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What’s new in Europe for the 2018/19 ski season
From brand new ski areas to the hottest hotel openings, here’s everything you need to know
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Your support makes all the difference.After last year’s spectacular snowfall across Europe, skiers and snowboarders are looking forward to the 2018/19 season with even greater anticipation. But whatever the weather, there’s plenty to get excited about, with a slew of new openings, routes and experiences. Here’s a look at the biggest and best snow sports-related developments across the continent.
New ski areas
La Rosière, one half of the French-Italian Espace San Bernardo, is expanding this winter by creating another ski area. The Mont Valasain sector will feature five new red runs served by two chairlifts, as well as more opportunities for freeride and a new highest peak of 2,800m.
In Switzerland, work has finally finished on the new ski area of SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun. With both resorts fully connected, this attractive part of central Switzerland now spreads across 120km of pistes.
New routes
EasyJet is launching a new route from Liverpool to Toulouse, one of the gateways to the Pyrenees.
Ryanair will be running a new weekly service from Stansted to Dole from 15 December to 15 March, opening up the ski resorts of the French Jura.
Grenoble airport, which is handy for 23 southern French Alpine resorts, will be receiving more regular flights this winter from Thomas Cook, Jet2 and Wizz Air.
New hotels
Courmayeur in Italy’s Aosta Valley has a swish new five-star hotel, Le Massif, at the foot of Mont Blanc, with superb views to match. Ski Solutions has a four-night break from £945 per person, including flights, breakfast and private transfers.
La Folie Douce, the chain of trendy après-ski bars, is opening its first hotel. Set in Chamonix in the old 1904 Hotel Savoy, this new incarnation will have 141 premium bedrooms (from €129) and 107 hostel dorms (from €24), as well as several restaurants and the trademark après-ski bar – where the party stops at 9pm if you want a decent night’s sleep.
La Clusaz in the Massif des Aravis ski area get a classy new addition with the four-star hotel St Alban. It’s right in the centre of the village, and also features an indoor pool, a spa and free shuttle service to the ski lifts. Inghams has a week’s B&B including flights and transfers from £809 per person.
Club Med expands into the Paradiski domain with the luxurious new Les Arcs Panorama. This sprawling resort in Arc 1600 is in a majestic setting surrounded by pine forests, and features an indoor pool, spa, kids’ club and the usual Club Med all-inclusive dining options. A week’s all-inclusive starts at £1,633, which includes your Paradiski ski pass but not flights, which can be arranged.
The new Hide Hotel in Flims brings a dash of verve and style to the Swiss resort. As the hotel forms the penthouse of the Stenna building, you’re guaranteed fabulous views. Powder Byrne has an introductory offer of a four-night stay from 9 to16 January from £1,095 per person, including flights, transfers and breakfast.
For fans of self-catering, and of very charming French villages, try the new MGM Residence Alexane in Samoëns in the Grand Massif ski area. As well as sumptuous apartments, there’s an indoor pool and a spa. A week’s self-catering with Erna Low costs from £592 per person, including Eurotunnel crossing.
St-Martin-de-Belleville, one of the prettiest parts of the Three Valleys, has a new luxury apartment complex right by the gondola. Chalets Caseblanche are spacious yet cosy, and some have terrace hot tubs. As a bonus, its brasserie is a new opening from the Meilleur family that runs the three Michelin-starred La Bouitte in nearby St Marcel. A week’s self-catering with Peak Retreats costs from £530 per person, based on five sharing a three-bedroom apartment, including Eurotunnel crossing.
Grab a gang of 10 friends and take advantage of the fantastic piste-side position of the new Chalet Beluga in Avoriaz. Not only will you get five bedrooms but you’ll also have an underground swimming pool and a hammam. VIP Ski has a week’s catered holiday from £1,199 per person, including flights, transfers, breakfast, afternoon tea and six evening meals.
New lifts
Val d’Isère’s old lift at La Daille that slowly lumbered up to La Folie Douce has been replaced by a snazzy and speedy 10-person gondola with heated seats.
In keeping with its tradition of constantly updating its lift systems, Austria brings a new gondola to Zell am See-Kaprun, linking the Maiskogel with the Kitzsteinhorn. It has also built six-seater and 10-seater chairlifts in Zillertal, the latter acting as a shuttle to the Albergo hotel. The creaky Grampenbahn in Ischgl is being replaced after 30 years with the gleaming new six-seater Gampen E4.
In Switzerland, guests staying at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa will have their own private express ski lift to add to the hotel’s existing funicular.
In Hochgurgl, Austria, the second section of the high-tech, 10-person Kirchenkarbahn gondola, opening 15 November, whizzes skiers from the base station at 2,147m, up to 2,839m in just under nine minutes. From the top station, there are 2.2km of new red and blue runs to explore, plus more accessible freeride terrain.
New experiences
James Bond fans should head to Sölden in Austria for the new 007 Elements museum – in the spot where Spectre was filmed. Enter the hidden doorway built into the side of the mountain and it’s like stepping into the lair of a Bond villain, with maze-like tunnels exhibiting visual aspects of the Bond films.
Les Carroz in France’s Grand Massif is the latest resort to build a four-season mechanical luge, which lets you hurtle down the track at exhilarating speeds.
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