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Is new year busier than 1/2 term? particularly france (grand massif)

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
This year we are thinking about not leaving just after christmas as per usual, but doing the next week. Particularly because I get some free holiday between christmas and new year

We did half term last season in grand massif land yes it was a bit busy, but was not unbearable. However never ever done a new year week, (well once in Val T, millenium when the place was cut off for 3 days...so does not count really)

so anyone who has experience of both weeks, half term and new year, particularly grand massif if poss, how busy is it comparing one with the other? Don't really care how busy the village is but how busy is the skiing?

The drive back up the A6 after christmas usually has horrible traffic on the other side........which does not really bode well

I can ask various french friends in the village, but their usual reaction to half term and new year is its all totally mad, but they make their money then so don't ski much.

So opinions from snowheads would be good as well......

Thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
we've done both elsewhere several times and Morillon several times at half term but not New Year. Usually New Year feels busier.
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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?
Carroz - I can only talk about Flaine but in my opinion (based on the last 3 years), half term is far busier than Christmas/New Year. Judgement based on lift queues, size of ski classes, etc. Week immediately after New Year tends to be very quiet
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We can sell NY weeks for about 40% more than HT weeks.

I think NY is busier. but maybe not for the entire week.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
We skied Flaine over Christmas and TBH the thing that was limiting over the period was the snowcover and what they had open a not the queues. IMO it was no worse than other French resorts we had skied at Christmas/New Year time of year e.g. Serrre Che, Les Arcs, Mottaret. New Year is the big French, Italian and Russian hoolie as far as my obs are concerned over the years. If you are further from Italy and Russia you may find it quieter. Which is my guess for Grand Massif, but it is late as I post and I have not got the best geog at this moment in time.
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The Christmas/New Year thing doesn't work. They are two VERY different weeks. Christmas, certainly in the French resorts I've been to is dead as dodo comparatively speaking. New Year is not. How busy it seems does also as MarjMJ, says depends on how easy it is for the crowds to disperse from the main pistes/gathering points/ bottle necks. On balance I think there is usually more opportunity for this on the half term weeks Half term weeks, at least in France can also be coloured by which zones are on holiday at the same time just to complicate it further.

Having said that, usual rules apply in that if you plan your skiing and plan your day and presumably in the case of the OP judging by the user name, know your resort then I am sure that you can have a great time at either time!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
So, which is christmas week and which is new year week this year? Sat- sat is 24-31st dec.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

which is christmas week and which is new year week this year?

good question - probably best way of answering it is to look at a selection of accommodation sites (agencies etc) linked to the resort in question and see what dates they are giving. There will be a price difference!

Quote:

Half term weeks, at least in France can also be coloured by which zones are on holiday at the same time just to complicate it further.

another good point. When the UK half term coincides with one of the two Paris weeks (which I don't think it does next year) then that will be the maddest and baddest week of all in resorts with a big Brit influx.

Half term has the advantage of longer days and, statistically, a better chance of good snow cover (though it wasn't the case in 2010/11).

Christmas is often rather gloomy weather and not v good snow, but far better than New Year if you have to choose one or the other, because of fewer crowds. It also has the further advantage of escaping Christmas telly. wink
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Thanks for the ideas/views. My other half is not very keen on the week from 24/12 to 31/12 thinks it will be rather mad and busy.

The christmas/new year weeks seem to be 17/12 to 24/12 and then 24/12 to 31/12. We can go from the 11/12 which is what we normally do and drive to flaine until les carroz is open, then stay until just after christmas usually, but this year the dates are a bit awkward.

Our apartment is rented out for the new year week, (from 24/12) so we will have to move house so to speak, but have an ok place to go to. Its just is it worth it? Yes i am talking about 2 weeks there.

The two choices are from 11/12 to 24/12 or 17/12 to 31/12 (but maybe be able to go a couple of days earlier)

Half term last season was ok, (ish) and it was 2nd week of paris hols, but there were suggestions that because of the poor snow there were not so many people as normal......it was busy enough for my daughter to get flattened twice on the same day! ....I think i may be talking myself out of this..... Puzzled
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Surely 24-31 is Christmas week (due to it containing Christmas) and 31-7/1 is New Yerar week (due to it containing the new year) Puzzled Puzzled

The week with Christmas in it is always a lot quieter than the week with the New Year in it. I guess families stay at home for Christmas (boxing day is always quite busy on the slopes) while everyone wants to party for the New Year.

Slight thread deviation - last time the dates fell like this we went to Canada and flew back into the UK on 31st. On the plane we thought we'd have a bottle of champagne to celebrate (albeit we couldn't decide whether to hit midnight in UK, midnight in Canada or midnight halfway across the atlantic, or wherever we were when it was midnight local time). Even though we were close to the front of the plane and got offered drinks pretty quickly the hostess said "oh, we've only got two half bottles of champagne on the flight". Obviously we had both Toofy Grin

Who'd have thought it eh? Champagne sales go up on New Year's eve Shocked
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Our Christmas week dates are arrival 19 or 20 December (client's preference) and departure 26 or 27 December - returning NY guests arrive on 27th for a week. This avoids either week travelling on a main festive day (unless it suits them to leave on Boxing Day) and worked well last season which had similarly awkward changeover days.
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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.
I think half term is busier, mainly because in the New Year week you can get a really quiet day on slopes on 1st Jan (well at least in the morning) and if you leave on a Sunday the Saturday can be quiet as well
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
carroz, We have stayed in Flaine many times over xmas week (the week including xmas day) and never had a real problem with the queues. Having said that the DMC and the EGG can be busy at peak times but there are other ways up the mountain. The only real problem (one year) has been when the surrounding resorts have had no snow and everyone is coached up to Flaine.
If you have never been earlier, the week before xmas this year the 17-24/12 if the same as normal, there will be very few lifts open as the place is almost empty.
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