With friends coming over from the U.K, we decided to spend a week in Mont Tremblant after a few days in Toronto for a break from the city. Despite it being ‘shoulder season’ in April, there was plenty to do and quiet slopes for avid skiers. This is a review of our trip!
Click here for a full gallery of trip photos.
Accomodation –
We stayed in Village-de-Mont-Tremblant on Lac Mercier, not to be confused with the pedestrian ‘village’ situated at the ski resort. This is the older part of town, around a 10 minute drive from the slopes. It has maintained a quaint feel with small restaurants and cafes – certainly worth wandering around for an hour or two.
The area was particularly quiet this time of year, with the lake still partially frozen and many houses empty of residents. However, the shops and restaurants were still open and we often had them completely to ourselves. The rail around the lake is a must and gives stunning views of the landscape.
Our chalet had room for 6 people comfortably in 3 bedrooms, with a large kitchen that allowed us to cook Hello Fresh meals to save some money. A great tip for anyone travelling here as food is very expensive! This is our second annual visit and we are still amazed by the cost of eating out.
We had some visitors join us for dinner on a couple of occasions. They had clearly been fed multiple times by previous residents as they were very confident!
Trip Activities –
The highlight of a trip to Tremblant is of course the ski slopes. We took advantage of a late season 2-for-1 lift pass offer, meaning after equipment hire it was only 150 CAD for the day. The weather was a concern, with temperatures in double figures throughout the week. However, the staff had done an excellent job and we were treated to 65 open runs out of the 100.
Throughout the day, conditions started to worsen and snow turned to slush, but for the most part it was better than expected for April. The real bonus was the lack of visitors, resulting in wide open runs and no queues for lifts. If you are looking to beat the crowds, April is an excellent time to book a trip. I have never experienced a ski resort so quiet! We often didn’t see another person skiing from top of the mountain to the base.
Another ‘must’ when we visit Tremblant is a trip to Scandinave Spa, located just 5 minutes drive from our chalet. A series of hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms and relaxation areas make for an excellent post-skiing activity.
Keep an eye out for the ‘Twilight Disconnection’ offer, which allows you to enter from 6pm onward for just $70. This is a significant reduction and gives you more than enough time to explore the whole spa before closing time. One thing to note – it costs $60 dollars each to rent a robe, so bring your own if you have it as well as some flip-flops!
The Mont Tremblant Casino was another evening destination during our week – a significant change of pace from the Scandinave Spa! For those that are partial to gambling, the casino is a 10 minute drive from the village and buses also run every hour from the ski resort. Whilst a smaller casino than many we have visited, there were all the table games and slots you would expect to find.
Table limits varied, with blackjack at a $15 minimum and some niche games offered for $10 a hand. Slots range from a few cents up to the high roller room. This allowed everyone in our group to have a good time, without pricing out lower budgets. There is also a good sports area with multiple TV’s and the option to place sports bets.
I would certainly recommend a visit to anyone, but don’t expect Vegas!
Downside to an April Trip –
Despite the low price and quiet slopes, it is important to mention the major drawback of a ‘shoulder season’ trip to Tremblant.
As expected, a number of the activities we enjoyed last year were closed for the season. This included snow tubing (highly recommend!), ice skating and dog sledding. We filled the time by playing games, going on hikes and exploring the area. However, if you are looking for an activity filled week, April may not be the best time to visit.
All of the summer activities open in May, so hold off for a few weeks! We added a weekend in Montreal to our trip in which we packed in a number of activities, so a chilled time in Tremblant was ideal.
Overall Review –
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Tremblant and would definitely go again in April. For us, the quiet slopes and cheap deals definitely outweighed the restricted activity list. For the 6 of us to stay and ski came to under $300 each – this could easily be over $1000 in high season.
Again, it is important to evaluate what kind of trip you are comfortable with. For a quiet, relaxing week, the month of April is an excellent option.
