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Booking ski and mountain holidays: accommodation, group lessons, health protocol ... everything you need to know

2020-12-13T12:42:14.077Z


The ski lifts could open on January 7. Faced with the Covid-19, here is the summary of the measures, health and commercial, to take, with or without ski, the altitude in all serenity from Christmas and for the 2021 winter holidays.


More than four weeks to wait before hitting the ski slopes?

Meeting this December 11 by videoconference with mountain professionals and elected officials, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced a possible opening of ski lifts, and therefore slopes, on Thursday, January 7.

This of course depending on the evolution of the health situation related to Covid-19.

Read also: Without downhill skiing, what you can do in the resort at Christmas

The skiers are crossing their fingers.

But with or without alpine skiing, this winter season 2020-2021 against the background of a pandemic, will be until the end punctuated by the respect of health measures and the observation of barrier gestures.

In the resorts and in the mountains, a whole system has been put in place to protect the health of all, holidaymakers and professionals.

At the same time, cancellation facilities are offered to reassure those who are still hesitant to plan a stay at the top, especially for the winter holidays.

Overview of these exceptional measures.

SEE ALSO -

Covid-19: the French are not abandoning ski resorts

Can we already book our February and ski holidays?

Reservations are possible for the entire 2020-2021 winter season.

As for accommodation, furnished rentals, apartments and chalets are available at the end of the year.

The hotels, some of which will also welcome customers from December 19, will therefore, except for an economic problem linked to the health crisis, all open in February, to accommodate holidaymakers from the three school holiday zones.

Read also: Tourist residences in the mountains will be open for Christmas

Ditto for tourist residences, including several large brands (Odalys Vacances, Pierre & Vacances, MGM Résidences, Vacancéole) will open all or part of their sites from the Christmas holidays, then the others when the ski lifts are running.

For their part, the holiday clubs have all announced their opening in January: Belhambra on the 16th, Club Med on the 17th, Villages Clubs du Soleil on the 16th or 17th depending on the resort, MMV Vacances on the 23rd ... It remains to be seen whether the possible opening ski areas on January 7 will change their plans.

Read also: Club Med: Christmas at the end of the world, the mountains in January ... the club opening program

As for the services and supervised outdoor activities (ski lessons, ski touring outings, snowshoes, dog sledding, ski joëring, ice climbing, rental of sliding equipment and ski lift passes ...), reservations are also possible now.

And if there will certainly be fewer people in the resorts in February, in the absence of foreigners in particular, it is better not to wait until the last minute to organize: the number of participants in collective activities, including ski lessons , will be limited to five people.

Read also: From Megève to Val Thorens, the mountain hotels tested by

Le Figaro

What are the cancellation conditions related to Covid-19?

Even before the announcement of the first curfew and then of a re-containment from October 29 to December 15, mountain professionals - accommodation providers, ski schools, ski lifts, equipment rental companies and other service providers - had highlighted their site simplifying the cancellation conditions related to Covid-19.

In essence: 100% refund up to D-1 or even up to the day of arrival, of the payment (full or down payment) made at the time of cancellation.

Read also: Travel vouchers canceled due to Covid-19: how to use them?

If this is not your fault (restriction of movement, confinement), no proof will be requested.

But you will need to provide one if you cancel for personal health reasons (contamination, contact).

You can also, if you wish, postpone your reservation to a later date.

In both cases, most providers will not charge administration fees.

However, make sure you do your research before confirming the reservation.

And do not hesitate to call for details.

Good to know: the Ski Express price comparator gives some information at the outset on the “Covid-19” cancellation conditions set up by the online accommodation and tour operators listed on its site (Pierre & Vacances, Odalys Vacances, booking .com, Travelski, Ski Planet…) and directly accessible.

A way to save time.

Read also: How Val-d'Isère is preparing for a Christmas without classic alpine skiing

What are the health measures implemented by ski resorts?

From September, all professional categories in the mountains have worked on a common health protocol.

Developed in conjunction with the prefect of Savoie, health coordinator for the sector at the national level, this protocol has been validated by the government.

All the measures are detailed in a voluminous document, drawn up for the use of professionals.

In particular, it provides for the provision by each municipality of a room intended for the isolation of contaminated people, residents, seasonal workers or vacationers.

For the public, most of what it is necessary to know and to respect is explained in the form of a synthetic table and illustrated.

Posted online by France Montagnes and reproduced on all the websites of the tourist and commercial offices, this table summarizes the vacationer's journey in six stages: access by public transport, in tourist offices and accommodation, on the lifts mechanics, at the equipment rental, at the ski school, in bars and restaurants.

Read also: Antigenic tests, wearing a mask: everything you need to know about the 2020-21 ski season

Where is it compulsory to wear a mask in the resort?

Wearing a mask will be compulsory in most places in the resort, including the ski lifts.

Children must wear it from 11 years old.

countrylens - stock.adobe.com

In all public places, indoor and outdoor: streets, shops, buses, stations and queues for ski lifts, on chairlifts and fork-lift (two-seater), in gondolas, cable cars, funiculars, at start and end of group ski lessons.

As well as to move inside bars and restaurants.

For children, the mask will be compulsory from 11 years old (and not 6 years old as at school).

At the departure of the ski lifts, checks will be carried out by the staff.

Unmasked skiers will not be fined but run the risk of being turned back.

Do not forget this essential accessory to access the slopes.

Stocks of masks should however be provided to help the stunned.

To read also: Ski: "No one will take a ski lift without a mask this winter"

Where can we remove the mask?

On the ski lifts where you are alone (carpet and ski lifts with washer) and during the practice of a sports activity, downhill skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, ski touring, ski-joering, snowkiting, speed riding, tobogganing, skating, snowshoeing, Nordic walking, trail running, fatbiking, ice climbing, zip line, etc.

To facilitate the handling of the mask on each ascent and descent on alpine ski areas, several sports brands have imagined models of neck warmers equipped with anti-Covid filtering masks.

This winter, we will therefore leave our classic tricks in the closet to invest in these new accessories (around € 15 each) which, we hope, will quickly become collector's items ...

Read also: Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing ... what if this was the year for Nordic activities?

Cable cars, chairlifts ... Will the number of passengers on board the ski lifts be reduced?

No instructions have yet been given to this effect by the Ministry of Transport, on which the ski lift companies depend.

However, some are considering limiting the number of people on board the cable cars in the event of low traffic in order to ensure better comfort for passengers.

And since the stations are unlikely to fill up, the four or six-seater chairlifts should logically optimize the distance.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-12-13

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