Flights and resort update for 2017-18 ski season

Resorts across the Alps are gearing up for start of the 2017-18 ski season with many set to benefit from extra air routes and new investment into lift systems and infrastructure.

Looking first at the French Alps, flying to Grenoble this season has got easier thanks to both British Airways and Jet2 adding Saturday flights from Heathrow and Stansted respectively, while Jet2 also is operating Saturday and Sunday flights from Birmingham. Grenoble is the main gateway to the popular resorts of Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes, amongst others. In addition, Jet2 has launched its first routes to Geneva, Salzburg and Lyon from Stansted, and Geneva, Salzburg and Turin from Birmingham.

Elsewhere, on 11th December a new airline called Powdair kicks off with new routes between Sion in the Swiss Alps and six UK airports, namely London City, Southend, Luton, Bristol, Southampton and Manchester. These new services, starting from £125 one-way, will cut transfer times to resorts, including Verbier, Crans Montana and Nendaz, significantly.

Reaching Austria is getting simpler too, thanks to new EasyJet flights from Gatwick to Klagenfurt, commencing on 16th December, which are complemented by the four flights British Airways is running from Heathrow to Salzburg each week.

Travelling to an Austrian resort by rail gets easier this year too, thanks to a new overnight service that sees Eurostar linking up with two other services across Europe. The new train route delivers skiers to key stations in the Tirol region in time for breakfast. In particular, it delivers improved access to the ski areas of SkiWelt, including the resorts of Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau and Going, Ski Juwel, Zillertal Valley and Innsbruck. The journey starts with a Eurostar from London to Brussels, followed by a connection with a Thalys or ICE train to Cologne, from where you board an ÖBB NightJet sleeper train to the Tirol. Meanwhile, Eurostar has announced it is dropping its London-Lyon service for this winter season.

Turning to resort improvements, a new 247-kilometre ski area launches in the French Pyrénées this year. Called Pyrénées 2 Vallées, it is formed by the joining together of St-Lary, Peyragudes, Piau-Engaly and Val Louron, all of which can now be accessed by one lift ticket as well as being linked by shuttle bus.

One of the largest additions in any resort this season is the development of a brand new skiing bowl between Morillon and Samoëns in the Savoie region of the French Alps. The new ski area will include a new six-seater ‘Coulouvrier’ chairlift, two new blue pistes and two new red pistes (open for 2018/19). The chairlift will be Europe’s longest, stretching for 2,850 metres and transporting skiers from 1200m to 2120m during a journey lasting nine minutes.

Still in Savoie, world famous Courchevel has a new bubble lift at Moriond, which runs alongside a hair-raising 3,000m toboggan run with a 450m vertical descent. Across the border in Switzerland, Andermatt will be connected for the first time by a new chairlift – with more to come to Sedrun.

On the market

 

1. Val D’isere, France 

• Priced of 3,100,000 – 4,650,000 euros
• 5 New-build apartments
• 3-4 bedrooms with large interiors
• Centre of Val d’Isère Village
• High specifications
• Views of the resort
• Multiple orientations
• Private parking
• Delivery end 2016

These apartments enjoy an unbeatable location right in the centre of Val D’Isere Village. The resort has a huge variety of shops, boutiques, restaurants, bars and café’s which are all on your doorstep and the Solaise ski lifts are situated just a 300m walking distance away.

2. Alpe D Huez, France 

• Priced from 315,000 – 1,640,000 euros
• Studio to 4 bedrooms, 37 to 165 sqm
• Luxury new build properties
• Ski-in ski-out, stunning views
• Close to shops and restaurants
• Terraces available
• Delivery December 2018, 2.5% notary fees

The apartments, ranging from studios to four bedroom duplexes, have been designed with a focus on functionality and wellness to provide as much comfort as possible to the future owners of a luxurious property.

3. Courchevel, France

• Prices from 1.95M – 2.60M Euros
• Two bedroom new-build apartments
• 2 & 4 bedrooms, 106-114 sqm
• 150m from the slopes
• In the heart of Courchevel
• Luxury, fully furnished, garage
• Views across the valley
• 90 minute drive from Grenoble
• 2 hours drive from Geneva
• Delivered/Key ready

As well as impressive views across the mountains and valley, these apartments are furnished to an extremely high standard for which the developer has become renowned.

Finally, the finish is traditional yet with modern influences, using the highest quality wood and stone to complete a 21st century Savoyard design.

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