 Poster: A snowHead
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My happiness on a ski holiday is inversely proportional to the number of people on the slopes. Stuck with hand term next year for various reasons.
Thinking Italy maybe as they don’t have a half term apparently. Also Turin Airport is so much more civilised than Geneva!
Teenagers who might want a bit of nightlife of some description. A bar even. Nice cruisy blues/reds for me. Good mountain huts with atmosphere.
Just back from Cervinia which we loved but don’t fancy it much in February - that wind even in April 
Thank you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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* Half term
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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 went to Champoluc this half term. Suffered with wind a bit. Was amazed how quiet it was. It could have been artificially quiet due to Italy's green pass requirements?
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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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Champoluc sounds great. Thanks. I’ll take a look
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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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@RosieL, place we stayed in was at the top of the Crest Gondola and truly ski in ski out
Not brilliant for night life that as you need to get lift down for evening and back up again
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just realised it’s my sons 18th whilst we’d be away so we may need to rethink as he’s a bit of a reluctant skier so we may need to let him choose (for once!)
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He’d probably prefer a wee wee up in Meribel with all his friends. Maybe I need to rethink! 
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Wee wee up! I just typed p@@s up and it changed it -hilarious.
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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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What about La Thuile ?
Often pretty quiet - might get a bit more people coming from Turin at the weekends.
Does not have many beds so it never gets busy (unlike La Ros over the French border).
We have been to La Ros 4 times and it can get as busy as hell but once you get across to Italy - there is often not a soul !!
It’s low (1450M) with (steep) tree lined home runs if the weather is bad - but high enough mid station (2100M) with several chairs heading up above that and a lovely open snowy bowl to ski in if weather is good.
Limited mountain restaurants is a downside.
I cannot comment on restaurants / bars etc in town as we never stayed.
Old town is a walk from lift base though so pick your location well.
Only the Planibel apartments / hotel actually at the lift base but do not hear good things about them.
Depends on when your Feb HT is though ? Although not published on the snowheads EU school holiday chart - from experience the Italians do seem to have a holiday whenever Carnivale is (shrove Tuesday to us).
The Dolomites will certainly be very busy that week with Germans and Dutch too.
2023 is 21st Feb so that week might be busy.
We are lucky - our Feb HT is week before so we are off to San Cassiano and hoping not too busy.
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We went Fieberbrunn half term.Not busy at all.Good bars at the bottom.Stayed at Sport Hotel Fortana.Winner
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We went to Damuels in Austria, over half term about three times now. Fly into Friedrichshafen, and hire a car, or arrange a taxi from Damuels. We Stayed at the Mittagespitz on all three occasions. No queues, brilliant time.
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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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If you don't mind long haul, USA or Canada could be the solution, especially the USA as it has no winter half term break.. But check when President's day lands in the USA (20 Feb 2023), Family Day in Canada (also 20 Feb), and the Alberta and Ontaria school half terms. Most North Americans don't often cross borders, so holiday dates are only relevant for the specific country.
These dates often don't line up with the UK; if so, you're in for a treat of deserted slopes.
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We’ve just returned from la Rosiere and spent a lot of the week skiing in La thuile. It was extremely quiet on the slopes throughout the whole area but even more so in La thuile. However my teenagers took one look at la thuile village and said how glad they were to be staying in La Rosiere. I’m sure that La Rosiere would be a lot busier at half term but I would still stay there and ski over to Italy for the quieter slopes. In La rosiere there is a good choice of high quality accommodation right by the slopes eg the Alparena hotel or its apartments, Club Med, Les cimes Blanches and Alpen lodge. If you wanted a cheaper option you could book Les balcons which has access to the Alparena pool.
I would also look at Montgenevre linked to Claviere where again I’d say you would be better off staying in montgenevre but skiing over to claviere for the quietest runs. Although I expect there would be a few quieter runs in montgenevre too.
Les arcs 2000 is another place my teenagers love and it has the cruisy runs, range of mountain huts and a bit of apres ski including night skiing on two nights However I expect it would be fairly busy at half term.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Jonny Jones wrote: |
| If you don't mind long haul, USA or Canada could be the solution, |
Possibly not if an 18yr old wants to go out on the lash!
machine gun - yes, beer - no. Different priorities.
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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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Well, generally, Switzerland is usually less busy than France, all other things being equal. The price you pay is perhaps in terms of a more expensive lift pass, although I'm not sure the premium is as big as it used to be. I'd obviously suggest Verbier - or, if you're on a budget, a satellite like La Tzoumaz or Nendaz. It would mean transiting GVA, of course, but an upside is that you could transfer by train/télépherique rather than hire a car. Yes, Verbier is a premium resort but even within it, you don't necessarily have to stay at the W or rent Branson's chalet - there's cheaper hotel and apartment accommodation to be had.
Verbier Website
SBB Swiss Railways Timetable Portal (see also the Verbier Express) From Genève-Aéroport to Verbier (télécabine)
MySwitzerland.com Winter Destinations pages
Some Snowheads have taken advantage of the Verbier offer on the weekend of the Feast of St.Nicholas on December 6th, when you get a free pass if you wear a Fr. Christmas outfit. So you could always do a pre-season parental Long Weekend trip out ahead of your family trip, to suss out the area, if that's feasible/affordable. Although only the 'core' higher slopes will be open, even if the snow is good, and early December is obviously going to be uncertain in terms of snow cover.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 19-04-22 13:57; edited 5 times in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you all so much. I’m saving all this information down. It’s amazing the difference having quieter slopes makes to my skiing!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Along similar lines to @LaForet, Grimentz would make a serious alternative. Great mix of attributes, relatively low skier numbers, beautiful valley and extensive range of skiing for all levels.
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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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I agree with @LaForet, Switzerland worked for us as a half term destination right through the GCSE and A level years. It has a reputation for being expensive, but prices don't change for half term. We were able to find flights (via Zurich) and self-catering accommodation that were quite a bit cheaper than France for the same week, and there weren't the queues.
However we didn't have an 18th birthday to manage. Swiss bars and restaurants charge the earth for anything alcoholic. It depends on the teenagers, if they are happy for a single apres ski drink out and then supermarket beer in the apartment then not so bad. (Is their priority likely to be skiing or celebrating?)
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