 Poster: A snowHead
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Summer’s over, and it’s time to make plans for skiing.
I’m planning well in advance. Mrs C and I are fortunate to have a skiing sabbatical pencilled in for Winter 2017-18, and we’re starting to plan now. I thought I’d use this Autumn as a dummy run for the real thing next year. We have eight weeks to take in January and February 2018. The criteria are:
• France or Italy
• A proper town or village
• Not necessarily ski in-out, but if not needs a frequent bus service back to the accommodation
• Within an hour and a half of a major airport
• Variety of skiing, including off piste and touring
• Good value
I know there are good reasons for choosing Austria, but we want to improve our French or Italian.
Cost is not the only criterion, but it is an important one. Lift pass and accommodation will be the major expenses, and I’ll open separate threads on season passes to try to provide a resource for other SHs planning similar trips.
So far, St Gervais, les Contamines and Samoens are on the possibilities list. I’m keen to get as much input as possible form the accumulated SHs knowledge. Please give reasons why you’re think your suggestions would be appropriate.
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You might want to specify in your thread title
cos I'd have answered Austria.
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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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Verbier.
Chamonix.
Lech.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Samoens.
Superb value season pass if purchased before mid December.
So much more than skiing to do in the winter.
Great shops and restaurants.
History and beautiful architecture.
Nr GVA.
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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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Chamonix
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Selva val Gardena / Ortosei / Canazei
very good touring possibilities / large area
1 1/2 hours to an airport is tight.d
A bit difficult with Italian in Val Gardena 
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No brainier - chamonix
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Does that mean you'll not have a car while staying there or is the 1.5 hours from airport for people two visit you with some convenience?
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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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Thanks for all the suggestions. I understand perfectly why Chamonix is being recommended. I love it, and have skied there at least once a year for the last 15 years (the clue's in my SH name  ), but we're looking for something a little different. A little more relaxed, less full on, for mixed abilities.
@ski3, We'll have a car. We hope people will visit us for long weekends, and I don't want to spend all my time collecting people form the airport.
@Freestyle, Samoens is on the short list. I've never been there. I know it's an old village, but does it feel taken over by skiing, like a theme park, or does it still feel like a working village?
@Hyst, I know nothing about Selva. Can you tell me more? Which airport would you use?
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If not Austria, then the Dolomites.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bourg St Mourice if you will have a car arround
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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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| Chamcham wrote: |
Thanks for all the suggestions. I understand perfectly why Chamonix is being recommended. I love it, and have skied there at least once a year for the last 15 years (the clue's in my SH name ), but we're looking for something a little different. A little more relaxed, less full on, for mixed abilities.
@ski3, We'll have a car. We hope people will visit us for long weekends, and I don't want to spend all my time collecting people form the airport.
@Freestyle, Samoens is on the short list. I've never been there. I know it's an old village, but does it feel taken over by skiing, like a theme park, or does it still feel like a working village?
@Hyst, I know nothing about Selva. Can you tell me more? Which airport would you use? |
I would use Insnbruck (if you hire a car), but there has been some problem with a skitransferbus ( don't know what next season will bring) and the transfer was out off service last year I think.
Otherwice look her:
http://www.valgardena.it/en/holidays/val-gardena-advice/before-arriving/arrival/transfer/
(We usually go by car from Copenhagen).
And look at Val Gardena as a hole - Ortosei, St. Christina and Selva (Ortosei is a "real town" Selva is nice but very Ski in winter. (German speaking area in Italy)
Have a look at Canazei as well - this is a more italian speaking area. (but also the local language "Ladinic".)
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Sun 18-09-16 11:26; edited 1 time in total
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Argentiere
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You know it makes sense.
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Briancon/Serre Chevalier? It's just over an hour and a half from Chambery.
It must be good for off-piste as the Off-Piste Bash goes there!
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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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@HoneyBunny, Briancon is a possibility. Is there a lift that links into the rest of SC in the town itself?
@Hyst, Thanks for your comments - I'll look into those options.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Samoens doesn't have a lot to it bars and resto wise.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Davos
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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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@Chamcham, what do you define as a "proper" town? Somewhere like Champoluc meets your criteria but isn't a huge town, however the skiing, touring and off piste potential are pretty special!
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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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| Hyst wrote: |
| Chamcham wrote: |
Thanks for all the suggestions. I understand perfectly why Chamonix is being recommended. I love it, and have skied there at least once a year for the last 15 years (the clue's in my SH name ), but we're looking for something a little different. A little more relaxed, less full on, for mixed abilities.
@ski3, We'll have a car. We hope people will visit us for long weekends, and I don't want to spend all my time collecting people form the airport.
@Freestyle, Samoens is on the short list. I've never been there. I know it's an old village, but does it feel taken over by skiing, like a theme park, or does it still feel like a working village?
@Hyst, I know nothing about Selva. Can you tell me more? Which airport would you use? |
I would use Insnbruck (if you hire a car), but there has been some problem with a skitransferbus ( don't know what next season will bring) and the transfer was out off service last year I think.
Treviso is close with a regular and cheap bus transfers. The Dolomites certainly offers the most skiing under one pass and the opportunity to visit lots of towns/villagees. Your Chamonix pedigree leads me to believe you could be a bit of a gnarly/powderhead in which case the Aosta valley might be better. The southern French Alps are certainly delightful - Serre-Che, Risoul, Barcelonette, Montgeneve - La Grave etc.
Otherwice look her:
http://www.valgardena.it/en/holidays/val-gardena-advice/before-arriving/arrival/transfer/
(We usually go by car from Copenhagen).
And look at Val Gardena as a hole - Ortosei, St. Christina and Selva (Ortosei is a "real town" Selva is nice but very Ski in winter. (German speaking area in Italy)
Have a look at Canazei as well - this is a more italian speaking area. (but also the local language "Ladinic".) |
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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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By 'theme park', do you mean queues?
There is a general busy time to get to the ski lessons in the morning.
I think that Samoens is definitely still got a sense of community which doesn't close down out of ski season.
I'd also echo Briancon - bigger than Samoens but smaller than Chamonix so that could be added to your list.
FS
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Chamcham, Yes, Briancon has a lift -- Prorel -- as well as buses to the rest of SC.
My memory of the town is that it's not entirely flat so that may focus accommodation choices if you want to walk to/from the lift easily.
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@mtsuit, Thanks
@Freestyle, By theme park I mean that it feels like a place that is there solely for skiing, and has no life beyond that. This applies to all most of the purpose-built ski in/out places. You hit the nail on the head, by saying Samoens has a sense of community, so therefore not a theme park. It needs things like churches, schools, newsagents, ironmongers etc.
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Interestingly, according to my definition, @Markymark29' s Argentiere has that.
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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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Matwall and I have very similar ideas for winter 2017/18 and we have our eyes on Briançon. Same sort of preference for a real place where we can improve our French language skills and actually feel like we're living in a different country for a while.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Incidentally I have every intention of bus/drive to the slopes each day from Briançon. The places close to the Prorel lift aren't very attractive. I would much prefer being in the old town, even at the expense of a bit of faffing.
From my holiday experience in January the skibuses appear to be pretty good, and it means you can start your day from various places along the valley depending on what you've got planned. But I'm told it's well worth having a car to go to La Grave, Montgenevre, etc.
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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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@Chamcham, I see one of your initial options was Sint Gervais, I love it but for some reason it doesn't get a lot of press on SH, it has all on your list and there is a direct bus to Geneva airport every 2 hours for your guests, bus takes 1.15 hours
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You know it makes sense.
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Le Carroz comes to mind, as does La Clusaz and its area. I mean, really, there are too many places to suggest!
Aosta? Pila on doorstep, roadtrips to many fine places, proper town, French and Italian spoken.
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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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Having lived (not just done a season) in Les contamines, chamonix, les carroz and morillon i think if i were going for an extended break I'd head toward les deux alpes or alpe d'huez.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Aosta? Pila on doorstep, roadtrips to many fine places, proper town, French and Italian spoken. |
+1. Gondola from Aosta up to Pila, easy drive to Cervinia (and across to Zermatt), Courmeyer, Gressoney, Champolouc, etc.
Bourg St Maurice mostly fits the bill (if you use Chambery as your local airport), and is in the middle of a huge amount of ski terrain, with a 7 minute funicular ride to Les Arcs/La Plagne, plus drivable to many more places.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bourg St Maurice - proper town, get guests to come by Eurostar and you don't have to drive to see them 
Funicular to les Arcs/Paradiski. Drive to Espace Killy or Trois Vallee or La Rosiere/Italy, Ste Foy etc etc
Plus shortish drive to Albertville for a big shop...
Chambery around an hour +, Annecy an hour +, Grenoble 1.5 hours Lyon - two hours Geneva - 2 hours ...Can be much more or less!
www.edenski for discounted Paradise season pass - usually from beginning of October.
also have a look at
https://www.skialacarte.fr/FrontOffice/
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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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Aosta +1.
Also consider St Jean de Maurienne. You'd need a car but there is a wide variety of small resorts within easy reach. It's the 'capital' of the Maurienne valley so it's a real town with a huge sports centre and Opinel museum etc.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Lots of food for thought.
@under a new name, Aosta sound interesting. Which airport would you use? Turin or Geneva via MB tunnel?
@rob@rar, Interseting to see you recommending Aosta too, given that you're les Arcs based. Why do you think that?
@rob@rar, @boredsurfin, BSM's too far from the airport, and Eurostar's only good for week long guests.
@marcellus, Why LDA or AdH? Aren't they a bit lacking in character as towns, more of a ski factory? My natural inclination is to err more to your usual area around Mont Blanc, so I'm surprised to hear that you recommending the others. Why's that?
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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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@altis, Which airport for Maurienne, TRN or GVA/LYS?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@davidof, I'd assumed Davos would be expensive for an extended stay?
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@Chamcham, Chambery or Grenoble are nearest but Lyon and Geneva aren't that much sweat either. Turin is probably not much further than Chambery.
St Jean is also a TGV stop if that's your thing and the station is very close to the centre of town.
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@altis, Thanks
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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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@Chamcham, with a motorhome you could move around as the snow/crowds/feelings do.
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| Chamcham wrote: |
| @marcellus, Why LDA or AdH? Aren't they a bit lacking in character as towns, more of a ski factory? My natural inclination is to err more to your usual area around Mont Blanc, so I'm surprised to hear that you recommending the others. Why's that? |
Over the past decade I've only done "working visits" to both probably 2/3 days each a season and have found the skiing to be really good, fidningnew runs each time and the resorts nicely laid out with a good variety of reasonable restaurants so would like to spend more time in either to better understand them, also possibly less "Skegness on the Piste" than a lot of other regions.
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