 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone worked this out yet please? Do you have any suggestions for quiter countries/resorts?
Any sugestions would be gratefully recieved. After looking at "Hurtle's" website, we think were looking at Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Big Intermediate Ski Area, cheap as possible and ideally easy access by public transport from aiport.
Thanks very much
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 28-03-09 21:21; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pishposhpesh, the French school holidays are spread over 4 weeks - usually from the second week of February through till the first week of March. Those weeks are best avoided in French resorts if you can, though the 4 weeks are not all equally busy. The two weeks of the Paris area holidays are the worst. If you have to travel in English half term (which always coincides with one of the French holiday weeks) and want to visit France, best choose a resort which is NOT on the UK tour operators list. There are loads. I don't know about the other countries, but somebody will probably be along with some suggestions. Might be useful if you spell out your own requirements a bit more fully.
Welcome to Snowheads. 
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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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pishposhpesh, uk schools are 13th Feb for a week.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I think our half term week is also Fasching week which I think means holidays for Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, etc (I'm sure someone will be along to confirm this or otherwise).
I did find that this year at half term Zermatt was actually not too bad all, a bit of a scrum first thing, which could be avoided by an early start, but otherwise queues were OK. I also skied over in Cervinia on a couple of days and that didn't seem too busy either.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Colin B, you are right, our half term is the same week as Fasching next year. We were in Obertauern this year and had a four bed apartment. They only have three of these in the hotel. When we enquired about booking the same week for 2010 they told us it was the same week as Fasching (which this year was the following week) so couldn't offer us anything until they'd given first refusal to their regular Fasching guests. We were told to email them after 10 days. We were at first told there wasn't one available but they've subsequently had a cancellation so luckily we've got one. I am a bit worried it's going to be really crowded but with children in year 11 and 9 plus me working in a school we have no choice but to go half term week.
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pishposhpesh, Dates are as others advise above As a suggestion for a 'quiet' resort, much depends on what you are looking for in terms of type of skiing, ski school, night life, shops etc. I had a large client group (18+ people) in St Gervais for HT week this year (probably comparable to how busy the week will be in 2010, as the same countries/areas of France were off then too) and reported it wasn't too bad at all in terms of crowds and craziness. They do the same trip each year and felt that St G was the least manic of recent years - they are booking again for this reason. May be worth considering as it's also a lovely 'real' town, with nice cafes, bars and restaurants, and the skiing is extensive with a good snow record
Welcome to Snow Heads too
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Hurtle, those are some nice looking girls !
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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truffaut, 
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pishposhpesh, have a browse round this website.
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Great website thanks. Most countries your then directed to their own ed website, this is my brief resume, but dont take it as Gospel.
France - Area B 6th Feb, Area A 13th Feb, Area C 20th Feb
Germany - Not many places seem to have half term
Austria - Most seem different except for OBEROSTERREICH and STEIERMARK which have the same as us, but no idea where these are.
Switzerland - All over the place
Italy - Website defeated me
I have changed the original post to be a bit more specific with our wishlists!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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sk8girl,
my son is also in year 11. We are even thinking of going at Easter, but wondering if thats incredibly bad and that we will damage his prospects for life!!!!
I guess breaking his R wrist would be pretty serious!
Hes promised he will revise at night...
Thinking of posting it and hoping for replies from secondary teachers
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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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You know it makes sense.
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pishposhpesh, The following German States have all or part of the Fasching week as their Half Term - Bavaria the whole week,, Saarland part or all (I have the dates in my diary at work) Parts of Saxony are also on holiday as are smaller areas using discretionary days to avoid mass absenteeism during Fasching/Carneval. It is illegal to take children out of school during term time other than due to illness (has to be confirmed by a doctor) or for funerals etc of close family members.
The Dutch, Danish and Swedish schools are also on holiday in this period as well. Fasching week in 2010 will begin at midday on Friday 12th February which is when the schools kick out at the latest. Saturday 13th February will be the big southward migration, converging on Munich, then the A8 to Salzburg, A95 to Garmisch, A96 to Lindau/Bregenz, A93 Rosenheim to Innsbruck all on the routes to Austria and Switzerland. On the west side, everyone and their grandmother will be on their way south to the mountains on the A5 Frankfurt to Basel, including half of the French because this is the only free motorway north to south. A lot of other areas will be returning from the Alps on the same weekend, so you have all the ingredients for chaos on the road routes. So transfer times from airports could be "interesting"  Add snow or other bad weather to the equation and you can understand why none of the locals along those routes even bother to move the car out of the garage that weekend.
Oberösterreich is referred to as Upper Austria in English and is centred on the Danube valley between St Polten and Salzburg (capital city Linz) Steiermark is Styria in English and the capital is Graz. They are the third and fourth most densely populated states after Vienna and Lower Austria, so quite a lot of people will be on holiday there.
The other spanner in the equation for you is that some people are forced/obliged to take winter holidays then, due to the various industries closing or shortening work hours again to reduce the absenteeism due to Fasching. So school holidays alone are not a good indicator of how busy or not a resort is going to be.
If you are wanting to si Austria, Germany or Switzerland it is better to use the Tourist Offices to sort things out as many hotels have what are called "Pauschal" offers which include your ski pass. A DIY job is often cheaper than going with British TOs who deliberately yank up the prices knowing that people are desperate to get out in that particular week. Most of the profit going to them, not the locals by the way! Report in the Torygraph today quoted differences of £500 a head today!
Best advice is to start looking at ski atlases and asking around for resort ideas and then contact the Tourist Offices for the areas you are interested in. You will be able to make a reservation without having to pay a deposit more often than not but with a fixed price with the accommodation.
Sue 
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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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Holidays for every school area in England
sorry not there for Scotland, N Ireland, Wales yet but we'll get round to it when we've time at the end of the season.
http://www.folgarida.co.uk/folgarida_Half_Term_Holidays_Dates_2010.htm
Some of the school areas that are shown as "not yet published" may be now, as well have not re-done this page for the past 4 weeks (again will be updated in a few weeks at the end of this season)
Hope this helps
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Poster: A snowHead
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pishposhpesh, I work in a french school and we've just bee given the holiday dates for the Paris zone 2010 and it's from 20th Feb until 8th March.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Our half term co-inciding with Fasching week will push prices up even more. This year I booked an apartment for half term week in Zermatt though Interhome. Fasching week was the next week and the rental price was even higher then.
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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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