Even though it’s snowing across the UK and warm spring days seem far off, many people still think that the ski season in Europe is nearly over and are starting to think about summer holidays. With Easter falling relatively early this year, the 31st of March – this weekend – there are plenty of opportunities to get away for a late ski holiday with the family to enjoy the good weather, quieter slopes and the affordable prices. Plenty of ski resorts across Europe stay open well into spring, so don’t pack those skis and snowboards away just yet – there is some amazing skiing to be done under the sun.
Generally it’s important to choose high altitude ski resorts and ski areas for late ski holidays to guarantee snow conditions. This year, however, after so many heavy and regular snowfalls this really isn’t so important. Global warming seems to have skipped the Alps again this year! The general rules, however, are go as far north as possible, stay high and choose ski areas that have skiing at altitudes of 2000m or above. If the resort’s ski area includes a glacier, which generally means skiing is possible all year round, then there will certainly be no problem in the spring! If you like picturesque, snowy ski resorts then choose a high altitude resort with high skiing like Val d’Isère in the Espace Killy ski area. However, if you’re not that worried about snowy streets and snow-laden roofs and you just want some more good skiing before the end of the season, then there are plenty of low resorts that give access to some seriously high skiing – Chamonix, for example has access to slopes as high as 3300m!
Below are a few safe bet ski areas and ski resort if you’re tempted to get away just one more time before the end of this season…
Including ski resorts such as Avoriaz (which has 310cm of snow on its higher slopes and which had over 50cm of fresh snow last week) the Les Portes du Soleil ski area in the Haute Savoie can guarantee excellent snow conditions right through to the end of the season - which leaves another month of skiing as the closing date is planned for the 28th of April!
As Europe’s highest ski resort, Val Thorens in the Three Valleys ski area, sits up on the slopes at 2300m of altitude and is a one of the best bets for a late ski holiday. Almost all of the slopes directly accessible from this resort are over 2000m! With over 600km of excellent skiing in this ski area, a wide choice of ski resorts ranging from the very low-key resort of Orelle to the world-renown resorts of Courchevel and Meribel, this is a great ski area for spring ski holidays.
The two world-famous ski resorts of Val d’Isère and Tignes share the incredible Espace Killy ski area which includes glacier skiing and has a long season running well into the month of May! This ski area is often referred to as being like a lunar landscape – up as high as 3456m of altitude, sometimes you feel like you’re on the moon! With 300km of pristine ski slopes, particularly geared toward the more demanding skier, this area is certainly a good choice for those winter sports fanatics who just can’t put away their equipment yet!
Two particularly good choices for a late ski holiday are the ski resorts of Zermatt and Saas Fee in Switzerland. Zermatt, at 1620m of altitude is surrounded by no fewer than 38 summits of over 4000m of altitude, including the world-famous Matterhorn, and has lifts that take you up to 3899m! The official winter season ends here the first week of May, but not long after that, summer skiing starts on the glacier, making Zermatt one of the few, truly all year-round ski destinations in the world! The ski resort of Saas Fee, with its ski area that sits between 1800m and 3500m of altitude with access to some excellent glacier skiing, offers late season skiers guaranteed snow. For those looking for a late ski holiday but who like traditional charm and picture-postcard surroundings, Saas Fee is the perfect choice.
With further snowfalls forecast across the Alps over the next two weeks, it would be almost a crime to miss out on all that snowy fun. Why not set up a Snow Alert for your favourite resort and keep yourself informed of the weather and snow conditions before making any last minute bookings… Or leave a comment if you've already planned a spring ski holiday this season.
Even though it’s snowing across the UK and warm spring days seem far off, many people still think that the ski season in Europe is nearly over and are starting to think about summer holidays. With Easter falling relatively early this year, the 31st of March – this weekend – there are plenty of opportunities to get away for a late ski holiday with the family to enjoy the good weather, quieter slopes and the affordable prices. Plenty of ski resorts across Europe stay open well into spring, so don’t pack those skis and snowboards away just yet – there is some amazing skiing to be done under the sun.
Generally it’s important to choose high altitude ski resorts and ski areas for late ski holidays to guarantee snow conditions. This year, however, after so many heavy and regular snowfalls this really isn’t so important. Global warming seems to have skipped the Alps again this year! The general rules, however, are go as far north as possible, stay high and choose ski areas that have skiing at altitudes of 2000m or above. If the resort’s ski area includes a glacier, which generally means skiing is possible all year round, then there will certainly be no problem in the spring! If you like picturesque, snowy ski resorts then choose a high altitude resort with high skiing like Val d’Isère in the Espace Killy ski area. However, if you’re not that worried about snowy streets and snow-laden roofs and you just want some more good skiing before the end of the season, then there are plenty of low resorts that give access to some seriously high skiing – Chamonix, for example has access to slopes as high as 3300m!
Below are a few safe bet ski areas and ski resort if you’re tempted to get away just one more time before the end of this season…
Including ski resorts such as Avoriaz (which has 310cm of snow on its higher slopes and which had over 50cm of fresh snow last week) the Les Portes du Soleil ski area in the Haute Savoie can guarantee excellent snow conditions right through to the end of the season - which leaves another month of skiing as the closing date is planned for the 28th of April!
As Europe’s highest ski resort, Val Thorens in the Three Valleys ski area, sits up on the slopes at 2300m of altitude and is a one of the best bets for a late ski holiday. Almost all of the slopes directly accessible from this resort are over 2000m! With over 600km of excellent skiing in this ski area, a wide choice of ski resorts ranging from the very low-key resort of Orelle to the world-renown resorts of Courchevel and Meribel, this is a great ski area for spring ski holidays.
The two world-famous ski resorts of Val d’Isère and Tignes share the incredible Espace Killy ski area which includes glacier skiing and has a long season running well into the month of May! This ski area is often referred to as being like a lunar landscape – up as high as 3456m of altitude, sometimes you feel like you’re on the moon! With 300km of pristine ski slopes, particularly geared toward the more demanding skier, this area is certainly a good choice for those winter sports fanatics who just can’t put away their equipment yet!
Two particularly good choices for a late ski holiday are the ski resorts of Zermatt and Saas Fee in Switzerland. Zermatt, at 1620m of altitude is surrounded by no fewer than 38 summits of over 4000m of altitude, including the world-famous Matterhorn, and has lifts that take you up to 3899m! The official winter season ends here the first week of May, but not long after that, summer skiing starts on the glacier, making Zermatt one of the few, truly all year-round ski destinations in the world! The ski resort of Saas Fee, with its ski area that sits between 1800m and 3500m of altitude with access to some excellent glacier skiing, offers late season skiers guaranteed snow. For those looking for a late ski holiday but who like traditional charm and picture-postcard surroundings, Saas Fee is the perfect choice.
With further snowfalls forecast across the Alps over the next two weeks, it would be almost a crime to miss out on all that snowy fun. Why not set up a Snow Alert for your favourite resort and keep yourself informed of the weather and snow conditions before making any last minute bookings… Or leave a comment if you've already planned a spring ski holiday this season.
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
