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A snowHead

Mildly interesting and ever-so ski-related piece on BBC Travel about if there's something comforting about repeating the same holiday over and over...

Although we have visited the same ski resort more than twice, we've never made a habit of returning each year; the missus is keen to try more places, as am I, so I doubt we'll return to anywhere we've been in the past few years unless circumstances dictate. That's the same approach we have to Summer trips.

But I do read on here about quite a few people who return year-on-year to the same resort - what's the draw, what makes you keep coming back? is there some sense to returning to familiar ground, do you get a better holiday experience because of fewer variable, or is it better to holiday 'into the unknown'?

A snowHead

I remember being baffled in my youth by people who booked the same room in the same hotel for the same week every year. But now I get it.

Ease. You know where the good restaurants are, you know the great pistes and how to avoid the big queues if you just nip down to that drag lift. You recognise people who work there and they recognise you.

Resorts continuously evolve and update/ upgrade themselves so there is still plenty of new things to see and do. My kids feel at home, they have memories there (and friends) and love ‘going back to the tree house’.

We travel plenty but we all enjoy going back to one or two special places. When that changes we will cast our net.

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

I'm returning to La Rosiere this winter after being there last year. There was 3 families with young children, and the chalet we booked was perfect, the ski school/childcare was perfect, good apres for our circumstance, ability to ski to another resort, etc. It all worked so well we booked the same place for this year.

Been to Val Thorens back to back season as well. Sometimes its the vibe that brings you back, sometimes its the lure of unfinished business on slopes you never got round to skiing or that trip to the next resort time just wouldn't allow.

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We kept returning to Les Arcs with the kids as they learned to ski. A) it is a great resort B) the intent was to breed familiarity with the kids so they could gain freedom in later years. C) for me, i knew all the runs in the resort, and i knew where i could safely take them outside of lessons without having to stress.

All loved returning year in year out. But now we are in later teens... Plan is to head to other places and take them to other resorts. This year, Avoriaz. I am then keen to take them to some Austrian resorts for the different cultural experience... Very Happy

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@Specialman, we must have been to Vallandry for 20-years running Shocked

Started when kids were little and learning to ski and kept going back, partly as I knew where I could take them safely but also it was reassuring to know where the apartment was in relation to lift, ski-school, Sherpa etc

Obviously they are older now, but I like the knowing what's what still (and knowing what runs I can do Laughing

). To be honest have tried 2 other resorts last few years and prefer Vallandry

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@Roscoe, For a young family. 1950 without a doubt. It's pretty, and ski school drop off is in the central 'square'. Not more than a few minutes from any accommodation. All the accommodation we have stayed in has been great through Pierre et Vacances. I have also stayed in 2000 (with Esprit in the early days of kids learning to ski) - and didn't really have a problem with that either, just 1950 is (alot) prettier.

There isn't really much 'night life' - a few bars that have bands or guitar/singers on during the week. But that doesn't matter. In the square after lifts shut there are often 'events' that the kids can enjoy.

If you are self-driving, aside from the drive up to 1950, it couldn't be easier - head into the underground car park and you can get to any accommodation via lifts. The attendants point you to the right area of the car park for your accommodation.

Perhaps take your question to the Les Arcs thread in the Snow Reports area of the forum. You will get advise from a lot of Les Arcs regulars and 'old hands' there who may have alternate views to bring balance.

After all it is free

We self catered and drove down to Flaine, when the boys were younger about 15 times. The GM is the nearest large ski area from Calais (PDS next maybe) which was a major deciding factor. Also, as already said, you do become familiar with a place, which apartment to book, ski in / ski out ease, piste knowledge, where shops and restaurants are etc. We have been to several other resorts / countries as well but I'd go back to the GM tomorrow for a few days - I just know what I'm doing there.

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We went to Andorra 6 times, mainly because we needed lessons which are very good value and have very good instructors. We have tried other resorts but by the end of March we will have racked up 5 trips to Selva and I can see us returning. As others have said ease and knowing how things work are a couple of reasons but for me the Dolomites has it all, good food, amazing scenery, great service (not something that I've experienced lately in France), value for money and loads to do. We've not scratched the surface yet so have many more years to go! We do however, ring the changes on summer holidays.

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There's a common theme in the replies.

We don't have kids and go all over the place. Nevertheless, we have a few favourites that we return to.

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Some do repeat visits by choice and some do it due to a lack of choice:

If you have particular set of criteria (e.g. high altitude, short transfer, with budget options etc...) then there are sometimes only a very limited range of options - so you might end up making repeat visits due to the process of elimination.

I have returned to Madonna di campiglio a few times, but that was due to it being the best option for the airport I flew into. Other than that I like to sample a new resort

You know it makes sense.

Doesn't apply to summer holidays for me - but, with a ski holiday I like to revisit resorts ; saves spending a couple of days exploring pistes and trying to find the best ones :: e.g. I know the Sella Ronda like the back of my hand !! Smile

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

Snowbizz in PSV 1600 … we went 11 times, because they were perfect for us with kids in every way, great memories for us all. Interspersed for me in seeing and skiing a whole load of other resorts across the Alps.

Similarly, after PSV we discovered a gorgeous hotel in Schladming, thank you TripAdviser! We stayed 5 times, only stopping when they kept improving the hotel but at the same time increasing prices by exactly 20% per post pandemic winter, obviously a business decision to appeal to the very wealthy long term. Every cloud and all that, I only discovered the incredible Dolomites because of it.

I get the opening post sentiments. I love going to new for us places, in the last 12 months, Arosa, Colfosco and Verbier.

A snowHead

We've been going to Ischgl twice a year pretty much for the past 12-13 years.
We'd been all over France, Italy and Switzerland and never returned to a resort...but that mad aul town just got it's claws into us and we keep going back....it's just the best.
Tried Canada and the States and even though the skiing was awesome it just didn't get under my skin.

Been the to Japan once, would love to go back but it's too far away.

This year you ask??...I'll be there the end of the month and back for St Patricks week.

A snowHead

We always try to mix up between familiar, comfortable places, and new places, both summer and winter. Our six week trip last January was half and half between familiar and new, Cycle touring in the summer out of three countries one was new to us. I love visiting new places, but also really value "safe and comfortable" places.

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Agree with the young children theme. We went to Andorra about five times, partly as it was cheaper (driving not flying) and because when you have to pay attention to littluns you don’t want to pay attention to other things like keeping them fed and occupied in a strange place. As they got older and better we went to SkiWelt, Baqueira and in a month we’ll go to Sella Ronda. We can explore together and their opinions and solutions count.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We have friends that have been doing long trips to the same place for years, one of their friends goes for a week there each year, he had a tantrum when the hotel had redecorated the room he insists on staying in, now that is being anal. We've been to st Gervais for four years for at least five weeks each time, love the town but feel tired with skiing the portes de mont blanc Area, going to chatel this time for the first time since 2015.
Can see the logic of returning year in year out with kids

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Returning to the same place is tragic.

There's a big world out there.

Go explore it.

After all it is free

We will be on our 4th visit to Les Arcs at Easter. We return as we just love it. The signage is incredible (you don't realise how good until you go elsewhere), you can access the entire resort via blues, which is important to Mr. O, and there's a fantastic range of skiing to be able to challenge if you want. We only started skiing six years ago, so we are ever improving, and each trip, I open up a little more of the resort because my confidence and ability has improved a little more. Or for example, last year we went in February rather than Easter. This opened up more of the runs down to 1600 (at Easter they sometimes have closed signs and I didn't know that side well enough to chance it). And last year, Lad1 and I made it over to La Plagne for the first time.
This year, we'll be taking family, who are on their very first ski trip, so being able to navigate around the resort on runs that will build their confidence, and know the things that will suit my very active niece, is a no brainer.

We went to Andorra at Christmas and plan to return this Christmas. I was just getting to know my way around when we left, so there's unfinished business there.

We like the familiarity, knowing where we like to eat, drink, etc.

We went to the same Eurocamp in France 7 times. Mostly because the kids kept asking to go back. We knew it inside out, but it also meant the kids had more freedom, as it was so familiar to them.

We do like variety, and are fortunate to be able to have multiple trips a year, so we mix it up by exploring new places for one or two trips, and returning to our favourite places on other trips.

We have our favourites that we return to both ski and summer holiday wise, but also try and throw in some new places if we can, or change if the resort changes.
Ski wise we went to Flaine for 6 years running when Crystal had the Totem and great kids care, moved onto Esprit for a couple of years in different resorts, the once he was older tried Courmayuer where we found a great apartment and we could easily pick him up from ski school, have lunch then ski the afternoon together, then Covid hit.
GCSE and A levels came round, he didn’t want to go, my wife had to stop, so I’m now solo, I found a great BB in Canazei with single rooms, this year will be my 6th visit, and I’ve been lucky enough to have another week away each year since 22, Sauze ( would only go back if it was a great deal) La Thuile which we skied when at Courmayuer also, happy to go back, and last year went back to the apt in Courmayuer as we had left a deposit for 2021, the lovely owner honoured the deposit after 5 years, did a few days in La Thuile also.
We/I like some of the familiarity of returning, but mainly as we know where the bits we like are, it feels like we have more days there than being in a new place.

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never thought about that...
strangely, the last three years (and probably this year also) we will do in Summer the "Tignes/Flaine/Serfaus"
Sometimes we want to go and do something else but first of all the costs and also the knowledge able to do the best from each in one week drive us back again
For Winter really do not now....done many resorts in Austria, Italy and Switzerland and the last years in France, but twice only in Avoriaz and flaine ...otherwise always somewhere else...
do not bother to go again to the same place for skiing, if it comes ok, otherwise doesnt matter. Would love to go to Canada, USA or Japan but too expensive...there are many places in the Alps to visit so....

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Ill go to the same resort for a few years if, I enjoy the skiing, and there is plenty to explore and I like the resort. I've been to Kitzbuhel 7 times for skiing and going for the second time in the summer this year. Ischgl (skiing) twice but will be going back again to explore the full area more, and stay in Ischgl instead of Galtur. Off to Hochsolden for the second time this March, love the hotel and the ski in/out setting though yet to be convinced about the skiing.

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For ski holidays, I an going to St Johann in Tirol next week, for the third time.

But I don't actually go there for St Johann itself, I go there because it is centrally placed between three large ski areas (Kitzbuhel, Ski Welt Ski Circus), which can all be accessed on one pass. Unlike others who like to go back to the same place because of the kids, I travel solo when skiing.

For other holidays, where I normally go with my wife, there is only one resort we have been to twice (15 years apart), and nowhere more than that.

Going to the same place and trying new places are not mutually exclusive. I often do both in the same trip. I like to return to a place and leverage the knowledge I earned the prior time(s), both on the hill and getting around town. I also have gotten to know other travelers by seeing them again and again, like the Swiss/German couple who, seeing I was alone, asked me to join them for dinner and now I dine with them for a week each year at Alta Badia, which is really fun. But I also like a new adventure....that's how I came to know the places I decide to return to!

You know it makes sense.

I’m sort of anti same place.

I just feel like there are too many places and not enough time. I’ll never get to ski them all anyway. But exploring somewhere new is a big draw for me. It applies to summer holidays also.

We have never been to the same place twice as a family. My husband on his boys trips tends to go back to the same few places though.

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

Depends what type of ski holiday you are after and how you do your ski holidays.

For us it's about the skiing and we are not luxury travelers - even though in a way we probably afford to be.

Also I think it's quite natural when you first start skiing to want to try a few different places.

After a long period of family drive to France holidays, now the kids have grown up we may take on something different/more ambitious.

* Skiing off piste - knowing the terrain is a big plus.

A snowHead

I've been skiing/boarding for over 30 years and have been to 11 resorts, 6 of them only once.

Various reasons for repeat visits - knowing people who live out there (La Plagne), wanting somewhere high and snow sure since we started skiing at Easter (VT/Tignes) or just loving the resort for the memories I have of being young and carefree and having some of the best times of my life (Val D).

I think once my kids leave the nest we'll probably up our trips to the mountains and try some new spots.

A snowHead

Getting to know a place extremely well has many advantages, for skiing and non-skiing activities. Obviously there's an opportunity cost in terms of not getting to experience different places quite as much. Equally, never visiting the same place twice means you only get to enjoy the most obvious bits of that new destination, never getting behind the headlines to find some of the hidden gems.

No right or wrong answer, it depends on what you are looking for from the time you can devote to skiing. For me, I like making turns on or in nice snow. Whether it's the same old view or a new view as I'm making those turns is of secondary importance. If you're able to devote lots of time to skiing it's possible to enjoy the best of both situations, spending your time each winter between a regular destination and somewhere new.

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We learned to ski as adults in Val d'Isere and so for the first few times, return visits helped us with getting our heads around the whole ski holiday thing. Knowing where we were able to ski within our skills whilst learning and benchmark our improvements really helped us. We still laugh about early days tantrums and hissy fits on certain runs that we now ski without giving a second thought. Also, we could use the same instructors for teaching consistency.

After the first few years and with a bit of experience, we did cast our travel net further to try other resorts (including North America). However, wherever we went, we still missed Val and so always ended up booking a second (or third) holiday to go back to there as well. Twenty+ years on, it's our happy place and we have many friends there and it's now not just about skiing but just being there.

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My dad and I would go somewhere different each time. He was a big fan of booking a mystery trip on Friday and go on Saturday. We went to some great places, as well as some not so great.

Then family events happened, my aunt moved to the Alps and suddenly all the family from all over the world was invited there to meet up each year. I've now been going there for 20 years. There are pros and cons. Some things that have worked for us include being able to leave our skis out there, my child being able to use the same instructors for multiple years, knowing the best place to go at the best time of day, knowing how to beat any bottlenecks, and so on.

I think we are heading towards the end of this family ski era, my dad is nearly 80, his siblings not far behind him. My husband and I did discuss the other day whether we would carry on at the same place when it ends, no decision made yet.

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After all it is free

Some really interesting replies.

Having never taken my kids as bambinos and seen them learn from scratch, maybe I don't have an affinity for a specific resort because of the memories it holds. Ours have been tweens/teens so have been a bit more 'independent' on the mountain and are happy to go anywhere provide there's snow.
However, I can totally get behind factors like choosing a resort with a really short drive/transfer (such as Flaine) or going somewhere where the infrastructure and services make life as easy as possible.

There are resorts I would visit again - I really like ADH (been there twice, 15yrs apart) and I'd love to go back to Val Di'isere for amazing powder like we had one December (I doubt we'll ever recreate that). But at the moment I definitely feel there are too many good resorts out there that I've yet to visit. I do think that we are close to returning to Saalbach though, as we absolutely lived it. But I think that may be the novelty of our first time in Austria also.

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This thread has been really interesting to read, and I feel inspired to add to it. I certainly feel qualified to comment and hopefully add some insights, as I played the field in my youth, before becoming wedded to one resort.

I’ve used this analogy before, and it seems to work. I went through many years of exploration - serial monogamy - visiting different resorts and becoming superficially acquainted with each one, sometimes returning more than once, sometimes many times, but not really developing a profound knowledge of the people and characters. Then I fell in love with and became wedded to one resort, and 20 years later I have no regrets whatsoever. It now feels like home.

During those 25 or so years of exploration I visited, and in many instances organised annual chalet parties to Cervinia, Mayrhofen (twice), Val d’Isere/Tignes (twice), Verbier, Leogang (4 times), Champéry (4 times), Les Gets, St Martin de Belleville (possibly 8 times or more), Zermatt (twice), Alpe d’Huez (3 times), Les Deux Alpes (twice), Serre Chevalier (Chantemerle once, Monetier twice), Les Arcs (Arcs 2000 once, Vallandry twice), La Plagne, Montalbert, Les Menuires, Badgastein, Baqueira Beret, St Anton…I think that’s about it.

Conspicuous by its absence from that list is the resort that, having first discovered it in the late 80s, and having started to return to it time and again in the early 2000s, I felt happy to commit to: Saalbach. And, having made Saalbach my home, and spent around 20 years developing an ever deepening relationship with it, and getting to know its people and places ever more intimately, I have never felt a hankering to revisit any of those other places. I’m glad I sowed my wild oats and had a reasonable look around the Alps (and one resort in the Pyrenees), but I’m also glad that I settled for one resort that ticked all my boxes (and that is of course a totally subjective thing). The only mild regret is that I didn’t get to ski in the Dolomites and Ischgl, although I still could I suppose.

I completely empathise with the comments, highlighting the advantages of getting to know a ski area intimately: the best runs, the best way of getting from A to B, the best restaurants, the best bars, the best après-ski, the friendliest people, and the warmest welcome. I regularly see comments and trip reports from people on this forum, from which it’s apparent that they missed the best things, or didn’t know where to be on particular days for the best experience, or never got to discover the best way of getting around and planning their days, and extracting the maximum enjoyment from their time. All those valuable insights that come from familiarity. Skimming the surface of a resort in the course of a single visit gives a superficial impression, but you’re basically wandering around like a lost soul, missing out on a lot, making things harder or less enjoyable than they need to be, and having occasional “eureka” moments when you stumble on something really special (which of course the locals and regular visitors know all about).

Amongst my circle of friends and acquaintances there are many who return to Saalbach every ski season, and who wouldn’t want to ski anywhere else. They’ve got to know people - the bar owners, seasonal workers, other regular visitors. Increasingly they feel part of the community. They make friends of locals, with whom they can leave their ski equipment, saving them from humping it back and forth, and enabling them to travel with minimal baggage. They get to know people to ski with. They get invited to house parties and dinner parties. Some return several times per season and buy a season lift pass.

And that is of course another very significant benefit of continually returning to one resort: a season pass costs about the same as a pass for just over two weeks, but you’re covered from October to May. And of course you have the ability to satisfy any remaining wanderlust by buying an area pass that allows you to ski in numerous surrounding resorts.

Becoming wedded to one resort may seem restrictive, but it doesn’t feel that way from the inside. I know that my situation is unusual, in that I have a permanent base in my home resort, but it has allowed me to travel and explore in this area: Salzburg, the Salzkammergut (Austrian Lake District), Carinthia, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy (most recently Cortina d’Ampezzo)….

Two things I would say in conclusion: it’s certainly good to look around and explore, to sample different resorts before making comparisons and committing to one favourite resort that “fits”, is compatible, supports personal growth, and satisfies all requirements - that way you have no regrets or backward glances or yearnings for variety (it is indeed like becoming monogamous). Secondly, for me at least, it’s about the people you get to know: not only the locals and regular seasonal workers and visitors, but also those new faces that you’re meeting all the time - some discovering the delights of the place for the first time, some rediscovering on second or subsequent visits, some gradually or suddenly realising that they’ve fallen in love with the resort and feel at home…and some who’ve been skiing around the area for many years but somehow your paths haven’t previously crossed.

Help!!

Eat. Sleep. Ski. Repeat.

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