January in the Alps is a time of quiet slopes, reduced lift queues and buckets of fresh snow. The festive season has died down, winter is in full flow, and eager skiers and snowboarders able to escape work for a week have it all to play for!
Enjoy great value skiing in January
On the accommodation front, January typically offers excellent value for money. Group discounts see holidaymakers enjoying buy-1-get-1-free lift pass deals, helpful ski hire offers, and increased group discounts in resorts across the Alps. And by booking early, you also get the pick of the best accommodation options in your top ski resorts of choice.
January conditions on the slopes
With regard to snow conditions in January, it’s one of the best months of the winter ski season for fresh snow. Skiers and snowboarders have to wrap up warm against the biting cold, but their boldness is rewarded by open powder fields and pristine terrain parks! Price-wise January is pretty similar to April in the Alps, but the snow conditions are so much better.
By the time January ticks around, the winter ski season has typically been up and running for a number of weeks. The chairlifts and gondolas across the Alps many amazing ski areas are all in fully operational order, whisking skiers and boarders up to the far-flung peaks. The regular snowfall tops up base-layers on the peaks beautifully, too, ensuring January skiers enjoy pristine pistes.
Learner skiers and snowboarders can master the basics on the snow with limited congestion from fellow piste-users. And for powder-hungry experts, the open back country is typically in fine condition by the time January ticks around – with professional instructors on hand to lead you into the Alpine wilderness.
Accommodation and ski school availability
With January being a comparatively quiet month (after the frenetic festive period, and before the popular February half term peak week), people can pick from a wonderfully wide range of accommodation options in their top ski resorts of choice. There are also fewer people in the Alps in January, which means less demand for services such as ski school.
Resort recommendations for January skiing
If you’re a group of beginner skiers heading to the Alps in January, consider resorts like La Plagne, Les Gets, Obergurgl, La Rosière, or Meribel. Here, you’ll find a wide range of gentle terrain, with excellent ski schools on hand to help you improve your skills on the snowy slopes.
Groups of intermediate-level skiers and snowboarders do well in resorts including Courchevel, Soll, St Anton, Sauze d’Oulx, Val d’Isere and Morzine. In these resorts, there’s a great range of terrain, from more gentle slopes to steeper ground to push yourself.
For experts in search of challenging slopes and world-class terrain parks, January ski resort recommendations might include Avoriaz, Mayrhofen and Laax – where thrill seekers can find some of the finest snow parks in the world. For powder-seekers, resorts like Val Thorens, Verbier, St Anton and Chamonix are home to many of the Alps finest backcountry and off-piste itineraries – though we do recommend you pack the necessary safety equipment and reserve the services of authorised guides.