Skiing first week of December?
Discussion
brickwall said:
Tignes and Val Thorens are normally safe in that week.
One thing I would say is check the dates/location of The Varsity Trip. It’s the combined Oxford/Cambridge Unis ski trip, which takes place around then, normally in Tignes/Val Thorens. It’s huge - 3,500 students, and takes over the town. Great fun if you’re one of the students, but I’d guess less so if you just happen to be in town that week.
Very good to know. As much as we love apres, not sure we want to be doing it with 3,500 students. One thing I would say is check the dates/location of The Varsity Trip. It’s the combined Oxford/Cambridge Unis ski trip, which takes place around then, normally in Tignes/Val Thorens. It’s huge - 3,500 students, and takes over the town. Great fun if you’re one of the students, but I’d guess less so if you just happen to be in town that week.
UTH said:
Can't work out if they're planning Tignes or VT in Dec. Their Facebook page suggests it was meant to be Tignes this March, but it's now called VT20, which would suggest Val Thorens. I'm currently looking at options for the first week in Dec in Val Thorens and the only place that seems to be available to book is Club Med?! (Not that I'm ruling that out, I do love Club Med)
Crystal Ski, Inghams etc simply not giving the first week Dec as an option. Am I being dumb, or is everything either fully booked or just not offering anything that early in the season? Bit confused.
Crystal Ski, Inghams etc simply not giving the first week Dec as an option. Am I being dumb, or is everything either fully booked or just not offering anything that early in the season? Bit confused.
//j17 said:
A lot of the tour operators won't bother starting that early - customer numbers don't start going up till the week before Christmas so it just doesn't make financial sense for them. For a similar reason not all the hotels, etc are open that early - there's a minimum number of front of house/bar/kitchen/waiting/cleaning staff you need to be paying just to open the doors and if you only manage to fill 1 room you're spending money to be open, rather than earining it by being open.
You might want to join SnowHeads.com and check out the PSB (Pre Season Bash) in the snowEvents forum. No details yet for 2021 but 2019 dates were 7/12-14/12 and 2020 was meant to have been 5/12-12/12, so expect something similar for 2021. There's no 'organised fun' so you can just use SH for the organisation/ransfers/accomodation booking, then do your own thing if you wish.
Ok good to know, thank you! You might want to join SnowHeads.com and check out the PSB (Pre Season Bash) in the snowEvents forum. No details yet for 2021 but 2019 dates were 7/12-14/12 and 2020 was meant to have been 5/12-12/12, so expect something similar for 2021. There's no 'organised fun' so you can just use SH for the organisation/ransfers/accomodation booking, then do your own thing if you wish.
Going by this, would that mean the whole resort is a ghost town that early? And restaurants/bars up the mountain the same? Wondering if it would be a bit crap going that early then.....
Richard-390a0 said:
We did the first week of December 2019 in Val d'isere & it was fantastic, loads of snow & we were pretty much the only Brits there. Most of the other piste users were instructors dialling their last minute training exercises before disappearing off to other resorts from looking at the places named on their jackets.
Part of that sounds great, but we don't want empty apres bars 
a311 said:
It can be hit and miss at that time of year, some areas can get a big dump and maintain others it can be quite mild and arses nipping until later in December.
To offer some alternative to the Frenchies as you mentioned St. Anton, Obergurgl opens in November, there's no glacier but it's high near by Solden does have a glacier and is easily reached. Cervina in Italy is also worth a look with access over to Zermatt.
We originally wanted to look at St Anton but someone said the snow early Dec is crap (a friend who did a season there).....so we started looking at Val T, being the highest in Europe......To offer some alternative to the Frenchies as you mentioned St. Anton, Obergurgl opens in November, there's no glacier but it's high near by Solden does have a glacier and is easily reached. Cervina in Italy is also worth a look with access over to Zermatt.
Wiltshire Lad said:
First week in December - most resorts will be very quiet - only just started opening. Personally I would delay if you can - Early to mid Jan is a great time. As other posters have said - anytime before that - aim high - which rules out Austria unfortunately -some will argue and point to glacier skiing like Kaprun - don't bother - done them all (lived in Germany for 6 years) - not enough variety and often too crowded. Tignes is a good shout - best place I've skiied in France - and high. Personally prefer the 'vibe' in Austria - bars, restaurants (especially on the mountain) and service so much better imo. Good hunting.
Thanks for the advice, sounds like Val T is the right decision being the highest. We're planning on going again next April as we love the fair weather skiing, but we want to go this year as well, hence December being the only option really.
brickwall said:
UTH said:
I'm currently looking at options for the first week in Dec in Val Thorens and the only place that seems to be available to book is Club Med?! (Not that I'm ruling that out, I do love Club Med)
Crystal Ski, Inghams etc simply not giving the first week Dec as an option. Am I being dumb, or is everything either fully booked or just not offering anything that early in the season? Bit confused.
If it’s Varsity Trip week then it’s eminently possible the major operators (Pierre et Vacances etc.) will be holding whole blocks for that trip. Crystal Ski, Inghams etc simply not giving the first week Dec as an option. Am I being dumb, or is everything either fully booked or just not offering anything that early in the season? Bit confused.
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