Mid-April resort

A snowHead

Hi, first post on here.

I'm going away in February to Les Arcs and I'm trying to convince my wife to go away in Mid-April the weekend of12th/13th. My query has a two parts.

1. The resort that sticks out on the usual websites is Avoriaz. Short transfer time, decent price and I know the place as I went to Morzine many moons ago. My only concern is the weather, I'm not too bothered if the likes of Morzine and Les Gets are closed or un-skiable as Avoriaz will have plenty of slopes for my kids. I just fear that it's not as snow sure as other resorts like Val Thorens or Tignes. If anyone has any other recommendations i'm all ears but i've searched all the high altitude places and resorts in other countries are coming out at a higher price.

2. Looking on the major websites I've always found Crystal and Heidi to be way cheaper than the rest, I've tried looking at flight prices, transfers (which are always really pricy) and accommodation separate but it comes in at a higher price than through Heidi/crystal. I don't know if there's anyone who has any experience of booking holidays this way. I'm travelling from the North-East of England with 2 young kids so eurostar or anything like that isn't really an option.

Thanks in advance

A snowHead

There's no two ways about, the top lifts in Val Thorens and Tignes top out at over 1000m higher than anything I'm Avoriaz and in mid April that 1000m is going to make a big difference. There's a reason that Avoriaz is cheap for the dates that you're looking at.

Les Menuires or Orelle are probably your best bets for high altitude and good value that week. Some of the Les Menuires skiing should still be good in its own right that week, particularly the Masse sector, plus both have easy access to Val Thorens

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Thanks for the reply, never really heard of Les Menuires before but this looks a viable option. Doesn't look the prettiest but will certainly do for a cheap and cheerful.

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Ive been to Cervinia in Italy in April and it was great .We stayed in a Airbnb and Hotel Europa
You also have the possibility to ski into Zermatt Switzerland .
Around 1hr30 - 1hr45 from Turin airport

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Take a look at the Spring Families Bash

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=170200

I’m not completely sure that it is happening. You might have to ask @admin. However, the thread has many interesting family related Skiing comments and families looking to meet up at Easter 2025 probably worth a read given your question.

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We have skied Avoriaz 4 times at Easter (in the last 7 years) and every time it was perfectly skiable, we had fresh snow twice and one year it was mega hot (16C+) so it was v slushy after about 230pm.

We’ve booked Cervinia for next Easter, just my son and I next year so gone for a comparatively bargain half board package with Crystal. First package holiday since 2002!

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

We didn’t go in April 2024 but I idly kept an eye on availability and prices anyway.

My take - there will be lots of availability and plenty of seats on flights and prices for packages were often discounted.

For 2025 - we are looking at similar dates but I am going to leave it until last minute to go where the snow looks best .

After all it is free

Check the official resort closing dates, that’s getting close for some of them.
“Two young kids” suggests they’d be happy with a few ribbons of man made snow if that’s all that’s available? As opposed to a 15yo who would be disappointed.

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That weekend is in the middle of the school easter holidays so that might effect prices. Personally I would head to Val Thorens or Tignes - they are generally skiable even in bad snow years. And if it turns out there isn't any snow, then at least you know that there probably won't be any snow anywhere else.
Whereas you'll be gutted if Avoriaz is struggling but conditions are fine higher up in VT or Tignes.

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I have skied in late April every year for the last eight or so seasons (not including the Covid year) and opt for Engelberg or Saas Fee every time. They are always DIY trips and I find cheaper than trying to find a package at that time of the season.

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Thanks for the replies everyone. The more i've looked, the harder it seems to pick resorts Confused

I've been reading Ischgl is a viable option, despite being lower down it has north facing slopes and is quite reliable in April (ski season ends in May). Seen a good deal for Meribel (not Mottaret) which i know is lower down but at least it will give us access to higher slopes if needed. Kids are 10 and 7 and it will be their 3rd ski holiday. Not sure if i should just wait to book it last minute and see what the snow conditions are like.

Don't forget Easter is very late next year falling across 18-21 April so availability will be reduced (presuming more people will be holidaying at that time). I flew with my son around d rhat same weekend last year, Swiss Air flights LHR to Geneva were very cheap. This year much less availability and overall flight prices are higher.

We were in Tignes this April, very warm at Val Claret (19-20C even at night) though mornings higher up around 3000m were decent, after 14hr30 lower slopes lower down were pretty unskiable and not much fun. But that could be anywhere Spring skiing at 2000m ish.

I hired a car and drove from Geneva, it was a 3 hrs journey (with a pit stop for lunch on the way), with no traffic or delays, so it busy with holiday traffic it may be a fair bit longer.

We really enjoyed the trip as weather was sunny, and tignes/Val Disere offers a huge amount of skiing at higher altitude. I'd imagine Val T and Les Menuires offers similar. As poster above says, Avoriaz should be very skiable still and is so convenient for Geneva.but lwould be chilled for pure altitude.

You know it makes sense.

@LOTA, can you please recommend a good location hotel/apartment in Saas Fe for this mid-April?
I'm checking the resort map, will be probably arriving by train to Visp then PostBus with my non skiing OH.
Looking for something rather central/scenic views, TIA.

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

I'll be in Tinges those dates this year. Got a cracking deal with Sunweb. AI hotel and a lift pass for £550. Flights and transfers on top a weeks skiing for ~£700 all in.

Short transfer is nice but I'd rather have a longer transfer with more reliable conditions.

A snowHead

Ditto above. Same week (Apr 12) at Tignes with Sunweb. £400 pp, self catering in Tignes Val Claret. Shared transfers booked from Geneva airport with Alpybus.£80pp rtn. Booked the holiday on Black Friday so got it even cheaper, but there are plenty of cheap options. Espace Killy lift passes included. Cheap as chips!

A snowHead

@drporat, can't say anything about apartments having never stayed in one, but there are loads.

Location is important in Saas-Fee. The village is large and spread out and you can end up a long way from slopes and lifts.

Slopeside hotels: the Larix; the Amber; the Bristol.

Handiest for the Alpin Express gondola (useful with a non-skier): Alpin Superior;

Upmarket and expensive; the Capra; the Walliserhof (our April destination!); Boutique Hotel La Gorge;

Cheaper and cheerful: Burgener (my March destination); Christiana; La Collina.

Brand new this season: Revier Mountain Lodge.

There are loads more but I have stayed at most of the above. Happy to answer any questions.

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@LOTA, many thanks.
How was Burgener last March, it gets mixed reviews.
Christiana sounds nice and has a good location from what I read.
I imagine Southern view rooms have better views?
Walliserhof should be excellent albeit very expensive

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i stayed in 2019 i think, Mid April in Alphubel. It was really gut (a little bit old but ok), food excellent, and there was a "shuttle - bus" to the slopes every morning. Except that, we have free ski depot somewhere near the slopes (as a quest from the hotel).
But tihs was 6 years ago...i do not know how its today

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@drporat, the Burgener is this March! I don't have high expectations.

The Christiania is located in the main Dorfstrasse - convenient for bars, shops and restaurants. Less so for slopes and lifts. Ski deposit near the slopes makes life a lot easier and the electric 'buses' can be very useful, too.

Southern views cover the ski area from hotels. Very Happy

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@Sherzy13, those Sunweb deals to Tignes look incredible value for a very snow sure resort if you want the security of booking now. As does the Snowfinders offer to Val Thorens on your other thread. Don’t be tempted to save a few quid on Meribel or Avoriaz unless you are booking a couple of days in advance and sure of conditions. You usually want to be as high as possible in April. Alternatively wait until a few days before and there will certainly still be plenty of last minute options in the alps, assuming you can find flights

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

Thanks for the advice. I'm leaning now more towards Austria as i think my wife has PTSD from the landslide the other week. Flights to Geneva have gone up from the North-East to Geneva also so don't want to travel across to Manchester then have a long transfer. to Tignes. I think maybe my best bet is to wait until the week before and book it.

After all it is free

If Austria Obergurgl / Solden or Ischgl best bet. I skied Solden later than that one year and it was great, could almost ski in a t-shirt but snow still cold on glacier, world cup run excellent, resort runs fine early in day.

Also consider Turin or Milan Malpensa for a short transfer to Cervinia which is also super high and will be skiing well that time of year (I've just booked for Easter).

I wouldn't go near Portes De Soleil at that time just too much low terrain, highest lift is like 2800 I think?

Post pandemic we’ve had great April trips to Hochgurgl, the following season Val Thorens. Altitude and aspect meant excellent snow conditions.

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Thanks,

Serfaus looks like a decent option from a review and price perspective. I am tempted to do Val T as i could fly to Grenoble.

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@8611, highest point in the PDS is 2277m, a long way way shy of 2800m, and yes I wouldn't go there in mid-April

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Wow that's crazy for such a large area! I thought Avoriaz was higher for some reason. My friend swears by it and said it's a snow pocket gets the most snow in the alps. I was like, no it doesn't but when I checked it does get really high snow fall. It's weird that it doesn't suffer more at that altitude, albeit the two times I was there morzine was completely green.

@8611, it's location at the very edge of the Alps means that it catches the brunt of a lot of storms. I have read, and find it believable, that Avoriaz gets more snow than any other French resort at resort level but the catch is that almost every other major resort has slopes that extend more than 500m above resort height. I would imagine that Morzine tops the tables for total volume of rain at resort height

You know it makes sense.

Yes. Its interesting because the current trend is that snowfall is still fine above 2000m, but below it is rain so often that it is affecting snow depths. I know there have been bad periods in PdS, some reported on here, but you think it would be annihilated as a viable ski option in those conditions but it seems to be doing fine. Maybe the valleys also stay a couple of degrees colder I don't know. I don't book places without a lot of lifts to 2800+ if booking in advance now.

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

@Sherzy13, Tignes would be (and is) my choice for April skiing. You can DIY it very easily and at a reasonable price (I just have.) I have tried lots of resorts during April including; St Anton, Zermatt, VDI, Val Thorens, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Mayrhofen, Tignes, Banff, Lake Louise, Chamonix, Argentierre et al and Tignes is the best for me. I have skied some amazing powder mid-late April in Tignes and you cannot beat a day of powder or spring snow then an ice cold one in the sun.

A snowHead

Thanks for all the advice. Bit the bullet and did a DIY booking to Solden. Got some good prices on flights, accommodation etc so I'll keep my fingers crossed the snow gods are kind to me.

A snowHead

@Sherzy13, please report here afterwards how it went, for future years' considerations

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@Sherzy13, I hope you enjoy your trip to Solden, have lots of fun.

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Mid-April resort

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