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Leely2 and k_marie I laughed and really appreciate the sentiment!
The one think I love and despise about travel are all of the options! I really do some digging on the planes and trains to try and make a seamless itinerary. It is a lot of work but during the trip when your eating a nice meal in a new city it is worth all the effort. I just put it out in the Fodors land to see what your amazing minds might know. I don't think there will be any itinerary until next week when my brother gets around to realizing things are too complicated but he needs to reach that conclusion on his own. I just wanted to pick your brains for options because I love my family. If it were up to me I would keep the Barcelona/Paris/Normandy trip or go with Strasbourg/Paris/and somewhere else like Lyon, Loire or Champagne region. Dad loves La Sagradia Famila and Gaudi and the cathedral will be finished in a few years. He was there before it had a roof and was consecrated. Ahh! First world problems planning a Christmas trip to Europe. I wish everyone had the luxury of of this "problem" and wasn't burdened with war, famine and politics. Thank you again and I will be keeping my eye on this thread and letting you know the details of family dynamics if you're interested . xoxoxo |
Actually I lied. If it were really up to me I would prefer to just do the family ski trip over Christmas to Steamboat. Easy peasy, cheaper and the kids get to ski. Dad and I have not done a Father/daughter trip since before covid when we spent over a month traveling to Barcelona, Sicily for 3 weeks and a short trip to Paris in November of 2019. We are both single and pretty much best friends so we always travel in the off season where things are less expensive with less crowds so we can spend more time together having fun.
With the planning of this family trip, since it is so expensive during the holidays, I'm sacrificing my first post covid father/daughter trip. I was totally ok with that because I really would love my niece and nephew to experience Europe with dad but my brothers stubbornness is really getting to me. It's always harder traveling with numerous people so I just need to step back and be grateful dad want to spend time with us and leave the ski itinerary to my brother and the travel gods and goddesses. lol |
Explain global warming to your brother. Explain many ski resorts have closed permanently due to lack of snow, that December is really too early for skiing.
Of course if you convince him there will be no snow you can almost guarantee there will be a ton of it this year, but the chances are low. You are planning, your Dad is paying so either he ponies up for the skiing diversion, maybe taking the kids on his own while you and your Dad do your own thing for a couple of days, or he shuts up and enjoys the trip you and your father have planned. |
Originally Posted by hetismij2
(Post 17590498)
Explain global warming to your brother. Explain many ski resorts have closed permanently due to lack of snow, that December is really too early for skiing.
Of course if you convince him there will be no snow you can almost guarantee there will be a ton of it this year, but the chances are low. You are planning, your Dad is paying so either he ponies up for the skiing diversion, maybe taking the kids on his own while you and your Dad do your own thing for a couple of days, or he shuts up and enjoys the trip you and your father have planned. |
IF you are skiers, you should know that ski resorts are not in towns/cities with lots to do. They just aren't. And that is one of the most expensive times of the year at ski resorts, and it will be super crowded. Because even if not good snow, some people want to take Christmas vacation at ski resorts, go figure, even though it is crowded and costs more. Kids are out of school, also, of course. I wouldn't do it in the US either due to poor snow and crowds/cost. The only place with a ski resort I can think of with more to do, sort of, in the US is Aspen, which is a real town. Even there, I can't imagine what I'd do for days if I didn't ski. I don't think of Salt Lake City as very exciting myself, although I've been there numerous times for skiing.
Yes, ski resorts are in smaller villages. I was in Verbier once for a couple days but it's just a ski village. Kitzbuhel isn't too far from Munich but it's not large, either. YOu can get to Verbier from Montreux in less than two hours, though. It's only about 45 miles. You take the train to Martigny which is only about a half hour. Then a local train to Le Chable, and from there a cable car which is kind of fun, actually. https://verbier4vallees.ch/en/online..._ticket_338454 So if you stayed in MOntreux, someone could go skiing for the day if they really wanted. You can rent skis at this shop which is right near the lifts. https://www.no1sports.com/ You can store them there overnight, also, they have lockers where you can store your equipment. Actually, the train to Martigny is less than an hour from Lausanne, also. |
This website claims the avg base is only 13 inches in December at Verbier, though (33 cm). Of course it's 3x that at the summit.
https://www.onthesnow.co.uk/valais/v...rical-snowfall |
It would take too much time to comment all that was written above.
Just a few points: it's easier to reach INNSBRUCK from MUC than from ZRH. Innsbruck has it's own ski area (Nordkette) and the ski area of Stubaital (Fulpmes) nearby. Even if there is no snow around Fulpmes and Neustift, skiing will most probably be posible on the glaciers above. There are tons of lifts and gondolas in the area. https://www.stubaier-gletscher.com/en/winter/ The train ride from Innsbruck to Fulpmes takes just 30 minutes. The bus ride from Fulpmes to the glacier gondolas takes 45 minutes ACCOMMODATIOON in the area: https://www.airbnb.ch/s/Fulpmes--Aus...ch_by_map=true https://www.booking.com/searchresult...d_currency=USD |
It would take too much time to comment all that was written above.
Just a few points: If you want to ski at SAAS GRUND/SAAS FEE or Zermatt https://www.saas-fee.ch/en/winter-activities you may stay at Visp or Brig-Glis-Naters From there it's about 1hr by bus to Saas Grund and Saas Fee about 1hr by train to Thun and Berne 45 min by train to Domodossola (scenic Italian city) 30 min by train to Sion (historic city) 45 min by train to Martigny (roman excavations and museums) 1 1/4 hr by train to Montreux/Lake Geneva ACCOMMODATION https://www.booking.com/hotel/ch/vis...ened-auto_open https://www.airbnb.ch/s/Visp--Switze...ch_by_map=true |
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PARIS - CHAMONIX
The rtain ride is faster than the flight (door to door) But as I told you above, TIGNES would be the better choice (there will be snow for sure) and the train/bus ride from Paris isn't much longer Paris dp 9.46 - Tignes ar 17.15 |
Chamonix is probably the best ski destination for a non-skier because it's a proper old mountain town with tons of alpine history:
- visit the Alpine Museum for all things climbing and skiing related - the Crystal Museum to see the first tourists to the alps (the Victorian's going crystal hunting) - take the fabulous old Montenvers rack and pinion railway (cog railway) up to - the Mer de Glace (sea of ice) glacier where you can actually go inside! - view the summit of Mont Blanc from the lovely old town center or take the the cable car up to - the Aiguille du Midi where you''l be short of breath at almost 4,000m high And skiers/boarders needn't worry about the relatively low 1000m altitude of the town because the Grands Montet reaches well over 3,000m at the top lift and, alongside incredible groomers, also has some of the world's very best lift-served off-piste skiing. Top tip for cruisy skiers - enjoy a gloriously sunny day up the valley in Le Tour where the reds are like fast blues. |
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