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Anywhere quiet in Europe during the Easter holidays?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi
For the last few years I’ve travelled to North America during the Easter school holidays. The extended travel time and jet lag is becoming more of an issue so I was wondering just how busy are the (family friendly) European resorts during Easter?

I’ve experienced France during half term and It’s not something I’d like to experience again in a hurry, but I’ve read that Easter is generally much quieter.

I’m grateful for any advice people can give.

Cheers
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
IANL100, welcome to snowHead

I don't know the answer, but I'm sure someone will be along soon
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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IANL100, welcome to snowHead
I am tempted to say that "Schools tend to be quiet during the Easter holidays", but that's about as helpful as a very unhelpful thing...

So, what you want is: somewhere high enough to have a good chance of reasonable snow at easter, and somewhere that isn't in all the magazines, or popular with families. Tough one to answer.
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Trois Vallees hasn't been overly busy for the past 3 easters, this past one was the busiest I have seen, maybe due to the slow start to the season?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ian100,

This year was my first Easter ski holdiay. Previous holidays have mainly been during school mid-term with a few extra during Jan/Mar over the years. I skied a few resorts around the Tarantaise and all were noticably quieter than mid term - quieter than January or March weeks in fact. Weekends were a bit busier but not by much. Lift queues didn't exist anywhere. Another thing I noticed is that there were little or no beginners either.

As I said, I have just one years experience of Easter skiing but I'd be surprised if any other year was different. There was scoops of snow in all resorts but you did have to put up with ice in the morning turning to slush by afternoon.
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IANL100, Welcome to snowHeads snowHead

It is worth bearing in mind that for 2008 many UK schools are only taking a long weekend for Easter rather than the traditional 2 weeks as Easter is early. (March 21/24) The 2 week holiday commences April 2nd. So I would suggest thta Easter 2008 may be quieter than'normal'.
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It should mean that it's much cheaper too, although that's not very useful if you have kids! snowHead
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I was very surprised how quiet it was in Les Arcs this Easter. Very short queues at a couple of lift bottlenecks, and moderately busy on a small number of popular pistes but easy to escape to quieter parts of the domain. I suspect that the resort was quieter than usual because of the slightly later Easter and the warm weather, but nevertheless it was quieter than you would expect for one of the French mega-resorts.
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rob@rar wrote:
I was very surprised how quiet it was in Les Arcs this Easter. Very short queues at a couple of lift bottlenecks, and moderately busy on a small number of popular pistes but easy to escape to quieter parts of the domain. I suspect that the resort was quieter than usual because of the slightly later Easter and the warm weather, but nevertheless it was quieter than you would expect for one of the French mega-resorts.


We experienced the same in La Plagne.
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Though you wouldn't think so from this thread (and a huge majority of all other threads in snowheads) there is a life outside of France.
If 1/2 term crowds put you off...ski in Switz' or Austria (or Germany, or "cough" Bulgaria, or Poland, or Sweden, or Andorra, or Spain, or..., or....)

The same applies for Easter.
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Blast...I forgot to mention La Rosiere and Resort X.

They will be quiet at all times!
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My experience this year was that half term in Mottaret and the rest of the 3V was quiet this year compared to previous years, but our half-term was early. The authorities usually split the term two ways and this year it was an odd number. Some went 5/6 and some 6/5. I don't think I have explained that very well! (UK Schools had two different half-term weeks)

Easter at 2 Alpes was busier than usual. This might have been because the late start to the season meant more people had gone late and were attracted by the high expanses of 2 Alpes in what was promoted by the media as a snowless year.
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Verbier was OKish this Easter, comparable with the last three years. Certainly quieter than Feb half term
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Resort X is quiet - for the moment. rolling eyes
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Like Chris Bish, ( Hi Chris!) we were also in Deux Alpes at Easter.........after a few years doing the half term scrum at other resorts. Busy over the Easter weekend then other than the morning telecabine crush significantly quieter than I've experienced in many considerably lesser known resorts in Feb. We're planning to go again next Easter anyway!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
My own experience is that when Easter is early the resorts are busier than when it is late. I don't know wethr the changes in British holidays will affect this, we are only a part of the alpine skiing population. The week after Easter is usually a lot quieter than the week before in my experience.

I am not sure how representative this year is of typical Easters. Both the later season holidays that I went on (Including Easter at Nendaz) locals were saying it was quieter than usual due to widespread reporting of a poor snow year.

My usual Easter haunt is Serre Che which typically is not particularly busy most of the time but the actual Easter weekend is not as quiet as the rest of the holiday.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks everyone for your comments to date.

I particlularly like the sound of Resort X. Does any one know if it's owned by Intrawest?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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IANL100 wrote:
I particlularly like the sound of Resort X. Does any one know if it's owned by Intrawest?


Laughing Laughing
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I found LDA to be fine this year the week after Easter. I'm going to ski for 2 weeks at Easter next year (1 week ADH and 1 at LDA) to fit in with my daughters holidays so I hope it's not too busy.
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IANL100, Here in Morzine Easter is a great time to ski as the French don't seem to ski as mach except at the weekends. Ski Schools are much quieter and the slopes are a joy! As boredsurfin, says there Easter break is spread aver 4 weeks next winter so should eb even quieter than usual if tha is possible!!
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My advice would be pick a resort which:
a) has a very efficient lift system over a wide terrain - that way you won't be standing in line most of the time.
b) is snow sure - Easter is in March next year, some resorts get slushy at low altitude - unless you're a boarder like me who likes slush Confused
c) your hotel position offers multiple lift access in different directions

You may want to try Portes Du Soleil, the biggest international ski area in the world (apparently) or the Sella Ronda in the Italian Dolomites.
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I would say somewhere like la Thuile / La Rosiere (take your pick) The Italian side keeps the snow and the French side gets the sun. generally loads of snow and usually nice and quiet. An efficient lift system IMHO sometimes means a crowded pistes.
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Frosty the Snowman wrote:
I would say somewhere like la Thuile / La Rosiere (take your pick) The Italian side keeps the snow and the French side gets the sun. generally loads of snow and usually nice and quiet. An efficient lift system IMHO sometimes means a crowded pistes.


No problems at all in La Thuile this Easter. Went from 1st to 9th April and although it was a bit more crowded over the 4 day holiday period we hardly had to queue at all (apart from a few 5 min. waits getting out of La Ros). Good but slushy all the way down to La Thuile (1440m) all week.
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I skied La Thuile on 17th April: you could still ski down to resort level (just). Loads open higher up. Was impressed. Smile
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Easter is very confusing next year - even more confusing than usual. The French school dates on the thread (in Trips) all seem to exclude the Easter weekend (if I have read it correctly). Lots of British school holidays exclude the Easter weekend too. With Easter so early (21 - 24 March) it should be an ideal time to ski next year though the weekend will probably be fairly busy, if the conditions are good. Easter was slushy this year, because it was fairly late and extremely hot. But generally those March dates should be great.
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