Most SHOCKING Things About Skiing in Europe (As an American)
A comprehensive breakdown of the various differences when skiing in the European Alps of France, Switzerland, and Italy versus the slopes of North America.
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0:00 Intro
1:02 Stunning Mountain Ranges
2:02 Above-Treeline Slopes
2:53 Vertical Drops
3:27 Size and Resort Interconnectivity
4:08 Getting Between Interconnected Resorts
4:51 Consequences of Ending Up at Wrong Resort
5:20 Signage and Trail Map Differences
6:18 Ski Run Difficulty Rating Differences
7:37 Off-Piste Terrain
8:57 Grooming Operations
9:34 Closed Trail Policies
10:17 Need for On-Mountain Insurance
11:02 On-Piste Trail Congestion
11:29 Lack of Line Management
12:30 Lift Infrastructure
14:36 Public Transportation
15:12 Snow Quality
16:33 Top-Notch Restaurant Scene
17:23 Aprés-Ski and Nightlife
18:46 Ultra-Moneyed Vibes
19:29 Lift Ticket Prices
20:24 Final Thoughts
You missed one important difference: Ski-Patrol in Europe is solely about rescue - there is simply no equivalent to the US pseudo-police on the runs taking people's ski passes
Europe dont have your crime rate and no one is having guns. No need for police
They can do that?? That’s insane, in Switzerland I have rarely see them reprimand a unsafe skier verbally, but never taking away a pass
In italy you can sometimes come across the carabinieri (police) that are on skis as well. But they are mostly there to deal with actual cases and not taking tickets for "speeding"
Ridiculous, skiing in america is trash
There are levels of freedom when skiing in europe that americans can only dream about.
These are not 'resorts', they are towns. Skiing in Europe is not Disney world.
Indeed. In Europe we don't use the word "resort" but more "domain" or "park". They are not managed by a resort. I think they are managed by the town.
@@b4st13n5That’s actually awesome. I’m an American and I really like the skiing here but the big resorts are so profit driven that it’s super expensive. This seems so much better price wise because they aren’t as motivated to make a profit. But if that’s the case, who pays for all of the resorts costs?
Some towns looks like "resorts". It's a real desert if there is no snow.
@@Sombre____ Wrong, most of these towns have been there before the the US was even imagined. They are real living and breathing communities where people live and work.
@@etma01 I live in france. Just try to eat when there is no snow (Like in april for example) in one of those "not a resort" town. You will see than there is nobody apart during holidays (winter season and summer season). Example : La Cluzas
In some places you don't just ski into a different resort, but it's possible to ski into a different country
I scared the sh*t out of my US guests when taking them across the Swiss-French border on Skis and then asking them AFTER crossing if they've brought their passport to get back in.
@@Warentester 🤣🤣🤣 only wall between France and Switzerland is a skiable one, id like to see these guys tackle the swiss wall and talk about the lack of moguls
@@Masteraidsx I'mpretty sure FrenchItlian border is skiable too
@@PA-yp6rwyou can also do a Swiss-France-Italy trip.
Or Germany Austria 😊
I'm European. I was completely shocked when I heard the price of tickets in american resorts. Unfortunately winters in the alps haven't been that good in recent years, I'm sure the snow quality is much better in the US. For good off piste skiing, you don't go where the chairlifts are, but you have to go backcountry skiing with all the avalanche safety equipment and training.
Agree completely. Thats why I laugh when I watch a European complain about how 'expensive' skiing is there. They have no idea on what we have to deal with, for infrastructure and food that is a joke in comparison.
Most people have either an Ikon or Epic pass. This pass allows us to ski all over the U.S. I have not to sure how many people actually pay the asking price at the ticket window. Most people get buddy or friend passes off their said season pass. I have never known of anyone to actually pay full price. Why is it this way, I guess to get us to purchase season passes, something everyone would be doing anyway, since we ski a lot.
@@mtadams2009I really want to go skiing but I’ve never been because a ski trip is just too expensive compared to other vacations. There’s no point of buying a season pass or skiing equipment because I don’t live near any mountains. The barrier to entry is so high that it stops a lot of people from skiing who would love it
@@coling443Unfortunately there are a lot of locals who would prefer you stayed home.
@@coling443 The worst part is the fact that the first several days skiing really suck, and it takes a while for everything to click and really be worth it. If I didn't have my brother dragging me up the mountain for a week when I first moved to Utah, I would have given up on it after one day. Once you are good enough to survive black runs and moguls, the price doesn't even matter anymore because there's nothing I'd rather be doing in the winter.
Also, if you're skiing in France and you want to save on food costs - you're in France. Head to the supermarket, get a baguette and some cheese and a saucisson, prepare some sandwiches in the morning, take them with you during the day - voila, cheap and good lunches. Nothing better than a hearty sandwich after a good half day of skiing.
Nothing worse than a cold sandwich on the slopes
If you don't actually ski much and have no appreciation for simple but hearty food, sure, I guess. You can always go spend money at a restaurant.
@@csr7080I ski heaps and a cold lunch is depressing
I'm sorry you can't just enjoy nature with a simple meal.
This is so true. You dont need to waste one hour and 40 euros for a snack and a coke in altitude restaurants. Good sandwiches made out of local food is the best, especially with a wonderful viewpoint comfortably seated in one of the many resting areas you can find. France is the best for that ,and uneducated brainwashed muricans dare to call us communists/socialists.....😂
As a European, I found interesting the fact that trees are found at different altitudes on each side of the Atlantic. Personally I like to ride with trees around, finding the experience much more beautiful and "charming" than a big white desert.
I like both, starting above the tree line with the wide open montains, then coming down into the trees!
Treeline is different in different parts of North America; 4000 feet in the northeast 10,000 feet on the west coast
As someone who’s from Europe, this video was equally exciting to watch. When I went skiing in Canada for the first time after skiing in Europe all my life, I was instantly disappointed with lift infrastructure and dining options (chairlifts with heated seats and bubbles are really the norm ) but I was really impressed with dedicated lines for singles and the way line ups are organized in general. There are also a lot more snowboarders in North America from my observations. In my experience, accommodation is also more modern and luxurious in Europe. With that said, both are great places to ski and have fun
'chairlifts with heated seats and bubbles are really the norm' = not the norm at all in Europe.
@@privatesale211 I don't know about heated seats... but foot rests are the norm in Europe (a little cheap thing that makes a big difference in comfort AND safety) , and bubbles, or covers are found in a great many European chairlifts.., while North American ones often look like the ones we had over here when I was a kid, 50 years ago!
@@st-ex8506What resorts did you go to then? Most mid sized resorts in North America have high tech lifts and lodges
@@greasyrails2571 I haven't skied North America in many many years. I studied at CU in Boulder in the late 70s and skied at many CO and UT resorts. More recently, but still some 20 some years ago, I skied Telluride, Vail, and Loveland. However, I watch a lot of YT videos, on dozens of north American resorts, and can see how most lifts are antiquated. I am sure there are some high tech ones... but so many chairlifts don't even have foot/ski rests! I don't know about the lodges... the ones I stayed at many years ago were fine, but already outrageously expensive!
@@privatesale211it is for new lifts. Only under very specific conditions, new lifts are built without bubble and heating. America still builds a lot of fixed grip quads
American living in Suisse here - almost everything was spot on. A couple more mentions - if you go beyond the Class A resorts (Verbier, Zermatt, etc), like the smaller ones connected to them, you can pay even LESS for lift tickets and still get incredible skiing done, often with fewer crowds and different weather. Another thing I’d like to mention is the culture in ski lift lines varies by country. The Swiss destinations are quite international and with a lot of orderly Swiss, American and UK visitors there’s more people insisting on a place in the queue. Meanwhile in Italy it’s a free for all so just prepare to relax, push in and don’t take offense, that’s just the way things are there!
Yes are like spermatozoïdes, polite and respectful to each other but the first to get it gets it.
I live in Nendaz and i noticed that the US tourists seem to be overall more communicative. Also agree with the class A resort, it's too peopely
Yeah, in Southern France, there are some smaller ski resort (still ~100km) where ski passes are under 50 EUR
@@yinzeli7488American here, Pra Loup is where I go skiing somewhat regularly. It's an incredibly large mountain and the lift tickets are only 39 euro per day this year! If you ski 6 days, the 6 day pass works out to only around 32 euro per day!
In Italy we do not push, we "line actively", something we have learned from childhood. But when you go to the Italian Dolomites nowadays, you barely have longer lines anymore, the lifts are just so efficient...
Now that you noted it, I find it really interesting: Our way of doing queue lines feels totally normal to me, but of course, it is totally chaotic now that you mention it! I like to break that down, what my experience is during those queues: Once we get to the queue, everyone just shuts down. We don't even stress about who gets first when. We just shut down our brains for a bit, talk to each other and let the flow do everything. And soon enough, you just tend to find yourself in front of the gate. Then if you're in a group, you let someone through so that you can go together again. It feels totally organic, and now that I consciously look at it, it's kinda amazing how that even works. I'm sure that you COULD save 1 minute or so by constantly stressing yourself during those 15-20min and trying to get in front of others. But it's not really worth it. Just relax, talk to each other, take the break, and you will arrive almost at the same time as everyone else. Let the flow do its thing. And now that I analyze it, I really notice it upon myself: When I get to the queue line, I immediately FALL into a lower state. That has the downside that sometimes while I sit on the lift, I almost want to fall asleep :D But once I'm at the top, I'm ready for the next sequence of action. It is like my body has adapted to take those moments as total rest, to be ready for a long day of heavy activity. That way we really don't have the energy to stress ourselves for the queue. It is just a time of relaxing time, where nothing of importance happens.
In fact I like that about skiing; its kind of on-and-off! Being very chill in the elevators while enjoying the views VS being absolutely fully engaged on the slopes!
Yes this is true. It’s chaotic, but people are not stressed. Everyone is patient and everyone just waits their turn
The queue also actually moves pretty fast, even for the large queues it ends up being less than 10 minutes
As also a European: I find it totally ridiculous that when there are serious lines and there is a 6 seat chairlift and you have a group of 4 and a group of 3 behind them, the group of 3 will leave 2 empty chairs instead of filling them up, 1 person sits in another chair and meet each other on top. When it is busy: fill up the seats. And no, I am not in a hurry, but I dont like pointless waiting. When it is low season, no problem to go with just your own group on a chairlift or cabine. Then I find it actually a bit rude if another couple or group just have to have this one to be one chair earlier up to then take minutes to adjust clothes, bagpacks etc on top.. ;-)
Agreed. As an American, it’s helpful to shed that UK/American queue mentality. It’s a giant uncoordinated crowd - if 3-4 people somehow end up ahead of you that weren’t there before it likely wasn’t intentional and at most you lost a minute. It’s fine.
I loved the stupidity of “if you go to the wrong place you’ll have to find your way home on your own and that’s no fun *sadface*”. I mean, that seems to be true in all aspects of travel and life and not only in skiing in Europe.
You have to be extremely stupid and clumsy if you can't read maps. If you are too stupid to read maps you can still ask the chairlift clerks which will get you on the right track.
I did it in Austria once and got a lift back to the correct village off a nice Australian couple. There are excellent smaller resorts where this isn't so much of a risk, but it's worth noting that the larger resorts can be a blessing in disguise. Resorts where all slopes converge together generally have the worst queue problems.
In the US they employ a lot of people to guide Americans, because they have never learned to care for themselves...
I have been skiing for over 40 years and ski very long distances each day, often crossing between resorts and countries. On no occasion have I missed the last lift back and I think the emphasis on this in the video was too much. You just have to be sensible and take note of where you are. Also, this video was largely shot with poor snow and my personal experience has been with much better snow. Do fly over the pond, what you will see is amazing, and the hotels, bars and restaurants are at the bottom of the slopes, not in some dodgy hotel which is miles away with no atmosphere.
Just his way of thoroughly explaining how one can’t expect to wing it in the context of the video
Thanks for the video. As you mentioned, this is about the west alps (Switzerland and France). If you will Ski in the Austria (or even Bavaria) you will find a different vibe. Also, the Dolimites (South Tyrolia) in Italy are different.
I fully agree that the vibes are different in Austria and in the Dolomites. I have been skiing all those places (not Bavaria, though), and love them all for their distinctive skiing... and after-ski experience! But still, the differences stay pretty much the same, compared to North American resorts.
There is another experience to be found in Spain and Andorra (in the Pyrenees)
As someone in Switzerland… agreed! He named some wonderful resorts but even here in expensive Switzerland (and definitely in other countries) you will find smaller, more relaxed, higher-flying, and CHEAPER resorts all over Europe, especially Italy and Austria where I hope to visit soon!
germany and austria is horrible. its only about annoying folk music and getting drunk asap
@@LowKickMT Getting drunk is no good training for the next day's skiing! That's only good for the Scandinavians and the Britts.
To be precise, the "Europe" in the video refers to the area between France and Switzerland, the most expensive and luxurious ski resorts in the Alps. In fact, the ski resorts in Austria and northern Italy are quite different from these resorts.
Skiing in France / Haute Savoie is not more expensive as in Austria. Switzerland is clearly the most expensive skiing nation in Europe.
@@martinkrautter8325 Obviously you should watch the video and figure out which ski resorts the video author is mainly talking about before answering me.
And not to talk about the resorts in Sweden and Norway, very different from the ones you find in the Alps. Europe is a big place with many cultures
@@martinkrautter8325 Yea it depends heavily on the specific ski town you're in, not just the country. Even two places on opposite sides of the same mountain can be vastly different. Ski in Saint Gervais, fairly cheap and affordable. Go to Megeve on the other side of the mountain, and it's mostly catering to rich folk and a meal costs 50% more on average, even though they're only a few km apart. Each town and village has its own unique culture, which is what's so nice about European destinations. They grow from the mountain towns and carry their culture into the ski resort that forms around them.
Set your cameras to 50hz not 60hz to eliminate some of the electric light flashing! I had to remember to do that to my gopro when I was over there. Great video thank you!
Can you give a time stamp in the video for what you are referring to? I didn't notice any flashing
@@Aramil4 the green leds on the sign at 5:33, maybe other times too
I'm really glad to see you guys now researching internationally. Next year I'm trying to go to Europe to check out the ski mtns there and your videos are quite insightful, which is genuinely a great help.
after living in europe. North American ski infrastructure is a joke at 4x the price. This is why every decent skier in north america backcountry skis (ski touring)
If your going look for the dolomite’s good snow and the ski lifts are nice
Its cheaper than North America. Even with the flights
If you are interested I have many runs from Zermatt, Saas-Fee and Jungfrau Ski Region on my KZhead channel… 😊⛷
@princemoneycat5294 dolomites is the nicest in the summer but worst in the alps in the winter due to infrastructure and remoteness. Snow coverage is nowhere near austrias
Content about Europe? Hell yeah! This is also really useful because I want to go skiing in the alps someday.
Check out Chasing Snow. He does POV videos of resorts all over the Alps, and some other spots in Europe
Just go. If you fly to London, you can just scan a few ski operators websites and get everything booked up, paid for, transfers, lift tickets, accommodation, ski rental all in. Pick up all the vouchers at the airport (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead) and fly out the same day. The good thing about doing this in London is everything is in English. I would recommend Val D'Isere - anywhere there, Les Deux Alpes, Chamonix - for excitement - maybe trip number 2, La Grave - 100% off piste - no trails at all - no maps either. Basically anywhere in France. The later in the season you go the higher (in altitude) you will need to go to get the snow. If you're feeling rich, go to Zermatt in Switzerland - that's where the cog-rail trains are.
Don’t go to Chamonix. The skiing is bitty and small areas badly interlinked. It is better for mountaineering, as it is old but has a poorly connected ski area plus too much walking. For your first time go to the Three valleys, or Val d’ Isere or La Plagne if France. All snowsure or Zermatt in Switzerland or Verbier (if the snowfall is good, as recent seasons snow cover not been great) St.Anton, Ischgl and Obergurgl are all snowsure in Austria. Sallbach in Austria is big area if the snow fall season is good Selva/Val Gardena in Italian dolomites are stunning. Try book resorts at 1500m or higher to be safe on snow, however in Austria and Switzerland you can drop down to about 1300 and still be quite snow safe. Below that you should check the snow cover before booking.
@@tonys9923 I do agree with your Chamonix comments. It's a place for off-piste extreme skiing (glaciers and all). But as you say - not really as family-friendly as the French mega resorts. Verbier is amazing - get to the top of Mont Fort and, when snow conditions allow you can ski all the way to Le Chable - that is 8200 vertical feet in one trail. I just hope they have improved their lifts since I was there last.
Try andallo in italy amazing vievs and Hood pizza
In Europe, we value everybody being able to access nature. Many countries even have laws explicitly permitting access to nature. On the flip side, we expect people to be responsible for themselves when they go off-piste. We also do not offer insurance included with the ticket, as many skiers are members of an alpine club which typically comes with insurance coverage for accidents in the mountains. We also consider off-piste skiing something for experts, although in the last years quite some black pistes have been converted to ski routes (marked, ungroomed and avalanche controlled). And while somebody flying in from America for a ski trip is likely to go to the biggest resorts, I personally find that the smaller resorts often make up for nicer skiing and are less crowded.
Americans believe that providing easy access to something dangerous (but not obviously so) wrongly implies safety and makes you partly responsible for what happens. Nobody will stop you if you go on US forest service land for some very hazardous skiing. I think this philosophy is exemplified in the huge increase in snowmobile deaths North America. These guys go up very dangerous avalanche prone slopes with little preparation or knowledge using heavy machines that are likely to trigger avalanches, but they own their upward transportation so that fits with American sensibilities.
I do not really think that the implication of safety is the real issue here. It is rather the american legal system, where extreme dumbness is rewarded with millions in damages. This completely kills any reasonable risk culture. Fortunately, we do not have that issue here in Europe (yet).
@@foobar9220 The implication of safety is a huge part of it because it determines if a resort is liable for the damages and loses the lawsuit.
Ssssh, let all the illinformed keep their hunonguous ski resort, this way the smaller but in many ways even better ones stay clear of the masses ;) Also as a sidenote: I think it's too funny to see the correllation between resort size/price and riding level. The pricier the resort, the worse the people on the slopes tend to ride and once you observer this, you'll see it everywhere haha
Yeah. Real off-piste riding is something you do with touring-skis and avalanche equipment, and preferably a local guide if you don't know the area. People die every year in the alps in avalanches. You bring your own insurance as well, as most normal travel insurance only covers on-piste accidents.
This video is absolutely true. As a Korean skier, Alps ski-in-ski-out resorts and their restaurants were experience on another level.
36 years skiing in the 3 Vallees and I just can't get enough of it. This is truly the best of the best. I love skiing the entire day non-stop across the entire ski area. No BS, just pure skiing.
Isn't it the 4 Vallees nowadays? I used to go there years ago, a massive ski area, and that means there's a great choice of accommodation as well: from cheaper resorts, to chalets in smaller villages. Nothing but good memories from that place.
Skied in Zermatt this past weekend. Wish this video had been posted beforehand. Everything is incredibly accurate.
I've been to the 3 valleys and Austria, all the info in this video is absolutely spot on accurate, can't wait to see more.
Apart from the maps and signage, they’re comprehensive - perhaps the information is presented differently in the US and it takes some getting used to
Among missing information Les 3 Vallees has actually ungroomed black trails as well. So there are very challenging pistes for people who still like the safety of skiing on marked territory. Pistes like Ibex and Grand Couloir. The latter one is the most challenging marked piste of the resort. Quite a bit out of reach for the average skier in terms of skill level.
If you go off piste, you're on your own. If you are NOT a native of the area, hire a guide to prevent your holiday from becoming a tragedy. Apart from that: if you can't see signage on the piste, don't keep going. Wave someone down and ask. Almost everyone that isn't French will speak English. The French can too, they just refuse to admit it but will give in if you ask nicely. Yeah, you need to know where you are going on piste and that's part of the fun. But there are always the easier ones that are on a set course and always end up at the start, so unless you want to explore you can just go the main way everyone is going. The tip about ending up on a different mountain is correct, I've seen it happen and getting a taxi for 100km (he has to return too) in the evening isn't cheap.
There are 1156 ski resorts in the alps .266 have more then 30 kilometers of trail ,average cost or 49 euro a ticket , Better food and beer ,Hostels are better then most hotels .For 40 euros take a train to a different slope in a different country.
yes there are a lot of smaller resorts with lift tickets under 30 euros
There's also skiing in other mountain ranges - the Pyrenees between Spain and France, the Dolomites in Italy, and oddball resorts like Mt Etna on Sicily. It's a volcano. Yes, seriously.
One big negative of the above tree line skiing in most of Europe is that visibility sucks in white out conditions, which can happen often. I grew up in New England and had skied the Rockies a bunch and lived in Oregon for a few years but I was totally unprepared for my first white out day. It’s bizarre. I have fallen over when standing still because my brain thought I was still sliding. I now live in Switzerland and have a weekend place in Davos. I won’t even go up if it’s cloudy in the mountain. I prefer to XC or even go walking in the valley than suffer in the white out. Some people are less affected but for me, it’s a no go. If it’s dumping out then I will often just ski the valley run, hitting side stashes and tree lines that only work with a bunch of fresh. That can be great fun and the trees somehow help with the visibility. When the sun is out, I think the alps are better than the Rockies but if you only have one week, a spell of bad weather might severely limit your enjoyment in the alps.
Had white out once in Austria, or flat conditions, was on my rear all day as you cant see the terrain.
@@barrycoveneyYeah, it's really hard to imagine until you experience it. I heard Austria is amazing for the apres-ski scene.
@@jonathanmedding1543not too bothered about Apres scene, a few nice beers after a day in a quiet place suits me just fine. I have to say I agree with an earlier poster on different experiences in different places in Europe. Italy and Austria fantastic, maybe a preference for Italy for food and general laid back attitude.
@@jonathanmedding1543rly depends if you like that kind of partying. basically you have to get rly drunk otherwise its not fun. pretty much the same as oktoberfest but with skiing environment. can be a lot of fun but to be honest if you stay somewhat sober its kind of dreadful.
I remember skiing once with zero visibility, like londonian fog. I couldn't see the difference between the snow and the fog. At some point, we fell into powder snow, so deep that we got stuck in the snow up until the waist ! It happened suddenly and we had no idea we were suddenly off piste. It took us half an hour to get out of this trap. 😂😂
I did not realize how different skiing in the Alps is. This video is eye-opening to say the least! We are definitely getting the shaft here with ticket prices and poor lift quality.
Yes, very different!
This is one of my big pet peeves when it comes to ticket pricing: Vail and Alterra have basically made it mandatory to buy their season passes, by inflating day ticket prices, and a lot of people don't realize. A lot of us remember when tickets were $50 dollars, and infrastructure hasn't changed enough to justify a 5-fold increment. So, next time someone says "oh, my Epic pass is really affordable. If I go for one week, it pays for itself", remind them that those day tickets should be worth $70-$80, not $280.
@@JukkaliMx that's insane, where i ski lift tickets is 40 usd a day for modern lifts, and my local resort has often pow days, good off piste.
It's funny, I watched the video and thought "Sure, the tickets are expensive... but literally every other aspect of North American resorts is better" - I'd take a single tree run at Brighton over a full day of skiing groomed they-call-it-black-but-it's-actually-blue-at-best runs in Europe. I live off piste, every run in the video looked like my version of purgatory.
@amoliski there is plenty of off-piste in Europe. However this year has not been good as far as conditions go. And for those of us that "live for the off-piste" then we ski tour. Leave the lifts for the piste skiers.
I go skiing in Austria every year. If there are long lines for skilifts there’s an unwritten rule to not wait for friends when an empty seat is in front of you. Always fill up the lift.
I hate it when people let 2-3 empty lifts go by as they wait for their friends to all get on together. Spain is the worst though. They have really bad queue etiquette at the ski lifts.
This is like the best video on this topic so far. You discussed almost every difference between skiing in the Alps vs North America there is to mention
Was just in Europe skiing. Glad to see some content about Europe. Can’t wait to see more quality vids.
I've been skiing in Chamonix all my life, but the queues you experienced were completely insane. Usually they're not like that, it happens sometimes but not often. If you time it right, the queues are almost non-existent, like that Brevent-Flegere transfer lift, which won't have any queue at all and will only just fill up after around 5-10 minutes after enough people arrive at it for it to start.
I learned this the hard way too: don't go to a French ski resort during the ski holidays in France, especially not during Paris holidays. It's the difference between waiting 0-2 minutes (usually 0) and 20-45minutes. Or pretty empty pistes where you can ski quite relaxed and enjoy the quietness and views or OMG PPL EVERYWHERE like a 5000-player version of tag where half will try to (or fail trying not to) run you over. Seriously, check the school calendar for the country you're going to. Or just check the price evolution during the season, if price doubles, it means you will queue far more than you ski.
no offense, but go to the Kitzbühel on the slope called "Streif", you will see it's not so "mellow"
I spent 6 years ski bumming in the alps, and I will say you did a fairly good job of explaining the differences. When you get the good snow though, it can't be beat.
All of your videos are so helpful in getting inspiration/sorting out logistics for trip planning. Really glad you guys are getting some content on euro skiing now - I’ve been wanting to go skiing in Austria and this is all very insightful.
Never usually comment, but really hope you had a great trip across the pond. Found this channel in 2021 and loved the in-depth reviews provided. Hopefully more videos to come of a similar style showcasing European resorts, as I feel they will be more informative than other comparative analysis online, as you guys truly know your stuff!
Nice video; looking forward to your other ones. Next time you're here; feel free to come to northern Europe. Sweden & Norway has some great resorts, open very late in the season aswell.
Just got back from Austria, I find your Video to be spot on with my experience.
So excited for the reviews! Can't wait to find out how it ranks among the other mountains :D
This is a really great video, with excellent and accurate content. It highlights the main differences extremelly well. Good job!
I experienced 2 major differences, not mentioned in the video. Chair lift in Europe have bars protecting you to fall off and a stand for your skis and board. Other big difference, that in Europe most of the slopes and even Backcountry trails have cell reception. Which is not true in the US according to my experience.
Wait, so you're saying that chair lifts in North America don't always have bars that secure you in the lift? In the US, where people sue each other about literally everything?
@@cyberhopser4231exactly. Was a shocking surprise for me, too.
@@cyberhopser4231 Thats so crazy to me
One crazy thing I‘ve seen from some american videos is, that even if they have bars, 70% of people don‘t bother using them. As a european, that totally freaks me out. Over here, everybody instantly lowers the bar as soon as the lift leaves the station.
The chairs force close it nowadays. they even lock and do not unlock unless you enter the end.
A 3 1/2 week ski trip in Europe?! You're living the good life! Looks like you had lots of good snow conditions. I love having the Alps as my local playground but I'm looking forward to an extended trip to North America in the hope of experiencing good tree skiing.
We lucked out the first few days, then it didn’t snow again for the rest of the trip 😅
Fantastic breakdown! I was very curious about this different (older) snow sport ecosystem, this was very cool to see.
Love the video, but you do generalize quite a bit, saying what it's like all over the Alps. Remember, we're talking about 7 different countries, all with their unique differences. I do hope to see some content about Austria for example. Other than that there indeed are designated ungroomed mogul slopes and an absolute bunch of marked and avalanche secured off-piste runs, I agree with most points. Edit: I saw a comment, that said this video is about the west alps, for which it is probably pretty accurate. So can't wait for you to check out the other parts as well.
From what I recognized, this video about "skiing in Europe" is based on Zermatt, Verbier, Chamonix and 3 Vallées only.
As someone who has snowboarded (and lived) in Europe, America, Asia (particularly Japan), and Australia, I'd say this is a very very comprehensive guide and a very accurate comparison. Great job on the thoroughness! And yeah, I would say that if you want good powder and good trail quality, go for America (or Japan). And if you want the views and the parties and the vibe and the poshiness (and often icy trails), Europe is definitely the place (Japan also has a community vibe, but hip, not poshy, it's quite in the middle of both worlds). It's great to experience them all.
Oh, I like ice and hard snow. I ski gates and service my skis after each day, so that is normal.
What I loved about skiiing in Japan is that my skills are actually above average compared to the locals there. I'm sure there are some nasty off piste runs there that are only for a few talented individuals, but I found all of the groomed pistes to be well within my crappy skill level (unlike in France or Austria).
I think the main differences regarding prices is that in the US the whole resort is owned by a company - often the same company, whereas in Europe those ski towns evolved and therefore it is not one company controlling the whole town. Regarding parties, you left out Austria. If you really want to see extreme aprés-ski, Austria is a lot more geared towards that and has generally much more extensive and modern infrastructure than Switzerland. Finally, the reason the resorts only want you to ski on the pistes - aside from much higher avalanche risks in the Alps - are that those areas have fixed Snow lances (as many resorts do not want to risk being without snow during winter season) and more importantly to avoid environmental damage to the mountains. Do you know how much damage skiing does to a mountain? It's extreme.
Thanks for all the great videos; feel very prepared when traveling to new locations after watching your thorough reviews! Cheers! ⛷🏂
This is an amazing Video! Thank you for putting together this great overview!
As an Auatralian, its a matter of turn left or turn right. I have done both and loved both, just comes down to what type of vacation that I want. Looking forward to more European vids.
Surely you should be going straight ahead to Japan instead :)
Great video! It’s also worth noting that the general price level differ between the countries. Italy is in my opinion the best when it comes to price and quality of food. The fact that you can visit so many countries is fabulous, because they offer different experiences.
Really nice video shots and narration. Enjoyed it!
Wonderful video. Thank you! I watched it twice. Skiing into a little village looks amazing.
5:58 "Pists, or the euorpean word for trail" Oh yes, the one universal European language! 😆🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
When I heard that I immediately thought "Does he mean French, French isn't THE EUROPEAN language" than again he's American, France, Germany or Spain = Europe basically
British skiiers on the continent universally refer to them using the French, piste(s). I think German and Italian use equivalent words. I don't think he was implying a "universal European language", but rather that for English speakers in Europe, they're called pistes. "Trail" to me sounds like something you'd follow on a hike.
@@alfius1467yeah, here in Spain it's also "pista", I think most countries use equivalent words in Europe
I'm an English man living in Austria for the last 12 years. Please take a look at the Alps in European enjoy but don't interfere with the systems over here. The lift pass companies in north America are making it very expensive over there. They've been trying to get in over here to witch I'm not happy about! So a lot of Americans are coming here at the moment because of the cost over there. I was talking to a lot of Americans in St Anton Austria in January, so i have it first hand. We like our little huts on the mountains, not big drive mega restaurants.
This video was fantastic! Your content is literally the best!
Great video, thanks. I'm off to Chamonix and Zermatt next week, and this is really helpful.
Fair and accurate, I'm french. Speaking about Chamonix : not the best place for skiing on slopes only but just imagine being in a valley at 1000 m of altitude and having in front of you steep mountains over 4000 meters dominated by the Mont-Blanc north face at 4800, the glaciers... This vertical elevation is so unique.
Just curious how the Italian side is in Courmayeur. We live in Turin and haven't been to Aosta in winter. Also, have you skied Risoul? We were there in summer and I imagine it to be quite good from the altitude/terrain... We ate bourguignonne at La Marmite. It was great fun to have the boiling oil to cook the meat at our table. Thanks
@@JohnKruse Surprisingly the Monte Bianco seen from Italy (Courmayeur) is also well known in France, just look at a map : When you go skiing in Tignes/Val d'Isère, you're a bit more far on the south but it's basically the same view ;) It's the south side : less snow and ice but still majestic. Risoul? Never went there. I only know french Montgenevre and italian Claviere which are close (connected ski domains between France and Italy). Great skiing and scenery but let's be honest : great when snow is good but lack of snow is now unfortunately common.
@use I went to Risoul/Vars some 25 years ago. It used to be a great budget destination back in the day and I had tons of fun there. If you are not too big on luxury, you can still get great deals to go there, imagine paying E 150,- for 8 days of skiing, including skipass, including appartment and including bussride (from The Netherlands) including 6 day ski instruction. (That's what I paid back then, it's still on the lower tiers of pricing if you go to sunweb and sort winterholiday on price).
Heading to Chamonix for the first time next week, 3 days with Chamonix Le Pass... hopefully enough to keep us entertained!
@@JohnKruseTry Monterosa ski (Gressoney, Alagna & Champoluc), always great skiing
I recently got back from Laax Switzerland. Not needing to rent a car is the biggest game changer. I moved to the east coast recently from the southern Rockies. It's so much cheaper and more relaxing to take a ski trip to the Alps.
And you went to one of the most expensive resorts in Europe :)
@@hans.vbaalenhe did. The boss of laax (weisse arena) dreams of laax becoming something like Vail.
@@xXSAIMANXx Gurtner is a visionary man, but he always seems to forget that premium prices should come with premium services. The competition is also much bigger: every sane on piste skier that doesn't do freestyle has dozens of resorts nearby that offer more value for the money. It's a risky game focusing only on wealthy boarders from Zurich to keep your business running. The internet is full of negative reviews about Laax where people vent about lift closures, broken down lifts, poor slope preparation and full price tickets for days where only ten lifts or so are actually running.
Your B roll is some of the most Beautiful shots. Just getting off a lift with a group... and the background!!! Yes, 4k
As a former ski pro I used to run trips to the Alps and Chile. I could have used your amazing thorough review for my clients before our trip departures. Thanks for your review, the video brought back good recognizable memories.
Hiya Sam - was great to bump into you in Chamonix! It's fantastic to speak to someone so knowledgeable and passionate about the ski industry and I enjoyed comparing notes on our "knarliest" resorts! I agree with much of this video: the key point being the level of "regulation" you can expect between European and North American resorts. In Europe, you're on your own: you cannot expect to be babied and need to be very comfortable effectively managing risk by yourself if you're off-piste. If you go in with a laissez-faire attitude, you can eventually expect to come flying off a 50m cliff or smothered by an avalanche. Nobody's going to stop you. It's quite extraordinary that the most freedom loving country on earth has such a controlled, strict, and regulated approach to ski resort culture in comparison to "socialist" Europe! I suspect much of it has to do with the more litigious approach to incidents - but for solo skiers or those without avy gear it does make it much much easier to ski great areas! One very important consideration is that for those (relatively few) powder days in Europe, the much less prevalent off-piste culture (especially in Austria) and huge terrain means the mountain gets skied out unbelievably slowly in comparison to NA. They may be rare, but the combination of steeper terrain, long descents, and excellent lifts mean that you can expect to have your best powder days in Europe - only if you know where to look! Overall I'd say there's a V-shaped curve to who'd enjoy Europe. Beginners will appreciate the super pistes, but probably the views, après, and (sorry Americans :/) culture more! Intermediates might lean NA for the easier access to knar and more consistent snow, while advanced skiers will lap up the unbelievable, never-ending, and highly technical terrain that can be accessed from Europe's extensive lift system. But anyone can have an awesome time out here if they enjoy necking pints and dancing on tables to French techno! Thanks for another great video and keep up the good work mate!
Nobody is "babied" when they go off-piste in North American resorts. Your rhetoric regarding "It's quite extraordinary that the most freedom loving country on earth has such a controlled, strict, and regulated approach to ski resort culture" is wrong and typical bigotry of the "Hurr durr, I thought America was the land of the free! The American dream is fake, hurr durr." type. Do you honestly think you sound smart when you use those tired, schoolyard bully tropes? Finally, it's amusing how you are trying to put a negative spin on the extra avalanche control & rescue measures that are taken in many North American resorts. You refuse to admit that it is something North American resorts generally do better.
@@actualstarfish3449 maybe "babied" is overly harsh wording tbf - it was a local Frenchman's description of US ski culture! I'm not trying to bash US political tendencies relative to Europe but I would certainly stand by my point that in the case of ski resorts they almost reverse! Apologies if any offence was taken there:) I've benefitted greatly from terrain being secured in the US, such as the epic areas within Alta - I'm not denying it's great! Not sure if you're a kayaker, but I'd say the differences between a whitewater course and un-managed rivers are similar. You an lap the course care-free to your heart's content, but you must take ownership of your decisions and risk level for those "wild" rivers. Especially with the fee savings, "bigger" terrain in Europe, and relative lack of crowds, many prefer the second approach. Competent skiers can decide for themselves what terrain is out-of-bounds.
Great video. Our first ski trip to Canada/North America was spent over Christmas and New Year 23/24 in Whistler Blackcomb (WB) and then back to Europe to ski the 3 Valleys at the beginning of February and so the differences are fresh in my mind. You have managed to cover an amazing number of the differences (given my one and only visit to Canada) compared to my fairly extensive knowledge of the European resorts. A couple of points that I would pick up on: Piste/trail marking: I found the trail marking in WB woefully lacking in comparison with Europe and in particular the French resorts i.e the lack of "lolipop" boards alond the edge of the piste that have the name of the run and numbers which count downwards to the end of the run. We were totally stunned by the helpful nature (and sheer number) of the lift staff in WB often loading and unloading your skis/boards onto the gondolas and had it not been for the staff's efforts in ensuring the chairs are full at pinch points the most popular lifts would be even longer than they were.
The big issue I have with European skiing is to much above tree-line, and lack of deep powder. I much prefer deep powder and tree skiing. Bowl skiing gets boring pretty fast.
Blame that on changing climate, lots of rain instead of snow...
I just came from Zermatt/Cervino, and Val Thorens earlier in January, great to see your videos on the same slopes.
Great video. Wealth of interesting information. This video made me subscribe. Great work!
„The large, rectangular signs that are nearly universal in North American.” Apparently these signs are not nearly universal at all. 😂
There are green piste for beginner in France ^^
Brilliant video! Comprehensive, concise, even-handed, and well-paced. Many thanks!
Accurate! During my trip to Arosa in January, we were skiing across the gondola at Lenzerheide for a big cruise day going across what is a wide and beautiful resort. The winds kicked up so much that a few of the list we needed to traverse closed whole sections of the resort. So we ended up having lunch at a different location. All good. And then at the end of the day took the bus down to Cur took the train back up to our chalet in Arosa. It helped that I was with Swiss friends. but it’s all part of the adventure. It’s so much fun and make skiing that much more interesting.
Haha that was always my worst nightmare, especially if i was there by car. But the cablecar inbetween is impressive, 1.7km (more then 1 mile?) cable with no support inbetween.
Great video, terrific observations. European skiing is weirdly libertarian compared to American rules and order and nanny stateism! Somewhat disappointed that you didn’t do Austria. French resort are huge and have the biggest mountains, but they are ugly as sin and overdeveloped the few trees look worse than California after a wildfire! Switzerland is fine, but overpriced and inconsistent. Austrian resorts are at a lower elevation but are further inland (continental climate) and colder at the same elevation than the other countries. Austria is freakin beautiful, many ski towns and villages are literally what you see on Christmas cards. A good balance between trees and alpine bowls - more like 50-50 plus glacier skiing well into the Spring and even summer. Austria has the best skiing culture - so much skiing history and they (not so much the French or Swiss) have the gold metals to prove it! The Apres ski is the best, most fun and the vibe is just better, not stuck up and the food is great, without being fussy. You have to do St Anton (Arlberg region), Ishgl, Solden, but also the lower, more traditional resorts near Salzburg like Kitzbuhel, Zell-am-see/ Kaprun and especially Saalbach. Also Austria is quite drivable and like Vermont or Colorado with its many smaller areas.m, you could village hop - ski the smaller hidden areas in Central and Eastern Austria.
Great content. Next time, visit Austria and the Dolomites in Italy as well. Most resorts there are a bit lower so more tree lined runs, and the infrastructure there is far more modern than in the western alps. You'll be lucky to find a fixed gripped seater or surface drag lift except on teaching runs. It's a shame the snow conditions aren't really great this year in Europe, affecting smaller resorts lower down and pushing visitors to bigger and higher resorts, adding to the crowdedness on the slopes, which I found was a lot more profound this year than what I am used to over the last years . Looking forward to more EU content :)
Thank you! Goal is to have Austria and the Dolomites for the next trip.
The huge interconnected ski resorts/areas are the best! Racing from one side to the other and back within a day is an awesome adventure!😎
I have a feeling what we are about to witness is next level PeakRankings.
Alcohol plays a massive part of Euro skiing.
You should try the Dolomites in Italy if you want your mind blown for scenery and sheer number of lifts and runs. Just back from a week there, it's like a snowy version of the Grand Canyon
Skied the Chamonix valley last year and i can really relate to your analysis. I loved it and want to explore more of euro resorts now, it feels so different.
I got a pang of nostalgia every time you showed images of Zermatt. This is where I spent at least one vacation every year as a child, either summer vacations for hiking or winter vacations for skiing. It’s where I learned both to ski and to swim, in the hotel pool lol. I’m 1000% biased but imo this ski area and the surrounding mountains are some of the most beautiful in Europe, and it’s worth a visit be it only for the opportunity to ski both in Switzerland and in Italy without leaving the resort.
It basically sums up the diferences between our cultures. In Europe, you're encouraged to use your brain to navigate yourself in the enviroment 😊
Yes. I wish Americans weren’t treated as if they were stupid all the time in America. It would benefit them greatly as they would work out how to do things themselves.
We (British) chatted with a Romanian born Canadian instructor on a trip to Whistler (my first N American ski trip) about the differences between skiing in N America & Europe, and he made the observation that in N America a ski trip is predominantly about sport - bigger, better, faster, where in Europe a ski trip is predominantly about about the social - being with people you like. I suspect that’s one of the reasons the on mountain dining & drinking in Europe is much better!
Interesting to hear a different perspective on the place I sometimes go. Your observations are BTW very accurate.
One of the best skiing resorts review videos I've seen so far!
I live in the french alps but not in these touristy resorts you stayed at, instead I'm close to much smaller resorts near Grenoble. I pay around 30€ a day to ski there, and almost never ride on the piste, rather I always stay off piste and in the backcountry. Don't listen to this video, there are tons of places where you can ride in the middle of the trees. There are also a lot of black slopes that are never groomed, are wider than you'd believe and are basically just faces of whole mountains where a couple poles have been stuck. If you don't want to ski outside the slopes at your own risk, of course you'll end up in the same place as every other tourist. Going skiing outside of the holiday season, I often only see like 20 people in a whole day and never wait for a lift. Honestly I watched the whole video but I didn't recognize my years-long experiences at any point.
Yeah this is some insane 'I got to Chamonix and zermatt once and I know what alps are like' American style energy.
Can i come and stay 🥺🥺
@@scoopet 🙂
That video is mostly correct and North Americans who come to Europe probably won't go to the smaller, more family friendly ski resorts because they have a smaller number of pistes. So if you go to the major resorts, it's totally correct.
What do you mean "Piste - european word for ski trail" ? There is no european language. You were in switzerland. They speak german there. This is a german word.
As a matter of fact, ''la piste'' is the French word for 'the track', so it may be used in different countries.
@@pom999 we use it in Germany. La Piste by pronouncing the e at the end.
it's not a german word, it's french. I'm surprised it's also used in german speaking areas of Switzerland.
Actually they speak a different dialect than "German". I don't know how to spell it but it's something called swizze deutsch
@@InXLsisDeoin Switzerland many words migrate between languages. Piste is a common term in German and French speaking areas, in Italian the word is Pista.
Very good coverage. Well done sir!
Really interesting analysis. I’ve skied most of my life in Europe, but the most amazing ski experience I’ve had was the deep powder in Banff/ Lake Louise. A total pan getting there. Every morning starts with a 45 minute bus journey from Banff, but once there I don’t remember hardly queuing at all. It was a while ago though. Also VERY cold.
I’ve skied for 50 years. I’m not someone with misplaced patriotism about my own environment. Normally quite the opposite in fact and often criticise where I live compared to other countries. However American skiing is not in the same league as the Alps. I went to Breckinridge and Vail 30 years ago, just for a change, having grown up as a kid hearing about the Rockies. The vertical drops from top of the mountain to resorts were nowhere near as long. The amount of lifts and ski areas were nowhere near as big. No interconnected resorts, so you effectively just went up to ski back to where you started, as the resort lift systems are owned by private companies with no interest linking to others. Unlike the European resorts, whose lift system is generally run by the town itself, who see the benefit in lining to other villages to expand the ski area. In the US many runs were just the same run , but separated by a few trees, they would be classed as one run in the alps. Much bigger moguls in Verbier and Porte du Soleil than anything I’ve seen in USA The views in terms of spectacular vistas are infinitely better in the alps. The length of on piste runs were far shorter in US than good European resorts. The ski area in the three valleys or Val d’ Isere or Paradiski or Sella Ronda ski areas, just dwarfs anything America has to offer and that’s not something you can say about many things American. The towns have far more charm in Europe as many have been there hundreds of years. As you are in narrow valleys they feel far more “cosy” and isolated. The mountain restaurants are not massive motorway cafes , like in the USA. With fast food style meals. Far more small warm wooden huts scattered everywhere in the alp, offering tastier dishes. I am not a powder skier, so maybe that is much better in the US, as there are more frequent snowfalls I think. Having said all that, it was fine to go to USA once and experience, their skiing, but once you have been there and got the curiosity out of your system and compared them to the big European resorts, there’s no real advantage going all that way. Especially when the lift passes being ridiculously expensive, for a LOT smaller amount of lifts and terrain. America’s main advantage is it is much more snow sure!!!! Also if you are American don’t be put off by this video telling you how difficult it is to get around the pistes. Americans are not stupid, as these type of videos always imply and the piste maps all have the lift names on them, to correspond with the number index on the maps. They are not that difficult to read, and part of the reason they look so at first glance, is because there are many more runs crammed onto the small folding map. It is also the feeling of exploring and being on a tour actually going somewhere, that makes skiing in Europe more of an adventure, as you often end up in new villages and enclaves, rather than automatically coming back to the village you started at. There are many things the Americans do better than Europe, but skiing isn’t one of them. I have two half American friends in their thirties, both of whom ski. One is half Italian and the other half Japanese. They both agree with me.
Dem achten Punkt kann ich nur bedingt bis nur halb zur hälfte zustimmen. Eher ist es nicht ganz richtig, eher so ne halbe Wahrheit. Und diese Sätze kann der Google translator nicht so übersetzen wie sie hier gemeint sind.
It's amazing how long Americans can talk without saying anything.
You mean usonians ?
Hey! That's us 🇺🇸😜
@@frederexier3319 Do you want to talk about it?
Ahhh. The French. Never ceases to amaze me of their rudeness
@@pnw_wanderer9786 Well, I'm only expressing my surprise at the discrepancy between the title ('shocking things') and the actual video. More than 21 minutes of bla bla about color differences, mountain shapes and the very shocking fact that ice is slippery, that you need insurance and that you could find yourself in the wrong valley if you don't know where you're going. Truly shocking indeed.
Awesome, love the international content. I am a rider from Australia who lives in Japan and while i love watching your videos even though they are NA based (just a bit of escapism) i hope to see you increase your reviews of global resorts. Certainly would love to see you guys get down to argentina and bariloche, it's one of my dream spots. I have ridden in the alps once, at Chammonix, and i would say overall it's far more suited to skiers rather than riders, which makes sense given the areas are often a hundred years old or more. It was an amazing experience but i wouldn't go back due to the large amount of traverses and often icy snow that is far better suited towards ski's rather than boards. Much preferred my time in Whistler as a destination resort for snowboarding due to the better layout and huge amount of natrual features such as trees and side hits. The only point i would make is for your insurance be 100% sure that you have helicopter evacuation covered. If you are in any way decently injuired and can't ski out you will be choppered off the mountain at great cost to yourself. Do not skimp on this, helicopters are almost the default evacuation method in europe. Ensure you are covered.
Great video! I just wanted to add, as someone from Switzerland, that lift lines do in fact get a bit congested in the biggest of resorts like the ones you went to. But in my experience, lift lines can be pretty short if you're willing to check out the many mid-sized resorts all around Switzerland that are also pretty grreat. There even small ones that are absolute gems, but I understand finding them can be a little tougher when you're a foreigner just coming for vacation (:
This is not about skiing in Europe. It is about skiing in French/Swiss Alps. Europe has multiple skiable mountain ranges (Alps, Pyrenees, Tatras, all of Scandinavia, Apennines, Carpathian, Beskids, Bieszczady, Balkan, Dinaric Alps, Caucasus, Ural - to name just some of them) and skiing/conditions can vary greatly across them. But I suppose this is lost on an average American viewer and his grasp on geography.
Being pedantic does not make you better. The vast, vast majority of European skiing occurs in the alps. Of course there is variation but that applies to a minority of resorts.
@@notnow3917 being ignorant does make you feel better, doesn't it? Your sentence is total nonsense but if you don't know it, it fells like being right 😉
@@impact0r lol, as a matter of fact, ski in europe is the Alps, that is universally recognized.
@@lo2740 maybe by ignorant and geographically challenged. Not a group to aspire to
Stay out of our European skiareas. Reform your US ones
Headed to Ischgl from the US on Saturday. Thanks for the info. Concerned about snow coverage, lift etiquette and piste navigation. Excited about everything else!
Snow report looks great! Austria is superb. You'll have an awesome time. Was in Mayrhofen just a week ago and it was super
Awesome video. I was very entertained watching that 🎥👍
Sorry you forgot the 400+ other massive places that are average 60 euro with low income families still enjoying skiing… European inbounds is way more challenging outside of Whistler and Revelstoke. Chamonix, Tignes, Verbier are unmatched. Tree skiing in France at Serre Chevalier is unparalleled. All of you please stay in North America paying 200+ dollars with yellow jackets holding your hand. while I ski at places twice the size and vertical with way better food and culture. Thanks
Why are you so disagreeable ?
@@InXLsisDeo Because US skiing in the lower 48 is the most overrated, overpriced, no culture, terrible food farce “activity” in existence…minus small midwest and small east coast areas that know their legacy.
Dear Americans, please stay in America!
And please don’t come to Whistler… oh wait, it’s too late. Vail already ruined Whistler…
Going to Chamonix, sorry mate.
We don’t want to give your economy money your country sucks balls
Americans reading this: don't pay any attention to this guy. You are welcome in europe. Just don't fight in the lines ok? 😅
Why so mean ? Tourists from the whole world are welcome to Europe, why wouldn’t they be ? What’s your problem mate lmao
For some fantastic signage and 5+ connected areas you should visit Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrunn in Austria. Not as a major resort but fantastic to ski around
Great video. Lots of useful info. I am glad I ski in North America
Most of the ski resorts you named are huge but also really crowded. I would rather choose smaller ones next to each other and go for a ski safari. Another tip, if you are really into off piste skiing there is a Swiss company called Air Glaciers that will come to the rescue with a heli for something like 30 euros (must buy in advance). It's only rescue, no medical services afterwards but they go anywhere in the Alps at whatever altitude. If you are only going to use the slopes, some french insurance companies offer really good prices.
Val Thorens is brilliant! you can ski to Meribal and Chourchaval within 15 & 30mins. Orelle is the best area in my opinion in the 3 (or technically 4) valleys. Also at Val Thorens queues are always small and black runs are ungroomed meaning mogules. Great to see you cover Europe as that's the only place i've ever been (I'm European)
I'm mostly looking at it from a hiking perspective (not a skier), but the difference in lift infrastructure is pretty big. I've been to the east alps (Tyrol and Dolomites) and to the Canadian Rockies (not sure if that's representative for amerian skiing). In the Canadian Rockies, there are only very few ski areas and they're very far away from each other. Between Kananaskis and Jasper, there are only 5 (?) ski areas (Kananaskis Village, Mount Norquay, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Jasper), each of them with a relatively compact cluster of lifts. Now, in Tyrol you have similar clusters, they tend to be a bit bigger than the average Canadian ski area, but more importantly, there are more of them and much closer to each other. Sometimes, there are larger interconnected areas with (i.e. the area between St. Anton am Arlberg and Warth), but it's the exception and not the rule. Also, there are more lifts open in summer for hiking and mountainbiking. The Dolomites are kind of crazy. There are lifts behind every corner (most of them are open in summer too!). Even though not all of Dolomiti Superski is interconnected (at least half of it consists of isolated clusters like everywhere alse), the Sella Ronda and adjacent areas very much are. "And adjacent areas" actually goes a lot further than the Sella Ronda itself, it includes basically the entirety of Alta Badia and Val Gardena, as well as half of Val di Fassa. It stretches from Pozza di Fassa in the southwest and Malga Ciapela in the southeast to Ortisei in the northwest and Badia in the northeast. It is a very large area that covers ~1/3 of the Dolomites and i can very much imagine getting lost if I'm not looking at a map every now and then.
Queuing/line management was the biggest surprise I got in North America. It was good to see all the lifts being used efficiently.
I've been wanting to ski Europe for a few years now and this video definitely sells it. One of my favorite things about skiing is the feeling of exploration and I love the idea that you can spend all day getting across several resorts. I wish we had a bigger après ski scene in North America. I imagine most resorts not being near towns and the necessity of driving puts a damper on it. The one thing that makes me nervous is all the stories of lift line etiquette (or lack thereof). Skiing is a way to relax for me and I think getting cut in front of constantly would make my blood boil.
We do have a queue etiquette. You just follow the flow. It's not that difficult. An American queue would stress me more with all their rules. Just follow the flow: it's more zen than in the US!
There IS line etiquette in European resorts! There is just no line policing. But the norm is DEFINITELY not to cut in front of people or step on their skis, even if it does unfortunately happen. But the resorts are often so large, that you hardly ever wait, except, perhaps, once in the morning, taking the one (or two) main lift up the mountain, like typically in Verbier or Zermatt; but not in Courchevel, Méribel or Avoriaz, these resorts being literally on the slopes. What North American resorts are doing better, is filling up chairs or gondolas. Single person lines generally do not exist in Europe . I was glad to see the Courchevel airport in the video. I love this infrastructure, it's so practical, putting Courchevel's slopes a 25mn flight away from Geneva, rather than 3-4 hours by road on a winter weekend! We could fly in in the morning and out at the end of the day.
@@st-ex8506I’m not sure I would enjoy taking off or landing at Courchevel by plane. That runway looks sketchy as. A helicopter would be nicer.
@@willsonj Helicopters are practical, but devoid of charm! A fixed-wing approach to Courchevel is a thrilling challenge!
@@st-ex8506 If I was a pilot I might agree, but not as a passenger. I much prefer risk that I can control.
Great video!! Now Ive Definitely gotta take a trip!
Wow, really great video! Yeah, the Alps blow everywhere else away. I've been dreaming of a trip there for years.
Funny, the thing I most enjoy is to explore vast skiing area like 3Valles without a map. I'm good at knowing where I am (by looking at surrounding peaks) so I roughly know where I'm going but the process of actually getting there without knowing precisely how is the most fun.