It looks like 2021 will be starting on a more positive note. France and Italy look set to open their ski resorts at the end of the first week of January 2021,  while others have decided to open already. This means it’s time for you to start planning your ski trip, even if you don’t fancy booking it just yet.

Here is the information we have gathered so far about countries around Europe and their expected opening dates.

France

After their decision of closing ski resorts for Christmas and New Year, France has announced that they are planning on opening their ski resorts on the 7th of January 2021 if the COVID-19 situation is under control at that time. 

At the moment people in France are allowed to carry out other activities on the mountains such as ski touring, cross country, and snow trekking, but gondolas and ski lifts will remain closed for the time being. If you’re interested in what other activities you can do on the snow click on our Alternative Winter Activities To Skiing blog and find out what else you can do as we wait for the slopes to open.

Italy

The situation in Italy is very similar to the one in France. The Prime Minister has decided to close all ski resorts until the 7th of January when they will reopen with Covid-19 measures in place. In the meantime, the only people in Italy allowed to go skiing at the moment are professional and non-professional athletes. 

The Prime Minister has also put into place mandatory self-isolation for anybody entering Italy between the 21st of December and the 6th of January 2021, which means it is better to book your ski vacation for after those dates if you are traveling in or out of Italy.

Switzerland

As we said last week in our blog about resorts in Switzerland being open, the only country in Europe at the moment that is fully operating is Switzerland. As we get closer to Christmas they are increasing restrictions in their ski resorts. 

After December 22, resorts will need local authority permission to remain open, but this permission could be revoked if the resorts do not adhere to the restrictions that will be put into place. Restrictions at the moment include 

• The use of face masks will be mandatory on ski lifts, while in the queue, and when using public transport.

• Enclosed lifts will be filled only to a third of their capacity in order to avoid large groups of people in closed environments.

• There will be no après-ski for now which will ensure there will be no big gatherings.

• Restaurants will close at 7 pm on weekends

These restrictions will remain in place at least until the 22nd of January 2021. 

Spain

Baqueira Beret in the Pyrenees opened this last Monday 15th of December announcing they have put in place many safety measures to ensure a socially distanced environment and to prevent the spreading of the virus. 

Some of these restrictions are:

• Limited number in closed spaces

• Pay with card whenever possible throughout the resort 

• Pin your BaqueiraPASS or BaqueiraTICKET on the left sleeve of your jacket for fast access to areas and lifts.

• Avoid ticket offices whenever possible.

• Recharge your ski passes online or by using the BaqueiraPASS and BaqueiraTICKET apps

La Molina ski resort also decided to start operating as of this week. They stated that they have been in constant contact with authorities to make sure they provide a safe environment for all their visitors. 

With these restrictions in place, it looks like it’s going to be safe to go skiing, so it’s not too early to plan your ski vacation and book your independent instructor on Maison Sport. We have put into place a flexible cancellation policy to make sure you get a full refund in case your plans get canceled due to new COVID-19 restrictions.

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