UKC

Currently ski holiday planning, we're thinking of heading to Grands Massif, probably staying in Samoens.  Kids (6 and 8) mean we're tied to half term. Any experience of how busy it gets? Would rather not spend the whole week queueing.

Nobody?  My experience is that resorts popular with Brits (Cham, Portes du Soleil, Three Valleys) can get mad at half term, but we went to La Thuile in school hols last year and didn't queue for lifts at all.  Not sure where Grands Massif sits on the rammed-full-of-people spectrum

Don't remember it being mad, based in Les Carroz, but then I don't recall queuing all the time in the 3 valleys! The linking lifts Corbalanche/Vernant were busy at going home time.

Thanks, that's useful.  Guess there will always be bottlenecks, we'll figure out which lifts to avoid at peak times

Sam,

We took our daughter to Samoens for half term for four years running. Great place and don’t remember queues being a problem, but Scottish HT may be a week or so earlier than most?

David

Thanks. I think the real problems are when UK, local French and Parisian holidays collide. Think we'll go with Grands Massif and see how we get on.

If any other families are interested our kids (6 and 8) would love some other kids to play with.

We went to Samoens at Easter this year, but ours seemed a week earlier than most of England. Wasn’t too busy. There is only one lift out to get to the skiing from the village, so potential for start of day bottleneck, and a lot of accommodation is a fair hike from the lift so relies on the resort bus (which can be rammed) or private/chalet provided transport. We used the zigzag ski school for kids, who were great, and really enjoyed ourselves. Looking to go again this year, fingers crossed.

We did English half term in Samoens in 2009. I’d not go back in half term. Lift queues were big!

I’m not sure when uk half term is. 

The French all get 2 weeks now at half term, the country is split up into 3 zones for holidays, A B C.

In February 2020, 2 out of 3 zones will be off from 15th Feb to 1st March. So if you’re able to avoid those weeks it will be a lot quieter.