Snowiest place in Europe at Christmas

[snow_mad_09]

I was wondering where in europe would it be best to go in europe for christmas. Me and my girlfriend are in our mid-20s and want a very snowy christmas as we have never witnessed a snowy christmas in newcastle and want a change really. It sounds a bit childish but we both love the snow and are dreaming of a white christmas. I would really love to go to Canada one time but the flight is just too long and i have a bit of a phobia when it comes to flying but if i overcome that fear where abouts in Canada too?

What is everyones suggestions ?

[Kiwi]

As you're in Newcastle I'd suggest popping over to Norway.

Great scenery, fiords , mountains and plenty of snow. Even if you hit a mild spell of weather the more mountainous areas (eg around Voss which is easy to get to from Bergen) will ensure lots of the white stuff.

Shame about the price of booze though!! :blink:

[Cleeve Hill]

I would go for anywhere over 1800 metres. Favourites have to be

Saas Fee - Switzerland

Overgurgl - Austria

Cervinia - Italy

Val Thoren - France - purpose build so not much in the way of postcard pictures

My Choice would be Saas Fee

[Geordiesnow]

Like Kiwi said you could go to Norway and get there via DFDS Seaways cruise ship if you got a phobia of flying. You could go to Scotland in the highlands or the alps in Swiss or stay and hopefully this year will be the year of getting a white christmas.

[carinthian]

Hi

If i were a betting man, Hemsedal in Norway or Are in Sweden and any place in Lapland.

C

[disco-barry]

I didn't think the ferries went from Newcastle in the winter?

[stormchaser1]

Snow_Mad

Check this site out for ferry details . looks very reasonable to me , £38 for a foot passenger fro Newcastle to Bergen

http://www.aferry.to/ferries-ferry-to-norway.htm

nigel

[Geordiesnow]

I didn't think the ferries went from Newcastle in the winter?

Not too sure on that one, i assume they do but maybe no ferries on xmas and new year days?

Just read the title of this post and part of my reply you can tell how thick i am.

[disco-barry]

Or £292 if your going in a car and going to be realistic....

...Ferries to Norway stop after December until spring i guess.

Edited September 9, 2007 by disco-barry

[BARRY]

stay at home this could be your year, also hire a snow making machine just in case there pretty cheap

[West is Best]

I would go for anywhere over 1800 metres. Favourites have to be

Saas Fee - Switzerland

Overgurgl - Austria

Cervinia - Italy

Val Thoren - France - purpose build so not much in the way of postcard pictures

My Choice would be Saas Fee

Been to Saas Fee twice and would wholeheartedly agree with this. It's picture-postcard pretty and very high up. Stunning scenery. You are pretty-much guaranteed snow. A second choice would be Zermatt - also stunningly beautiful bu slightly lower at 1600m.

Personally I wouldn't bother with the purpose-built French resorts if you are after something beautiful.

I've also been skiing in Norway. It's lovely, really lovely, but at that time of year the nights will be even longer. Personally I'd go for Switzerland and Saas Fee.

Just one other Swiss resort to throw into the equation though as a wild card: Murren. Murren is high above the Lauterbrunnen valley and across the valley from Wengen. It's a small village with no cars and very high up (1800m). We stayed there a couple of years ago in a heatwave in late November, and there was still snow. There are a few gorgeous hotels. The scenery is stunning too. I'd avoid Wengen over the valley for your purposes - it's more of a ski/snowboard mecca and a little lower down. The 3 mountains that dominate the end of the valley include the north face of the Eiger. That's quite dramatic!

I would really love to go to Canada one time but the flight is just too long and i have a bit of a phobia when it comes to flying but if i overcome that fear where abouts in Canada too?

What is everyones suggestions ?

Ah, Canada though ... we've been twice in the last 3 years to Lake Louise and it is just out of this world. The Rockies beat the Alps for me. But at Christmas there is something very quaint about Saas Fee or Murren so I'd go for those I think.

By the way - everytime I've been to Switzerland I've driven or taken the train. Easy enough drive. Cross-Europe rail network is also excellent.

Edited September 9, 2007 by West is Best

[Andy H]

Zermatt or Saas fee for me every time, even in the summer you have guaranteed snow in Saas fee

[West is Best]

Zermatt or Saas fee for me every time, even in the summer you have guaranteed snow in Saas fee

By the way, if you do go for either of these make sure you stay in the actual villages. Both are car-free. There are neighbouring villages which aren't anywhere near as nice.

[disco-barry]

Or go to Val D'Ogden

Edited September 10, 2007 by disco-barry

[Nordic Snowman]

Speaking on behalf of Norway (having lived here since 1999), is taht many people have misconceptions about certain 'well known' spots. Hemsedal is quite snowy but it can be variable. Voss is another. Voss has in fact had a lack of snow in recent years and the climate is almost changing for them I feel.

West in basically best for the snow. Milder in the W? Only on low ground. I live in Lesjaskog/Bjorli which is 620m asl. We get over 1000-1500cm of winter snowfall and it lies on the ground from Octover to May. My persoanl highest depth (level) is 300cm. Powder. Magic. And... at village level.

Lapland is of course very cold but is often dry. The snow depth is far less up there than it is where I am. And little known Bjorli gets more snow than Geilo, Hemsedal and Lillehammer - by far. We are virtually always the 1st ski centre to open in Norway each year. And the beauty is that because we are small (a blessing in my book :lol: ) we have little queues. The downside is we lack things to do other than skiing but this issue is being resolved with a ice hotel planned from this year onwards as well as summer tennis courts, curling and ice skating. In summary... if you want atmosphere, go to the well known areas. If you want reliable snow (and soemtimes temperatures down to -40c; Lesjaskog's lowest on record is -45c but unofficial records state -52c) with fewer slopes and a generally smaller centre in what is essentially a very small village, then up way way is best.

[West is Best]

Hi Nordic Snowman,

Very interesting report there. I skied for 2 weeks at Geilo once, and loved it.

A question: what would be the daylength for you at Christmas time? Presumably pretty short?

yours,

Richard

[Nordic Snowman]

Hi Nordic Snowman,

Very interesting report there. I skied for 2 weeks at Geilo once, and loved it.

A question: what would be the daylength for you at Christmas time? Presumably pretty short?

yours,

Richard

It depends to a degree on whether it was cloudy or clear.

If cloudy: dusky - on the verge of nightfall at 2.30pm. Dark until nearly 10am.

If clear: half an hour later/earlier respectively.

But the sun is not actually seen in the sky in Lesjaskog owing to the sun being too low and not being able to rise above the mountains surrounding the village. So even in clear skies, the sky may be blue but there isn't any sunshine shinning on the village. Lovely!!

You can however see about half an hour of sunlight on the tops. So when skiing at Bjorli for example and it is really cold, you can at least get into the sunshine once you are about 3/4 up on the slopes. But you won't feel it; most of my xmas skiing is done is -30c ... in the afternoon. But.... it can be variable. Some years will see mild weather and it may be a tropical 0c for example (but seldom).

[West is Best]

Wow ... it does sound lovely I must say, but I thought I should just point out the darkness issue to the person starting the thread just in case they expected 12 hrs of daylight!!! Sounds absolutley beautiful though. I skiied at Geilo at Easter - loved it! It's where I first learned to ski.