Winter is approaching fast and the skiing season is mere weeks away. Lately we took a closer look at the skiing destinations around Europe. Sure enough, many ski resorts will start their ski lifts in the beginning of December. But that does not necessarily mean that the skiing conditions are good.
Check regularly if ski lifts are open in your preferred destination
I did a quick check of ski lifts to see which are open and where. Just before the winter months officially start it is no surprise that only one of four resorts in Austrian Innsbruck as open and even fewer in the French ski region Les 3 Vallées. As a matter of fact, after briefly looking at the snow conditions in a few famous destinations in the Alps, it is clear that we are not even close to good snow conditions. For example, for Innsbruck only Axamer Lizum is open and Kühtai, Rangger Köpfl, and Nordkette – Innsbruck are closed. Meanwhile, in Kitzsteinhorn 11 out of 24 lifts are open, so close to half of the available lifts are already open. Meanwhile, in the French ski region Les 3 Vallées only 17 of more than 160 ski lifts were open. To compare, in Villard de Lans Ski Resort none of the over 21 lifts were open.
Check often and reach out to the ski resorts
- If you are still trying to figure out the best time to hit the slopes this winter, consider contacting ski resorts directly to get insights on the ideal months for your visit.
When does the ski season really start?
This is a very limited test and only serves to illustrate that for those who are irregular skiers it can therefore be tricky to select the place to for a ski vacation. For the occasional skier the trend is clear though: Where do you go to ensure that you can enjoy skiing and not end up with slush or autumn-like weather in the winter months?
A few key guiding principles to find good skiing conditions
A quick glance at the ski resorts in Europe reveals that Austria boasts over 300, while Italy, France, and Switzerland each have more than 200. However, the pressing question on everyone’s mind is: when is the best time to hit the slopes at these resorts? Given the current climate change issues, this is a significant concern. Ultimately, it requires some diligent research and reaching out to ski resorts for the latest information.
- Check the average temperature and the available ski lifts in the destination you would like to go to.
- To maximize your chances of enjoying excellent snow conditions, consider heading to higher altitudes. The greater the elevation, the more likely you will encounter sub-zero temperatures, which often translates to open ski lifts and a fantastic skiing experience.
- If you like many others plan your ski vacation many months in advance, there is a conundrum, because in (say) summer, you have a very limited chance to secure a ski holiday where there is going to be good ski conditions the coming winter months. All the more reason to try to stay more flexible with the destinations you have in mind for your ski vacation.
