Spring may be about new beginnings, but for skiers it’s the beginning of the end. By late April, most Alpine resorts have closed or are about to close, hotels and restaurants are emptying and the seasonaires are starting to pack their bags for home.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no fun to be had in the last weeks of the season – strike lucky and the combination of glorious snow and bright spring sunshine can create the best conditions of the winter. And, while nothing is guaranteed in the mountains, the recent record of good end-of-season conditions can’t help but bode well.
This year, Easter Sunday is late. It falls on April 20, which poses a challenge for families who are locked into travelling during the school holidays. Some schools finish on March 28, allowing for a slightly earlier getaway, but most start the Easter break on April 5. All the more important, therefore, to head to a high resort to reduce the risk of finding slushy snow and closed-off pistes on arrival.
If you aren’t locked into school holidays, however, this timing provides a golden opportunity. Sitting snugly between the busy peak months, March is a magical moment when prices dip, lift queues reduce, pistes clear and restaurants have tables to spare. And a late Easter school break gives even greater scope for getting your mountain fix before the hordes arrive.
Resorts are also eager to entice visitors in spring, often reducing lift pass prices for the final weeks of the season – Val d’Isère, for example, offers 40 per cent off lift passes, lessons and equipment as part of an end-of-season deal if you book a stay through the tourist office for four nights or more, from April 19.
For those who want to keep the party going, some resorts go the extra mile with plenty of organised activities and events to round off the season. For maximum razzamatazz, head to the Austrian resort of Ischgl for its Top of the Mountain concert (May 3, this year), part of its “Spring Blanc” series of celebrations.
With February half term behind us, here’s a round-up of 10 resorts that offer a good chance of great conditions in the final months of the season. Whether it’s a ski-in/ski-out apartment in Les Arcs, an all-inclusive hotel in Sölden or a long Easter weekend in Cervinia, there’s something for all budgets, preferences and abilities.
1. Les Arcs, France
Best for budget self-catering
Closing date: April 26
With plenty of runs at an altitude of over 2,000m, and purpose-built, mostly ski-in/ski-out self-catering accommodation, Les Arcs’ ski area is best suited to families and groups of friends looking for a low-cost break. It links into the large Paradiski area, which includes La Plagne, until April 18 and has pistes to please all abilities.
Book it
Erna Low offers self-drive stays at Pierre et Vacances Premium Residence Arc 1950 Le Village, with ski-in/ski-out access, from £408, self-catering, based on four sharing a one-bedroom apartment, including return Flexiplus LeShuttle crossing. Departs March 29.
Plan you trip with our Les Arcs ski guide.
2. Val d’Isère, France
Best for confident intermediates and experts
Closing date: May 4
Val’s season extends into early May thanks to its lofty altitude, which rises to around 3,400 metres on the Pisaillas glacier, combined with efficient snowmaking at lower levels. Linked to its neighbouring resort of Tignes, also a snow-sure option, it offers plenty of scope for advanced skiers and snowboarders. The resort offers dedicated ski touring passes (€36 for three lift journeys) for those keen to enjoy the spring off piste in the Vanoise National Park.
Book it
Peak Retreats offers self-drive stays at Les Chalets du Jardin Alpin, with sauna and steam room, from £873, self-catering, based on four sharing a two-bedroom apartment, including return Eurotunnel LeShuttle crossing. Departs April 5.
Plan you trip with our Val d’Isere ski guide.
3. Cervinia, Italy
Best for spring sunshine
Closing date: May 4
With slopes at 3,480 metres, Cervinia is one Italy’s highest resorts with a long season morphing into glacier skiing through the summer months (beginning, conditions permitting, on May 5). Its southerly aspect means that its long cruising pistes and mountain terraces are bathed in springtime sunshine on clear, late-season days.
Book it
Momentum Ski offers a four-night stay at four-star Hotel Europa, located near the Breuil-Plan Maison ski lift with views of the Matterhorn, from £970, B&B, including car hire. Departs April 17.
Plan you trip with our Cervinia ski guide.
4. Myrkdalen, Norway
Best for on- and off-piste activities
Closing date: April 27
One of Norway’s snowiest resorts, a two-hour drive from Bergen, towards the end of the season you can expect around 17 hours of daylight in Myrkdalen. It’s a compact resort and best suited to beginners and improvers, but there’s also some challenging off-piste runs, plus other activities including sledging, snowshoeing, sleigh rides and cross country.
Book it
Ski Safari offers the four-star Myrkdalen Hotel, a ski-in/ski-out hotel near the ski school and slopes, from £1,140, half board, based on two adults and two children under 12 years sharing a family room. Departs April 6.
5. Sölden, Austria
Best for a quick airport transfer
Closing date: May 4
With two glaciers and a top-notch snowmaking system, this Tirolean resort is a good bet for snow-sure skiing throughout April. Within an easy 90 minute drive of Innsbruck airport, it also offers a variety of toboggan runs plus a lively après-ski scene.
Book it
Sunweb offers stays at the three-star Hotel Kleon, close to the ski school, from £1,136, all-inclusive, based on two adults and three children sharing a family room with separate main bedroom, including lift passes. Departs April 5.
Plan you trip with our Sölden ski guide.
6. Livigno, Italy
Best for terrain parks
Closing date: May 1
Close to the Swiss border, this high and remote resort has a season which stretches into early May. And while its ski area isn’t massive, it has an excellent terrain park which is set to host the 2026 Winter Olympics and perfect for adrenaline-loving teenagers keen to practise their freestyle skills.
Book it
Ski Solutions offers stays at the four-star Hotel Intermonti, with an indoor pool and within 100 metres of the Teola-Pianoni Bassi ski lift, from £1,258, half board. Departs March 29.
Plan you trip with our Livigno ski guide.
7. Ischgl, Austria
Best for mile-hungry intermediates
Closing date: May 4
The resort’s highest peak, Greitspitz, has a top lift station at around 2,870 metres, and a state-of-the-art snowmaking system, making it a good destination for a late-season break. The large ski area, which straddles the Swiss border, offers plenty of scope for energetic intermediates wanting to cover plenty of ground. Its end-of-season concert is legendary, this year headlined by OneRepublic on May 3.
Book it
Crystal Ski offers stays at the four-star Hotel Garni Neder, with sauna and steam rooms near the resort centre and close to the ski lifts, from £1,241, B&B. Departs April 5.
Plan you trip with our Ischgl ski guide.
8. Saas-Fee, Switzerland
Best for travel by train
Closing date: April 27
With largely north-facing slopes peaking on a 3,500 metre glacier, which opens for year-round skiing, Saas-Fee’s pistes are among the highest in the Alps. The low-rise, traffic-free village is located next to a large beginners’ area and has a pool and spa complex for entertainment in the afternoon.
Book it
Inghams Ski offers stays at the four-star Revier Mountain Lodge, a newly-built eco hotel with cabin-style rooms in the resort centre, from £1,710, B&B, including train travel from London St Pancras. Departs March 29.
Plan you trip with our Saas-Fee ski guide.
9. Val Thorens, France
Best for a vast ski area
Closing date: May 4
As Europe’s highest resort at 2,300 metres, the late-season snow cover at Val Thorens is guaranteed until May, and it has terrain to suit all abilities. It is a gateway to the vast 600km Trois Vallées ski area, and linked to the resorts of Les Menuires, Méribel and Courchevel until April 21.
Book it
Club Med offers Val Thorens Sensations, with two restaurants and kids’ clubs, from £3,721, all-inclusive, including group lessons, based on a suite. Departs April 13.
Plan you trip with our Val Thorens ski guide.
10. St Moritz, Switzerland
Best for glitz and glamour
Closing date: May 4
With a tempting combination of reliable late-season snow and a sunny aspect, this super-smart resort in the Engadin Valley extends up to 3,305 metres. The town is home to classy spa hotels and spectacular views of the Piz Bernina peak.
Book it
Ski Independence offers the five-star Badrutt’s Palace, with spa and indoor pool, from £4,908, B&B, based on a superior village side room, including first class train transfers. Departs March 21.
Plan you trip with our St Moritz ski guide.
Unless otherwise stated, seven-night prices are per person, based on two sharing, including flights from London and transfers, and are subject to availability
Where should I go for the best spring skiing conditions this year?
Patrick Thorne
Recent seasons have seen a trend of heavier snowfalls in springtime than pre-Christmas, leading to a switch in booking patterns towards late-season. French resort Tignes and Val Thorens are cases in point: both saw more spring snowfall than they did through the winter months over the past few years, ending their long seasons in May with snow still falling.
The problem is that whilst we can look at recent weather trends, Mother Nature is highly capricious, and whilst spring could be snowy again this year, the opposite is equally as likely. Forecasters try their hardest, but it’s notoriously difficult to predict the weather in the mountains more than a few days ahead, let alone weeks and months. Currently, it looks sunny in many areas for the first week of spring.
Snowy or not, temperatures are rising normally and thus spring snowfall can be heavy and wet – very different to mid-winter’s fluffy, light powder. The safest option for the best quality spring snow remains to aim for a ski area with slopes at high altitudes (above 2,000 metres in the Alps) or northerly latitude (Canada or Scandinavia).
This year, Japan is the country that has posted by far the biggest snowfalls in the world, with some ski areas fast approaching seven-metre snow depths, the deepest reported anywhere in the world for several years. Many resorts will stay open into May when the country celebrates its Golden Week.
In Europe, snow depths are currently a little below average for late February. The French Alps post the deepest at just over three metres (in good years the deepest snowpacks are double that by now). Of course, March might bring snowier weather, as in recent years. The Chamonix Valley is looking particularly good, as is Flaine’s Grand Massif area, both topping the current snow depth tables.
In Canada, ski areas around Banff, like Sunshine and Lake Louise, as well as Marmot Basin near Jasper to the north, have a reputation for great snow conditions into May. Both California, where Mammoth Mountain usually stays open into June, and Colorado, where Breckenridge and Winter Park keep lifts spinning into May, saw over a metre of snowfall in the past week – all are well set up for the rest of the season.
If you fancy somewhere exotic, springtime is the right time to go powder skiing in Iceland or (if you have the time and budget) Greenland. Sweden’s Riksgränsen, located 200km north of the Arctic Circle and long regarded as “Europe’s spring skiing capital” opens for 2025 this weekend. It’s been too cold and dark there up to now. By May there’ll be 24-hour daylight, and you can ski under the Midnight Sun.
Check the latest forecast with our weekly snow report.
This aritcles was first published in March 2024, and has been revised and updated.