Each winter brings something new, and the 19/20 season is no different. Ski resorts are always looking to improve peoples experience either by introducing new lifts, Here is just a snapshot of the most anticipated new items in across Europe for this season! Austria News One of the most anticipated pieces of news comes from a new alliance formed in the Austrian Alps. Three fantastic regions have come together to offer you The Ski Alpin Card providing you with the freedom to explore three regions including not just three or four resorts but eight amazing ski resorts. That is a massive 408km of ski pistes; you won’t know where to start! 
Photo credit: https://www.alpincard.at/
The Ski Alpin Card will provide you with ‘’the formula for the premium mountain experience’’ in Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn, Schmitten in Zell am See and Kitzsteinhorn Kaprun
Want to know more about the three regions?
Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn is known to be one of the most extensive and most varied ski areas in Austria. With its combination of off-piste slopes, challenging black slopes and well-groomed wide slopes perfect for beginners, it is the ideal area to suit a variety of abilities. Schmitten in Zell am See is the ideal destination for families and adventure seekers alike. The varied winter paradise means you can find a large selection of family-friendly ski areas, or why not take on a challenge of the Trass downhill, over 4 km in length and 70% incline slope? Kitzsteinhorn Kaprun is the place be to enjoy fantastic views of Austria’s highest peak, 3,290 meters, and the Hohe Tauern National Park. As early as October you can be skiing on its very own snow-sure glacier slopes. With the new alliance also comes new ski lift connections. To connect you from the Skicirkus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn to the Schmittenhöhe in Zell am see you can take the new Zell Am See Xpress cable car accessible from the lower terminus in Viehofen. 
Photo credit: https://www.schmitten.at
The 3k K-onnection allows you to reach the glacier in Kitzsreinhorn without having to resort to any other forms of transportation. Simply access the gondola from the centre of Kaprun up to the Maiskogel, and take the brand new 3K K-onnection from there to the glacier. Easy right? 
Photo credit: https://www.kitzsteinhorn.at/en/k-onnection
News in France
The French Alps, there are many reasons to choose a ski holiday in France. First of all, there is a great chance for both snow and favourable skiing conditions. There are so many fantastic ski regions to choose from, all of which are working on something new. Avoriaz, La Plagne, Courchevel and Tignes are all working on improvements set to open from 2020 onwards. But for the 2019/20 season, our eyes will be on Les Deux Alpes and Valmeinier.
Les Deux Alpes
Les Deux Alpes will undergo significant changes in the coming years. There are plans on the table for the replacement of several lifts and the ski area also wants to take steps in the improving artificial snow. Les Deux Alpes wants to invest a total of no less than 500 million euros in the ski area within the next five years, here is what we can expect:
New La Toura chairlift
The new 8-person La Toura chairlift replaces the 3-person Lac Noir and the 4-person La Toura chairlifts. Les2Alpes Freestyle Land is located in this part of the ski area. From now on, freestylers will be at the top of the snowpark again within four minutes to start the next run. The 8-person La Toura has a capacity of 3600 people per hour, making queues in this part of the ski area a thing of the past.
Starting 2019 investments in artificial snow
Although Les Deux Alpes has a glacier, the ski area also wants to invest in artificial snow. In order to keep the lower slopes in shape, a new water reservoir (La Mura) and an improvement of the pipeline network are being worked on between spring 2019 and 2021. There will also be extra snow cannons between Les Crêtes (2100 m) and Le Grand Nord (2600 m). The aim is to eventually be able to provide at least 30% of the slopes with artificial snow. Les Deux Alpes currently has 250 snow cannons, 6 of which are on the glacier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFokS5sClOs
Galiber-Thabor
Nestled at the foot of the Galiber-Thabor region you will find two authentic villages Vaolloire and Valmeinier. Known for its family-friendly atmosphere and slopes suitable for all skiing abilities there are plenty of activities and entertainment for the whole family. With many resorts boasting large investments and upgrades the authentic resorts we love are no different. Here is what Galiber-Thabor has in store for 19/20 season:
Area Expansion
From Christmas 2019 the very exciting, and delayed, expansion in Valmeiner will finally be opening. Currently, with 150km of pistes, Valmeinier is growing by a huge 10km. Choosing to expand the resort to the north-west, the decision was made to ‘’go up’’ to the snow sure peaks rather than investing and replacing lifts lower down. 
Photo credit: https://www.wintersport.nl/weblog/bericht/413423/uitbreiding-valmeinier-vertraagd
New Sandonière chairlift
The new 6 person chairlift, Sandonière, has the capacity to carry up to 2800 people per hour and will allow skiers and snowboarders to explore the new 10km of pistes at the new heights of 2740 meters. Here you will be greeted with breathtaking panoramic views across the Galiber-Thabor valley. From here you can choose one of two new red runs ‘’Moraine’’ or ‘’Carline’’. Joining runs at the lower level you now have the freedom to ski the whole way back to Valmeinier 1800.
Switzerland News
The Jungfrau Region will inaugurate two new lifts for the 2019-20 ski season. The “V-cableway” – so called because both lifts will start from the same base station – will transport skiers and snowboarders to the Eiger Glacier and the Männlichen in record time. The lifts will make it much faster to reach the slopes of the Jungfrau Region. The new lifts will also facilitate access to the Jungfraujoch, otherwise known as the Top of Europe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzsHBHETIjc From Grindelwald, a 3S cable car goes to the Eiger Glacier, while a 10-person gondola takes skiers to Männlichen. The base station will be linked to public transport at the Grindelwald terminal station of the new Berner Oberland-Bahn (BOB). This means it will take 47 minutes less to reach the ski areas and the Jungfraujoch. Never been? Skiing in Switzerland is right in the middle of the Alps and dotted with some of the world’s most iconic mountains. You’ll also find the biggest glaciers, the most peaks in Europe over 4000 metres. Switzerland’s ski resorts have benefited from controlled development that preserves the charm but brings them completely up to date. Everyone today – from families to expert skiers – is hunting for the piste or powderless travelled, Switzerland is the place to find it. Ongoing improvements are always being made to resorts right across Europe. Think we may have missed a crucial update? Write a message in the comments below. Check your latest Sunweb holidays here.
