 Poster: A snowHead
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hi
looking to drive to france, probably grand massif or either flying down to marseille and driving up to risoul (which we gather is generally a fairly quiet resort) around that area 3rd march. We've noticed on the school holiday info that one region of france is still on holiday that week.......... would you risk it? we've never been skiing during ANY school holidays before, french or otherwise, and bit worried it could be mega crowded???? anybody had any experience of french school holidays??
opinions please?!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fly
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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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French school holidays are nowhere near the horror-story that people try and make out, in particular if you go more than 2 or 3 lifts from the Front De Neige you'll find empty pistes. Just avoid the ski-school snake runs and it's fine really.
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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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French school holidays are nowhere near the horror-story that people try and make out
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depends where, when, and what the weather does. You can spend many, many, hours in traffic jams (as many people did last weekend). Equally, when snow is very poor, areas which do have snow are rammed, with resort car parks jammed with coaches bringing people from snowless areas. Les Saisies can be very bad for that as it often has the best snow for miles around (we get ski instructors bringing groups from Flaine). My daughter and son in law (teachers) did a half term in Flaine when snow was poor, so much of the Grand Massif domaine was not available. They have both skied for many years and said they'd never been so worried about out of control speeding nutters and saw plenty of collisions. there have been plenty of reports on SHs in the last few weeks complaining of hideous overcrowding - on the piste, on lifts and on ski buses - and that's in a time of exceptionally fine snow cover.
It depends on what you expect, and what your options are. if you have no choice and are prepared to put up with crowded pistes and lift queues, you can obviously still have a good holiday. Get out early, take local advice on which lifts to avoid, have an early stop, then ski through lunchtime and be prepared to give up early when the ski school snakes come out for their afternoon session. and check which zone is on holiday - the Paris weeks (2) are the worst. Big resorts such as the Espace Killy with very efficient lift systems and loads of choice can be a better bet than the small ones, where there may be no avoiding the "front de neige".
If, however, you are accustomed to ski with no queues, and with largely empty pistes, then French school holidays are rubbish.  If I had no choice but to holiday in French school holidays I'd go somewhere else - Austria, Italy, Switzerland, etc etc They all have busy times too - need to do your research.
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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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People like to complain don't they. I've done two half-terms and two New Years now, and the worst crowds I have ever seen were still in mid January. Both half terms and both New Years were OK, with one or two moderate queuing experiences at 'pinch points' on the lift map.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Last week should be fine . I think some places suffer more than othes and like paulio our worst experience was not February or new year
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I would suspect the middle 2 weeks (when Paris is out and overlaps with 1 of the other zones) would be much worse, generally speaking than the last week when only Zone C is out this year
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Crowding is difficult to predict, and uneven. Some people complained of ridiculous crowding this last week or so, here we had a few busy times but overall it was absolutely fine. Practically all lifts open practically all of the time. some resorts had very few lifts going, because of the avalanche risk, and those were a bit mad. Some people had trouble free journeys, others spent many hours in queues (and there's someone stuck for hours getting to eurotunnel, right now).
The worst queues I've ever encountered were in Chamonix in early/mid January. Terrible snow conditions, bad tempers all round.
However, the fact remains that few people who have any choice would choose to go on a ski holiday in school holiday time. If they have no choice, it pays to do research, ask a lot of questions. And then, having decided on a resort, don't, for goodness' sake, join the lemmings who drive into resorts at the same time, and leave at the same time when adjusting arrival and departure times by a few hours can make a smooth trip much more likely.
I am not keen on lift queues. At all. Saying "we never queued for more than 10 minutes" just doesn't impress me in the least.
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It's so easy to tell people precisely when and when not to go skiing, when you live in-resort for 7 months a year.
If I queue for 20 minutes, I tend to think to myself "this is better than most alternatives".
I guess I'm a glass half full kind of guy.
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paulio, It's hardly rocket science to suggest that if you have to go on holiday in the French school holidays, it might be a good idea to look at going somewhere other than France, or to research which French resorts cope best with big crowds. Why queue for 20 minutes if some advance planning can avoid it? The OP asked a question to which it is hard to give an unequivocal answer. It all depends. Sometimes French resorts in the school holidays are hideously crowded, sometimes they're not. You can be lucky or unlucky, well prepared or ill prepared. Whether it's worth the risk, which is what the OP asked, depends on what the alternatives are. And as the OP has never been skiing in any school holidays before, he is seeking information here from people with experience of French resorts in school holidays.
Sensible, I'd say. He will no doubt get a range of responses and I think if you read mine carefully you will find that I am not telling anybody when or when not to go skiing. You, on the other hand, made an exceptionally rash generalised assertion that a few lifts away from the front de neige the OP "will find empty pistes" in the French school holidays. Obviously some areas are more crowded and your statement might be true sometimes of some resorts (though rarely, I suspect). As a bald statement of fact it's daft. Not just glass half full, but rosy spectacles too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yeah. They're still not really all that bad though are they.
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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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It's when I'm going and I've been doing so for the last three or four years.
There may be a few french ankle biters around but it's nothing like mid-feb when it's Paris/an other and UK holidays - Ugh
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Have done L2A in that week twice before, yes it's busy, but not horrendous.
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