Reasons Why Morzine Resort is Loved by Brits

Morzine photo by The-Ski-Guru. Reasons Why Morzine Resort is Loved by Brits

Winter is a great time when you can make the most of the holiday season and spend quality time with your family and friends. Many people prefer to head to some of the popular ski resorts in Europe and North America where they can have fun and enjoy skiing and snowboarding activities. Even if you are not much into skiing and snowboarding many people would want to explore these ski resorts and enjoy apres ski and other non-skiing activities.

Morzine ski area, a grand expanse for all kind of skiers. Reasons Why Morzine Resort is Loved by Brits.
Morzine ski area, a grand expanse for all kind of skiers. Photo: Pixabay. Reasons Why Morzine Resort is Loved by Brits.

If you are in the UK, you can browse from a list of many ski resorts in France, Italy and Switzerland that offer you the best deals. Morzine, however, has remained one of the most obvious choices as most Brits prefer it to any other ski resort in the French Alps. Hence, you can always look for excellent Morzine ski holidays plans that allow you to make the most of your time and money.

Here are 7 reasons why most British skiers prefer Morzine over any other ski resort.

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Travelling via the Grand St Bernard Pass as an option to the Mont Blanc Tunnel

Coming into the Aosta Valley passing the Grand St Bernard Tunnel from Switzerland. Travelling via the Grand St Bernard Pass as an option to the Mont Blanc Tunnel

Travelling via the Grand St Bernard Pass as an option to the Mont Blanc Tunnel

 

Another option on how to get into the Aosta Valley through Switzerland.

 

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For those of us driving to the mountains from the UK into Italy, the classic and fastest route is to go to Calais. From there, you take the A26, A5, A31, A39, A40 and you cross the Mont Blanc Tunnel. This past summer the queues at the Mont Blanc Tunnel where horrendous. That is why we thought why don’t we do our travelling via the Grand St Bernard Pass as an option to the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
Chaumont. Travelling via the Grand St Bernard Pass as an option to the Mont Blanc Tunnel
Chaumont. Travelling via the Grand St Bernard Pass as an option to the Mont Blanc Tunnel
 
We’ve first tried that on our way back, as a way of a road trip. Usually, the day of the long stretch we go from Morgex (10′ down of Courmayeur, by the Mont Blanc Tunnel), to Reims. This time, the first day, was falling on the day of my eldest’s birthday, and it would not have been too much fun to be sitting in the car for hours. So we’ve decided to go to Strassbourg and then Brussels. There it was sensible to go through the Grand St Bernard, as it is pretty a straight route.
Lago Blu & the Cervino- Soft Pastels, Pan Pastels and Charcoal on La Carte Pastel- 60 x 80 cm. In my shop.
Lago Blu & the Cervino- Soft Pastels, Pan Pastels and Charcoal on La Carte Pastel- 60 x 80 cm. In my shop.
 
My husband was not happy thinking you have to pay the Swiss vignette. At about 40 CHF, it is nothing if you compare it to the tolls of the French Autoroutes.
Obviously, this means that there are more cars on the road. The Swiss vignette gives you access to all Swiss motorways for the calendar year.

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Best Ski Resorts in the Alps

Best ski resorts in the Alps. Photo: Alpine Elements.

Superb slopes for skiing, dotted with picture perfect Alpine villages, has made the Alps a legendary hotspot for skiers from around the world for decades.With epic powder being dumped on the Alps the prospect of the new upcoming ski season affording a much smoother escape is high on the cards. 

That said, though the Alps have an undeniable appeal, with over 4000 resorts to choose from, how do you find one where you are sure the mountain air will make you feel truly alive again?

So we will let you know which resorts snowboarders should consider, the ones that are best for beginners and above all a resort where families can spend quality time with the kids. This is our ultimate guide to the best ski resorts in the Alps for 2022 and beyond. Companies such as Alpine Elements offer amazing deals and packages to these ultimate ski resort destinations.

 

St Anton, Austria

Best for: snowboarders 

Most of the resorts in the Alps are catering for first time skiers and beginners and it is not difficult to understand why. With business gradually picking up after two years, the industry needs to survive somehow or the other.

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The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes

Les Saisies. Photo: C. Martelet. Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.

The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes

Here I have put together the must-read guide to the Rhône Alpes. It is pretty inclusive so I’ll do it as a bit of a bullet point. But it is a good start where to see all their ski resorts and which ones could tempt you for your perfect ski holiday.
The Rhône Alpes is an extensive area in the Central West of France. From west to east it offers the Auvergne Volcanoes to Lyon and the French Alps and Mont Blanc. This is the roof of Europe at 4,810 meters.
Pointe d'Ireuse. View on Mont Blanc. Chablais Massif. Photo: Christian Matelet. Auvergne Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
Pointe d’Ireuse. View on Mont Blanc. Chablais Massif. Photo: Christian Matelet. Auvergne Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
 

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here. 

How to get there: The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes. 

 

By Air:

 
  • Paris Airport- transfer to Lyon is 45 minutes.
  • Geneva Airport
  • Chambery Airport
  • Grenoble Airport
 

By Train:

 
  • Paris – TGV (fast train)
  • London with the Eurostar
  • Brussels with the Thalis
 

By Car:

 
  • Lyon airport: 1-3 hours
  • Geneva airport: 1-3 hours
  • Chambery airport: 1-1.5 hours
  • Grenoble airport: 1-1.5 hours.
Sunset on the Grandes Jorasses. Mont Blanc Massif. Photo: Carmen Villa/Auvergne-Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
Sunset on the Grandes Jorasses. Mont Blanc Massif. Photo: Carmen Villa/Auvergne-Rhône Alpes Tourisme. The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes.
 
 

The French Alps – The Must-Read Guide to the Rhône Alpes

 
The French Alps are the most renown ski mountains in the world. Here are some specs to explain why:
  • It has been three times host of Winter Olympic games:
    • Chamonix in 1925 (first edition)
    • Grenoble, 1968
    • Albertbille, 1992.
  • The 3 Valleys is the world’s largest ski area, with 600 km of ski slopes and more than 200 cable cars. Most of the terrain is above 1800 m altitude.
  • There are different connected ski areas, or if you prefer to call them ski carousels.
    • Les 3 Vallées
    • Paradiski
    • Val d’Isère- Tignes.
  • It has the longest snow season in Europe, from November (October for Tignes this year!) to May.
  • It offers summer skiing from June to August at
    • Val d’Isére-Tignes
    • Les 2 Alpes
 
This guide will pinpoint the unique particularities of the different main ski resorts.
 

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Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.

View from La Clusaz, comune di La Salle, Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.

Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.

After a non-season, which was different depending the country, I am looking forward. I want to focus more on the future than the past, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains. But will write a short summary of what happened before moving to the summer.

This article may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see our disclaimer here. 

This past ski- season. Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.

The case of  North -America. Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.

It was the weirdest season- or non-season of my entire life. And I am 51 now. America had a season, albeit limitations. Canada too, even they had more limitations than America. It was a mixed patch. From Covid tests for those arriving into Vermont or Aspen, to a reservation system in most of the resorts. It must have been so difficult for resorts to organise it all. And for lodging, you sell the lodging. And you have to have an agreement with the lift company to be sure these people will be able to ski!
The Covid Ski Season. Photo by Florian Glawogger. Unsplash. Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.
The Covid Ski Season. Photo by Florian Glawogger. Unsplash. Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.

And what happened with Canada. Summary of a non-season, and how things are looking now for a summer in the mountains.

 
The Canadian provinces had lots of limitations so it was difficult travelling around. Whistler had to close earlier as a big cluster of Covid developed in the population.
 
You could eat inside and then not anymore. Owners and workers of restaurants kept on having disputes with the local authorities. But overall, the North Americans had a ski season.

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3 Zinnen will continue with its plan to install the Helmjet Sexten 10-seater cable car.

Helmjet Sexten. Drei Zinnen will continue with its plan to install the Helmjet Sexten 10-seater cable car.

3 Zinnen will continue with its plan to install the Helmjet Sexten 10-seater cable car.

3 Zinnen Helmjet Sexten – 3 Zinnen Hotels, where to stay in 3 Zinnen, 3 Zinnen Restaurants,  on-mountain restaurants in 3 Zinnen and where to eat in Sesto and the villages.

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3 Zinnen (Tre Cime) ski resort is going ahead with the plan of replacing its old 40-year-old gondola which connected the village of Sesto/Sexten with the ski mountain of Monte Elmo/Helm, with the new premium 10-seater gondola called Helmjet Sexten.

The new gondola will be a premium upgrade for the 3 Zinnen ski resort in the Dolomites, especially because longer waiting lines in the peak season can now be avoided, due to its capacity to bring around 3.000 people at the top per hour.

Drei Zinnen seen from the Drei Zinnen ski area - photo PXHere.com. Drei Zinnen will continue with its plan to install the Helmjet Sexten 10-seater cable car.
3 Zinnen seen from the Drei Zinnen ski area – photo PXHere.com. Drei Zinnen will continue with its plan to install the Helmjet Sexten 10-seater cable car.

Mark Winkler, CEO of 3 Zinnen Ski Resort Dolomites said:

“Every new lift we build is special to me. But the “HELMJET SEXTEN” is a passion project: we have all been waiting for it for many years. In a way, it is the jewel in the crown of the 3 Zinnen Dolomites sports and mountain destination—the last piece in the jigsaw puzzle of investments we made over the course of the past years. We are giving our main entrance in Sesto a massive upgrade: the state-of-the-art facilities will offer our guests much greater comfort while reducing the rush and waiting times of the old system. Personally, I cannot wait to sit in the new ‘Symphony’ premium gondola for the first time and take in the views of the Sesto Sundial.” 

Completing the puzzle of the resort with Helmjet Sexten.

The Monte Elmo Sesto cable car was first built in February 1981. At the time, it was extremely modern. For nearly forty years, it carried skiers, hikers and families to the top of Monte Elmo daily, until this changed in 2020. This year the dated cable car is replaced by the new detachable premium 10-seater Helmjet Sexten cablecar lift.

Six years ago, the 3 Zinnen Dolomites ski resort (called at the time “Sesto Dolomites”) – consisted only of only 50 km of slopes on two mountains. Today, just over half a decade, the 3 Zinnen AG has turned the area into a little gem of five interconnected mountains and 115 km of slopes, with 31 modern cable cars and chairlifts serving them. On the mountain you find family-run restaurants, ski and bike rental services and the Punka Service Centre, the most advance service facilities in the Alps.

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Comparing the Maps of the Alps.

Comparing the Maps of the Alps.Photo by Alice Donovan Rouse. Unsplash.

Comparing the Maps of the Alps.

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Now that the weather is nicer, maybe it is time to plan your next mountain adventure. You can sit in your garden, enjoying the sunny days we are having (at least in Britain) during this Covid19 epidemic and start taking your time, as a hobby, of thinking where your next road trip will be.

For me, it will always be to a mountain, and it will mostly be by car. Unless I travel to America (both North and South), I prefer, if possible, to take the car as driving to the mountains, is part of the trip.

Comparing the Maps of the Alps. Photo by Daniel Gonzalez. Unsplash.
Comparing the Maps of the Alps. Photo by Daniel Gonzalez. Unsplash.

So, I always like opening some maps and guides and see what I want to do. I just measure with my fingers the driving we’ll do as a family on one day- actually, the driving my husband will do, as for me it is too traumatising to change sides of the road again. I did it once from Argentina to the UK and I still have to think each time I drive, which side of the road I have to get in, and what side of the car I have to mount to! But I am a great co-pilot, and enjoy the planning of the trip, as much as the guiding.

Here is a selection of maps, many of which I have already bought- (you cannot ever have enough maps, right?) I might not spend too much in shoes, but I do like my maps, and some travel guides as well!

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