 Poster: A snowHead
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...for a family trip (3 or 4 adults, one child) this season, what would you choose?
Last year his holiday was outside UK half-term, this year it's bang-on the same dates so the issue is new to me.
EDIT: Please note I got it wrong, I meant the week commencing 26 December....sorry.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 15-09-09 14:24; 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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Easter
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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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Christmas, without a doubt, especially if the family will mainly be skiing on piste. Much quieter and a nice atmosphere in resort. We've skied at Christmas for most of the last 15 years and always had enough snow to ski on, even in years when early season didn't have the best of conditions. We don't bother with half-term anymore.
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I'd vote Christmas week.
> usually resorts are quite quiet (well quieter than New Year and Half Term)
> a genuine white Christmas is special
> skiing Christmas day! (just don't say that to the brother in law who dislocated his shoulder last christmas day)
> often good snow
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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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My first ever time on skis was Christmas morning 
Half term isn't as bad as people say it is though, as long as you don't go somewhere well known.
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paulio, seconded.
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another vote for Xmas week and Halfterm is nowhere as bad as some people say!
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half term would likely be better for off piste on the basis that there would be more of a base
Christmas was actually not overcrowded at all the one time I experienced it (in Alpe d'Huez); half term is definitely a time to go somewhere not on the big tour ops' radar
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As they,rob@rar, marcellus, paulio, Frosty the Snowman, Boredsurfing, all said. We were in LaTania at x-mas, didn't feel crowded. Meribel at Half-term never had to wait more than about 5mins for a lift.
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Christmas.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Will be in VT this x-mas, after ideas for Half -term though
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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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Probably Christmas for all the reasons marcellus, mentions and for us at least the expense of the skiing is somewhat mitigated by all the 'Christmassy' things we don't do at home. Agree that half term is fine, nowhere near as traumatic as it's billed especially if you try and stay away from the places that are served by major tour operators or go somewhere where it's not too difficult to avoid the 'silly busy' slopes which in our experience are often where you also find the 'silly skiing beyond their ability skiers/boarders' - a far bigger issue in my book than the lift queues.
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You know it makes sense.
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Christmas. Quieter. Special. Less commercial [than UK].
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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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Christmas definitely. Will be out in the Grand Massif myself then.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Christmas. Nice to spend my birthday in the mountains!
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Do you have a beard and walk on water? 
Deffo Chrimbo.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| MarjMJ wrote: |
| Christmas. Quieter. Special. Less commercial [than UK]. |
But even after spending the last 5 Christmases in the Alps still find it odd to see the Dustbin men doing their rounds as usual on Xmas Day
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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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I've booked Christmas week. Half term will be far too busy for my liking.
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1. Easter 2. Christmas 3. Half term
But in ALL cases you do need to think a bit about which resort.
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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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as a second thought.. WHY NOT BOTH!!
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It just occurred to me that I said Christmas week when what I meant was the week starting on 26 December...although if there's a chance of getting accommodation starting a couple of days earlier, I'd certainly prefer that.
Hmm looks like Christmas is on the cards...now about choosing a resort...
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horizon, the w/c 26 December is effectively New Year's week. Very busy time of year and most expensive. Week before (19th) will be quieter.
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vman is dead right. There'll be a huge difference between those two weeks. Christmas is less crowded, and less expensive, than New Year. New Year is expensive, crowded, and still statistically far less likely to have good snow than half term. Of all the weeks to ski, New Year probably has the least going for it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Hmm, no way I can get holiday on the week commencing 19th, used up too many days already. I'm stuck with being on hols for the week commencing 26th, might as well be in the mountains.
Easter...good as an add-on but parents too afraid of lack of snow (yes I know, but reasoning with them will only take me so far).
marcellus, I'm already planning a total of 3 weeks, only one of those will be at the busiest time!
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pam w, I'm not disagreeing with you but the advantage of new year week is of course that you don't need to use up so much precious leave from work - thereby giving you a chance to go again later in the season 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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horizon, You beat me to it!
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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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New Year is also not as busy as people say.
My last 6 Alpine trips were: End of April last week of the season, Mid Jan, Feb Half Term, New Year, Mid Jan, Feb Half Term.
In terms of crowding there's nothing to separate them that I can remember. The busiest holiday I remember having was at Christmas and the limiting factor was that I was a beginner so was on the crowded nursery slopes. So long as you go at least 1 lift away from the 'front de neige' it makes no difference when you go, at all.
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deffo Xmas!
It is always quieter out here in Austria and for th past 3 years the snow has been great too... Hlaf-term is so busy accross the whole of Europe.
A lot of people from around these parts book from around the 25th through to New Year crossing a weekend. So the beginning of the week will probably be quite empty and quiet.
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You know it makes sense.
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Xmas.
We are doing the week starting 26th dec in la plagne. The main reason is its as possible
In the year. We are not going to wait any longer than we have to before hitting the slopes.
We are tied as many people are to the kids holidays.
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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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| Quote: |
So the beginning of the week will probably be quite empty and quiet
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but sadly he really meant the New Year week beginning the 26th, rather than Christmas - so it won't be quiet at all.
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Poster: A snowHead
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In France, New Year week is much busier than Christmas week.
However, how busy depends on the lower resorts. If the lower resorts have good snow cover then the higher resorts are less busy and vice versa.
New Year 3 years ago was very bad (even Montalbert was only open due to snowmaking but it dumped it down on New Year day) and La Plagne was as busy if not busier than half term. The Christmas week before was dead even though the snow cover was OK (until it rained on Dec 30th up to 1800m.)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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horizon, I'd definitely go for February half term week over New Year week. The snow is usually at its best in February, New Year can be a bit hit and miss. The last 2 seasons have had good conditions at Christmas and New Year but it is not always the case. We usually go each Christmas and the snow cover has been patchy in the past, it was still possible to ski but it tends to wreck your skis. High prices and crowded slopes are common for both New Year and Feb half term weeks.
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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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if you're after black runs you'll enjoy half term more as even in good snow years many resorts such as alpe d'huez, chamonix, and val thorens won't have snow to fill in the steep runs on the upper mountain. I've been at both christmas and half and found that if you get to the lifts no later than 9 in places such as val d'isere where everyone wants 1 of 2 or 3 lifts then queuing isn't that bad and I can't tell the difference between the two.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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paulio, same it has snowed early in the morning and there was a couple of inches of powder on all the pistes. It was wonderful for someone who doesnt go off piste to experience similar conditions.
I have only ever been skiing at christmas so far and have loved it. I think the pistes have limited queues and the pistes are fairly quiet. This year will be the first time in 4 I will be at home for christmas, instead of being in the snow.
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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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Now New Year?????
Both will be busy and very different... do both!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Before I can answer you properly horizon it would be good to know if you have any previous experience of skiing?
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rungsp, 
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lots of hangovers New Years Morning so empty lifts for a while 
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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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Shimmy Alcott, absolutely. The town might be busy during New Year week, not the slopes though. We were making fresh tracks on piste, after an overnight snowfall, at about noon the next day.
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I've been to Austria for the last four years in Feb and the snow has always been good and the sopes a little quieter than my New Year trips which have not been so recent.
Based on my expereince I would tend to go for Feb in Austria or Switzerland, WHen I've been oto France which again was a while ago Feb was very busy.
The only other caveat I would add is that this year the half term coincides with Fasching which it has not doen recently, this may make things worse.
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FAQ
