South of France skiing

South of France accommodation and skiing seems an unlikely combination, but having spent a delightful day skiing in Greoliere les Neige, I am now sat on my balcony in a T-Shirt in the sun, with a view over the Mediterranean, reflecting on what a fabulous way to holiday that is at this time of the year.

Skiing conditions this year are as good as they have been the last for 20 years in the Alps in general, but especially in the southern French Alps. Few are aware of the close proximity of a number excellent ski resorts to the coastline Mediterranean. Alpine venues which, when the snow is so good, really come into their own.

I have spent a lot in my time skiing and even had privilege of being a guide in Chamonix in my youth. I also ran a small ski company of my own for a while, and more recently successful re-launched a ski operations for one of the major brand, now we have our own chalet program, so I feel I have seen a good part of what takes place in the skiing world.

I know most people seek extensive skiing in popular ski resorts with large joined up ski runs such as La Plagne, but sometimes something else can be very pleasant, how many ski resorts have views over the sea? I don’t know either, but not many I would wager. Well from the top of the lift system at Groliere les Neige there are fantastic views of the coast by Cannes as well as surrounding resorts. It is worth being there only for that viewing.

What about accessibility? Well for example from Grasse, which is just behind Cannes it a beautiful, easy, three quarters of an hour drive, and in the middle of the week, there is almost no one on the road. Greoliere has extensive skiing and an adult skipass for the day, including insurance, is a reasonable 20 €. Be a little bit careful with Wednesdays when school parties come, but even then, there are no queues of significance. Saturday tend to be an excellent day for a weekend visit with not too many people in the resort. For ski school contact ecoledeski.groliere @ wanadoo.fr or ring on 04 93 59 70 03 to pre book.

There is a very good site http://www.greolieres.fr/ which also has a web cam, so that you can see for yourself what the snow is like live. Combine with this reliable (well I think it is) http://france.meteofrance.com weather forecast and you can pick your day(s) to ski and if conditions are not is right that are many other things to do on the coast. To get the best out of Greoliere les Neige you need to go when conditions are perfect so that you get enjoy that view and the snow.

This is not everybody afternoon tea, but I found when conditions are so good even with a limited selection of ski runs, there is enough from green through to the black combined with good visible and easy access to off piste to keep most people pleased for at least a few days. It was my second time, and I had a ball. It is also super snow shoe territory (racquets rent available) and there are also cross-country skiing alternatives.

So why not have a think about a week or a long weekend in the South of France combine visits to lively resorts such as Nice, Cannes and Antibes that do not suffer off season blues such as at St. Tropez and St Maxime and a few days in skiing?

Villas du Monde - Villas Worldwide offers a wide range of villas in Southern France in both the Cote d'Azur and Provence, most are for traditional summer holidays, but some are also available throughout the year, and are only a short drive from Cannes. We can organize weekend or short week prices on request. We can also offer chalet accommodation in Isola 2000 which is the main ski resort in the south of France. Just call using our freephone line or send us an email for more information.