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We are thinking of going skiing in France at Easter (never been before!) , but as it is so late this year, is there likely to be much chance of good conditions, or will we have missed it all?
Also, we have a 5 year old child, who it would be good to book in for some lessons, but is all the tuition/childcare likely to be in French?
Will we need snow chains?
We are thinking that Le Grand Bornand sounds promising, having read through some of the webites/links. Is anyone else thinking of going at around this time, maybe we could form a posse?
skiing in France at Easter will be fine but to an extent will depend upon the season they've had (more snow, the more will be retained) and the weather at the time - it can get pretty hot in the sun.
if you aim for higher resorts with north facing slopes than the snow will be good until May usually.
the only thing I will caution about is that Easter can get very crowded with a lot of Europeans descending on the Alps to get their last main fix of snow before the end of the season.
Grand Bornand is quite low so as a beginner you might struggle for snow so you might be better heading for a higher resort like any of the Trois Vallees/Tignes/Val d'Isere/Avoriaz which are also quite good for newbies.
you're unlikely to need snow chains in April but you can never tell what the weather will do - we've been caught in April blizzards before now (and later months!) - so it's always advisable if going to a ski resort. better safe than sorry!
local tuition for your child will depend on the ski school and size of classes - if there are a lot of Brits you can expect an English speaking instructor; if they are the only Brit then it may be a problem. most resorts have a weblink to the local ski school (ESF or independent) so you can always check in advance.
we'll be in the Alps the week before Easter tackling the Haute Route between Chamonix and Zermatt on skis for the 2nd time (5 days using mountain refuges) and there will be loads of snow for that as it's mainly very high level.
wherever you go - have fun - it's great sport! maybe think about taking the walking boots in case the snow is poor or you don't fall in love with it! the Alps are just a fun place to be any time of year
fatbuddha has said it all really, go for height. one thing to add is that snow chains are a legal requirement unless you have winter tyres.
You could consider somewhere like Les Deux Alpes staying on the campsite at Venosc and travelling up by cable ca, you'd need to book ahead though. Les Deux Alpes is relatively high with a glacier if conditions are poor on main slopes, it is a family resort and the site is well equppied for families. There may well be no snow in the valley though so you would not be able to toboggan etc.
Alpe d'Huez is great, reasonably high, beginner friendly and MH friendly but south facing so can get slushy at Easter.
Or maybe Les Saisies, medium height and family friendly.
hth, Ruth
______________________________________________________________ A motorhome is a backpack for grown-ups. Enjoy!
snow chains are a legal requirement unless you have winter tyres
not necessarily - only where the roadside signs mention them as obligatoire are they a legal requirement, and this is usuallly only when you get to the highest roads and/or passes where the weather can change quickly and the roads easily snow covered. I've seen the police stop traffic in one resort at one of these signs to check if the vehicles had snow tyres or chains on board - if not they were pointed at a local garage which was doing a roaring trade in chains, or being turned back down the hill if they didn't have or want to buy.
in many resorts with good uplifts, they aren't required as the roads are usually kept very clear at the first signs of snow.
BUT - if you intend doing a lot of winter driving in the Alps, they are essential imho to have on board as you never know when you might need them.
Les Saisies is a good idea but it's quite low relatively speaking and can get washed out easily by April. Deux Alpes is a good idea though - strange that in my 20+ years of skiing all over France that is one resort I've never skied! always meant to ski the off-piste at La Grave but just never got around to it.
fattbuddha, you are well brave to go off piste at la Grave it's a no no for us. I need pistes and there are virtually none there just a lift and lot of adrenaline junkies
We have not skied Les Deux Alpes either just visited it in summer. I don't really like the layout of the slopes, easy ones are at the top so it's a bit topsy turvy so what I should say is that beginners need to check that there is a lift down in case the lower slopes are all stuffed, but in other respects it should fit the bill as it does seem very family oriented,, having said that the Aire at the village entrance is not available in the ski season 'for safety reasons' so the only option is Venosc then cable up, but beginner famililies could avail themselves of other activities by day say then cable down.
Sallym, do you need a campsite or are you wanting to free camp?
______________________________________________________________ A motorhome is a backpack for grown-ups. Enjoy!
Many thanks ruthiebaby and fatbuddha, I am thinking that Venosc might suit us better, but wonder if it is worth waiting till a few weeks before, when we might have a better idea of snow conditions. We will use a campsite and I wonder if they book up at this time, or could we safely leave it till the last minute? Visited the area in summer a few years ago on foot when we did the Tour de Oisan walk, so it would be great to return.
We were going to go for a few days, probably heading off as the Easter weekend rush gets going, to head for somewhere hopefully sunny and warm, but not too far away for the second week. Some gentle walking among flower strewn alpine meadows would be ideal, any suggestions?
Haven't mentioned any of this grand plan to my other half yet,as he seems to be very dismissive of the idea of a skiing trip in the motorhome, so I hope it will all work out and convince him that it is a good idea!
Thanks,
Sally
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