January. The festive season is done, the days are drearyand spring feels like a long way off;the start of a newyear doesn’t usually hold much excitement.
That’s until you remember you booked a group ski holiday with your friends and family months ago and suddenly your loveof January returns!
From amazing powder to crowd-free pistes, there’s lots to love about a snowy alpine adventure early on in the ski season. Here's just a few reasons to grab some mates and beat the blues with a January ski trip.
January tends to be the most snowsure month there is which suits everyone in your party. The risk of a late start to the season’s snowfall is over, but the warmer temperatures that turn the snow a bit softerhave yet to hit.
For any powder fiends in your group, they'll have the best chance of getting to play in the fluffy white stuff during January, and you should have plenty of ski runs to choose from, both on and off piste.
Tignes has a stellar powder reputation during January, with a vast high-altitude ski area and some stunning off-piste routes, like the Vallons de la Sache. On a cold, clear day, get the lift up to the Grande Motte glacier and soak in breath-taking views across the Alps to Mont Blanc.
We also love heading off-piste to ski or snowboard among the snow-laden trees that line Sauze d’Oulx’s slopes, before heading to a cosy mountain café to warm up with a mug of indulgent Italian cioccolata. A Neilson rule: no post-Christmas diets allowed on a January ski holiday!
Remember to only head off-piste with a professional guide. We offer a free guiding and coaching service to guests staying in any of our Neilson Mountain Collection hotels, chalet hotels and ski chalets. We call them our Mountain Experts, and each oneis afully qualified local ski and snowboard instructor. They won't take you off-piste during a free guiding session, butyou can book them privately to show you the best off-piste in the area.
January is usually the quietest time on the pistes. If you make sure to avoid the peak times of school holidays, you could find yourself skiing or boarding on perfectly groomed, uncrowded slopes. Nothing, and we mean nothing, beats the thrill of carving the first lines into fresh snow.
Better yet, if you hate queuing (although who likes it?), a January ski holiday in the insanely slick and great value resorts of El Tarter and Soldeu in Andorraofferquiet slopes and one of the world’s best lift systems, allowing you to maximise your time and master the slopes. With plenty of Mountain Collection chalets and hotels to enjoy free guiding and coaching, it's a must for your group too.
The picturesque villages of Corvara and Badia, in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, are fairly peaceful all year round, but come January, you can enjoy a real winter retreat, exploring the iconic Sella Ronda ski route or trying your hand at cross-country skiing through beautiful winter landscapes. We’re sold.
One of the main reasons for groups to head away in January is that you’ll find some great deals to suit all budgets. So if you’re not tied to the school holidays, everything from your flights and accommodation to your lift passes and après-ski is likely to be cheaper.
If your wallet is feeling the strain after Christmas, prices for Andorran destinations often compare much more favourably than better-known resorts in the Alps. Head to the high-altitude resort of Pas de la Casa to tear up the pistes of the 210km Grandvalira ski area by day and enjoy some pretty legendary and budget-friendly après-ski by night.
While the off-peak January weeks hold plenty of appeal, there’s also something very special about seeing in the New Year ona ski holiday. Take an après-loving group and join the post-ski celebrations, or chill out with family in a cosy chalet before getting the year off to a great start with a day on the slopes.
Lively Val d’Isère is famous for its New Year festivities, treating partygoers to everything from firework displays and ice sculptures to street performers and live DJs. It's ahuge hit with groups and families alike, the buzz is like nowhere else in the Alps.
Hop aboard the New Year’s Eve train in Mayrhofen for a day of music, entertainment and fireworks as you travel through the scenic valley. On New Year’s Day, you can head up to the Hintertux glacier for spectacular views or join locals at the resort’s traditional horse-drawn sleigh race.
View our New Year ski deals here.
As well as being a quieter time to ski, January is also a quieter time to travel. This means your group can avoid the headache of crowded airports and slow transfers, arriving relaxed and ready to ski. The only problem you might encounter is a fresh dump of snow on the roads, but, believe us, ski resorts are far more prepared to dealwith wintery conditions than we are in the UK.
With the highest skiable glacier in Europe, Les Deux Alpesis famed for its amazing 220km snowsure ski area. It only takes around 2hours and 30 minutes to reach its lofty slopes from Grenoble, so January’s straightforward transfers can be a real blessing.
A fast-approaching ski trip is a great incentive to keep up with some exercise over the festive period. Whether it’s long winter walks, evenings in the pool or going along to Pilates, staying relatively healthy in the run-up to your holiday will make sure you have the best possible time on the slopes.
And if all those good intentions fall by the wayside? Don’t worry, what better way to get your New Year fitness goals off to a great start than by spending some serious time on your skis or snowboard?
You’re welcome.
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