 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, we've just returned from a Half term week in Morzine where we had a great week with our 2 boys loving their first trip to the mountains. The boys were in ski school in the morning 9.30 - 12.00 and here's where the only issue was. Queues to get up the mountain in the morning after dropping off were at least 30 mins before we hit the top of the Pleny. This only gave an hours skiing out before we had to turn round and return for pick up.
So I guess what I would like to know is are there any resorts out there that give good quality ski schools, good all round skiing for beginners and intermediates and that don't have those huge morning queues?
I know half term will always be busy but I'd like to know other peoples experiences. Maybe I am looking for the Holy Grail?
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The best advice I can give is that you find yourself the most expensive ski resort in Europe (or the world). Try St Moritz, Klosters or somewhere like that. They'll still be busy, but hopefully not rammed.
Otherwise, I concur with Pam, Morzine sounds worse than most places. For example, if you had perhaps stayed up at Avoriaz you'd already be at the top of the hill, so those valley queues wouldn't be such a problem.
Smaller resorts may also be better. Somewhere really cut-off (no road access) like Murren should be fine.
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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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Gravid, Swiss resorts generally quieter than french ones at half term. I believe that this is to do with less resort beds available to let i.e. more privately owned property not made available for let. On the whole choose smaller resorts off the tourist track i.e. not in any UK TO brochure.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just avoid the big French resorts. Over HT we went to obertauern in Austria. No queues all week (other than one
morning when high winds forced some lifts to close), and no price premium for going at HT (partly because we drove)
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Gravid, mainly as European school holidays tend to be a bit more spread out, most important thing is to avoid resorts frequented by Brits as they really fill up during UK half-term. This means virtually any big name resort/ski area in France and definitely the Portes du Soleil (incld Morzine). At least in my experience, the other European countries really aren't too bad apart from a few certain resorts that are particularly frequented by British visitors, and I don't think even these are as bad as France.
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We've been going to Obergurgl at Easter in the last 3 years. Have never been during 1/2 term though. Ski school there is full day and you can pay extra for your children to have lunch with the ski school group supervised by the instructor. This will give you a full day of skiing but I guess some people prefer half day lesson as it means you can ski with your children in the afternoon. In terms of lift queues, only long queues during start of ski school at 10am and after lunch but that's never more than 10 mins. The resort is also suitable for beginners and intermediates. Both myself and my son learn to ski there. Very family friendly resort.
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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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I think Easter is generally less crowded than HT in the French resorts if you must go there in hols, but you probably wouldn't want to try the PdS at that time of year unless you waited to the last minute to check the snow/weather.
Just got back from HT in obscure-ish Italian resort in Dolomites. v. few queues and not particularly busy on pistes. No brits. Can't speak for quality of ski schools tho, as we didn't bother. How bad can they be ??!!! skiing pretty much ideal for beginners/intermediates.
I updates a topic on it yesterday with a few details - val di fiemme.
d
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Gravid,
As Mrs B is a teacher we have skiied half term week for the past 15 years or so. We have found that France is extremely busy - with some areas more so than others. For example, although it's a while since we've been in Feb, we have found that the capacity of the lift system in the 3 Valleys copes well at half term, so you shouldn't encounter problems with queues like those you describe above. Having said that I'm sure someone will be along soon with more up to date info.
We have found more recently that Italy is remarkably quiet by comparison. For example, we spent a week in Aosta and skiied at Courmayeur, Pila, La Thuile, La Rosiere  and Cervinia and had no problems with queues or crowds.
Over recent years we have found that the Holy Grail does indeed exist - albeit across the Atlantic. We have skiied deserted slopes at Half Term in Vail, Winter Park, Jackson Hole, Alta, Snowbird, Park City, the Canyons, Deer Valley, Banff, Lake Louise, Panorama, Fernie and Nakiska. 
2 weeks ago we were in Revelstoke and Kicking Horse and have never seen slopes so empty - although the last day's temperatures of minus 35 nearly killed us  (The first time we'd had such problems). The only other problem was on the Sunday we arrived, which was a holiday weekend in Alberta. That meant that skiers flocked to Kicking Horse in their droves and led to 20 minute queues for the gondola. We did ski there again on the following Friday and walked straight onto the lift each time however
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Even "small name" French resorts can be pretty busy. I think avoiding France in the French school hols at New Year and February is a good idea. Easter is really no problem at all IME (and I've skied every Easter since 2003).
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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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I've skied Feb HT in France (Flaine) since 2000 and the lifts have been generally reasonable but then I know what to avoid and when. Our longest queue this time was maybe 15 mins but it varied a lot depending on weather, time of day, location etc. We've also been to France twice at Easter (Flaine once and Alp D'Huez once). Flaine was quiet but, then again, the French weren't there in vast numbers as my impression is they ski when the snow is ikely to be good (say mid Jan to mid Mar in Flaine/GM). As Alp DH is higher there is a better chance of good snow at Easter but, when I was there (2009 mid Apri), conditions lower down were soft or scraped i.e. generally unpleasant. The high area (which takes an age to get to) had goodish snow but was busy so I wasn't that enamoured with it. Also, I don't really want to pay full price for a lift pass when only a limited area is worth skiing (or open). So I don't know the answer, maybe the USA if you can afford it. In fact next time I ski at Easter (not this year, going somewhere warmer) it will likely be the Rockies. Just my opinion.
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Just posted about our HT trip on another similar thread, but we went to Termignon (Val Cenis) and had a great time with hardly any queues all week. The bigger resorts further up the valley (Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard) were a fair bit busier but the queues were mostly almost non-existent. If you managed to get on the lift before 10am when the ski school set off you were fine, otherwise there would be a 10 minute queue. We never had more than a 10 minute queue all week and mostly there was no queue at all. Conditions were not great but certainly skiable and almost all the runs were open.
Although the skiing in Termignon is fairly limited, the runs are great so you dont mind doing them several times. The kids loved the blue called Forestiere, lost count of how many times we did it but they never seemed to get bored of it with its bumps and stuff off the sides. There are only 3 chair lifts in Termignon and 2 drag lifts at the top (plus a couple on the beginner slopes in the village). It takes about 30 minutes to reach the top from the village, via 2 chairs and one of the difficult drag lifts. It would be possible to ski all the way down in less than 10 minutes probably but with the kids more like 30+ minutes.
There is a good high speed chair linking Termignon to the other parts of Val Cenis (Lanslebourg) down the valley. It takes about 5 minutes (once you get up the mountain from the village) - the alternative is the Traverse blue which is mostly just a long road through the trees and takes about 15 minutes with plenty of poling. Or you can drive down the valley, parking is free and surprisingly easy, takes about 10 minutes from the village. We went over there about 2 or 3 times during the week but skied Termignon the rest of the time. We did a lovely walk from Termignon to Lanslebourg one late afternoon, took about 2 hours (1 hour up hill through the forest then one hour down into the village. If snow conditions were better this would have needed snow shoes but the kids managed it in their wellies!
And when you get across there also avoid Escargot which is also a road in parts, but there are blue and red alternatives. The runs at the top are the best and a fair bit busier than Termignon. Plenty of good, fast lifts over there too with small queues.
Overall we had a great time and would recommend it for a family holiday if apres ski is not your priority. Accomodation in Termingon was pretty basic and there were just 2 restaurants in the village, both were good. One was a rustic place serving local specialities like raclette etc. The other a good pizzeria. The village supermarket and bakery were good and not overpriced.
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You know it makes sense.
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Gravid, you would probably have done better to get the bus up the valley to the telepherique station and gone straight up Nyon. Morzine can be pretty terrible during half term which is when local knowledge helps.  But frankly if you're tied to half term then you're between a rock and a hard place.
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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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This was the lift nightmare I endured during 1/2 term in Austria. 6 man heated seats, and no one to share it with!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have a look at Praz-de-lys, it's between Morzine and Grand Massif valley. Small-ish and ideal if you don't need a vast area, not been there for HT but visited last 3 years from other areas, seems a good balance.
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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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A big thumbs up for the Val Cenis area - Termignon, Lanslevillard and Lanslebourg. We skiied there and it really is a great place for those who prefer self-catering and are travelling as a family and are not interested in night life. The skiing area is over 100kms. ESF ski school and ski lifts are very cheap. There is plenty of ski-to-door accommodation.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Gravid wrote: |
So I guess what I would like to know is are there any resorts out there that give good quality ski schools, good all round skiing for beginners and intermediates and that don't have those huge morning queues?
Thanks. |
Scheffau.
5 out of 5 for all of the criteria you're asking for.
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FAQ
although I have an apartment in a French resort I always make myself scarce during the 4 week French school holidays, which coincide with the British half term week. I have to say that I would always try to avoid France for a half term holiday - and try to find somewhere where all the locals aren't on holiday at the same time as UK schools. There are a number of threads about half term experiences currently on snowheads - have a look at them, and get some idea of the choices. For example, one reporter who went to Andorra said they had had no queueing problems.
