Half term 24 advice

A snowHead

I'd like some advice on where to go at half term 2024 please

Trip will be 17-24 Feb 24 (can do Friday or Sunday departure)

It will just be me (decent skier but level doesn't matter because the trip is for me to sky with the boy) and my 10 year old son (just starting to parallel).

The main thing we are looking for is a resort with a really good lift system to minimise queues and plenty of linked blue runs without the need to go on red runs if he doesn't feel like it.

Last year we did DIY in Arc 2000 fairly cheaply at half term plus an easter week in Saas Fee. Both were good. The lift queues and booking the travel were the only issues in Les Arcs. In Saas Fee everything was great and the only real downside was that the terrain was a bit challenging for my son in that there weren't that many accessible blue runs and he had to pick his way down more reds than he would have liked.

I did a late season week in Ischgl at the end of April without my son and I thought the ski area would really suit him with the fabulous lift system and good range of blue runs. My son also likes an adventure so the ski circuits and the runs down to Samnaun would appeal to him.

My current thoughts for this half term are:
- Go back to Arc 2000 or 1950 and get a cheep apartment (probably the same apartment as last year if available)
- Go to Les 2 Alpes and stay with UCPA
- Go to Ischgl either with a package or DIY, my fear here is that it would be mega busy and end up much like les arcs with the queues. Clearly cost would be higher but I feel it may be worth it.
- Go to Tignes Le Lac and get a cheap apartment close to the swimming pool (I know the resort well and there are lots of easier runs for my son)

Has anyone got any other suggestions as alternatives to the above?

EDIT: I should also note we have a late half term in my area which is 17 - 24 Feb, This looks like it misses school holidays in Italy, most of Austria, most of Germany and south France. I guess that makes some difference to how busy things will be?

A snowHead

I'll add in a suggestion not on your list, but how about the Dolomites? Somewhere on the Sella Ronda route will give you access to loads of skiing. The Sella Ronda circuit will be busy, but often once you get off that circuit it's ok.

In particular the area around San Cassiano and Corvara has loads of blue runs that would be suitable.

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

You need to Login to know who's really who.

1. Don't go to France
2. Especially don't go to any of the better know French resorts that week
3. There are plenty of good options in Italy. As others have said the Dolomites (not the Sella Ronda) have options that would suit. Aosta valley also.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

France is perfectly fine to visit during half term - i would just avoid the usual 'Brit' trap resorts you have mentioned and head towards the smaller resorts such as Valmenier, Valloire, Les Sybelles, Val Cenis, Valfrejus - all easily accessible from Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble or Turin alternativley head into Italy and take a look at Pila

You'll need to Register first of course.

Don't fall into the Brit-centric trap of thinking that resorts not on the British TO list will be "quiet". We always abandoned our apartment in Les Saisies for the four French holiday weeks. Sometimes friends stuck with school holidays borrowed our place for one of those weeks and we swapped for a quieter week when we had overflow visitors. Surprisingly enough, many French resorts will be full of French skiers, especially the wise ones who avoid the "Brit trap" resorts with their absurd prices!!

Pila is a good suggestion. Easy drive from Geneva.

I have zero-tolerance of lift queues so "avoid France" makes sense to me!

Personally, with an earlyish Easter next year, I'd not do half term at all.

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

Thanks all, we already have a trip to Flaine UCPA booked for Easter so this is an extra farther son trip. I'll certainly look at other options outside of France.

After all it is free

@Henwc,
If you are looking to advance your son's skiing go to a resort you know well - that way you'll avoid getting lost & scaring him down an inappropriate slope.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Grandvalira in Andorra has loads of blues, and good teachers. Arcalis there is smaller, might be good enough for you.

snow reports

Having done Val D'isere last half term of the first time I can say I was surprised at how good the resort was at moving people around. Yes there were busy areas just before lunch and 2/3pm but other than that you could generally walk onto most lists within a couple minutes. Massively surprised at how quiet it was as we were expecting it to be a nightmare, we've seen much busier lifts in Jan in Val Thorens before.

So don't rule out the "big" resorts thinking they will be rammed.

I should also note we have a late half term in my area which is 17 - 24 Feb, This looks like it misses school holidays in Italy, most of Austria, most of Germany and south France. I guess that makes some difference to how busy things will be?

You know it makes sense.

definitely. Every week in Austria except the Faschings Week is definitely better

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

A snowHead

A snowHead

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

Andorra has a big linked area (Pas de La Casa, Soldeu, El Tartar, Canillo), a smaller area (Arinsal, Pal) and a 3rd area at Arcalis. I think Grandvalira have taken over all 3 areas now so all 3 are on 1 lift pass but a few years ago the one marketed as Grandvalira was the 1st one. It claims 220kms but it doesn’t feel never ending.

I’ve done a 1/2 term in Soldeu (2019). There are lots of English speaking instructors (not in EU) so ski school should be good. It was definitely busy, quite difficult to get dinner some nights! Queues weren’t too bad but definitely worse than San Cassiano, in 2018. Madonna (1/2 term 2020) probably had slightly less bad queues on average but a few big ones. In reality, GV doesn’t seem any bigger than Madonna, which only claims 150kms.

They are all plenty big enough for a week with a child. The worst bit of Andorra is the food on the mountain (in Soldeu village some restaurants were great), followed by the final blue run to Soldeu at the end of the day, much better to take 1 of the reds. Mountain restaurants almost all owned by the resort so corporate and soulless but the vouchers made it pretty cheap, until we ran out. Also mobile roaming is very expensive but booze is very cheap! Andorra Travel Service are good for organising the skiing bits if you DIY.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Thanks all, I think the message is that there are lots of good options with the late half term I have but France will still be busy.

I'll focus on Italy, Andorra, Austria or Spain.

I think I will look last minute and if nothing good comes up I'll give it a miss and just go at Easter.

I was close to booking a DIY trip to Samnaun but I think I'll wait.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Not sure if that week clashes with Paris hols?

This year our half term was the week after the majority of the UK but we had to go Feb due to GCSEs. Hardly any Brits (they were driving out of resort as we drove in). However still a huge amount of people (we clashed with Paris week).

I expected queues (as usual) but the worst was 30 mins. I've heard about worse queues though. We went to the Grand Massif and drive as wanted a really close resort.

Saying that, due to snow conditions being not so great, we found lots of space on red pistes as most people could be found on blues. Link runs were bloody awful.

Gutted that Easter was fab - would have gone then if not for exam revision classes. Oh the sacrifices......

You'll need to Register first of course.

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

I've never done Ischgl at half term but if I had to guess I'd say it __wouldn't__ be that busy - at least compared to many French resorts the same week anyway. I say that because Ischgl targets a more...adult clientele, so the child free and dads groups. Just the sort fo groups who would either natually avoid Half Term so they don't have to needlessly pay the Half Term tax on flights, or who are elsewhere on their family ski trip that week.

After all it is free

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Maybe take a look at Norway?

We went there this Feb half term, really only because the package was cheaper than anywhere we could find in the Alps. I was a bit worried we would find the slopes a bit limiting, but it turned out to be one of our favourite trips. There were little or no lift queues, and the slopes were quiet and friendly. We all just loved skiing in a totally different landscape -- rolling hills with beech trees and frozen lakes.

It also helped we probably had much better snow than anywhere in the Alps at that time Cool

snow reports

@Henwc, I wouldn’t bother using a TO for Norway, we’ve been twice and did all the bookings ourselves. Its a particular doodle there compared to other countries as the website are mostly decent, everyone speaks English and answers the phone when you want to ask something.

You know it makes sense.

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

@Henwc, Sent you a PM.

A snowHead

Any views on whether St Anton would be any good? The direct train is a big advantage and I can find a 4* hotel near the lifts and train station for under £1150 half board each for the week. Currently compares very favourably with package prices.

A snowHead

Others will know St Anton better than me but it's not the most friendly of resorts for a beginner as I remember

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

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I think you might get bored with Sierra Nevada quite quickly. Lots of greens and blues but then up to some brilliant long reds in the Laguna sector but they may not suit....and very weather dependent for snow. The last two years have been relatively poor.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

i have never been in France in HT. Maybe this year.
But the fact that some people here think that Austria will be less busy surprises me.
Every famous ski resort in AUT will be full in Mid Feb. And the Faschings Week will be extremely full.

If you have the possibility to avoid Faschings Week do it. Otherwise....good luck (and thats its also for me)

PS in 2015 i have done in this Week the route Stuttgart - Kaunertal (to Feichten not the Glacier), in 14 hours. We were stuck in Fernpass for many hours....usually we need 4 hours with relaxed driving

You'll need to Register first of course.

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

Thanks for the views on St Anton, sounds like it's one to save for a few years time

After all it is free

Any views on Innsbruck as an option? We'd probably stay for a night at either end of the trip and then spend the middle of the week in a nearby resort. Aim would be to find a resort on the city pass with enough blue runs and a good ski school.

@Henwc, nice place to visit and ski nearby, we did that a few years ago

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3191227&highlight=innsbruck#3191227

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Help!!

Half term 24 advice

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Resort Reviews and Trip Reports