 Poster: A snowHead
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On the slopes that is... In the Alps...
Apologies if discussed previously, but which days of the week are generally the busiest at the lifts/on the slopes? I've always thought of Saturdays as being busiest at the airports and on the roads to/from resorts, but what about those who live nearer and head to their second home in the mountains for the weekend, the trend for shorter 3/4 day breaks, and even package deals becoming more flexible in recent years?
So are there busier days, or is there no noticeable difference?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Halitosis, where I am in Flachau Saturdays are bonkers busy now. Its strongly marketed to day trippers with free buses from Salzburg with a lift pass. Plus many week stayers drive home after skiing on Saturday.
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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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Sundays are worst IMO. Daytrippers, weekenders and day one of enthusiastic holidaymakers.
By Wednesday everyone is tired or broken and it gets a lot better.
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Have package deals become more flexible? French resorts, at any rate, still seem pretty wedded to Sat/Sat bookings and Saturdays on the slopes aren't bad. But the week you choose obviously makes a big difference - don't go in the peak weeks unless you have absolutely no choice. In France, Sundays are a big day for lunches on the slopes - so that's when to ski! In fact, that's the best time, any day of the week.
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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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@Halitosis, well the first driver is not the day but the week. A busy day in mid-Jan or mid-March is not the same as a busy day at new year or school holidays.
Beyond that there is a lot of talk of skiers having to go higher, of January being busier, etc. which seems to have muddied the waters a bit.
And then of course, there is the weather with many punters heading back to the hut or the hot tub when the clouds role in.
My experience is that Saturdays ares still quiet. Aside from the notes above I don't see much variance the rest of the week.
Usual rules apply to countering any busyness - get up early, ski through lunch, know the pinch points, etc....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @Halitosis, where I am in Flachau Saturdays are bonkers busy now. Its strongly marketed to day trippers with free buses from Salzburg with a lift pass. Plus many week stayers drive home after skiing on Saturday. |
Similar here. Kaltenbach on a Saturday is always pretty busy, and the car park is full of coaches that have come down from Southern Germany. Luckily the lift opens at 0730 all winter, so when I'm done and coming down at 10.30/11.00 the hordes of day trippers are still making their way up.
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It probably depends on the resort. In my experience in most resorts Saturdays are the least busy on the slopes but busiest on the roads.
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@Origen, the market has changed dramatically since you were skiing regularly with the emergence of AirBnb / booking .com as people now take advantage of long weekends out of season, and as has been mentioned resorts are often runnig promotions for the Saturday - with the Oyster card equivalents (Holiski) often having them heavily discounted.
In main season (French half term) it's still very much Sat to Sat and not so many weekenders, as many know the roads can be gridlocked at the weekends during the main holidays, at least in France.
I will hasten to add, that I believe it's only really possible to comment on a question like this, when you actually live in a resort all season and have done so for a number of seasons, know hoteliers, people that rent out a number of appts as a small businesses, instructors etc and nag about things like this, so you can actually give an accurate response rather than second guessing; and likewise I only would make comments about France as I have no experience of what other Countries might be like, though, but then it would be much of a SnowHeads thread 
Should also add, that weather and forecast also affects how busy a weekend might be, as people have the flexibility of accommodation and can book last minute, so if the foreast is predicting storms etc they will not chance the roads and or resort being partially closed, if however it's snowed on the Thursday/Friday and weekend forecast is wall to wall sunshine they come up in their droves.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Tue 29-07-25 10:53; edited 7 times in total
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Can google maps give you this information? In any case they must have data on when the slopes are most crowded in any resort via their Android OS.
I would agree with @snowdave that by the later part of the week people are tired. I always try to ski lunch in France as the French are creatures of habit and need their sit down lunch eating a croque monsieur and kronenburg or some such mountain delicacy.
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Depends on who are the biggest group visiting a particular resort and what their work / school week looks like
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The question is also, what are you going to do about it?
I mean I guess if you are someone who likes a day off or lots of breaks it may dictate your behaviour. As I only ski two weeks a year and want to make full use of the opportunity I will be out most of the day regardless.
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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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Sundays and mad Fridays I'd say in Europe but obviously proximity to major cities changes things re Saturdays. Flips in N America to be Saturdays and ANY powder day (or every day if you're in Whistler)
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Friday - ski like an idiot day
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You know it makes sense.
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Most of my experience is in Les Arcs. I know some French resorts such as Les Sept Laux get very busy Saturdays and Sundays whereas others, or so I beleive, like Val d'Isere are quieter on Saturdays. In Les Arcs I would say Thursdays are the quietest. Sunday to Tuesdays have lots of week visitors making the most of the start of their holidays. Wednesdays get a lot of school children. Thursdays people start thinking the have a bit of a rest. Fridays can get a bit hectic. Satudays you have the Sat t Sat skiers doing the mornings and the new arrivals the afternoons and of course the day trippers arriving by coach and train.
The Saturday to Saturday holidays seem to be declining. I see people carting cases through the village almost any day of the week (you can tell when a train has arrived). Many are also unloading cars
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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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Noticed that Tignes/Val was busier on most Saturdays last season compared to previous seasons. Concluded it was probably down to the 7 for 6 day lift passes and folk skiing the morning of departure or afternoon of arrival.
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