 Poster: A snowHead
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Where would be a good place to go skiing in the first week of april? preferably somewhere drivable from london.
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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Just pick somewhere high in the Alps and you will be fine, Les 2 Alps at Easter last year was great once you got up above the village and great even down to the village after a massive powder dump mid week and Snowheads will be off to Val Thorens for the EoSB at the end of April.
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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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BobbieShamrock, any preference on country?
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well i guess france would be the best option as we're driving, but any close to the french border should also 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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You can drive to Austria in about the same time and it's cheaper as no auto route tolls (well a small one in Austria)
But in France, most resorts in France with higher skiing or north facing slopes will be fine for the first week of April, eg Espace Killy, Deux Alpes, Trois Vallees, La Plagne, Les Arcs
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There are lots of options available. We have driven to the Alps almost every year for 20 years to enjoy easter skiing. The resorts have included:
Les Arcs
La Plagne
Val d'Isere (yet oddly not Tignes)
Courchevel 1300 and 1850
St Martin be Bellville
Les Menuires
Verbier
Zermatt
Sometimes the trips have been very late in April, sometimes almost mid March. On every occasion we have been able to ski back to the resort and on most occasions had at least one fall of fresh snow. I would say all are suitable for Easter skiing.
The drive is very straightforward and takes about 9 - 10 hours from Calais, but you do appear top have to share the road with all of Belgium
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BobbieShamrock,
I have been for the last twelve years or so at this time though living in Scotland I have only driven one of those times. Most years you do not actually need to be particularly high to get excellent skiing early April as long as a fair bit of the skiing is North facing. There is the occasional year like two years ago where height pays off. Finding accommodation is rarely a problem.
A lot of the places listed above will come in a bit pricier than lower areas but all should offer decent skiing. I have had excellent skiing in the Maurienne valley and Serre Chevalier though the latter is a bit of a further drive.
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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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In France (can't speak for Austria) Easter is low-season skiing, with plenty of accommodation available. I'd be inclined to hang on and see what the snow is doing, then book accommodation at the last minute. Easter is very early this year and in an average sort of year many lower resorts will still be pretty fully open, with plenty of good skiing. It's more important to find somewhere with slopes with a variety of aspects (the sun-facing ones will soften earlier, the east-facing ones will be a better bet in the afternoon) than to aim for somewhere very high altitude. My apartment is at 1550m on a south facing slope - and even two years ago we could still ski down in early April.
It's a great time of year to ski.
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La Plagne - although I am biased!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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At the risk of getting stoned to death by the Francophiles I've had better late season skiing further east - with Davos being my preferred choice.
Fairly drivable at that time of year when the days are longer...
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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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At the risk of getting stoned to death by the Francophiles
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the Francophiles don't do stoning - you will search high and low through SHs for any such manifestation, though there are plenty of examples of the reverse prejudice. 
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pam w, Thank you for putting me str8. I'll take your word for it rather than searching the archives (if any)
As you say, no chance of the Gallic masses picking up one of the rocks that poke thru their so-called-pistes and lobbing it over at the smug bugs still effortlessly gliding down the billiard-table like meadows that constitute Austrian slopes.
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You know it makes sense.
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BobbieShamrock, Portes du Soleil ? We were skiing powder on closing day 22nd of April last season in Avoriaz.
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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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We were skiing powder on closing day 22nd of April last season in Avoriaz.
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yeah but..... last year snow was exceptional. Bet you weren't doing that on 22 April 2011!
If you MUST book in advance, for some irrational sort of reason, it would be best to aim for somewhere with a fair bit of high altitude skiing (not just one bit, which everyone in the area will head to if conditions are poor). But if you can wait, you might well be spoiled for choice.
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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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kitenski, nice film! Yes, at that time the weather was definitely better further east. Unpredictable stuff, weather. That's why it's best to wait till the last minute for Easter bookings - plenty of accommodation available, though flights can be expensive from the UK, with school holidays.
I was skiing down to 1500m in mid April though the snow was not in good nick.
Stuben is fairly high compared to many Austrian resorts though, isn't it? the higher ones in France were doing better too, though it was a poor end of season generally - I posted a picture of a picnic beside a chair lift in Les Houches on 1 April, with nothing but grass all around (though the bottom of LH/Chamonix is, of course, very low altitude). That was en route through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy - the temperature was over 30 degrees in the Aosta Valley. 
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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 went to L2A last April and although when we arrived in Resort there was 0 snow (a little worrying when you first arrive), there was good skiing at the top as there is a glacier. So I think L2A would be worth considering
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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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Sambo, That's an unusual user name?
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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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St Martin de Belleville is surely a bit low for April.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Had a great time in St Martin de Belleville a couple of years bago in mid April, lots of fresh powder at the start of the week and getting a bit heavy on the return run at the end. When the snow was heavy/slushy and I was tired at the end of the day I just got the telecabine down. First thing in the morning jeruselem was just perfect for a blast.
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