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With winter on its way, snow lovers are already sharpening their edges, polishing their goggles and scanning the snow reports for the first signs of the white stuff. If you’re one of those people who just can’t wait to hit the slopes, travel search site Skyscanner reveals some of the best places to get an early season ski trip in. But how can you be sure that you’ll find snow, rather than grass on the slopes?…
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With winter on its way, snow lovers are already sharpening their edges, polishing their goggles and scanning the snow reports for the first signs of the white stuff. If you’re one of those people who just can’t wait to hit the slopes, travel search site Skyscanner reveals some of the best places to get an early season ski trip in. But how can you be sure that you’ll find snow, rather than grass on the slopes?
Well, the general rules for early season skiing are similar to late season skiing; head high or head north if you want the best chance of hitting the slopes before the New Year. Resorts that have invested heavily in snow making systems are also most likely to be able to guarantee the goods.
Val Thorens (France)
As Europe’s highest ski resort, most of the skiing here is over 2000m, which means the snow starts falling early. Part of the huge Three Valleys ski area, Val Thorens is an excellent bet for good snow conditions early in the season.
Niseko (Japan)
The land of the rising sun’s most famous ski resort, Niseko (which actually consists of several ski areas) normally opens by late November with the help of the Siberian weather fronts that have made Niseko so famous for powder snow. Already massively popular with Australian skiers, Niseko’s notoriety is fast spreading worldwide.
Are, (Sweden)
Sweden’s number one resort, which also claims to be Northern Europe’s largest and most advanced, Are boasts a season that starts in November and lasts until May. With 100 pistes to enjoy plus night skiing too, Are is a popular choice for early season skiing and even guarantees that at least 10 pistes will be open from 12th December.
Tignes (France)
Winter sports enthusiasts can start skiing early here on the glacier which offers an impressive 20km of runs and a vertical drop of over 750m. Skiing on the rest of the mountain starts in mid December, making Tignes a fairly solid choice for an early season schuss.
Zermatt (Switzerland)
This famous Swiss ski resort has lifts that take you to a dizzy 3899m, and offers skiing that starts in late November. Zermatt is one of the few, truly year-round ski destinations in the world and a sure bet for pre-Christmas skiing.
Saas Fee (Switzerland)
With a ski area that sits between 1800m and 3500m and has access to a glacier, Sass Fee offers early-season skiers plenty of snow. Early November sees some of the world’s best freestyle snowboarders descend on the town for the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup.
Livigno (Italy)
One of the higher resorts in Europe with pistes to 3000m and a good snow record, Livigno’s skiing normally starts in late November on a good year. The town’s tax-free status is also a considerable draw, meaning that food and drink are excellent value here.
Whistler-Blackcomb (Canada)
The excellent slope grooming and snow-making facilities at Whistler Blackcomb help to ensure a lengthy season that starts in late November/early December. This Canadian super resort has repeatedly been voted the best ski resort in the world.
Mammoth (California, USA)
With a season that typically starts in November and lasts until June, skiers and snowboarders coming to Mammoth can enjoy the “tallest ski resort in California” which is also one of the USA’s premier mountain resorts.
Solden (Austria)
Like Zermatt, Solden has year-round skiing on its two glaciers, so when it comes to early-season trips, it’s a pretty sure bet – so sure in fact that Solden say “snow is absolutely guaranteed from November to May”. With a state of the art mountain railway and a massive ski area, Solden is a great choice for the early bird skier.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
