A bit of positivity and we can start looking forward to Winter 2022 with the opening dates and 3 Valleys lift pass prices released. La Tania is not included in the above generic Courchevel date but almost certainly will be Saturday 11 December 2021 (unless of course they're thinking (correctly) we're desperate to ski and opening everywhere a week earlier....).
A 3 Valleys 6 day pass rises by 2.8% to €330 for Winter 2022 to ski in the largest ski area in the world and the one day pass price is up from €64.50 to €66, a 2.3% rise.
3 Valleys Season Passes and the 3V one day extensions from a single valley pass have not yet been released and we're still waiting for the Courchevel prices too.
Tourist Office Guide, Bus Service, Business Openings, Medical Centre etc.
Courchevel have announced they will be staying "open" until 18 April 2021
Pub Le Ski Lodge offer a click and collect service plus delivery across La Tania and Le Praz between 18:00 and 20:00 (allowed under the 18:00 curfew restrictions). Order online at www.publeskilodge.com
The La Tania Medical Centre is open by appointment only. Covid Vaccinations are being given to over 50s starting on 11 March 2021. Book via the Medical Centre, conditions apply - there is a limited number of vaccinations available. Check their facebook page here
Lift Opening Date...
Update 03/04/2021:
France heads in to a further lockdown with infection rates out of control and the vaccine rollout a shambles - although attempts are being made to ramp things up. Travel in France is now limited to 10km from home, schools are closed, there's a 19:00 to 06:00 curfew and only essential shops are open - the season is over basically...
Update 17/03/2021:
Travel across France is now relaxed for UK travellers (same as EU) - but tests and quarantine still applicable, just the essential travel restriction has been removed, which is of course still in place in the UK preventing you travelling. Courchevel to stay open until at least 18 April and activities on snow continue. Infection rates in the Savoie are not coming down, all the promised vaccines have not been made available for administration by local Doctors and now the Oxford-AstraZenica one has been suspended anyway. Infection rates are now plateaued between 25,000 and 30,000 new infections every day and rumours of further lockdowns continue as the 6pm curfew doesn't seem to be bringing the rates down across the country. So any optimistic views of some lifts (or restaurants) opening in April would seem to be wrong.
Pub Le Ski Lodge is Open For Takeaway On-Line (Taiga Cocktails too!)
Pub Le Ski Lodge in La Tania is now open for a click & collect or telephone takeaway service.
Open for collection from 11:30 to 14:30 and from 17:00 to 18:00 with a range of baguettes, snacks, burgers, main courses, deserts and a Children’s Menu. Drinks available all day
Full English Breakfast on Saturdays!
Delivery across La Tania & Le Praz from 18:00 to 20:00 (order by 19:30 please).
Whilst there have been some rumours of lifts opening in March after the school holidays, it's looking more likely there'll be a further lockdown in France with infection rates refusing to come down - weekend lock-downs in some areas areas of France are now being put in place. Borders however remain closed and vaccine uptake is not that quick (although over 50s being given it in La Tania on 11 March)and Brits won't be able to travel abroad until mid-May probably anyway. Here's to Winter 2022....
Update 15/02/2021:
Latest infection rates in France seem to have plateaued with between 16,500 and 25,000 infections every day over the last week (the original target was to get below 5,000 a day to allow lifts to run). Meanwhile the vaccination program has seen around 3m jabs in France (EU average 4m, UK 15m). Vaccine scepticism in France seems to reducing from the 60% who originally said they would NOT have the jab to nearer 40% now.
Update 03/02/2021:
Confirmation that ski lifts will not open during February. Resorts still hoping to welcome French families to the resorts over the school holidays for outdoor activities including hiking, cross country skiing and snow shoeing. Bars & Restaurants remain closed except for takeaway services.
Update 20/01/2021:
As we feared... This evening it was announced by Tourism Minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne that lifts must remain closed for now and a “reopening in mid or late February seems highly improbable”.
Meanwhile resorts are technically open with an 18:00 curfew in place and bars & restaurants closed except for takeaway services. Shops & schools remain open and there are a host of outdoor activities available from skidoo adventures to fat bike and dog sledding. Cross country skiing and ski touring tracks are still being maintained.
Update 19/01/2021:
French newspaper Le Monde reporting that it is unlikely there will be any lifts opening in the French Ski Resorts for the February holidays as infection rates are still too high. A formal announcement is expected Wed/Thu 20/21 Jan but these leaks are usually correct.
Lift Companies / Resorts will need to make a decision on continuing maintenance, grooming, safety work, snow production & avalanche control for mountain access / ski touring or possible later opening. We’d expect the larger areas (and 3V is the biggest) to keep going and hoping...
Update 14/01/2021:
Further curfews / restrictions expected from Castex in speech tonight at 7pm... Now 6pm from Saturday!
Update 7/01/2021:
French PM Castex - "There will be no reopening of bars and restaurants before at least mid-February. There will be a point on January 20 to see if an early February reopening of theatres, cinemas, ski resorts and ski lifts is possible". The Prime Minister also announced that the border with the United Kingdom will remain closed until further notice and that the incredibly slow vaccination roll out will be sorted out. More here...
Meanwhile we've updated the Brexit Deal implications (EHIC Continues, No Visas, No Roaming Charges, Pets are Allowed, No International Driving Licence required, No passing on of camera speeding tickets etc).
Update 06/01/2021:
No announcement of ski lift opening in France before 13 January according to Le Dauphine in their article tonight here
Update 04/01/2021:
Italy and Austria have announced provisional opening dates of their ski lifts for 18 January 2021 but there is no official word from France and a further delay looks likely - although we stress there is nothing official.
Getting to France (or other Schengen countries) from the UK remains a challenge however, with an approved test, a signed Attestation doc with a valid reason and possibly proof for non-essential travel, an address where you are staying and a passport with 6 months left on it are the minimum requirements from the evidence we have seen/heard.
Update 02/01/2021:
The date of 7 January 2021 (if infections come down) is looking increasingy unlikely with a further French lockdown or local curfews predicted. An update is expected soon. A date of 20 January is possible (when the bars/restaurants closure is scheduled to end) but much will depend on infections rates and any spike from Christmas (and New Year raves etc).
Update 29/12/2020: Further Brexit Deal Implications
EHIC continues, no roaming charges, pets are allowed, no IDP needed, no short term visas required, free testing at Dover, an international French Travel Attestation and very limited checks at the border so far... (although airlines have been enforcing essential travel rules more than border control).
Initial news on what this means for travel to France etc - Blog post here
Update 23/12/2020: UK Travel Ban "Relaxed"
Lorry Drivers, EU Nationals, Brits with residency in France and some professionals allowed back in to France with a negative test. How many EU Nationals will be able to get back for Christmas though now Macron has had his revenge is anyone's guess...
Update 22/12/2020: UK Travel Ban
Announcements expected today on testing protocols to allow lorry drivers in and French residents to return home.
Update 21/12/2020: UK Travel Ban
A UK to France travel ban for 48 hours (along with restrictions from another 30 countries) came in on Sunday night. Only route to France is via Spain we think - they haven't acted yet (but did in the end). French news are reporting that French Residents will be able to return from 22 Dec with a negative test result - this is still to be confirmed. Note that this doesn't mention essential travel or workers - just residents.
EU meeting today should provide further clarification. But this is bad news, struggling to stay positive this morning. Can't even go skiing in Scotland from England...
Update 18/12/2020: 7 Jan dependent on infections reducing
The date of 7 January 2021 is being bandied about as "official" but it is NOT as far as we are aware. There was always the caveat of infection rates to come down and hospital capacity to be available. Lots of activities and ski touring pistes, footpaths, sledge runs & cross country tracks are all being prepared for access from Sat 19 Dec - more here. Ice Diving on the Le Praz Lake has just been added today too!
Also social media is awash with the UK being banned from travelling to the EU from 1/1/21 as there are EU Covid Border Rules allowing only non-EU countries with very low rates (like NZ) in to the EU. However individual countries can do what they like and no one knows if the "essential travel only" would be checked/enforced anyway (it hasn't been so far since March) or even what would happen about flying via Geneva - With Sunday's news of course this is all immaterial anyway.
Update 14/12/2020: 7 January Opening?
Plenty of mainstream sites going with our 7th January lift opening story which was suggested by Castex but it is dependent on infection rates going down. However Germany have announced further lockdown measures until 10 January so of course France may follow (and all bars and restaurants are to remain closed in France until 20 Jan).
Update 10/12/2020: Curfew in France from 20:00 to 06:00
FRANCE From December 15th: Lockdown will be lifted, and trips out of the home will no longer require an essential reason or an attestation (permission form).
A curfew from 8pm to 6am will be introduced. Cinemas, theatres and other cultural centres, which had been scheduled to reopen on 15 December, will stay closed until at least 7 January.
Bars, restaurants and gyms will remain closed until at least 20 January, as planned.
Rules on religious services remain the same.
The curfew will be lifted on 24 December, but not on 31 December as had previously been suggested.
No mention of ski resorts but note "cinemas, theatres and other cultural centres will stay closed until at least January 7th". A further meeting with Mairies of ski resorts is scheduled tomorrow at 11:00 but probably more about what financial help will be on offer rather than any opening date being suggested.
No confirmed dates as yet but all hope of opening lifts during the Christmas holidays seem to have gone. Confirmation is expected in announcement on Wednesday after the appeals from the ski resorts but no expected change as Germany says the resort should close for the Christmas holidays. Some French restrictions are expected to be lifted on 15 December but it looks like bars and restaurants will be takeaway only until 20 January. There is some talk of 5 or 10 of Jan for ski lifts running but this is speculation and Macron did say infection rates must come down first (the 15 Dec date could be in doubt due to this, as infection rates are not coming down as fast as expected).
Courchevel has announced over 85 outdoor activities, events and entertainments to go ahead over the holidays on a Covid secure manner as they attempt to get people to come out and enjoy the resorts and mountains even if the lifts remain closed. More details here...
Courchevel Adventure will be offering the following activities from 19 December: Snowmobile driving - Dog Sledding - Ice Diving - Piste Basher Driving - Fatscoot - Children's Snowmobile Circuit - Segways - Biathlon Shooting - Archery - Paintball - Escape Games.
Similarly, Méribel will be offering a number of activities with all the footpaths from Lake Tuéda to the Altiport maintained and accessible. The Explor Games will take place around the Lake and all picnic areas will be open. The Shops, Equestrian Centre and Cinema will be open every day.
It has been confirmed that Ski Touring on certain routes in Courchevel selected in consultation with S3V will be allowed. This is so their work on maintenance and piste grooming can be carried out safely without endangering skiers. Certain slopes on the ski area will be authorised in addition to the Millet /Ski Touring tracks from Le Praz to Col de la Loze which will additionally open from 23 December every day 10:00 to 15:00 until the opening of the ski lifts. Further info here...
Ski Amis, VIP Ski and Alpine Elements call in the Administrators
No doubt as a direct consequence of no revenue through the peak Christmas Holidays due to the French Government closing the ski lifts until January it's sad news to all those who had stayed, worked or were going to in the future in these places.
Ski Amis (Catered chalets in La Tania, Les Menuires, La Plagne and Les Arcs plus plenty of self-catering places across the French Alps), VIP Ski (nothing in La Tania but catered chalets in Méribel) and Alpine Elements (ran Hotel Montana in La Tania and lots of properties across the French Alps plus Summer Holidays in Greece too)are now all in Administration.
Hotel Montana will be open this season with the owners family running it - More here...
Come-Ski who have a catered chalet in La Tania are taking a break for Winter 2020/2021 but will be back next season.
Silver-Ski are not operating for Winter 2020/2021. Their website seems to be permanently closed for maintenance so not sure if they will be back or not.
Meanwhile Hotel Pomme de Pin is being re-branded as Hotel La Pomme and is now part of the Maison Tournier group - expect the end of €11 Pizza, €5 Stella and €50 bottles of Veuve Clicquot - More here...
The UK Site available to get your Tag and electronically pay for your French Autoroute Tolls without the queues during the school holidays - There's a €5 discount here
The 2023 Alpine Skiing World Championships in Courchevel & Méribel
Official Website on this massive event being held from 6th to 19th February 2023.
