 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
we are a group of 9 (5Adults/4 children all under 7) with flights booked to Geneva from 9 - 13 April.
Accommodation is proving difficult as annoyingly we've hit the latter end of the school holidays - so far we have SC options only for Avoriaz and Flaine but I'm concerned about the likelihood of snow at the end of the season. We also have two children complete beginners and 1 adult non skier to think about
Any suggestions/ help gratefully received
thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to Snowheads!
I can't speak for Avoriaz, but Flaine is not great for non-skiers.
If I were looking at the Grand Massif with a non-skier and complete beginner children, I'd probably opt for Samoens, which is a real town and very pretty. At the top of the bubble from town there is an extensive beginner area, and it's easy for your non-skier to get up there for lunch, etc. Links to Flaine are easy (there should still be enough snow at that stage) and then you have the whole of the Flaine bowl to ski in, as well as Morillon and Les Carroz. Morillon has the longest green run in Europe, the aptly named Marvel, which is great for confidence building for the beginners.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Just got back from Avoriaz, which i chose specifically because an expert recommended it for complete beginners. Excellent kids' areas and pistes. Snow was good, 1 bedroom s/c apartment was spotless but very small.
CG
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@hattyhatmaker, welcome to Snowheads.  I suspect the problem is not the holidays but the fact that you are not looking Saturday to Saturday. That might also make ski school options a bit difficult - or at any rate, a bit expensive.
You will need some creative thinking but I'm sure it can be done..... at a price. are those dates absolutely fixed?
There's loads of accommodation available - I just did a search in my area for w/b 4 April and got plenty of options.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi all thanks for messages
yes Pam flights are already booked as 9-13 April as only intended for a last minute weekend at the end of the season (unfortunately didn't realise it also overlapped end of school hols!)
I'm struggling on the accommodation front but looks like Crozats apartments is only real option as the hotels are so expensive (over 6000 euros for 4 nights!)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Booking.com had many options. All much cheaper than £6k
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@hattyhatmaker, I'm really not sure I'd go for either Samoen or Morzine as late as 9th April. Far, far too low IMO.I think your earlier instincts of Flaine or Avoriaz make a lot more sense. Both are child friendly. Avoriaz is car free too. I think your chances of finding cateredd accommodation in either is slim as the vast majority of the accommodation IS self catering. Very few hotels or chalets in either AFAIK?
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@hattyhatmaker, have a look at Homeaway and see if you get lucky. Pam (I think) put me onto it and it sorted out our non-Sat-Sat accommodation. Albeit SC.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@foxtrotzulu, except that it's really not that hard or time consuming to get up to the High skiing from Morzine or Samöens and they offer so much more for e.g. Non skiers.
P.s. I thought I'd put you onto Homeaway
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I thought I'd put you onto Homeaway
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wasn't me, at any rate.
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@under a new name, You did! I remember so many people were helpful, but you're right it was definitely you. Apologies.
Maybe its a personal thing, but when I go skiing I really want there to be snow in the vilkage. Non-skiers may not use the snow but its all part if the experience - especially for children. You also always have the bore of downloading at the end of the day. Even for non-skiers i'd never choose somewhere that I new for a fact would be snowless. First time i went to Avoriaz I was gobsmakced when someone told me Morzine was meant to be a ski resort (late April). It was like being told that Basingstoke was a beach resort!
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You know it makes sense.
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@hattyhatmaker, at that time of the season I would stay close to snow with beginner children who would presumably need to be there early for group lessons? Adult non skier can be more flexible and go down the mountain to visit other parts. I've been to Flaine several times and love the skiing and had quite a few skis in Avoriaz - both good. Depends what the non skier likes to do too..
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@foxtrotzulu, fair enough re snow in resort, but clearly it's folk like you that encourage our mayors to have their f'ing "trottoirs blanches" policies making our lives awkward and enriching the local orthopaedic surgeons 
But it's no fifferent from many ski resorts at lower altitude, e.g. Samöens, Chatel, Morillon, Morgins, Les Saisies, Chamonix, to name only a few.
Morzine in full spring is lovely, flowers peaking out, sun shining, chilled rose on the terrace of the Samoyede, ... Unless it's raining 
You don't go skiing in April expecting snow everywhere. Which also reminds me, Avoriaz can get a little whiffy from the stables and horse poop that's no longer frozen...
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Poster: A snowHead
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@hattyhatmaker, i'd suggest looking also at Les Arcs & Val d'Isere.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@under a new name,
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@foxtrotzulu, fair enough re snow in resort, but clearly it's folk like you that encourage our mayors to have their f'ing "trottoirs blanches" policies making our lives awkward and enriching the local orthopaedic surgeons
But it's no fifferent from many ski resorts at lower altitude, e.g. Samöens, Chatel, Morillon, Morgins, Les Saisies, Chamonix, to name only a few.
Morzine in full spring is lovely, flowers peaking out, sun shining, chilled rose on the terrace of the Samoyede, ... Unless it's raining
You don't go skiing in April expecting snow everywhere. Which also reminds me, Avoriaz can get a little whiffy from the stables and horse poop that's no longer frozen...
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Never even heard of a 'trottoir blanche' policy or met a local mayor, so not my fault on that one. Morzine is indeed no different from many low altitude ski resorts. I wasn't singling Morzine out, just saying I personally wouldn't be tempted to go to any low altitude resort so late in the season. I'm sure it's lovely in spring, and I like alipne flowers and gree grass as much as the next man, but not quite so much when I'm on a skiing holiday. Ideally, I want the world covered in 6ft of fresh snow. I'm unlikely to get that in April but by going high you do increase your chances.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@foxtrotzulu, really, I do appreciate your preference for snowy resorts.
However, "trottoirs blanches" is the utterly ridiculous idea that as ski resorts look prettier with snow on the pavements (granted) it's therefore a good idea to not clear them. Or salt them. Or put down grit.
'Cos the tourists will like it.
Practised at least in Morzine and Chamonix with predictable and chaotic results.
You might get lucky in April, far from unheard of to have powdery Easters. Would be delighted if you (we) did
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
"trottoirs blanches"
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was a new one on me too - we have some people in our village at home who had a very short trip to Les Gets the year before last when he fell on an icy pavement on their way to buy their lift passes and broke his shoulder, so they drove home a couple of days later, didn't spend any money on their lift passes, nor on restaurants, shops or anything in the village or on the mountain.
The pavements can be quite lethal and all that happens is that the pedestrians choose to walk in the roads - and usually straight out in front of our car.
We had our grand-daughter over from the States to stay with us about five years ago in April (the year of the ash cloud) and the snow seemed to disappear rapidly in the days before her arrival, so our son who was dropping her off at Geneva on his way to the UK packed very lightly for her (more room for him and his rugby kit) and then it turned cold again and we had dumps of snow and all was well with the world again. That must have been somewhere around the 14th April, so skiing still possible then in Les Gets, and its so easy to access Avoriaz from Morzine.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Samöens, Chatel, Morillon, Morgins, Les Saisies, Chamonix
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Les Saisies is at 1650m - so quite a lot higher than, for example, Samoens at 700m.  The slopes into Les Saisies village close around 24 April and except for that one year, when everything closed early, have all been skiable till closing day.
Icy pavements are awful. I'm far more scared of falling on the pavement than of falling on piste and invariably totter round with a ski pole looking elderly. Or, more sensibly, wear those stretchy crampon things, which are terrific.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@pam w, my apologies. Your local topography interesting then. From many of your comments I had inferred that Les S's was quite low. But my power of inference is, also, quite low 
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