Skiing in April - Morzine or Chamonix?

[pointsmakeprizes]

We are a family of beginners with small child of skiing age, we have narrowed our options down to morzine or chamonix as close to Geneva airport. Our choice of accommodation has availability in Morzine for first week of April or availability in Chamonix or Morzine for second week of April...what would you do? Main concern is snow conditions during April, any help appreciated, we are novices so we don't really know very much. Is it better to go earlier in April - what are the predicted conditions for Easter?

Sorry should also add that it is slightly cheaper to go second week of April, but we would pay more for better snow conditions.

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I would definitely not go to chamonix if you are beginners. I haven't been there but I think a lot of the skiing is intermediate/advanced and there are lots of different ski areas so it is a bit spread out. Morzine and portes du soleil would be more suitable for beginners. I'd go for the first week of April as Morzine is quite low. If there is any accommodation available in Avoriaz that would be better as more chance of decent snow higher up.

Hello, like the email above, Morzine is both a fantastic beginners resort in general, but also great for kids too, because it's low it tends to be warmer. We took ours at 6 and 4 last year and that was a good starting age, for the younger one anyway. We are currently in the final stages or renovating our chalet (chalet jouet - www.morzine-ski.co.uk) that is being rented through holiday company 'reach for the alps', they should be able to help you with accomodation, my names Chris, they'll know who I am! Happy Skiing. C

Moraine is def better for beginners than chamonix. Plus the skiing area/lifts is more compact. In Cham you have to get ski buses to the different lift which is like being on the tube in ski boots.

But the reason why they both have short transfer times is because they're both quite low down. Morzine has got a good beginners area at the top of one of the big cable cars I guess so should be snow there even in April. There has been lots of snow this year so should be ok. I'd be tempted to travel a bit further and get somewhere a bit higher.

thanks for all the advice, still deciding what to do. I have looked at Les Arcs and La Plagne, though transfer times seem long from Geneva and getting quotes of around 500 euros for return transfers. Any suggestions for alternative resorts that would be more snow sure but reasonable transfer times and costs?

Another plus of Morzine is that it's a 'real' alpine community so it has a lovely rustic village feel. Avoriaz and La Plagnr are both man-made resorts, so more concrete and travel-lodge style hotels.

Could you fly to chambery instead? Shorter transfers. La plagne is nice.

Have skied both morzine and chamonix; both with and without kids (in fact was in morzine last week). Morzine preferable to Chamonix for a beginner family. But do note that a lot of accommodation in Morzine is not skiable to/from and getting buses with kids and ski clobber is not a joy - especially if you have to be somewhere for certain time for ski school. So do check out whether proposed accommodation is near ski school meeting point or if the chalet can offer help with a mini-bus etc. Alternative is Avoriaz, linked to Morzine, almost all accommodation ski in ski out, no traffic etc but most accommodation is self catering and less of a village feel; it is a purpose built ski station. Other alternative is the grand massif; very close to GVA - a lot of ski in ski out (or almost) accommodation in Flaine, some in Morillon etc. Sameons (also in grand massif) has quite a lot of accommodation near gondola and is a real French town. All have ESF ski schools.

Morzine 1st week in April gets my vote, love Chamonix but it is no good for beginners. Les Gets (same ski area as Morzine) is best for families and not too much carting around of kit.

Thanks again, what about Argentiere? Have found a lovely chalet that will do drop offs to lifts/ski schools and good with dealing with families. This will be to go 2nd week of April.

Morzine is about an hours drive at the most from Geneva. Chmonix must be more like an hour and a half.

Les Gets is linked to Morzine and I know several families that have skied there with youndg children. It may be cheaper?

Just seen TeaTowelQueens post!

Just to report back, we finally narrowed it down to morzine or samoens (thanks for the suggestion Mater), and we are going with Samoens now to be on grand massif and the village sounds lovely. Thanks for all the tips about Chamonix, glad I asked here before we booked there. We still want to go to Morzine so maybe next year if we can ourselves organised a bit better earlier.

Samoens has a nice ice rink too! It is jsut a drive from Morzine, so you could check out your next years possibilities?!