Will anywhere else suit us as well as Montgenèvre?

A snowHead

We've just come back from our first full-week family ski holiday in Montgenèvre.

Background - Husband and I are intermediates, and we're getting on a bit so I don't think we will ever be any better Very Happy

. He's happy on reds, I used to be, but to be honest I've lost my bottle a bit and I prefer lots of cruisy blues now. Kids are teens/tweens - two skiers (one early intermediate, one advanced beginner, if that's a thing). One snowboarder (intermediate).

Montgenèvre was PERFECT for us. Things we loved:

- decent snow (relative to other resorts I think?)
- plenty of choice for beginners/early intermediates - loved the fact you could take a green run from top to bottom.
- tree lined runs
- excellent English-speaking ski-school (we went with ESI)
- good value lift passes- attractive, compact resort with no main roads
- plenty of good-quality self catering accommodation very VERY close to ski school and main lifts - no walking or buses
- cosy little bars and restaurants (Trio, Caesars)
- handy grocery store within a minute from apartment
- not insanely busy, despite being UK and Paris half term

The only thing that was missing really was a bigger snowpark for our wannabe freestyle snowboarder, and better options for eating on the mountain. I know Monty has a reputation for slow lifts but honestly this wasn't an issue for us.

So, looking ahead to next year I thought we might try Italy next, because we will be limited to Feb half term and I know that France may be even busier next year. My first port of call was Cervinia, but I'm a bit put off by the high winds. I then widened the search to look at what feels every other resort in Europe Very Happy

but I'm really struggling to find anywhere that ticks all the same boxes as Montgenèvre. Accommodation is a real sticking point - we need at least three bedrooms and we don't want a long walk or a bus. I'm looking at airbnb, vrbo, booking.com and not finding much in the Italian resorts.

Any bright ideas before I rebook for Montgenèvre?!

A snowHead

@pastaandpesto, welcome to SH's.

One thing I will say is don't feel you have to go anywhere else. We ski as a family and there are plenty of things to worry and think about. If you've found somewhere that ticks all your boxes keep hitting it is my recommendation.

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

@pastaandpesto,
Personally I think if a resort really suits return to it. We've done that lots of times and then gone elsewhere as our needs change and children grew older.

However a couple you might want to consider with at least some of those advantages, snow sure not to busy family friendly and not too pricey are Val Cenis and La Thuile.

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We also love Montgenevre and I think La Rosiere is the closest you will find to what you had this week. Although you will have to ski over to La Thuile or ski a red to see some trees. Les Saisies and Val Cenis are also worth considering.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@pastaandpesto, Love Monty too, maybe look into staying in Claviere to get a slightly different vibe. Go Montgenevre now have some accommodation options in Claviere.

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@surferrosa, Claviere is mainly reds and whilst they are on the easier side of red @pastaandpesto, says she likes skiing blues. I also think Italy tends to be poor for good quality self catering.

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

However a couple you might want to consider with at least some of those advantages, snow sure not to busy family friendly and not too pricey are Val Cenis and La Thuile.[/quote]

Would 2nd Val Cenis, lovely family friendly cost effective, resort that does not get busy even during French February break and it too has a great green run from top of mountain all way back down to the village, but there is also plenty to keep the other family members occupied. Nice selection of on mountain eateries and a host of restaurants in the village.

After all it is free

Very helpful, thank you!

I hadn't looked at Val Cenis so I've been googling. I'm a bit confused - it seems to be multiple villages, right? Which one would be the best base, offering a good ski school etc?

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@pastaandpesto, I've found thst booking.com, Airbnb etc don't always throw up the best accommodation options. I've had lots of success going via the official tourist board website of various resorts.

I've just returned from Corvara on a dad's trip but thought it would be excellent for a family trip. Might be pricey compared to Monty though.

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I’d echo the point of “if you really like it there, go again”. Our group did the same with Sauze d’Oulx, it ticked all our boxes and we’ve been a total of 5 times now. I think we’ve now finally reached the point where we all want somewhere different, but I wouldn’t change anything about all of our previous revisits there, they’ve all been great.

Good call to visit Claviere, but if you like blues then don’t ski over. If my memory serves me correctly, it’s down a steep (bit very nice) black from the top of the mountain to get there.

You know it makes sense.

Val Cenis is definitely a contender.

I'm very torn about going back to Montgenèvre. As a family we've always enjoyed exploring new places and the one time we did go back to the same place it somehow just didn't feel the same! But maybe skiing would be different.

Having spent all yesterday evening trawling through Airbnb etc I am now wondering if I am actually looking too early. Lots of places are showing as unavailable for my dates, but when I look at the whole calendar they entire winter season is blocked out so perhaps they haven't been released yet. Any thoughts on the best time to book? Because we want a fairly big apartment in a peak week I'm keen to book early, but perhaps not this early!

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

@pastaandpesto, maybe try finding a place you like on Airbnb, and then contact the owners on there with your request? Usually places wouldn't become available until after the current season, getting towards summer time.

A snowHead

@pastaandpesto, wherever you go, you might consider taking some lessons, maybe a couple of private lessons. Will probably get you back on those red runs.

Les Saisies would suit you from the ski point of view, very good choice of easy self catering accommodation, but not sure the snow park set up would be what your son is looking for.

I'd agree with "go back to Montgenevre"! But yes, it's probably too early to book accommodation. If you want to try Italy you will find self-catering options far more limited than France.

A snowHead

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@pastaandpesto, you describe yourself as having "lost your bottle" a bit. Going back to a familiar place is a good way to overcome that, as we are all more cautious in unknown territory. That and a private lesson or two should do the trick! If you are going to limit yourself to blue pistes lots of great places will be closed to you.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@pastaandpesto, Hi. Just wondering how many times you have been to Montgenevre? Is it just once? We're heading there in less than 2 weeks for the second time. It worked well last year and we're looking forward to hitting the ground running having figured things out last year.
Our kids are a bit younger so there is a lot of the area we haven't skied or barely touched. We didn't make it over to Claviere so that's definitely on the agenda this year and our older two should be able for it this time.
I had spent some time last year researching Italian resorts (convenient to Turin) such as Champoluc, Courmaye and Monteorosa. But struggled to find decent self catering accommodation. That's what always seems to pull us back to France so i'll be interested to see if you find anything suitable for you in Italy.

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Thank you, this is really useful!

@ski3, thank you so much for such a comprehensive overview of Val Cenis. I was sort of piecing that together about the different villages so that's super helpful to have it explained/confirmed! I've found one accommodation option in Lansvillard which is a privately owned apartment in the big complex there, which is really close to the lifts and ski school and not too expensive. My hesitation is whether the ski school will be as good as Montgenèvre, and whether it will be good for my snowboarding kid - sounds like the lovely long runs are perhaps on the narrower side? And snow park is a bit limited?

@origen, that is a very good point about the benefits of returning to a familiar resort as beginners/intermediates. Particularly for our more cautious child who I think would definitely find her feet again more quickly if we go back to Montgenèvre, and therefore get more out of the trip overall. I'd definitely like to take a few private lessons myself - we left it too late to book this year for times that worked around the kids lessons, but will be more organised next year.

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

@adriangrogan, it was our first trip to Montgenèvre (and our first full week skiing as a family). Sounds like you've hit exactly the same issue with regards to accommodation - it feels like there is more (nice) accommodation in Montgenèvre than in all of the Italian resorts I've looked at put together! With three mixed sex teen children, hotels are just ££££ for us (and we prefer having the space and flexibility of self catering anyway).

After all it is free

Not able to comment on SC options but, as a ski area, Folgarida (1400 not 1300) might be worth looking at. The Brenta Dolomites (Folgarida, Marilleva and Madonna di Campiglio) are charming. Plenty of blues and even the wide, cruisey reds are not overly demanding.

Great sense of travel, many charming piste side restaurants, stunning scenery, excellent uplift, good ski schools. Definitely one of my favourites. I’ve not stayed in Montgenevre but have skied there several times. On that, admittedly slightly more limited experience, I’d say you’d be fine.

@pastaandpesto - We’ve been to Montgenevre I think 4 times over the years with our children, starting when they were 8 and 6 and going every year since other than 2020 and 2021. They’re now 14 and 12. We sound similar to you in terms of skiing ability/preference and we totally loved every visit, never getting bored. The resort is perfect for us and we love the various SC accommodations we stayed. Having said that, we did feel like a change for this year and after hours of research we booked Arc 1800 for Easter this year. Lots of places on this chat were in the running - Val Cenis, La Thuile, Les Saisies. La Rosiere I think would have been perfect for us and seemed the closest thing in France to Monty but the fact lots is south-facing made me a bit wary re Easter - it could be something to explore for Feb next year? You could try Peak Retreats for SC accommodation there and elsewhere in France, we always book with them.

Our daughter just got back from a school ski trip in the Dolomites - landscape looked amazing but a cursory look for SC accommodation there for next year didn’t come up with much, seems more hotel focussed. Good luck deciding where to go, tricky isn’t it when you’ve found a place you love. I think Monty will always have my heart x

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Another vote for staying put.

We ski in tiny places and thrive on familiarity. It does, as people have said, help with skill development. I would advise getting tuition if you can.

Of course in our family ‘laps’ consist of a certain degree of mayhem in the woods, exploitation of hidden cliffs, and much backward nonsense.

‘Where is he? Oh…there….’ Is a frequently heard comment during each hour on the hill….

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+1 for staying put - Montgenevre has something for everybody and the options in Italy next door make it even more so . . .

However, for similar reasons (and if you're willing to splurge a little more) Obergurgl in Austria is equally good if not better . . . just my opinion having skied both on multiple occasions with and without the fam!

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+1 for Peak retreats. We have been to Montgenevre several times with them and tried all the self catering options they have there. Have also been to La rosiere and some other French resorts mentioned in this thread with them. Always had lovely apartments and excellent customer service- they have a 24 emergency helpline while you are away which we have occasionally used.

I would agree with everyone else that going back to Montgenevre is your best option. If you definitely want somewhere new as I said above I think La rosiere would be the most suitable place of resorts I know in France.

Val Cenis is a good value option but less cruisy than Montgenevre and all north facing so you can’t follow the sun in the same way as Montgenevre. Les Saisies is beautiful but might be busier at half term.

@CloughieCambs, I think I remember your thread and hope you enjoy Les arcs. I’m looking forward to a trip there this season too.

There are a lot of votes on here for Val Cenis which I have been to and really liked but I'm not convinced that its what you want. It will feel a lot smaller than Montgenevre and the snowpark looks fairly underwhelming but I didn't actually try it, not really my thing. The piste map makes it look like there is slightly more gentle terrain than there really is, the blue return from Termignon to Lanslebourg is a summer forest road that is incredibly flat and often closed. The blue run off the Plan Cardinal lift, while a really enjoyable blue run, commits you to a slightly tricky red run. The runs into Termignon were suffering badly when I was there, soft artificial snow on piste surrounded by mud. The rest of the ski area is actually very snowsure

Cheap lift pass
Great inbetween the pistes off-piste
Some nice touring
Good quality but limited pisted areas
Generally fast lifts but not everywhere

If that appeals then go, but IME most people at your level want more linked pisted areas than Val Cenis offers

While I can't say where would be good for you, I do agree that returning to somewhere you like is no bad thing. If my favourite resort wasn't so pricey I would probably rarely go elsewhere

You know it makes sense.

We love to explore and go to new places on holiday, and before I was a skier I never even saw the point of going on a ski holiday where you did the same thing all day every day, let alone stay in the same place for a whole week...

Since then, I've been to Sauze 5 times, Kitzbuhel twice and 2 adjacent resorts in the Dolomites (and a few other places as one offs). There's definitely much to be said for going somewhere you know works well for you. I would happily go back to any of our multi-trip venues again.

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

A snowHead

There is considerable value to a holiday where all the logistical elements - both in transiting and at the destination - are familiar. A ski holiday reinforces this because initially, you waste a lot of time in orienting yourselves re lifts, pistes and where to have breaks, whereas subsequently, it's all familiar and you can navigate unconsciously. A lot of Snowheads have holiday homes in the Alps and are asked the same "Don't you get bored going to the same place repeatedly?" question and pretty much all of them say "No.". So I'd say continue to go where you're comfortable until perhaps you fancy a change, and then give somewhere else a try if you want. Or put it to the family to choose somewhere else or return (something kids are rarely given the option to decide on). That way, if you do go elsewhere, whether it turns out to exceed expectations or be a disappointment, it's been a collective decision.

A snowHead

I think you have done amazingly well to find a resort that suits so well!

I have been searching for an affordable, ski from door, resort for Feb half term which doesn't have big lift queues for years.

France seems to be the best place for ski from door accommodation but it has the lift queue issues in most resorts at Feb half term.

Your description of Montgenèvre seems much better than anything I have found so if it isn't broken I wouldn't fix it.

On the snow park point you need to consider if you are comfortable letting loose an intermediate snowboarder kid on XL kickers, C Rails or an Olympic half pipe? and if it is covered by your insurance - often serious freestyle is not covered as standard.

Perhaps best to go back to Monty and book some freestyle lessons on the (probably adequate) park to fill the gap? I have seen decent riders hit 540s and backflips on medium sized kickers in a small snow park so I'd expect there is scope for more progress without booking a trip to Laax Smile

I'll be checking out Monty myself for next Feb!

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

Er…for the OP…I should add…have you skied in the same place more than once?

Yes.

Each winter we are within a 40 min drive of small places … Vercorin, Nax, Chandolin and Anzere. Crans Montana is our local patch, 10 mins away.

How long have you skied there?

22 years.

Are you bored yet?

No.

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We have similar needs albeit with 3 younger kids so get away for moment with 2 bedrooms. We always go to Italy for language and cost reasons. Just back from Claviere same week you were in Monty. Advantages are it's *much* quieter on Italian side, the on mountain cafes are way better and food in village cheaper. Disadvantage is your blue run request. You can get back from Monty on the flattish blue rather than the black but to get there requires a red with some steep pitches which persuading my beginner wife to try risked my marriage.

Zero public transport between the two villages also which is insane.

Looking further afield, wonder if Livigno would tick lots of these boxes. Has more self catering than most places in Italy and high enough Easter also an option.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

have you considered Scandinavian resorts - somewhere like Levi in Lapland?

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@pastaandpesto, super idea to ski in the same place twice, great way of building up confidence and technique. But in the end sticking to blue runs and possibly the odd red gets boring wherever you are, so beyond next year you might want to spread your wings. You can always go back after a gap.

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

Thank you so much to everyone who has chipped in, sorry I can't reply to everyone individually but it's genuinely been helpful. Everything that everyone has said about the benefits of familiarity makes perfect sense and so...

I've just booked for Montgenèvre Feb 2025!!!

The accommodation we were after had actually just opened their bookings so we were able to get that pinned down. Now just waiting for flights to be released - we managed to get a great deal with BA last year at around £750 for all five of us including five checked bags, so will have to see if we can find something similar.

Excited already Very Happy

After all it is free

@pastaandpesto, have you also ticked the right box in the drop down menu for the booking:

Please indicate which weather you would like:

1 continuous massive dump and zero vis
2 blue sky and corduroy
3 variable, but over night snow so fresh in the morning followed by high lunchtime temps
4 none of the above

@valais2 lol I must have missed that on the form, but if it was a multi select option I'd be ticking 2 and 3.

This year we had four days of 2 (it was pretty hard packed though, I don't think there had been any snow for a fortnight), followed by one day one 1, finishing up with a true bluebird day on the final day - overall we couldn't complain!

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Hi. Sorry to jump on your thread. We're looking to book montgenevre for next year. Family of 5. We've previously been to La Rosiere and Flaine. Absolutely loved both but I like the excitement of exploring somewhere new. My question is would you recommend any particular self catering apartments close to ski school and slopes?

Help!!

Will anywhere else suit us as well as Montgenèvre?

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