Skiing in November in The Alps

Is it worth skiing in the Alps in November?

November is worth it only if you go high and keep your expectations honest. For most of the month the action is on the glaciers, and the first proper winter resorts open from mid November onward, almost all of them high or glacier linked. The majority of Alpine resorts do not open until December, so November is a specialist month: a deal for altitude chasers and early season skiers, and a disappointment for anyone expecting a full mountain or a snowy village.

What you trade thin choice for is space and value. Pistes are close to empty, lift queues barely exist, and lodging sits at the lowest prices of the winter outside the glacier hotspots. If your priority is getting your ski legs back, racking up quiet groomer miles and paying little, a well chosen high resort in the second half of November delivers. If your priority is deep snow, full terrain and atmosphere, wait a few weeks for December.

Which Alps resorts are open in November?

Until roughly the middle of November nearly all skiing is on the glaciers. Reliable glacier options include Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland and Hintertux, Solden and Kaprun in Austria, with Hintertux open all year round. From mid November the first high resorts spin up their lifts, led by snow sure names such as Val Thorens and Tignes in France, Obergurgl in Austria, and Zermatt as it builds toward full opening late in the month.

The key is altitude and snowmaking, not brand. A high resort with a glacier and a strong snowmaking grid can offer a respectable run network in late November, while a pretty lower village down the valley is often still green. Opening terrain is partial almost everywhere, so check the resort piste map and snow report for your dates and assume the lower runs and tree lined home pistes may not be ready. Tignes, for example, no longer opens as early as it once did, so do not rely on last year's dates.

What are snow and conditions like in the Alps in November?

November snow is a gamble that pays off at altitude. Early winter storms can lay a genuinely good base on the high mountains, and in a strong year late November skis beautifully up high with cold, dry snow. In a lean year the same resorts rely heavily on snowmaking ribbons between green slopes, and the lower stations simply cannot open. The pattern swings year to year, which is exactly why November rewards flexibility and altitude over a fixed plan.

Days are short and the light is low, so you ski fewer hours than in spring, and the weather can be raw on exposed high lifts. Pack as you would for deep winter, because the glaciers and high passes are properly cold even this early. The upside of that cold is snow quality: when it does fall in November it tends to stay light and dry up high, and the lack of crowds means fresh snow stays skiable for far longer than it would in a busy February week.

How much does November skiing cost, and who should go?

Outside the glacier honeypots, November is value season. A week typically lands in the under $2,000 to $4,000 per person band, with lodging at its cheapest before the December ramp up and lift passes sometimes discounted while terrain is partial. The exception is the cluster of early opening resorts in the last week of the month, where the racing crowd and early season enthusiasts push glacier town prices up, so book those ahead if your dates are fixed.

November suits early season skiers desperate for their first turns, altitude chasers happy to ski a partial high mountain, racers and clubs in pre season training, and budget travelers who value empty pistes over deep snow. It is the wrong month for beginners who want gentle tree lined runs at village level, for families wanting a festive resort, and for anyone who needs guaranteed conditions and a full lift network. Those travelers should choose late December to March instead.

November in The Alps: the case for and against

Where to ski in the Alps in November

For November we would point you first at these, each with our full review:

• Val Thorens. Europe's highest major resort opens among the first in France and skis well in late November thanks to altitude and heavy snowmaking.
• Solden. Two glaciers and a high lift network make it one of the most dependable early season choices in Austria.
• Saas Fee. A high glacier resort that skis through the autumn, ideal for reliable November turns before the wider season opens.
• Obergurgl. A snow sure high altitude village that typically opens in the second half of November with cold, dependable cover up top.

Common questions