 Poster: A snowHead
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We once stayed next door - Chalet Chartreux is in a great area a small walk away from VC (and a long walk away from Lac), but definitely not ski in ski out unless you count XC across the lake. But then the free bus is down the road. And you have great views.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Russbost, I don't know where or what you're eating but at, for example, Le Lodge in Val d'Isere you can have a good sized steak and a carafe of perfectly acceptable house red for ~€30 a head, and plenty of other restaurant options at around the same price point.
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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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@Dr John, but that's hardly comparable to a chalet meal is it?
If staying in chalet accommodation we have a big breakfast & only take snacks on the slopes, thus ski straight thro' lunch when all the restaurants are rammed & all the lifts & slopes are relatively empty. Hence in the evenings we would eat 2 or 3 courses much as you would in the chalet. If you can find 3 courses in a decent restaurant even with properly crap house wine (personally I rarely drink house wine, but accept that's personal preference) for much less than 50 euros a head then I'd be very surprised indeed, & by the time you've paid commission or got that great "no commission" deal from the bank then it's pretty much 1 euro to the £. So for a couple there ain't gonna be much change out of £100
If you want just steak & frites it's a different story
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@Russbost, have you been with snowchateaux. I am
Seriously tempted with the chalet they have offered and I get your point re 6 meals and they offer free transfers. We are coming by train but the transfer by bus is cheap and takes 1.5 hours or taxi is €85 each way. So we are saving the cost of a meal and transfers.
Tbh we usually have had enough food that we only grab a pizza on a night off, or decide to have lunch on chalet days off for a change (used to always ski through with a cereal bar on a lift!) but age, bladder and fitness gets to one sometimes.
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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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@Lucywuk, Where are you getting the train to for a 1.5 hour transfer to Tignes?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Russbost, it depends on which chalet company, I've had some awful dross that I'd have happily swapped for a self-funded steak and chips. But I take your point about a full 3 course meal.
Your comments about house wine, however, are extremely wide of the mark. Again, you must choose your restaurants very poorly if you get crap house wine in France.
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@Dr John, I've never had (consistently) bad food at a chalet, have had some properly dire wine tho' with Skiworld at Tignes Lavachet, & the wine at Chalet Eterlou (mentioned above) wasn't great, but we were able to upgrade cheaply. I'd have to agree that generally house wine in France is usually acceptable, I must be becoming a wine snob in my old age! 
@Lucywuk, No, I've not ever used Snowchateaux, surprising really as your requirements are very similar to our own, decent chalet, rooms with baths not just showers & preferably at least large enough to swing a small cat in (not that I travel with a cat & wouldn't dream of swinging one!), large ski area & preferably ski in/out or at least close to it, hot tub & sauna are nice luxuries if available. I will be adding both Snowchateaux & TCC to my list for future years, all booked for this season, unless we add a late season trip!
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@Kenzie, taxi is 40 mins. But takes longer. We are doing the train because a) the journey is more relaxing. We dId it last year and it was less stressful. And b) carbon footprint and c) total travel time is less
Initially we were going to do Les arcs or trois valley which is a shorter transfer. But I changed my mind to tinges.
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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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@Lucywuk, taxi from which station? I think you are severely underestimating the transfer time
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@holidayloverxx, bourg. I looked at it and it says 40-45 mins. Is that wrong?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BOURG-ST-MAURICE TRAIN STATION TO TIGNES
By taxi, the route Bourg-Saint-Maurice-Tignes is very fast: Tignes Les Brevieres in 30mn, Tignes 1800 in 35mn, Tignes Le Lac in 40mn and Tignes Val Claret in 45mn.
From a taxi company.
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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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@Lucywuk, No...ignore me.
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@holidayloverxx, ignored
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You know it makes sense.
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| Personally I wouldn't stay anywhere in Tignes that wasn't ski in/ski out. There is so much choice why give yourself the grief |
It's hardly difficult to reach the snow from any part of Tignes - so can't see that any location wouId be grounds to 'grieve' - unless you are the type who adopts the modern day McDrivethrough approach  ie can't be @r$€d to make any effort at all...
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| a decent meal out for 2 with wine isn't going to leave much change (if any) out of £100, so worth taking into account with costings.....Wow, I hadn't realised that Tignes has got so expensive |
Wine prices can be prohibitive at best and a sheer rip off at worst - but you can still get main courses from €16-20. The two of us generally reckon on a beer & main course for €50 or less. Not fussed on being ripped off on fine dining prices - last weekend in Val Claret we had great pizzas & a beer for about €22 each (at L' Armoise).
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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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| johnE wrote: |
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a decent meal out for 2 with wine isn't going to leave much change (if any) out of £100, so worth taking into account with costings
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Wow, I hadn't realised that Tignes has got so expensive. |
I think the devil is in the detail
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Poster: A snowHead
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I wish the chalet we found was in le lac or Val claret as I’m still mmm about the accessibility of Les Boisses but less bothered about posh wine up a mountain than skiing.
Can’t wait though better actually get round to booking I guess, maybe Friday as it’s payday
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Lucywuk, you could still wait for a late booking that week. Good chance of well located chalets up in Le Lac, Lavachet and Val Claret having rooms available.
Personally I don’t think anything to be concerned about with that Les Boisses option, but the location seems to be perplexing you.
I’d be more concerned about the risk of bleak weather, above the tree line, and my head screaming ‘Gimme Shelter’. Another reason why late bookings can be good.
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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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@PeakyB, I think I saw you stayed or were going to, in a Chillalpretreat chalet in le Lac. https://chillalpretreats.com/rooms/chaletlesandes/
Did you ever stay here as this is another option?
I know late booking is an option, but if I am struggling to find the criteria I want now, it will be compromising on things later. Unless new stuff comes on the market as I have scoured every site and ideally want ski-in ski out, room with a bath.
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@Lucywuk, a long story...I was going to stay there but had to cancel, twice, late on. Annus horribilis for me 
However, a group I booked, including some snowHeads, stayed there Mar 2017. Feedback was good and my impression from dealing with chalet owners/hosts was that they were excellent. Based on that I would stay there myself in future.
Not ski in/ski out though. In practice, may be possible to do a short 'cross country' uphill hike to Almes red piste. But maybe not, if they've bashed a big wall of snow in the way. Or more likely, walk down road, 7 or 8 mins, to main lift hub (Toviere, Palafour etc).
Can't remember about baths or showers with rooms. Indoor pool / sauna good for soothing aches I guess.
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I know late booking is an option, but if I am struggling to find the criteria I want now, it will be compromising on things later. Unless new stuff comes on the market as I have scoured every site and ideally want ski-in ski out, room with a bath.
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Although Tignes/Val D is my favourite area of all, I was implying that if its blowing a hoolie most of the week in mid Jan, I'd rather be somewhere else. I've had it happen there, a whole week of hardly being able to leave the hotel. But if you've decided Tignes and are sticking to it then fine, you'd be unlucky to get such a hostile week.
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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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@Lucywuk,
2018 they stayed there, so more recent positive feedback than I thought. Are they still definitely running those chalets this season? I'd be interested to know, difficult to tell from website, as no bookings seem to show on their calendar. Hard to believe main weeks like Christmas and half term are completely empty. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
cywuk,
2018 they stayed there, so more recent positive feedback than I thought. Are they still definitely running those chalets this season? I'd be interested to know, difficult to tell from website, as no bookings seem to show on their calendar. Hard to believe main weeks like Christmas and half term are completely empty.
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I know. That was my concern too!! But seems so. £549 a week. My husband likes the look of the other one more. So will probs go with that.
I think I am set on Tignes this year as haven’t been in 10 years. So fancy going back. Although the original plan was book the train and wait until last minute to see the snow and deals. Difficult to know how cheap prices will get as some are at £399 already (accommodation and transfers)
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Difficult to know how cheap prices will get as some are at £399 already (accommodation and transfers)
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Thats incredibly cheap already - if you get cheaper than that you will be in a tent down near the dam and the catering will be kennomeat. 
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We're staying in the mountain sun place in Le Boisses that week. I stayed there a few years ago and the location was fine, and they've upgraded the lifts since then. There's a walk to the piste, but it's not very far and is along a flat road with minimal traffic. I believe the chalet you're looking at is slightly closer to the piste than our hotel. You can ski down to Les Brevieres if you want to get a run in immediately, or hop on the gondola and you'll be in Le Lac before you know it.
Previously I've stayed in a hotel in Val d'Isere that was definitely ski in-ski out: it had a piste running between two of the buildings. However, that piste was Santons, so in my book the Snow Chateux in Les Boisses has a better location.
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FAQ
