Christmas and New Year have long been the most popular time of year to go on a skiing holiday. The snow and pine trees seem to perfectly coincide with the traditional seasonal atmosphere. But with several resorts in France hosting a number of activities on and off the slopes from March to April, more are choosing to ski in the spring.

Apart from being particularly pristine, Courchevel is a great resort to visit in the springtime because it created the first ever International Pyrotechnic Art festival in March 2003. Now an annual tradition, the Festival features firework competitions, which are stunning to watch against the backdrop of stars, snow and pine trees. Also, Courchevel hosts another popular festival – the Festival Cineski – which takes place between March 12 and 15. Here, visitors can spend evenings in the Auditorium Gilles de la Roque, where they can watch previews of independent and arty new films. Check out twenga for cheap hotels in courchevel.

Like Courchevel, Meribel, lying at the heart of the three Valleys and one of the world’s biggest ski areas, is host to some interesting and culturally rich springtime festivals. The Altitude Festival, for example, includes live stand-up comedy, international DJs and competitions on the slopes, and runs from March 28 to April 3. The other popular activity in Meribel is known as Mooncamp, which is a week of freestyle lessons and full board and takes place from the end of March to the beginning of April. Be sure, too, to visit some of Meribel’s vibrant bars at night time.

Thankfully, there are many resort operators who, in order to maintain good business throughout the entirety of the ski season and not just at Christmas, are currently offering package deals and discounts for those choosing to ski in spring. With Alpine Elements, for instance, customers who book package deals during any week in March and selected weeks in April are offered a free Lift Pass. Alpine elements also have an “early bird” program, in which customers are given the chance to get discounts on package holidays for spring, 2010 when they book before the end of September 2009. They are a website worth checking out for their range of varied ski holidays.
Skiing in the months of March and April has the advantage of fresh snow, sunshine and some really interesting festivals. With so many tour operators now offering good springtime deals, going away in March or April may also be kinder to your pocket.