out somewhere on SnowHeads.

I know it's not Val Cenis and you seem keen to return there, but it is in the Maurienne so you are getting away from the big Tarentaise resorts and related prices, and on paper it seems you're getting a decent sized ski area between 1500m and 2500m. Some of the lifts look a bit old, but there seem to be enough new, faster lifts to get around OK for most of the time. You can also do day visits to the other, smaller, Maurienne ski areas if you buy day passes - for me, this is the way to get the best form the Maurienne valley. Also, Les Karellis is just a bit closer than Val Cenis if you're driving from the UK.

What their website says is copied below.

-----------------------------------

Les Karellis says: "No to queues! "
You come to ski, not queue!

No queues at the lifts, no slalom skiing between skiers on the slopes. Les Karellis for the best skiing in Savoie!

The formula is simple and mathematical: 60 km of runs / 2,600 beds, do the same calculation for other resorts! Paradiski: 98,000 beds, Les 3 Vallées 120,000 beds... To have the same space as our resort, they would need 2,000 km of slopes! Between us, what's the point of going to a huge resort when you're skiing over someone else and queuing to spend even more money?

At Les Karellis, by limiting the number of beds, we are limiting the number of skiers and therefore removing any chance of bottlenecks and queues. We prefer less grumpy holidaymakers and more happy skiers !

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

Yes I remember someone here asking for the data to do that calculation.

After all it is free

And it seems Albiez will link to Les Karellis - the weblink below shows a piste map described as 'perspectives pour decemebre 2022'. Whether or not they get there this year, it should make for an interesting ski area at some point in the future.

Apologies, I know that the OP is interested in Val Cenis.

https://www.station-albiez.com/fr/la-station

We would always go to Italy in Feb Half term. Cheaper, less queues etc. We also have flights into Malpensa in 2023 and are looking at Cervinia, Champoluc, La Thuile and Livigno (if we can face the drive!)

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Thanks all for the tips les Karellis looks another good option especially if the extend the linked ski area will also look into Italy but 3 families wanting separate apartments nearby makes it tricky.
I’m a Mauriene valley fan now great prices and amazing scenery away from British tourists on mass.

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I agree that the Maurienne valley has many benefits, but also agree with others that Italy is a great place for February holidays if you want to escape the crowds. Also, you've already booked flights to Milan. There are decent apartment complexes in Italy if you look around. Here's one, maybe not quite the ideal access point for the Monte Rosa ski area - but I've previously looked into it before because it seems to deliver in terms of nice accommodation for price and could be ideal for a number of families looking for their own apartment but, at the same time, being close together.

I didn't go to this place in the end as I went to Bormio instead. Would be interested to hear from anyone who has been.

http://www.pietregemelle.it/index/en/

You know it makes sense.

And these apartments in Bardonecchia.

http://www.frejuscasevacanza.it/it/

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

Did actually go to Alagna in mints Rosa few years ago I feb half term stayed here http://www.mirtillo-blu.com/

Great apartments 10 mins walk to lift cute village can rent lockers at base . It was busier than I expected due to it being around pancake day some bottlnecks at slow 2 man and first gondola up. Think gressony champoluc better as top gondola was closed 2 days cutting alagna off.

Think I’m gonna go for val cenis as know the area now, done la rosiere ny and apart from 10-12 busy spell it wasn’t that bad when you get to know somewhere you can avoid hoards
Coffee stop mid morning quick picnic lunch ski when everyone else has lunch. Afternoons always seem quieter

Val cenis must have better km to bed ratio than la rosiere would love to get the stats on beds in resorts anyone know if available?

A snowHead

@JDgoesskiing, Having been to Montgenevre and Val Cenis I'd suggest giving Montgenevre a try. I haven't been there at half term but have been there several times at Christmas/Easter and it is one of my favourite resorts. It is excellent for intermediates and is linked to Claviere which has some good tree lined reds.

A snowHead

We’ve been to Val Cenis several times at half term and, although there can be occasional pinch-points, these are the exception. There’s a good variety of skiing and, unless you really like clocking up the miles, enough to keep most folks occupied for a week. We usually stay in Termignon and will drive to other resorts in the valley for the odd day out. Bonneval is small but very high and open so don’t go in bad weather. La Norma is a little bigger but the mid-sections can get icey. Aussois we probably won’t bother with again but Les Karellis and Albiez-Montrond are two of our favouritest resorts. However, they are two completely different characters and, although the link has been mooted for years, I hope it never gets built. Les Karellis is a small, family resort but with some fantastic off piste options. The car park is often lined with ski bum’s campers and I’ve seen more tele gear here than anywhere else. Albiez, on the other hand, is a tiny, pretty, very beginner-friendly place which is literally ski to car door. Everyone is very chilled and friendly with nothing to prove.

Help!!

Val cenis feb half term

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