Mar 15, 2018 / TRAVEL / SKIING

Best late season resorts - a guide to the best late season locations

Finding that perfect ski resort which meets all of your requirements is part of the fun of planning your ski holiday, right? Well, finding the best locations for late season skiing is even more fun as you need to be a little creative. Fear not, we’re here to help you along the way.

Late season is roughly around mid to late Spring until the thaw begins and the resort closes again until the Winter. Late season skiing is off-peak, so it’ll be cheaper, not as busy and you may just end up discovering a whole new resort and culture. Complemented by long daylight hours and no lift queues, the later season offering has much appeal for snow fans.

Here is our list of best late season resorts to consider for your holiday or property investment:

Val Thorens, France

This purpose-built resort is the highest in Europe (2300m in altitude) and boasts 140km of varied ski slopes so not only will there be guaranteed snow right through till May, but there is a massive area to cover and with smaller late season crowds, you might be lucky enough to feel like you have the slopes virtually to yourself!

Most of the slopes in Val Thorens are over 2000m high and the resort even has a glacier which adds appeal, so they are confident enough of being the best late season resort they offer a ‘snow guarantee’. The Trois Vallees resorts tend to start shutting up shop in April but Val Thorens stays open well into May so it’s the perfect choice for a late season holiday.

Another advantage of Val Thorens is that due to its altitude, so many of the properties are ‘ski in, ski out’, which can generally add value to a property and can bolster your renting income if you’re buying to let.

Val Thorens also has a lot to offer in terms of gastronomical hot spots, luxury boutiques and plenty of sophisticated bars for the après ski crowd.

Val d'Isère, France


Val d’Isère is probably the most popular French resort amongst British ski holidaymakers. It is suited to all levels of skiers, the village sits at 1850m in altitude, and is also linked to neighbouring Tignes so the two combined (L’Espace Killy) offer an unrivalled variety of high altitude skiing.

The resort caters to its fans and is incredibly well maintained, with developments and upgrades happening all the time to keep standards high. The resort has a vast array of bars, restaurants and accommodation styles on offer to visitors, along with a total of 94 ski lifts, 300km of slopes and 2 glaciers.

This offering is enhanced further by a network of around 900 snow cannons to ensure that a bountiful amount of snow is produced at all times to supplement the snow cover they already have. And with plenty of other activities, sports and pursuits to try in late season and spring and summer too, Val d’Isère is a perfect choice for a late season jolly.

Verbier, Switzerland

At 1500m in height, Verbier is an excellent late season resort despite having south-facing slopes. You will always find reliably good snow on the higher slopes, as well as an astonishing amount of snowmaking cannons (particularly on the lower slopes) to ensure plenty of snow late in the season.

It is not the cheapest of resorts in peak season (it is after all one of the most popular Swiss resorts), so late season is the ideal time to enjoy this fantastic resort at bargain prices.

There are 84 ski lifts, 400km of slopes including some of the most exhilarating (lift-served) off-piste skiing in the Alps which appeals to the challenge seekers.

Verbier Impulse – the resort festival actually takes place mid-April, which is very late in the season for such a focal event; thus, confirming that you can expect excellent skiing conditions in late season or they wouldn’t confidently schedule their festival for this time.

At SnowOnly we have a platform you can search for ski property from all over the world as well as valuable resort information that can help you make a decision. We’ll be able to link you with the best agents in the locations you desire.