 Poster: A snowHead
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We are looking for a suitable resort for a mixed group. Our main search has been for accommodation which suites our group. We have found a nice chalet in Samoëns which matches our needs. This resort seems pretty low at 700 metres. Have had a hunt around the interweb for reviews, which seem pretty favourable, but I would welcome any opinions here.
Thanks.
Ash
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Don't know much about Samoens as a village but it is part of the Grand Massif which is excellent. Samoens is pretty much at the middle of the domain and it is very quick to go to Flaine, Morrilon and les Carroz. Although the village is at 700 metres most of the skiing is much higher than that. However this means that you probably won't be able to ski down to Samoens unless you are very lucky, but they have a new Gondola from near the village centre which means you can download OK. Ise who posts on here knows the villages better than most and has commented that getting to the ski area from Samoens is a bit awkward, but I can't comment on that.
Hope this helps
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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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As Chris Reed says, it's a great ski area.
But, it's so very, very badly setup for skiing. The lift is outside the village and the only bus goes from the centre of the village. If the chalet is near a lift it's a great place to stay, Samoëns is a listed monument and has some nice restaurants. But a lot of the accomodation is too far from the the lift or centre. It's probably why it's not hugely popular with UK skiers.
The car parks near the bus stop, the Samoëns lift and Morillon lifts turn into the chaos only possible in France.
I'm not sure I agree it's at the centre of the domain, the new lift's great but, so far, not much use. It takes people up to Samoëns 1600 but from there you need two more chairs to get to Tete des Saix to really get into the rest of the domain. A new lift is needed from 1600 to Tete des Saix really.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The ski area is excellent
If I was looking for a chalet les carroz may be a better bet. When I was in Flaine in Feb Skied cascade down to Sixt and got ski bus to Samoens gondola did not see anything near it but a car park. It then was 4 lifts back to Flaine.
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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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I have visited the village in summer. It has more interest than many ski villages, with some history (it was a major stonemason centre in the past) and interesting buildings. It was very pleasant in summer, but the fact that it would often have no snow, and is down in the valley, might make it rather dismal, and maybe very cold when there is a period of temperature inversion. I have linked to Flaine from Les Carroz - bit of a pain, as others suggest, and I couldn't face the time it was going to take to explore the Samoens routes. Unless your group has very unusual accommodation needs you might do better to identify where you all want to ski, first.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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jashcroft, If your mixed ability group has some tentative types you might be better off in Les Carroz or Flaine itself.....the runs above Samoens are predominantly reddish (at least that's my memory of them - I was a tentative type then myself!) The skiing is great but the links between Samoens/Les Carroz and Flaine are prone to closure in windy conditions.
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jashcroft,
Ise knows the area far better than myself. But from my experience Samoens was great if you dont mind stayng just outside the main domain. We were there low season and had no trouble with car parks. ( We had hired a car). You cannot ski directly back to the resort but have to download on the gondola or get a bus back frim Sixt or Morillon.
The resort is attractive the skiing suits most abilities though for the beginner/ early intermediate you may be better in other bits of the domain.
It does take a little time to get to the heart of the domain but in my opinion the charm of the resort outweighs this relatively slight inconvenience.
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T Bar, did you use the car to get to and from the lift each day? I really like the town, it might be the nicest ski town in the the French Alpes. In fact, the only problem is the French attitude to transport, with their attitude to cars every individual knows they can park wherever they go, the commune know this and don't bother to provide a sensible ski bus and don't plan to either. It wouldn't happen in Austria or Switzerland.
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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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ise,
I did use the car each day. One day the lift was out of action and we went on to Morillon.
Friends of ours went out later on, on our recommendation but did not use a car and said the bus service worked well but I dont have personal experience.
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T Bar, the bus will be fine if you're lucky enough to be near the route, but it doesn't stop many places which is the problem really. That development is continually permitted outside the town without a coherent transport plan will ruin the town in the end.
It's challenge really, it must be the best place to stay in the area.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jashcroft, Stayed there last season. The comments about the transport are true. We had a hire car so the fact that our B+B was more in the centre did not matter. We are there for three days ski ing and only went all the way across to Faline on one day, the Petit Massif was fine when we were there - lots of snow. Good choice of restaurants in the village and had a much better feel than some places I have been to. Good that it did not take long to drive from Geneva as well.
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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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We are sorted now, going back to Le Chinaillon. Found a nice 14 bed chalet as reasonable cost. We like the resort, fairly quite, only an hour away from Geneva and not too many Brits, so it feels like you are on holiday in another country unlike some places.
Thanks for all the adive guys.
Ash
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