"It's snowing like Billy-o," reported a happy Telegraaf reader who was on holiday in La Plagne this week. And after a great start with big waterfalls in December - interspersed with plenty of blue days - it has to be said that more heavy snowfall and cold temperatures have made this winter an Alpine classic. As our snow specialist Patrick Thorne says: "These are some of the best January conditions in years."
If that sounds tempting and you haven't booked yet, it's time to get organized. All operators are reporting strong demand - chalet specialist Le Ski says it is already more than 80 per cent booked for the entire winter. There are only a few weeks left before the February peak starts, and then an early Easter means that there will be fewer quiet weeks than normal in March. Here are the most important things to consider.
Where
It's a pretty rosy picture for much of the ski world, thanks to the snowfall and cold temperatures of the past week. The French Alps - especially Chamonix, Flaine and the resorts in the Tarentaise Valley (including La Plagne, Les Arc and Les Trois Vallées) - are covered in a heavy blanket.
In Austria, St. Anton and the Arlberg region have the best conditions; St. Moritz in Switzerland has a base more than 150 cm deep after recent snow; and there are good conditions throughout Scandinavia. Italy didn't fare so well in December, but things have now improved everywhere - check individual resorts before booking or our latest snow report. In the Rockies, after a dry start, conditions are looking better with the arrival of huge storms - check specific resorts if you're looking for powder.
When
For those traveling without school-age children, there are two main destinations: departure until the weekend of February 3 and 4, which has the added benefit of knowing the snow will be good, and then the two weeks between March 9 and February 4. 23.
The half term, and to some extent Easter, complicate the rest of the calendar, putting pressure on flights and accommodation and vastly increasing the number of slopes.
The story continues
In Great Britain, many schools will split for half the school year on Friday, February 9. You can see the effect on easyJet's website - a return fare to Geneva from February 10 to 17, with checked baggage, now peaks at £1,200 - completely out of reach for most of us. Some education authorities have set February 16 instead, and finding flights and packages is easier for that weekend (Crystal Ski still has some availability that week). That easyJet fare also drops to £300. But for both weeks, pressure on accommodation is high due to France's annual holiday system, which sees dates rotate across different regions.
This year, schools in Paris will break from February 10 to 26, although many French children will still be on the slopes until March 10 as regions other than Paris follow suit. In Austria, the big week starts on February 3 (for Vienna and Vorarlberg), but all schools are back at the end of February.
Easter skiing is less popular with the French, Austrians and Italians so the impact on resorts is smaller, but it makes a big difference to the cost of flights and packages from Britain. Most state schools will break up on March 28 and airfares over the Easter weekend are already looking unaffordable. Private schools, which dissolve on March 22, will have the advantage.
How
The general overview is one thing, availability with different operators is more variable - it all depends on what flights and other travel options they offer, and on demand at individual resorts.
Inghams and self-catering specialist Erna Low both say they will have some options from the week of February 24. Peak Retreats proposes La Rosière and Montgenèvre in France for departure on March 16.
Among the chalet specialists, Purple Ski has some availability for January 28 and February 4 in Méribel and Val d'Isere. The specialist agent Ski Solutions, which deals with a wide selection of providers, chooses March 9 and 16 as the best weeks for general availability.
So it's best to act spontaneously and make a deal now, or wait until March and hope for a cold, snowy February.
10 late discounts for spontaneous skiers
Le Ski is offering discounts on rooms at Chalet Marmau in La Tania (Courchevel) from £1,467 to £1,099 for departures on January 28. The price includes flights (Manchester or Gatwick), transfers and chalet board.
Crystal has reduced prices at Pension Eckatauerhof in Mayrhofen, Austria, for departure on March 9 from £1,085 to £825, half board, with flights and transfers to Gatwick-Innsbruck.
At the top end of the chalet market, Purple Ski is discounting Chalet La Varappe in Méribel for January 28 departure from €25,810 (£22,129) to €23,229 (£19,914). It can accommodate 10 people and the price includes meals and drinks for the entire chalet. Flights and transfers are extra.
Inghams is offering a £440 per person discount on holidays to The Moss hotel in Obergurgl, Austria, departing on January 27. The reduced price is now £1,083, including half board and flights from Birmingham (other airports are also available).
Morzine self-catering chalet specialist Elevation Alps is offering the following discounts: Chalet L'Anton, sleeping 13, reduced from €8,100 (£6,944) to €7,100 (£6,087) for arrivals on January 27, and Chalet Reve, sleeping six, from €4,000 (£3,430) to €3,200 (£2,744) for arrivals on February 17. Flights and transfers are not included.
Peak Retreats is offering a 10 percent discount on apartments at the self-catering Alhena residence in Flaine for departures on March 9 and 16. Before the discount, a one-bedroom apartment (sleeping up to four people) costs £2,035 for the period from March 16. week and £2,332 for the week commencing 9 March. Includes Eurotunnel crossing for one car.
Ski World offers discounts on stays in the shared Chalet Arnaud in Les Arcs (sleeps 6). It now costs £1,069, down from £1,439, for chalet boarding for departure on February 3, including flights between Heathrow and Grenoble.
Stays at the Club Med residence in Pragelato Sestriere in Italy are possible with departure on January 28. The price for a Superior Room with Balcony, all-inclusive, including flights from London, has dropped from £4,119 to £3,769 - this is the total for two people.
Ski Beat's Chalet Arpette, in the center of La Plagne 1800, has a £100 discount for departure on January 27. It now costs £969, including chalet board, flights from Gatwick and transfers.
Ski Line offers a discount on Chalet Chez Bugi, a well-maintained chalet for 12 people in St Martin de Belleville (for access to Les Trois Vallées). It now costs £1,517, down from £2,333, for a week from February 4, based on full occupancy and excluding travel.
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a room for seven nights, unless otherwise stated. They are subject to availability and may change at short notice.
