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Where would you ski in Europe?

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Colingarnes
Posts: 610 - Karma: 2,646
Planning a month long Euro vacation next winter with the wife and kids. Problem is... I cant make up my damn mind for where I wanna ski. Tignes, Les Tres Valees, Zermatt, Chamonix...etc.

I know I'll be stoked at all of them but if you had to pick one area to ski... what would it be? Anyone with firsthand experiences? Thanks in advance.
May 13 2019 10:42PM
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DayMan
Posts: 4704 - Karma: 8,748
Kitzbuhel is rad as fuck
May 13 2019 11:20PM
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HuumeHippi
Posts: 200 - Karma: 717
Ruka
May 14 2019 3:11AM
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Julius_Steezer
Posts: 776 - Karma: 4,536
If you’re going for a month I’d say morzine / avoriaz (the 2 resorts are connected). Got good parks, great tree runs and the off piste is sick as well. Plus tons of more chill runs depending on what the rest of the fam are into. If you go though, stay in morzine as avoriaz is a fairly quiet town from what I’ve heard (only stayed in morzine before)
May 14 2019 3:18AM
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LukeTheWaffle
Posts: 1845 - Karma: 8,860
I ski in verbier. I recommend it
May 14 2019 4:02AM
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Tommohanlon
Posts: 3 - Karma: 55
If you are there for a month I would go to two places and rent a car, port du soleil is a mad range of resorts, about 6 connected, morzine, avoriaz, chatel, morgins, les croset, les gets!

Good range of runs for the whole fam and some typical alpine villages.

Then tignes and val d’isere is also another huge area, and super fun. Tignes is pretty ugly but good terrain, val is pretty village and good terrain.

Win win
May 14 2019 4:14AM
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dbchili
Posts: 2555 - Karma: 1,657
Are your kids skiing? Is it one day for you to get your skiing jonezes in, or a week, or longer? Is cost a concern if its a longer trip?
Where else are you going so we know what is nearby?
Its late season so good options will be limited. Anywhere you go will be high altitude, so id make sure you schedule at least two skiable days there in case one is a down day. Weather can kill the high lifts pretty easy.

Zermatt is always my first choice, amazing views, but expensive. Dont go to chamonix unless you are hiring a guide and riding vallee blanche, youll be diappointed if you ride the actual resort its boring.
May 14 2019 6:27AM
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benharrington_
Posts: 194 - Karma: 872
If your looking for park, Mottolino Livingo in Italy for sure, sickest park and town, also Seiseralm in Italy is dope asf too.
May 14 2019 6:34AM
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Colingarnes
Posts: 610 - Karma: 2,646
I'd probably be going in February. It wouldn't be just a ski trip. But the skiing would dictate where we go. The wife isn't diehard about skiing but she will placate me. We will have to do non ski things as well on this trip.

The kids probably wouldn't ski (only 2 and 4) and we would get day care.

Thanks for the input on Chamonix I'll probably scratch that. Cost isn't really a huge restriction, granted I ain't dropping over $400usd a night for places to stay near a mountain.
May 14 2019 9:05AM
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JibbaTheHutt
Posts: 2132 - Karma: 1,597
ColingarnesI'd probably be going in February. It wouldn't be just a ski trip. But the skiing would dictate where we go. The wife isn't diehard about skiing but she will placate me. We will have to do non ski things as well on this trip.

The kids probably wouldn't ski (only 2 and 4) and we would get day care.

I live in Tignes, its for sure one of the best overall resorts i've ever skied in, almost 2000m of skiable vert (6500ft) glacier at the top trees lower down and everything in between. good mellow groomers and lots of steeper ones. Tons of easy access off piste with varying degrees of gnarlyness. The park was decent this year, triple line of 40-45ft jumps and a good rail selection as well as smaller jumps. It also links up with val d'isere, lots of really good skiing over in val as well. For the family there is a multisports centre with a big climbing wall and bouldering wall, trampolines, football/basketball courts, badminton, tennis and squash courts. There is a decent swimming pool with slides etc. And some really nice spas that are open to the public at pretty reasonable prices.


The other option would be to base yourself in Bourg St Maurice, from there, Les arcs is a 7 minute funiculaire ride up the mountain, tignes & val are about 35 minute drive away, La rosiere and st foy (both amazing family resorts and super quite) are maybe 15-20 minute drive away, les trois vallees are maybe 45 minutes away. Between those resorts there is an absurd amount of skiing to be done, and in Bourg St Maurice your money will go a lot further than in the actual resorts themselves.

Thanks for the input on Chamonix I'll probably scratch that. Cost isn't really a huge restriction, granted I ain't dropping over $400usd a night for places to stay near a mountain.


I'd for sure do a day trip over to Cham if nothing else. Going to the top of the Aiguille du Midi is pretty spectacular, and there is some really great skiing from up there. The classic vallee blanche is not very difficult but it is a great ski, amazing being able to look up at all the "steep skiing" faces the local guys get into in spring time!
May 14 2019 9:35AM
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HaydenB
Posts: 1072 - Karma: 8,138
Take your kids to Klappen
May 14 2019 9:42AM
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JoeF2661
Posts: 1627 - Karma: 6,301
SnowWorld Landgraaf
May 14 2019 11:08AM
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SteezeOnAJawnt
Posts: 120 - Karma: 175
Kitzbuhel is tuff. With snow, they have some dope backcountry but its easy to get lost. Lots of RaCeRs tho
May 14 2019 11:13AM
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Colingarnes
Posts: 610 - Karma: 2,646
Definitely not going to the alps for park although I'll hit it up for a few laps. I'm an advanced skier but dont do much touring or backcountry. Basically keep to the lifts and try to find some hidden booters or stashes. I like to just play around the mountain doing 180's and 360's off tinier things.

Tignes and Zermatt both interest me. When is the best time to ski Europe. I dont mind cold as hell but I'd like heavier snowfall.
May 14 2019 11:36AM
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tsingtaofanatic
Posts: 3344 - Karma: 4,586
Laax? I dunno, heard that place was good.
There's also that Motollino place in Italy, don't know if it's good or not though
May 14 2019 11:50AM
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bolake
Posts: 419 - Karma: 1,050
HomeskillitTake your kids to Klappen

klappan ass
May 14 2019 2:27PM
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dbchili
Posts: 2555 - Karma: 1,657
ColingarnesI'd probably be going in February. It wouldn't be just a ski trip. But the skiing would dictate where we go. The wife isn't diehard about skiing but she will placate me. We will have to do non ski things as well on this trip.

The kids probably wouldn't ski (only 2 and 4) and we would get day care.

Thanks for the input on Chamonix I'll probably scratch that. Cost isn't really a huge restriction, granted I ain't dropping over $400usd a night for places to stay near a mountain.


Ok cool. I'm 30ish, lived in Switzerland for 3 years so i've ridden most major places in the alps and travelled a lot too.

Here's what i do if i were in your situation. I'm assuming you're renting a car or taking train, and don't really want to travel more than 3 hours in 1 day with small kids.

Fly into either zurich, geneva, milan or florence and do a loop so that you basically hit all of those (skip zurich you happen to fly in, do lucerne instead with that day), tack on either Rome or south of france - cannes / monaco if time permits (i prefer rome, but it's more out of the way). You can tack pisa onto florence as well, and stop in como/lugano if you can, really beautiful

For a single ski resort with a few days, i would recommend Zermatt if your wife is at least upper intermediate. It's expensive, but one of a kind. If you need something more well rounded, or for longer period / to split with zermatt then verbier, Laax, engadin, portes du soleil, le grande massif (views of mont blanc) and trois vallees are all good options. If you get to choose two resorts, i'd go zermatt and trois vallees - zermatt for the views, trois vallees for the scale (it's huge. If just one for the family and your wife is skiing but not as advanced, go trois vallees. There's lots for everyone.

Eastern alps is also great (austria / germany) but IMO italy / france is more interesting if you don't go to europe often, and travel times between major cities are longer in the east

Hope that helps - any other questions DM me
May 14 2019 5:42PM
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DesertStix
Posts: 2540 - Karma: 14,985
dbchiliOk cool. I'm 30ish, lived in Switzerland for 3 years so i've ridden most major places in the alps and travelled a lot too.

Here's what i do if i were in your situation. I'm assuming you're renting a car or taking train, and don't really want to travel more than 3 hours in 1 day with small kids.

Fly into either zurich, geneva, milan or florence and do a loop so that you basically hit all of those (skip zurich you happen to fly in, do lucerne instead with that day), tack on either Rome or south of france - cannes / monaco if time permits (i prefer rome, but it's more out of the way). You can tack pisa onto florence as well, and stop in como/lugano if you can, really beautiful

For a single ski resort with a few days, i would recommend Zermatt if your wife is at least upper intermediate. It's expensive, but one of a kind. If you need something more well rounded, or for longer period / to split with zermatt then verbier, Laax, engadin, portes du soleil, le grande massif (views of mont blanc) and trois vallees are all good options. If you get to choose two resorts, i'd go zermatt and trois vallees - zermatt for the views, trois vallees for the scale (it's huge. If just one for the family and your wife is skiing but not as advanced, go trois vallees. There's lots for everyone.

Eastern alps is also great (austria / germany) but IMO italy / france is more interesting if you don't go to europe often, and travel times between major cities are longer in the east

Hope that helps - any other questions DM me


My friends that have gone over there to ski say Germany/Switzerland/France are expensive as hell but Austria is more affordable with the same environment and scenery.

I would look into what’s accessible around Innsbruck, no?
May 14 2019 5:52PM
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dbchili
Posts: 2555 - Karma: 1,657
DesertStixMy friends that have gone over there to ski say Germany/Switzerland/France are expensive as hell but Austria is more affordable with the same environment and scenery.

I would look into what’s accessible around Innsbruck, no?


in terms of sweeping generalizations on cost:
- switzerland is more expensive than the rest. All the rest of the countries are roughly equal. France might be slightly more.
- big well known resorts are more expensive than small resorts (obviously)
- the cost of everything comes down more to what you do and where you choose to stay than anything (obviously)
- Major american ski resorts are far and away vastly more expensive to ski than anywhere in europe (window rate at zermatt is about a hundred/day, vail is 200)

as for the resorts around innsbruck, there surely are good ones (mayrhofen is well known), but the region is mostly notable for glacier skiing in the pre-season and late season. Compared to what is on offer in other areas mid-winter, the resorts don't really stand out, they're just decent, thee one exception perhaps being st anton, which is mainly known for eccentric nightlife
May 14 2019 8:01PM
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MoneyMakerMike
Posts: 1254 - Karma: 5,765
Hike up the stairs of the eiffel tower than ski down them.
May 14 2019 8:03PM
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Finito
Posts: 88 - Karma: 340
Austria and Italy are affordable and they have great Ski Resorts.
I think for a family trip the dolomits are great, it seems to be allways sunny down there. Plus if you want to shred the park, the Seiseralm is one of the best parks in europe. In Austria I can recommend Zillertal, Saalbach Hinterglemm and Sölden.
May 15 2019 5:49AM
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Finito
Posts: 88 - Karma: 340
dbchiliin terms of sweeping generalizations on cost:
- switzerland is more expensive than the rest. All the rest of the countries are roughly equal. France might be slightly more.
- big well known resorts are more expensive than small resorts (obviously)
- the cost of everything comes down more to what you do and where you choose to stay than anything (obviously)
- Major american ski resorts are far and away vastly more expensive to ski than anywhere in europe (window rate at zermatt is about a hundred/day, vail is 200)

as for the resorts around innsbruck, there surely are good ones (mayrhofen is well known), but the region is mostly notable for glacier skiing in the pre-season and late season. Compared to what is on offer in other areas mid-winter, the resorts don't really stand out, they're just decent, thee one exception perhaps being st anton, which is mainly known for eccentric nightlife

The Zillertal Superskipass which you buy if you Ski Mayrhofen offers you over 500 km to ski on. The season there is long and not only because of the glacier.
May 15 2019 5:54AM
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VragBikernes
Posts: 169 - Karma: 381
I always go to Saint-Sorlin D'Arves every year both to visit my grandparents and to ski, it is a huge place part of a resort called Seybelles I think, except the town is pretty small and nowhere near famous. I've been told that Courchevel is expensive asf and not worth it, Chamonix and Kitzbuhel are fuckn mint tho.
May 15 2019 9:56AM
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DirtYStylE
Posts: 3652 - Karma: 8,889
Charmonix
May 15 2019 10:35PM
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OregonDead
Posts: 6925 - Karma: 24,825


I hear Austria is like Mt Hood on steroids.

**This post was edited on May 16th 2019 at 12:22:06am
May 16 2019 12:21AM
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BrawnTrends
Posts: 1102 - Karma: 2,439
ColingarnesWhen is the best time to ski Europe. I dont mind cold as hell but I'd like heavier snowfall.


If you go to France don’t go during February as it’s school holidays and the resorts will be insanely crowded (unless you’re used to big American resorts, then it won’t bother you that much). Snowfall is impossible to predict in the western alps, so if you really want powder you should probably go to Austria. (This season in the French alps we had a completely dry month of February with spring temperatures and blue bird days every day. It sucked for powder skiing. But December and January were great and then April and even beginning of May had decent snowfalls )
May 17 2019 10:49AM
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Colingarnes
Posts: 610 - Karma: 2,646
Thanks for that. Definitely dont wanna be there during mad traffic.
BrawnTrendsIf you go to France don’t go during February as it’s school holidays and the resorts will be insanely crowded (unless you’re used to big American resorts, then it won’t bother you that much). Snowfall is impossible to predict in the western alps, so if you really want powder you should probably go to Austria. (This season in the French alps we had a completely dry month of February with spring temperatures and blue bird days every day. It sucked for powder skiing. But December and January were great and then April and even beginning of May had decent snowfalls )
May 17 2019 10:58AM
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BrawnTrends
Posts: 1102 - Karma: 2,439
ColingarnesThanks for that. Definitely dont wanna be there during mad traffic.


Your best bet is mid to late-january, then. Or March (but that can be a hit or miss for powder).

As for the French resorts, if you want "big mountain" resorts, 3 Vallées and Tignes/Val d'Isère might be your best bet (Val Thorens, in the 3 Vallées, is the highest resort in Europe, with a base altitude of 7500ft).
If you want tree skiing, and super long/wide runs, I really like Les Arcs (were B&E Invitational was hosted).
And if you want good atmosphere, cool bars, great restaurants, then you should definitely go to Morzine (as suggested earlier). The great thing about Morzine is that it's central to les Portes du Soleil, which is a massive area of 12 resorts and a total of over 400 miles of runs. The only thing is that except in Avoriaz and Chatel the snow might not be great... It's a hit or miss as the elevation isn't that crazy, but when it does dump it's by far my favorite area to ski at (also my home mountain...).
May 17 2019 4:31PM
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yungona
Posts: 2374 - Karma: -5,803
henrik harlaut snow park
May 18 2019 3:47PM
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