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SKI

Reader question: Is it worth booking a ski holiday in France?

As snow dwindles across French mountain ranges, more and more resorts can no longer guarantee that pistes will be open, even in the height of winter. So is it worth booking a holiday at all? And which resorts offer the best chance of snow?

Published: 20 February 2024 17:11 CET
Updated: 25 February 2024 08:36 CET
Reader question: Is it worth booking a ski holiday in France?
A snow cannon operates before the opening of a slope, at the Mourtis ski resort in the Pyrenees mountains, southwestern France. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP)

The French ski industry is facing a crisis directly linked to the climate crisis – warming temperatures mean less snow in winter which means that an increasing number of French ski resorts can no longer guarantee that there will be snow on their slopes.

The February holidays – traditionally the peak of the French ski season – have seen several resorts forced to close their slopes while others have been able to provide only limited ski opportunities.

Latest: Snow cover in 2024 and the future of the French ski industry

Scientists and climate experts predict that this trend will overall get worse, not better, so is it even worth booking a ski holiday in France any more? Well, it depends – from the elevation of the resort to the mountain range and general weather patterns, there are a few things to consider before booking a ski trip in France.

Mountain ranges

The long-term outlook for skiing in France is grim. Climate experts estimate that France will lose between 10 to 40 percent of its snow cover by 2050.

However, the situation varies based on the mountain range. The northern Alps have consistently had the largest snowpack, followed by the southern Alps.

The situation has declined significantly in the Pyrenees in recent years, including at elevation, where the rain-snow limit has continued to rise – meaning that you have to go higher to be assured of snow, rather than rain.

However, prospects for winter sports are worst for France’s smaller mountain ranges, like the Jura, the Vosges and the Massif Central.

For example, in mid-February 2024, the Massif Central and the Vosges had virtually no natural snow, with a maximum of 10cm in the Massif Central at 1,500m. This dropped down to just 2cm at 1,200m for the Vosges.

Carlo Carmagnola, a researcher at Météo France and coordinator of the snow study scheme, Climsnow, told Capital FR that there will be much less snow during the second half of of the 21st century.

“These pessimistic projections predict that Alpine skiing in France as a whole will be finished by 2100.

“Regardless, there will be no more skiing in the Pyrenees, the Vosges, the Massif Central, the Jura and Corsica. This will probably also be the case in the Alps, with the exception of resorts above 2,500 metres,” he said.

So in short, you have the best chance of snow in the Alps. 

Which resorts have the most snow?

When choosing a resort, the altitude is now key.

Low and middle altitude resorts increasingly cannot guarantee snow. That doesn’t mean no snow – weather conditions vary from month to month and year to year and there will doubtless be good, snowy months in lower altitude resorts. However, it’s getting harder for those resorts to be able to guarantee snow six months in advance, which is when you might be booking your holiday.  

In 2024, a few resorts stuck out in terms of snow levels – all of them high-altitude resorts.

In a ranking by Le Point, Alpe d’Huez took first place for the largest snow pack. The ski area ranges 1,800m to 3,300m, with average snow cover at 90cm and running up to 450cm at high altitude.

After Alpe d’Huez, Tignes followed as the second snowiest. The ski area had an average of 120cm, with up to 400cm at high altitude and Tignes itself starts at 1,550 metres above sea level, going up to 3,450 metres on the glacier

Val d’Isère (altitude of 1,800m to 3,000m) came in third place, and Les Arcs – with a ski area that runs from 1,200 to 3,228 metres above sea level – was ranked fourth.

In bad news, the high-altitude resorts are the more expensive ones, with the northern Alps being the most pricey.

According to Ski Planet, a one-week stay in an apartment in Tignes for a family of three adults and two children would be around €4,425 when booking an inclusive (accommodation, ski passes, ski equipment and lessons) package.

Meanwhile the site estimates that a one week trip for four people to Serre Chevalier – in the southern Alps with a maximum altitude of 2,800m – would cost about €1,344 (or €336 a person) for just accommodation and ski passes.

When it comes to ski passes alone, Alpe d’Huez currently charges €62 per day for adults. Tignes charges €61 for just the Tignes area, and €66 to include the entire Tignes-Val d’Isère domain. This compares to an average of between €30 and €40 per day for lower altitude resorts.

READ MORE: What can I do if I’ve booked a French skiing holiday and there’s no snow?

Planning tips

If possible, wait to reserve certain items like equipment rentals and ski passes until absolutely necessary. When doing so, be sure to read cancellation and reimbursement policies. 

As far as reimbursements are concerned, some travel agencies offer snow insurance, such as Travelski – however it should be noted that most do not allow for cancellation of the entire holiday.

In the majority of cases, only ski passes or the cost of hiring ski equipment would be reimbursed, while some policies offer a travel stipend to cover the cost of travelling to a different resort for a day’s skiing.

Reimbursement policies also depend on the resort. Some ski areas will allow total reimbursements of ski passes if there is a full closure, while others may offer you a credit to use at a later date.

If you have a trip booked, you can check in advance the snow level at your resort’s website or by looking it up on Météo France Montagne.

Ski resorts routinely update their websites with the latest snow reports – and many include webcams that show current weather conditions.

Alternatives

While a ski holiday with no snow is undoubtedly disappointing, spare a thought for the thousands employed in France’s ski industry who face losing their livelihood.

Mountain resorts are doing their best to diversify with extra non-snow based activities on offer, while summer mountain tourism is a growing market. Summer trips to the Alps can include lots of outdoor activities including hiking, cycle and extreme sports as well as many luxurious spas.

And then maybe spare a thought for the planet – the ever-falling snow levels are just one symptom of the climate crisis that will ultimately affect us all. Once you’ve got over the disappointment of not being able to ski, maybe take a moment to consider what changes you could make to your own lifestyle, or how you could get involved in pressuring your political representatives to take action. 

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a soft launch of the new EU border system – the entry/exit (EES) system – on the assumption that it will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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