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I'm trying to plan a skiing trip for Christmas holidays which is when I can use my work holidays, however I do not celebrate Christmas and I do not enjoy the whole consumerist/festive/you-name-it Christmas vibe. Checking a few resorts and packages in the Alps, it seems like they're all going to have massive huge celebrations in the mountains! So I'm considering going somewhere different where xmas isn't too big.

  • Iran isn't an option for this trip as it's on the agenda for the next year
  • Morocco seems to have snow at that time of the year, but I'm not sure what the resorts are like
  • Russia is said to be hit and miss for skiing
  • Flights to Uzbekistan are horrendously expensive
  • Georgia is also similar to Uzbekistan (but less expensive) and since the lifts incident there last year I'm a bit skeptical about going there
  • Turkey is probably one option, but I'd like to know if there are other destinations that I could consider, that would have affordable flights from Europe (no more than a few hundred Euro)?
JoErNanO
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Neeku
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7 Answers7

48

Well, Serbia and other countries that still use the Juliane calender celebrate Christmas on 7th of January, so that could be an option. In Serbia there is the Kopaonik ski resort that is really good and has plentiful snow that time of the year. Good luck

44

Japan?

  • Pretty cheap to fly to from anywhere in the world.

  • Fairly standard western country prices once you get there (certainly less than the Alps!)

  • Very good ski facilities and ski-worthy weather.

  • Christmas isn't particularly celebrated beyond a bit of themed advertising in shops. Christmas is a normal work day for most people.

  • Japan in general is awesome.

the other one
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13

Pakistan.

It has one of the most beautiful and scenic skiing slopes in the world. Malam Jabba and Naltar to name a couple.

There are no Christmas based festivities either.

Your flight might be costly but that’s just about it. Rest of the stuff isn’t costly.

Malam Jabba

enter image description here Courtesy: dawn.com

Naltar

enter image description here

Courtesy: Wikimedia

Google for Shimshal, Rattu, Nathia Gali, Astore and you will have numerous options.

Good Read

Hanky Panky
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In general, you cannot find such thing.

Christmas is a massive holidays around the world, often with holidays from schools, so you have many tourists that go around the world in such period, so nearly everywhere you will find price hike. This is independent if in the destination Christmas is celebrated or not. The same for flights (but here if you add few extra days, on both end, you can get easily the cheap prices).

I assume you are looking ski holidays in Christmas period for the same reason: you (like many people) have free days on such period.

I recommend you to work as much as possible on such period, and do holidays in January (if possible, no kids): you will find good place to ski (because they need to prepare all slopes for Christmas, and be ready for the February holiday period). In such period you have much cheaper holidays (in general, not only on sky regions), but on ski regions you have very very few tourists [but on week ends].

Giacomo Catenazzi
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You could try Russia. There are several Ski Resorts. The week of 25th December is very quiet as Christmas is celebrated on 7th January.

Daniil
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It's OTT to say they will all have massive huge celebrations. Russia may have a lot of -20'C at that time. Serbia may have small snowfall till January as it's southerly.

If you check the events time-table of the stations from their website, and research photos/videos for "skitown noel/christmas 2018" to see the atmosphere, and see if they have a swimming resort for the kids if the weather is bad.

The ski-conoisseurs of the alps worry about snow depth at Christmas time, which is often not enough at lower altitudes, so wherever you go, make sure that it will have snowed enough by then. North of the Alps should be cooler for snow.

Yes, Nearly all european stations will have an event on Christmas day and some street decorations for a couple of weeks, and New-Year fireworks. Some stations only have a single day of events on the 25th called "christmas celebrations" and "new year fireworks" which is only one day of celebrations.

Here is a list of small french stations advised to avoid industrial atmosphere and chrismas celebrations, you can translate it to english, and probaby find similar discussions for Austria and the Baltic states.

https://www.skipass.com/forums/enmontagne/stations_ski_france/sujet-142512.html

bandybabboon
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Israel has the Mount Hermon ski area. I would expect you wouldn't find much in the way of Christmas observance there.

JoelFan
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