Ski Season 26/27: The Little Things We're Already Looking Forward To

When the ice in your drink lasts only a few minutes and shade becomes essential, winter starts to feel less like a distant season and more like something you genuinely miss, a thought that tends to arrive quietly, maybe after your second iced coffee or the third time you say, "It's so hot today," and once it does, it stays.

Suddenly you are thinking about the mountains. Snow underfoot, early mornings, that first breath outside that wakes you up in a way no coffee ever quite manages. Pulling on a jacket first thing in the morning, stepping outside into silence, skis clicking into place, the lift rising slowly as the valley opens up below.

No plans yet, just memories. And that is how every ski season really begins.

A Morning in the Alps: How Ski Days Begin

The alarm goes off earlier than it would in summer, and somehow, you don't mind. Inside, the room is warm, but the air outside is not, and there is something satisfying about that contrast.

Coffee comes first, always. You sip it slowly, watching the light shift across the peaks. In Megève, when the village is still quiet, it often means a short walk through empty streets before the lifts open, with bakeries just coming alive.

You put on your boots, tuck your gloves in your pockets, and step outside. The cold air hits your face, and suddenly you’re wide awake.

Back on the Slopes: First Day of the Season

The lift slowly carries you up, giving you time to take in the view you have been thinking about since July.

That initial run is never about speed. A few turns in, and it clicks. Not dramatically, just quietly. You might find yourself following a route in Chamonix that leads you slightly off track, revealing a quieter descent with Mont Blanc always in sight. Or linking wide, perfectly groomed runs in Courchevel that seem to continue without interruption.

By late morning, technique is no longer on your mind. You are simply moving with the mountain, not against it.

The Long Lunch: A Ski Day's Best Kept Secret

Around midday, something changes. Maybe you didn’t plan to stop, or only meant to pause for a minute. Then you find a sunny table, a warm meal arrives, and suddenly you don’t want to leave.

This could be a long lunch in Val d’Isère, on a terrace halfway down the mountain, watching skiers pass below while plates arrive slowly and conversation settles in. You order another carafe without thinking too much about it, and time slips by almost unnoticed.

Après-Ski in the Alps: When the Day Really Opens Up

There is a reason people talk about après-ski as much as the skiing itself.

With the slopes empty, the village comes alive in a different way, and something is poured before you have even decided what you want. That might mean staying on a terrace in Verbier just long enough to catch the last of the sun, or stopping in Méribel as the village fills, before drifting higher up to places like La Folie Douce, where the afternoon carries on a little longer than expected.

Some days, après-ski lasts an hour. Other times, it quietly turns into the whole evening. There’s no set plan, and that’s exactly why it’s so enjoyable.

Planning Your Ski Holiday: Why July Is the Right Time

The 26/27 ski season is already coming together. The most popular places in the Alps get booked early, and the best weeks fill up fast. Planning now isn’t just about being early; it’s about giving yourself time to pick the right experience.

This could take the form of slower mornings with views over Mont Blanc in Saint-Gervais, or days shaped by the scale of the Trois Vallées, moving between valleys without repeating the same run. Or simply the sense of space and calm you find in places like Combloux, especially at the end of the day.

This season is about more than just skiing. It’s about the mornings, the long lunches, the après-ski, and all the moments in between.

Discover our properties in the French Alps and book your 26/27 winter holiday now.