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
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 Edit: Thanks for the 2k+ likes!
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"
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
@@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.
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.....😂
@@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?
@@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
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.
Many US resorts are lower latitude, hence higher tree line. In Colorado trees may grow at over 11,000 ' (3,300 meters). In western Washington and British Columbia maybe only 6-7000'- more similar to the Alps.
The "snow deserts" are more appealing to me visually, but if I want a guaranteed good skiing experience I prefer to ski among the trees. Trees help provide better contrast in the snow which helps a lot on low-visibility days.
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
@@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!
@@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!
@@yinze425American 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...
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.
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.
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!
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.
The limited or barely existing off piste service is because in Europe, we don't have this "suing everybody for millions of dollars" mentality. If you do stupid shit, you pay the price if things go bad. For example, claiming that nobody stopped you going off piste doesn't get you anywhere. You went there by yourself, you knew it was risky, you pay for rescue. In my opinion, this makes the whole experience better for everyody, because people think twice about what they are about to do. This means less people in the backcountry and less resources that need to be allocated for stupid people.
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.
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!
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.
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)
@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
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.
@@martinkrautter8325 Obviously you should watch the video and figure out which ski resorts the video author is mainly talking about before answering me.
@@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!
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.
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.
@@tonysimister4825 Italy spans all the southern side of the Alps, sharing border with France Switzerland Austria and Slovenia. Dolomites are wonderful, maybe the best, but we have a hige choice
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
@@marek9784 No, you did not get it. If you are a group, you stand in general line, and you will sit together. If you are a single person, you can stand in a general line, or there is a separate side line for singles, from which attendant calls people to fill empty seats, say to complete a group of 3 to 4 chairs in the lift. It is a bit of a guess where you will get a ride faster, depending on a crowd. But usually if attendant sees that single line did not move for a while, he will fill the whole bench with singles.
@@dmitripogosian5084actually we have them in germany too and i think i have seen them in italy and austria too, when i was there a few years ago. at least in the handful of resorts i visited.
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.
@@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've been skiing in Europe for decades and have NEVER ended up in the wrong valley. You just need to just know your surroundings and figure out where you need to be. FYI most resorts run a free bus service that link indvidual villages from early till late so you can get around. Your complaints about signage and different languages smack of you simply not paying attention. In terms of diffculty ratings it goes: Green, Blue, Red, Black and this is universal across the alps, although there may be additonal local markings for marked runs which are ungroomed (eg yellow/Orange). As for off piste, it quite literally says it on the can; you are not on a piste, so therefore don't expect things to be marked out for you. Contrary to what you've said, in near enough all resorts you will find that the majority of Black runs are ungroomed, however most resorts will groom a couple of their blacks to allow skiers to access them and step up. Europe doesn't have ski fun police that are there to take your lift pass or tell you off if you're going too fast. If a piste is closed, it's for safety, not because Norm the ski patroller is on a power trip. This means you can ski pretty much where you like, but it's on you. In other words make sure you get off piste insurance if you plan to venture off the beaten track. For lift lines, i've seen some horrendous lines in North America where they are waaay longer than europe and people jump, regardless of 'single lane' options. The lift capacity of most european big resorts MASSIVELY outweighs the majority of american resorts and you will rarely be queuing for longer than 20-30 mins, but again pay attention to rush hour times. With regard to apres and food, North America will never beat europe - with maybe the exception of poutine in Canada? Finally, it's cheaper and more fun here, so the choice is yours i guess!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
It should really be noted that this report only really covers the alps. Look to scandinavia (e.g. norway) and you're in a different world entriely. Since it's less densely populated, resorts in norway are much MUCH less crowded. Meaning: no queues. The downside is that there's less fancy lifts (no heated seating :-) ). But the upside is: pure nature. If you go off-pist on the back side of the mountain, there's maybe not even a village in the next valley. But you might still get picket up by the regular bus (check with the locals first). General cost of living: more expensive. So: skiing in europe is more than just the alps.
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.
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.
Man, how I miss skiing. Due to MS, this is no longer possible. I'm an American. I have skied in the Austrian Alps but never the Rockies. I skied once in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California when I was stationed out there.
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.
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.
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.
American here. I only try to ski at locally owned resorts. The big giant corporate resorts are too expensive and tok crowded and the ski slooes get skied out too quick. I agree with you. Keep American corporations out of Europe. I don't want things ruined for you like they did to us.
in austria they could not own the land like they do in the US.. most slopes are on farming land and that needs to be owned by a farmer. they literaly are not allowed to purchase it.
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).
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.
It´s bit funny, that people expect patrol and avalanche controlled area in backcountry :D That is the whole point of backcountry. If you are not trained, you´re not supposed to be there.
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.
@@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.
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.
As a French skiing in big European resorts, this video is spot on, first time that I see an American acknowledge the gap between Europe and the US in terms of skiing experience. It's day and night. If you can afford skiing in the US, come in the French alps instead, it's another world. Everything is huge, high, modern, & connected, food is 10 times better and cheaper, and prices for big resorts will cost you between 50 and 70 dollars/day maximum. Tons of other smaller ski resorts are also available at a cheaper price (30/50$/day), and still better than any top 10 US ski resorts. 250$ for a day pass with old chairlifts? Are you insane people? great vid!
That is definitely not true of all European ski areas, and the food comment is subjective. Not sure where the food being cheaper comment is coming from - I've found it to be roughly the same or slightly more expensive in the Alps. The "old chairlifts" generalization is misleading also. Finally, "Tons of other smaller ski resorts are still better than any top 10 US ski resorts" - seriously? Now you've lost all credibility.
@starfish3449 Of course it's not true for every area. Didn't say otherwise. just in general. 1/Food is better without a doubt, come on, it's not even hard to understand why. Finding proper food in the US is hard.Have you tried US cheese VS alpine cheese? 2/The old chairlift argument is spot on, I've tried almost 50 ski resorts in Europe. But yes you can find modern chairlift in the US, but it's not even close to Europe. 3/Finally, yes I can find you less famous European ski resorts (so no Courchevel or Val d'Isere) that beat any top 10 US ski resorts: La Plagne, Montgenèvre, La Rosière, Praloup, Vars, Serre-Chevalier, Les Arcs etc. It's easy... and I'm picking in France, but I can do the same with Austria, Switzerland or Italy. The US does tons of things better than Europe, but on skiing, Europe is miles ahead. The culture around skiing, winter sports, and mountain life is far more old, important and rich in Europe, there's no match. it's not even close. Public money also helps.
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.
Assuming English in France is an act of disrespect. Learn a few sentences such as, "Hello! Could you please help me?" followed by, "Thank you. I don't speak French - may we speak English?" to melt the ice (pun intended). This is considered the absolute minimum in terms of respect. You can go one up and spend $10 or $20 in a French phrasebook, and then invest 30 minutes in a few very simple phrases. If you can't be bothered to do that, hopefully you can see why the French would be so upset.
Being a British skier you do get use to how ski resorts route numbers although there is a couple of exceptions as I remember in Meribel ski resort the routes were named. As for the queuing for the ski lifts and gondolas well the Europeans never seem to like an orderly queuing system (we Brits have tried to instil this to them, but to no effect) Austria and Switzerland resorts are far better organised than France. I also found that in SESTRIERE in Italy the Ski patrols will at the time of closing the piste will herd you of down the slope to get you off and in one case 2 member of my group as the they were beginners, one was driven down on a skidoo and the other was physically carried down by the ski patrol in a fire-mans lift with his skis on and skied down and dropped him off at the bottom. That was a funny site to see at the time as the poor guy was screaming all the way down foe a whole 1 click down a red route. The year I went to Meribel skiing also happened that ton the same week I was there the British armed forces winter games was on between the RAF , Royal Navy and the army and so the atmosphere was far more livelier than usual. Made many new friends that time.
I love how "europe" is just france and zwitserland. I mainly board in austria which is wayyyyy different and way cheaper than what i've experienced in france. And then there's also italy, norway, sweden, czech republic etc. The main difference between Austria and France for me was the "made for skiers" atmosphere I noticed in Les Arcs. In Austria, the lifts and slopes are managed by the resort, the rest is privately owned by residents and some investors here and there. This makes for a very village like atmosphere which is actually real instead of fabricated. The fact that Austria was cheaper than France does not have to do with lift tickets and rental, which is pretty similar in both countries. It has to do with living costs like food, groceries and accomodation. In Austria, one could have an amazing meal for 14 euro's including half a liter of spezi or Weissen at almost every corner you turn. In France restaurants were harder to find and way more expensive. Granted, they are a bit more fancy than in Austria. And then there still is a big difference between ski resorts in Austria as well, where Kaprun was way larger and more similar to France than my regular resort being Skiwelt Wilderkaiser.
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.
Carving is much more popular in European resorts, hence the groomed pistes. In the US, presumable due to the abundant powder skiing, it doesn’t seem as popular. I love a bit of both. Great fun carving down an empty run (which is more common that this video suggests - don’t go at peak times and explore the resort. Some runs are very quiet and fantastic just because they are slightly further from the resort hub.
**I love it that this needs to be said: "if you are stupid enough to go off the trail in a country you aren't from, on mountains you don't know - it will cost you money and could be dangerous". Also, having a patisserie is not an example of luxury in France/Switzerland...
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.
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.
Very interesting video, u did a great job! Ive skied many different resorts in Europe and the differences between them are huge. Im from Norway, we pay from 40-60$ for a day pass, and we all talk about how expensive it is; I cant imagine how you deal with those ridiculous prices in North America. When i used to live in Austria, the amount of Americans who died on the piste and especially off-piste, was frightening. As others have said, if you want a safe and pampered adventure, then go to disneyland. The alps are far from that, which makes it that more enjoyable to ski for people that know how to respect the wild mountains ;) Its all about taking responsibility for yourself and your abilities, but i guess that is not given when you are not used to it.
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!
I would never have expected you to call Courchevel or Verbier cheap, these are extremely expensive in our standards, the resort i go to is spreading on 5 towns and i pay 40€ a day
@@TheCodik depending on what you decide to do, if you just stick to the standard sellaronda i actually agree, is made for everyone. But around you have among the best and longest descend of the alps, like Marmolada, or Tofane. Or why not gran risa and sas long, where they do the men’s World Cup? Are those flat for you? Or what. About the Brenta Dolomites? Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo and Val di sole? You have the 3 tre, whip reaches 75% of inclination. I get scared all the time there. Too steep even for me. If you fall there you get down belly flat to the bottom. No way to stop.
@@TheCodik I was just there. Good snow above 1600 meters and at 2000+ there’s about 2 meters accumulation. Weather a little unpredictable in these days.
it's not the largest because the domains are not connected by lifts. The largest sky domain in the world is Les 3 Vallées, followed by Les Portes du Soleil and then Paradisky on par with Sellaronda. Now from what I saw, the Dolomites probably look the best.
Having skied both Nth America and Europe a number of times the big distinction for me is that (most) Canadians and Americans go to the mountains, whereas Europeans go into the mountains. This is largely due to Europe’s lengthier history and celebrating of alpinism and it’s larger population densities. This has allowed for greater impetus and economies of scale and the developing of large-scale sophisticated infrastructure to access deeper into the mountains for most average punters.
If the size scares you, there's tons of smaller resorts that often are so small you can do all the red ones in a single day. With the same views as mentioned here.
I’ve skied in both quite widely and this was a very fair summary. One thing I’d say though is that with the exception of the mega resorts in February it is very easy to find European resorts that are queue free and basically empty for most of the season. Many times I’ve taken piste photos with not a soul in view. It’s a reflection of the fact that there are literally hundreds of ski resorts in Europe, many of which are fantastic but just little known. Think eg Laax in Switzerland and gressoney in Italy. Incredible areas with mostly little to no queuing .
You should visit Austria one day. They have the most modern lift systems and the best après ski. The high altitude resorts are the best. My favourite: Ischgl, also referred to as the Ibiza of the Alps.
I'd recommend to anyone from outside Europe to visit Sellaronda in Italy. That's a halfday trip you take to go around the mountain and end up in the same spot having different slopes and views through the whole time.
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.
You forgot to talk about smaller (and often more budget and family-oiented) ski resorts. What they might lack in terms of diversity and length of _pistes_ (some small ski resorts can even only have one or two _pistes)_ is largely conpensated in the authenticity and nice surprises you might find in the villages that are close to the ski resort, especially very affordable restaurants where you can find fantastic raclettes, tartiflettes, fondues or pizzas (not to mention very local specialties) for 1/3 to 1/10 of the price in a luxury ski resort village. There's also much more than the Alps in terms of skiable mountain ranges : for instance, in France you can go to the Vosges (great for cross-country skiing), Massif Central and Pyrenees.
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.
6:41 At least the French marking is clear: - white: beginner (go there if you never skied before) - green: easy walk (if you're still learning, you are suffering from old age, or you are recovering from injuries or something) - blue: now it's skiing - red: olympic slope - black: olympic slope with bumps - yellow: random natural condition, except it has been secured against avalanches so you don't die that much. - no sign: "hors piste" , Redbull skiing (or just the regular path if you are a avalanche-proof native)
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.
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.
Not bad comments, but it looks as though the author generalizes based on resorts which clearly do not represent the whole of the European skiing experience. For one thing, it's almost exclusively Switzerland, so no wonder the public transportation is great. And prices elsewhere would be lower. Plus, given the resort selection, obviously it caters to the rich. Try skiing in Les Menuires or some laid back Austrian village for other experiences.
I’m a Brit who’s skied both. Went to Les Collons in Switzerland. Being able to ski from there to Verbier is nuts. Took about a half day to get there and about the same back
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 :)
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!
I'm learning in Bulgaria. The Alps is not all of Europe. I'm in the Pirin. There are over 30 mountain ranges in Europe that have skiing. Also ski insurance is included in your lift ticket. Going off piste voids your insurance. But there is no one who is going to stop you. I have been in Bulgaria for 2 months. This video is 100% with pointing out the key differences.
@@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.
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.
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.
I would change the phrasing to "in France" when you are saying "in Europe". Yes, France and Switzerland is like this, but many ski areas in Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Romania, Poland, etc are very different, especially when it comes to ski-lift infrastructure. We very much used to ride the retro chairs at those places and modern gondolas are the exception. The other thing to check, always before visiting, if the area has snowmachines or not, it varies based on the region, and can be a very bad surprise. Travel insurance is highly recommended, and even then, most of the time those won't cover you if you leave the trail. Funny thing, they usually won't cover if your blood alcohol level is high when you suffer injury, so take that into account when doing the lunch break beers. 1-2 might be fine, but be careful with it. Strongly recommended staying in one of the small towns maybe even a bit further away from the base, many areas include free ski-bus rides in the town in exchange of paying the tourist task, always ask your host about this. It might take 20-30 minutes to take the bus, but the difference in pricing usually compensate for it, if budget is a concern.
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.
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.
speaking of Europe as a single place is so dumb. theres so many destinations its not uniform. One thing i particularly disagree with is you saying that europes slopes have no trees. Ive been to Norway and France skiing and all 4 resorts had trees.
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.
Bulls***.. You see 100 people on a terrace and they're all alcoholics? Oh yes, in the USA everyone is chaste and faithful and all the cops are corrupt and violent?
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 😉
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 😊
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
Edit: Thanks for the 2k+ likes!
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.
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.....😂
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
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
Many US resorts are lower latitude, hence higher tree line. In Colorado trees may grow at over 11,000 ' (3,300 meters). In western Washington and British Columbia maybe only 6-7000'- more similar to the Alps.
Same is true even within countries. Here in Scotland the tree line descends as you go further north. The harsher the weather the lower the treeline.
The "snow deserts" are more appealing to me visually, but if I want a guaranteed good skiing experience I prefer to ski among the trees. Trees help provide better contrast in the snow which helps a lot on low-visibility days.
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
@@yinze425American 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...
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
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.
The limited or barely existing off piste service is because in Europe, we don't have this "suing everybody for millions of dollars" mentality. If you do stupid shit, you pay the price if things go bad. For example, claiming that nobody stopped you going off piste doesn't get you anywhere. You went there by yourself, you knew it was risky, you pay for rescue. In my opinion, this makes the whole experience better for everyody, because people think twice about what they are about to do. This means less people in the backcountry and less resources that need to be allocated for stupid people.
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.
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.
Tignes/Val d'Isere is also an excellent area!
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 RUclips 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
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.
I agree 100%. ot to talk about the small or very small resorts, with ski passes at 18 euros (mont ventoux ... when the snow is there !).
This video is absolutely true. As a Korean skier, Alps ski-in-ski-out resorts and their restaurants were experience on another level.
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
Bro isn't going to adjust th go pro everytime it catches a sign with lights for a 0.5second clip in a 20 minute video lmao
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.
@@tonysimister4825
You forgot the Danish one... It's genius that they made it, but it is kind of unorthodox...
@@tonysimister4825 Italy spans all the southern side of the Alps, sharing border with France Switzerland Austria and Slovenia. Dolomites are wonderful, maybe the best, but we have a hige choice
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.
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.
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.
In Canada we have separate singles line, so attendant will fill empty seats with people from that line
@dmitripogosian5084 that sounds so depressing, so the chance you sit with your mates on a ski lift is basically zero if its busy
@@marek9784 No, you did not get it. If you are a group, you stand in general line, and you will sit together. If you are a single person, you can stand in a general line, or there is a separate side line for singles, from which attendant calls people to fill empty seats, say to complete a group of 3 to 4 chairs in the lift. It is a bit of a guess where you will get a ride faster, depending on a crowd. But usually if attendant sees that single line did not move for a while, he will fill the whole bench with singles.
@@dmitripogosian5084actually we have them in germany too and i think i have seen them in italy and austria too, when i was there a few years ago.
at least in the handful of resorts i visited.
Skied in Zermatt this past weekend. Wish this video had been posted beforehand. Everything is incredibly accurate.
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.
@@VonLugersButterYeah, 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've been skiing in Europe for decades and have NEVER ended up in the wrong valley. You just need to just know your surroundings and figure out where you need to be. FYI most resorts run a free bus service that link indvidual villages from early till late so you can get around.
Your complaints about signage and different languages smack of you simply not paying attention. In terms of diffculty ratings it goes: Green, Blue, Red, Black and this is universal across the alps, although there may be additonal local markings for marked runs which are ungroomed (eg yellow/Orange).
As for off piste, it quite literally says it on the can; you are not on a piste, so therefore don't expect things to be marked out for you. Contrary to what you've said, in near enough all resorts you will find that the majority of Black runs are ungroomed, however most resorts will groom a couple of their blacks to allow skiers to access them and step up.
Europe doesn't have ski fun police that are there to take your lift pass or tell you off if you're going too fast. If a piste is closed, it's for safety, not because Norm the ski patroller is on a power trip. This means you can ski pretty much where you like, but it's on you. In other words make sure you get off piste insurance if you plan to venture off the beaten track.
For lift lines, i've seen some horrendous lines in North America where they are waaay longer than europe and people jump, regardless of 'single lane' options. The lift capacity of most european big resorts MASSIVELY outweighs the majority of american resorts and you will rarely be queuing for longer than 20-30 mins, but again pay attention to rush hour times.
With regard to apres and food, North America will never beat europe - with maybe the exception of poutine in Canada?
Finally, it's cheaper and more fun here, so the choice is yours i guess!
Couldnt agree more
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.
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.
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
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 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.
Was just in Europe skiing. Glad to see some content about Europe. Can’t wait to see more quality vids.
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 :)
Youre a what ???
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.
lots of times the slopes themselves are owned by farmers and are used for cattle in the summer. you cant even buy them if you arent a farmer.
It should really be noted that this report only really covers the alps.
Look to scandinavia (e.g. norway) and you're in a different world entriely.
Since it's less densely populated, resorts in norway are much MUCH less crowded. Meaning: no queues.
The downside is that there's less fancy lifts (no heated seating :-) ).
But the upside is: pure nature. If you go off-pist on the back side of the mountain, there's maybe not even a village in the next valley. But you might still get picket up by the regular bus (check with the locals first).
General cost of living: more expensive.
So: skiing in europe is more than just the alps.
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.
"We're talking about 7 different countries"
Many Americans: "Oh ok. Europe is one.... what are the other six?"
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 😅
Man, how I miss skiing. Due to MS, this is no longer possible. I'm an American. I have skied in the Austrian Alps but never the Rockies. I skied once in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California when I was stationed out there.
„The large, rectangular signs that are nearly universal in North American.” Apparently these signs are not nearly universal at all. 😂
no offense, but go to the Kitzbühel on the slope called "Streif", you will see it's not so "mellow"
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
@@RUclipsTryingToBeTwiter31581 To a lot of them, "Europe is a beautiful country."
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.
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.
American here. I only try to ski at locally owned resorts. The big giant corporate resorts are too expensive and tok crowded and the ski slooes get skied out too quick. I agree with you. Keep American corporations out of Europe. I don't want things ruined for you like they did to us.
in austria they could not own the land like they do in the US.. most slopes are on farming land and that needs to be owned by a farmer. they literaly are not allowed to purchase it.
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
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.
It´s bit funny, that people expect patrol and avalanche controlled area in backcountry :D That is the whole point of backcountry. If you are not trained, you´re not supposed to be there.
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.
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.
As a French skiing in big European resorts, this video is spot on, first time that I see an American acknowledge the gap between Europe and the US in terms of skiing experience. It's day and night. If you can afford skiing in the US, come in the French alps instead, it's another world.
Everything is huge, high, modern, & connected, food is 10 times better and cheaper, and prices for big resorts will cost you between 50 and 70 dollars/day maximum.
Tons of other smaller ski resorts are also available at a cheaper price (30/50$/day), and still better than any top 10 US ski resorts. 250$ for a day pass with old chairlifts? Are you insane people? great vid!
That is definitely not true of all European ski areas, and the food comment is subjective. Not sure where the food being cheaper comment is coming from - I've found it to be roughly the same or slightly more expensive in the Alps. The "old chairlifts" generalization is misleading also.
Finally, "Tons of other smaller ski resorts are still better than any top 10 US ski resorts" - seriously? Now you've lost all credibility.
@starfish3449 Of course it's not true for every area. Didn't say otherwise. just in general.
1/Food is better without a doubt, come on, it's not even hard to understand why. Finding proper food in the US is hard.Have you tried US cheese VS alpine cheese?
2/The old chairlift argument is spot on, I've tried almost 50 ski resorts in Europe. But yes you can find modern chairlift in the US, but it's not even close to Europe.
3/Finally, yes I can find you less famous European ski resorts (so no Courchevel or Val d'Isere) that beat any top 10 US ski resorts: La Plagne, Montgenèvre, La Rosière, Praloup, Vars, Serre-Chevalier, Les Arcs etc. It's easy... and I'm picking in France, but I can do the same with Austria, Switzerland or Italy.
The US does tons of things better than Europe, but on skiing, Europe is miles ahead. The culture around skiing, winter sports, and mountain life is far more old, important and rich in Europe, there's no match. it's not even close. Public money also helps.
Just got back from Austria, I find your Video to be spot on with my experience.
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.
Assuming English in France is an act of disrespect. Learn a few sentences such as, "Hello! Could you please help me?" followed by, "Thank you. I don't speak French - may we speak English?" to melt the ice (pun intended). This is considered the absolute minimum in terms of respect. You can go one up and spend $10 or $20 in a French phrasebook, and then invest 30 minutes in a few very simple phrases. If you can't be bothered to do that, hopefully you can see why the French would be so upset.
Being a British skier you do get use to how ski resorts route numbers although there is a couple of exceptions as I remember in Meribel ski resort the routes were named. As for the queuing for the ski lifts and gondolas well the Europeans never seem to like an orderly queuing system (we Brits have tried to instil this to them, but to no effect) Austria and Switzerland resorts are far better organised than France. I also found that in SESTRIERE in Italy the Ski patrols will at the time of closing the piste will herd you of down the slope to get you off and in one case 2 member of my group as the they were beginners, one was driven down on a skidoo and the other was physically carried down by the ski patrol in a fire-mans lift with his skis on and skied down and dropped him off at the bottom. That was a funny site to see at the time as the poor guy was screaming all the way down foe a whole 1 click down a red route.
The year I went to Meribel skiing also happened that ton the same week I was there the British armed forces winter games was on between the RAF , Royal Navy and the army and so the atmosphere was far more livelier than usual. Made many new friends that time.
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 love how "europe" is just france and zwitserland. I mainly board in austria which is wayyyyy different and way cheaper than what i've experienced in france. And then there's also italy, norway, sweden, czech republic etc.
The main difference between Austria and France for me was the "made for skiers" atmosphere I noticed in Les Arcs. In Austria, the lifts and slopes are managed by the resort, the rest is privately owned by residents and some investors here and there. This makes for a very village like atmosphere which is actually real instead of fabricated. The fact that Austria was cheaper than France does not have to do with lift tickets and rental, which is pretty similar in both countries. It has to do with living costs like food, groceries and accomodation. In Austria, one could have an amazing meal for 14 euro's including half a liter of spezi or Weissen at almost every corner you turn. In France restaurants were harder to find and way more expensive. Granted, they are a bit more fancy than in Austria.
And then there still is a big difference between ski resorts in Austria as well, where Kaprun was way larger and more similar to France than my regular resort being Skiwelt Wilderkaiser.
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.
Carving is much more popular in European resorts, hence the groomed pistes. In the US, presumable due to the abundant powder skiing, it doesn’t seem as popular. I love a bit of both. Great fun carving down an empty run (which is more common that this video suggests - don’t go at peak times and explore the resort. Some runs are very quiet and fantastic just because they are slightly further from the resort hub.
**I love it that this needs to be said:
"if you are stupid enough to go off the trail in a country you aren't from, on mountains you don't know - it will cost you money and could be dangerous". Also, having a patisserie is not an example of luxury in France/Switzerland...
Useful information! Please note that Zermatt/Cervinia is not an Italian-French resort, as the map at 0:30 suggests. It’s a Swiss-Italian resort.
To summarize: Be and act like an adult when you go skiing in Europe, nobody is going to hold your hand.
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.
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...
Very interesting video, u did a great job! Ive skied many different resorts in Europe and the differences between them are huge. Im from Norway, we pay from 40-60$ for a day pass, and we all talk about how expensive it is; I cant imagine how you deal with those ridiculous prices in North America. When i used to live in Austria, the amount of Americans who died on the piste and especially off-piste, was frightening. As others have said, if you want a safe and pampered adventure, then go to disneyland. The alps are far from that, which makes it that more enjoyable to ski for people that know how to respect the wild mountains ;) Its all about taking responsibility for yourself and your abilities, but i guess that is not given when you are not used to it.
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!
I would never have expected you to call Courchevel or Verbier cheap, these are extremely expensive in our standards, the resort i go to is spreading on 5 towns and i pay 40€ a day
The largest and most beautiful skiarea is the Dolomites. 1200 km of groomed slopes. 650 lifers. The area covered is the size of upper NY state.
Beautiful and great value, but you spend a lot of time in (very modern) lifts to not ski very much - it’s very flat
@@TheCodik depending on what you decide to do, if you just stick to the standard sellaronda i actually agree, is made for everyone. But around you have among the best and longest descend of the alps, like Marmolada, or Tofane. Or why not gran risa and sas long, where they do the men’s World Cup? Are those flat for you? Or what. About the Brenta Dolomites? Madonna di Campiglio, Pinzolo and Val di sole? You have the 3 tre, whip reaches 75% of inclination. I get scared all the time there. Too steep even for me. If you fall there you get down belly flat to the bottom. No way to stop.
@@luigifranceschi2350thank you - I am going there again in two days, so will test these out!
@@TheCodik I was just there. Good snow above 1600 meters and at 2000+ there’s about 2 meters accumulation. Weather a little unpredictable in these days.
it's not the largest because the domains are not connected by lifts. The largest sky domain in the world is Les 3 Vallées, followed by Les Portes du Soleil and then Paradisky on par with Sellaronda. Now from what I saw, the Dolomites probably look the best.
Having skied both Nth America and Europe a number of times the big distinction for me is that (most) Canadians and Americans go to the mountains, whereas Europeans go into the mountains. This is largely due to Europe’s lengthier history and celebrating of alpinism and it’s larger population densities. This has allowed for greater impetus and economies of scale and the developing of large-scale sophisticated infrastructure to access deeper into the mountains for most average punters.
If the size scares you, there's tons of smaller resorts that often are so small you can do all the red ones in a single day. With the same views as mentioned here.
I’ve skied in both quite widely and this was a very fair summary. One thing I’d say though is that with the exception of the mega resorts in February it is very easy to find European resorts that are queue free and basically empty for most of the season. Many times I’ve taken piste photos with not a soul in view. It’s a reflection of the fact that there are literally hundreds of ski resorts in Europe, many of which are fantastic but just little known. Think eg Laax in Switzerland and gressoney in Italy. Incredible areas with mostly little to no queuing .
You should visit Austria one day. They have the most modern lift systems and the best après ski. The high altitude resorts are the best. My favourite: Ischgl, also referred to as the Ibiza of the Alps.
I'd recommend to anyone from outside Europe to visit Sellaronda in Italy. That's a halfday trip you take to go around the mountain and end up in the same spot having different slopes and views through the whole time.
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.
You forgot to talk about smaller (and often more budget and family-oiented) ski resorts. What they might lack in terms of diversity and length of _pistes_ (some small ski resorts can even only have one or two _pistes)_ is largely conpensated in the authenticity and nice surprises you might find in the villages that are close to the ski resort, especially very affordable restaurants where you can find fantastic raclettes, tartiflettes, fondues or pizzas (not to mention very local specialties) for 1/3 to 1/10 of the price in a luxury ski resort village.
There's also much more than the Alps in terms of skiable mountain ranges : for instance, in France you can go to the Vosges (great for cross-country skiing), Massif Central and Pyrenees.
And Jura too, with a possibility to get skiing thru the Swiss / French border…
@@Kate-qq3ez True. But you still have to get your wallet ready once you want to buy some food or drinks in Switzerland.
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.
Your B roll is some of the most Beautiful shots. Just getting off a lift with a group... and the background!!! Yes, 4k
6:41 At least the French marking is clear:
- white: beginner (go there if you never skied before)
- green: easy walk (if you're still learning, you are suffering from old age, or you are recovering from injuries or something)
- blue: now it's skiing
- red: olympic slope
- black: olympic slope with bumps
- yellow: random natural condition, except it has been secured against avalanches so you don't die that much.
- no sign: "hors piste" , Redbull skiing (or just the regular path if you are a avalanche-proof native)
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.
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.
Not bad comments, but it looks as though the author generalizes based on resorts which clearly do not represent the whole of the European skiing experience. For one thing, it's almost exclusively Switzerland, so no wonder the public transportation is great. And prices elsewhere would be lower. Plus, given the resort selection, obviously it caters to the rich. Try skiing in Les Menuires or some laid back Austrian village for other experiences.
I’m a Brit who’s skied both. Went to Les Collons in Switzerland. Being able to ski from there to Verbier is nuts. Took about a half day to get there and about the same back
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.
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!
There are green piste for beginner in France ^^
I'm learning in Bulgaria. The Alps is not all of Europe. I'm in the Pirin. There are over 30 mountain ranges in Europe that have skiing.
Also ski insurance is included in your lift ticket. Going off piste voids your insurance. But there is no one who is going to stop you.
I have been in Bulgaria for 2 months. This video is 100% with pointing out the key differences.
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.
Day Tickets in US: 300USD, Day Tickets in Austria: 80USD.
An informative film about some of the differences between US and European skiing, but I'm still waiting for something SHOCKING !
😄
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.
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.
Queuing/line management was the biggest surprise I got in North America. It was good to see all the lifts being used efficiently.
6:26 if you can’t speak English those would also be hard to read in America, what’s the point?
I would change the phrasing to "in France" when you are saying "in Europe". Yes, France and Switzerland is like this, but many ski areas in Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Romania, Poland, etc are very different, especially when it comes to ski-lift infrastructure. We very much used to ride the retro chairs at those places and modern gondolas are the exception. The other thing to check, always before visiting, if the area has snowmachines or not, it varies based on the region, and can be a very bad surprise.
Travel insurance is highly recommended, and even then, most of the time those won't cover you if you leave the trail. Funny thing, they usually won't cover if your blood alcohol level is high when you suffer injury, so take that into account when doing the lunch break beers. 1-2 might be fine, but be careful with it.
Strongly recommended staying in one of the small towns maybe even a bit further away from the base, many areas include free ski-bus rides in the town in exchange of paying the tourist task, always ask your host about this. It might take 20-30 minutes to take the bus, but the difference in pricing usually compensate for it, if budget is a concern.
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
I’ve been snowboarding in EU resorts my all life but I still loved watching your video. Very comprehensive and detailed
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.
Bro makes a looot of generalisations of the Alps from the few TOP TIER ski resorts he's showing in the video
speaking of Europe as a single place is so dumb. theres so many destinations its not uniform. One thing i particularly disagree with is you saying that europes slopes have no trees. Ive been to Norway and France skiing and all 4 resorts had trees.
most skiable areas in Europa have trees, as the treeline is around 2000m. There are not sooo many above that line.
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.
Alcohol plays a massive part of Euro skiing.
Bulls***.. You see 100 people on a terrace and they're all alcoholics? Oh yes, in the USA everyone is chaste and faithful and all the cops are corrupt and violent?
At 1:30 I skied there in Zermatt in March. That whole slope had an avalanche when I was above it. Three deaths.
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
@@lo2740 maybe by ignorant Americans
As a European I literally never thought about insurance when skiing...