 Poster: A snowHead
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| Randyp909 wrote: |
This is awkward for accommodation that understandably, many places are only booking full weeks starting and finishing on the Saturday or Sunday. So there isn't a lot of availability now for a short trip, without spending £££££. |
Having this exact problem for a quick weekend to Avoriaz from 19th to 22nd! We can get accommodation for the Thursday & Friday night but then the "full week" only bookings kick in from the 21th! So the current plan is to ski all day on the Saturday and then head back to Geneva in the evening for a night in a cheap budget hotel ahead of the flight home Sunday morning.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That's a good option, I'm always concerned skiing late and timing it right to get to Geneva Airport through traffic, check-in and security. A hotel near the airport takes the time pressure off.
You could always do what we did when I royally screwed up dates and bookings one time and had to book 3 different places in Les Gets over 4 nights: 2 nights at The old Boomerang, then a night in a shared catered chalet which contained a large french party and just us, then a final night at the Labrador to cheer up my wife and kids! Traipsing all all over town with our bags. We got 5.5 days of skiing at least!
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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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| Randyp909 wrote: |
That's a good option, I'm always concerned skiing late and timing it right to get to Geneva Airport through traffic, check-in and security. A hotel near the airport takes the time pressure off.
You could always do what we did when I royally screwed up dates and bookings one time and had to book 3 different places in Les Gets over 4 nights: 2 nights at The old Boomerang, then a night in a shared catered chalet which contained a large french party and just us, then a final night at the Labrador to cheer up my wife and kids! Traipsing all all over town with our bags. We got 5.5 days of skiing at least! |
Yeah in some ways doing the transfer back to Geneva in the evening the night before the flight might work out for the best in the long run. I will certainly save a very very early morning pick up/transfer!
The multi-accommodation trip sounds like it might be fun in the right circumstances! We'll be a party of 10 with 4 children with us so will try that another time lol
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| Roscoe wrote: |
The multi-accommodation trip sounds like it might be fun in the right circumstances! We'll be a party of 10 with 4 children with us so will try that another time lol |
Certainly better with fewer people, but not really recommended. Good luck with your party of 10, i find it seems to get exponentially more difficult when trying to meet skiing requirements beyond immediate family, and theres always the worry as an organiser, if things go awry, who is responsible?
Good luck sorting your gang out and hope you have a successful trip!
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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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Thanks. It’s certainly a lot of work sorting it all but starting with the advantage of everyone wanting to be there in the right mindset helps. That way if/when things don’t quite go to plan, everyone is a lot more forgiving.
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Hi, ive just booked a Geneva flights, 20th Dec - 23rd. Hoping to stay in LG, apart from the obvious hotel sites and airbnb, is there anywhere I should be looking for the vest accom options in Les Gets?
Also, typically how much is a return transfer from GVA to LG for an adult? Considering hiring a care but unsure for now.
Cheers!
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| dh900 wrote: |
Hi, ive just booked a Geneva flights, 20th Dec - 23rd. Hoping to stay in LG, apart from the obvious hotel sites and airbnb, is there anywhere I should be looking for the vest accom options in Les Gets?
Also, typically how much is a return transfer from GVA to LG for an adult? Considering hiring a care but unsure for now.
Cheers! |
How many for the accommodation?
I’ve stayed at Hotel Regina which was cheap and cheerful but close to the slopes and Main Street in town.
I tend to use private transfers (ski lifts,etc,etc) which normally works out around £100 per person return
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 19-09-24 21:35; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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3 adults, 1infant. Ideally with 2 bedrooms.
Ive seen Regina come up on most hotel sites, location looks perfect for a 3 dayer. Most other hotels look sold out or silly money.
I guess airbnb is only other option unless there is a french or local site with local accom...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Perfect, I do recall seeing that google sheet before. Ill look at the FB groups. Thanks.
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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've just booked a Les Gets apartment for 4 people 20-24 Dec via Booking.com, also searched Airbnb, vrbo, heidi and yodl for short lets in the area.
Not much around for these dates for less than a weeks rental.
There are local property companies I tried as well, private chalet/accom companies like Reach4thealps and the Les Gets tourist office has a good selection, we have used before but I found these mainly are renting Sat-Sat (or Sun-Sun).
Found a great couple of apartments on Airbnb at nice prices in Morzine but they then added £300 for cleaning, service charges & taxes on top which was a big turnoff.
Possibly as I get a regular user discount with Booking.com it was the best value for me.
Flights and accommodation now booked, so will start looking at the weather forecast 5 times a day for the next 3 months 
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Well as the last two Decembers have seen mega dumps in mid-month followed by a warm deluge just before xmas I reckon we’re due a colder one. So fingers crossed for your trip. We’re out for opening weekend 12-18 so will be joining you in the weather-watching.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Randyp909, duh, that's cos' you're cutting into xmas week when anyone actively managing their property can reasonably expect a whole week's (Sat-Sat) booking, so you're asking to reduce their effective income.
If you'd been asking to book with us when we were renting, our price would have been the few nights in advance plus the whole of xmas week.
@andy from embsay, I admire your optimism and wholeheartedly hope you are right. It's been a crap summer too  *
* first world, not in war zone problems
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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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@under a new name, for once we were quite glad of some summer rain - we were out for the MTB world cup in July and it was hugely entertaining to watch all the slippy-slideyness!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@@247snowman, and worth saying the yoof pass also comes with all the benefits of the full season pass - 5 days in Verbier, 5 days in La Rosiere, 5 days in Aletsch Arena and 3 free days out at other Haute Savoie resorts. I think you get a one day summer pass in Verbier etc too. An astounding bargain (mind you the flash sale on full passes was pretty good too!).
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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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Does anyone know how the pedestrian tickets for the Prodains lift work. Been to Avoriaz many times but never arrived this way, this year though we're staying at the Hauts Forts end of town so planning to get a transfer to Prodains and get the cable car up. We'll arrive at around 19:30, the lift runs until midnight on saturdays, but the ticket office says it closes at 17:00.
The website says there's an automatic machine but how does that work, is it a normal lift pass machine, so we would collect our lift passes (which start the following morning) at the machine, and then load a single cable car ticket onto them? Or would we just buy a standalone single ticket at that machine and collect lift passes the next morning? And if we did buy a standalone ticket would we get charged the €3 for a new card on top of the fare?
Also are the return tickets ok to be used to go up one day, and then come back down the following week, or is it a same day return so we'd have to buy two singles?
Maybe I'm just being overly cautious but I like to know what the situation is in advance so I know exactly what to do when we get there, will be tired after a long travel day so don't really want to have to stand around in the cold figuring it out 
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Sorry @zaphod424, haven’t ever used it as a pedestrian - but the auto machines will certainly let you collect your passes for the following day (assuming you bought them from the SERMA website - I think they have to be collected from the lift company you bought through, so those bought from ski-morzine.com have to be picked up from Pleney).
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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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| zaphod424 wrote: |
Does anyone know how the pedestrian tickets for the Prodains lift work. Been to Avoriaz many times but never arrived this way, this year though we're staying at the Hauts Forts end of town so planning to get a transfer to Prodains and get the cable car up. We'll arrive at around 19:30, the lift runs until midnight on saturdays, but the ticket office says it closes at 17:00.
The website says there's an automatic machine but how does that work, is it a normal lift pass machine, so we would collect our lift passes (which start the following morning) at the machine, and then load a single cable car ticket onto them? Or would we just buy a standalone single ticket at that machine and collect lift passes the next morning? And if we did buy a standalone ticket would we get charged the €3 for a new card on top of the fare?
Also are the return tickets ok to be used to go up one day, and then come back down the following week, or is it a same day return so we'd have to buy two singles?
Maybe I'm just being overly cautious but I like to know what the situation is in advance so I know exactly what to do when we get there, will be tired after a long travel day so don't really want to have to stand around in the cold figuring it out |
Option 1 - Get your lift pass to cover both arrival and departure days. You can then either get it posted to you ahead of time or collect from a machine and use that to uplift. Unless you're able to ski on one of those days probably not the cheapest option though.
Option 2 - Buy a pedestrian ticket, either from the ticket booths if they are open or there's a (possibly cash only - was when I used it but that was pre-Covid so years ago) machine just to one side of the turnstyles. These are (were) just paper tickets so no deposit charge. I don't know if they are 'open' or 'same day' returns.
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Thanks both, we'll almost certainly be going for option 2, as we definitely won't have time to ski on the arrival day. But if it's a separate paper ticket then that sounds easy, we'll just buy tickets there and collect the lift passes in the morning. And will make sure to bring enough cash just in case.
Another question, on the departure day we would have time to ski in the morning before the transfer, so we could buy an Avoriaz only 5 hour pass for that day (cheaper than adding a 7th day to our PdS passes), which would also cover the Prodains back down (so in that case we'd just buy a single on arrival, rather than a return). Planning to rent skis from the Avoriaz Sports Skimium shop right at the top of the Prodains lift, who offter a 7th day free, so that wouldn't cost any extra to ski on the departure day and it's convenient to pop in to return skis before taking the lift down.
But we'd have to check out of our appartment by 10:00, and given it's just a rental apartment it's unlikely they'll be able to store our bags, so wondering if there is anywhere around Prodains where we could store bags and then get changed after skiing? The Avoriaz sports shop's website says they have lockers, but I presume these are ski lockers which can't fit a suitcase? If that's the case is there anywhere around which does have luggage lockers? And would they allow us to use the changing rooms in the shop when we return our skis? Given that we'd be actual customers who rented from them it seems like a reasonable request.
Anyone have any experience doing this, or is it too much of a pain so not worth the effort? I know there is a luggage store at the welcome centre, but don't fancy having to trek there and back with the luggage.
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@zaphod424, it does sound a pain managing that day's skiing without somewhere to dump your stuff. I've done it several times but either from a car or from a coach (that was an ideal way to travel which gave us 8 full days skiing).
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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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It isn't all in there, it says there's a luggage store at the welcome centre which I already knew, but I'm asking if there's anything at the Prodains end of town and for whether there's anywhere to get changed, neither of which are metioned in the guide.
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Just booked a long weekend stay at the Hotel du Lac in Montriond in mid-January ... have wanted to stay there since we first had drinks on their terrace looking over the stunning lake a few summers ago. Can't wait.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Really nice place to stop @franga, was there in March this year. Friendly staff, good food and cocktails. Book for Sunday dinner if that’s your thing, usually sells out.
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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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There is a nice family hotel, very close to the base of the Prodains lift. It’s called Hotel Les Prodains and is run by Pascal and his wife. They seem very amenable and for a few euros, might well be able to help.
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Has anyone stayed with Billy Avoriaz before. Looking at their rental apartments on airbnb, they look nice, but the apartment we're looking at only has a couple of reviews and I can't see any reviews of the company, says they've been in Avoriaz for 20 years so hopefully someone here has come across them before
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You know it makes sense.
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@zaphod424, I'd probably run the bags down in the morning/dump them in the car, then either change in the car/car park or the toilets in the bottom gondola station or pop in to one of the restaurants for a bit to eat before heading off and change in their toilets.
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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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| bigtuboflard wrote: |
| Really nice place to stop @franga, was there in March this year. Friendly staff, good food and cocktails. Book for Sunday dinner if that’s your thing, usually sells out. |
Good to hear!
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 4-10-24 14:47; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Mjit wrote: |
| @zaphod424, I'd probably run the bags down in the morning/dump them in the car, then either change in the car/car park or the toilets in the bottom gondola station or pop in to one of the restaurants for a bit to eat before heading off and change in their toilets. |
We're taking a transfer to the airport so unfortunately can't do that. Thanks for the advice though.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Booked to stay in Les Gets for a week early March. How long does it take to get over to the Avoriaz side? Is it a waste getting the PdS pass instead of just the Morzine/Les Gets?
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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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| 2322matt wrote: |
| Booked to stay in Les Gets for a week early March. How long does it take to get over to the Avoriaz side? Is it a waste getting the PdS pass instead of just the Morzine/Les Gets? |
Absolutely not - it’s a bit of a trek from Les Gets but, invariably, Avoriaz, Plaine Dranse + Pre La Joux will have better snow than LG and Morzine at that time of year. Head over to Morzine on skis - then either get the SM bubble up or the bus to Prodains. I’m assuming you won’t have a car - if yes, then I’d drive to Ardent.
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@shep, so, given the Prodains cable car (now Express) runs late, do you think there have been many folk who've dared the descent down the Crôt a few times after piste closure? Or even just once, for those having a late après drink in Avoriaz before skiing down to accommodation in Les Prodains?
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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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| 2322matt wrote: |
| Booked to stay in Les Gets for a week early March. How long does it take to get over to the Avoriaz side? Is it a waste getting the PdS pass instead of just the Morzine/Les Gets? |
Depends on where in the village you are starting out from. If you are in the Perrieres then its 3 lifts needed to get to the bottom of Morzine Pleney, Perrieres, Nauchets and Folliets du Golf, if in the Village then it's 2, Chavannes and Folliets du Golf.
From Pleney there's a choice of either the petit train or walking across the village to the Super Morzine bubble or catching a bus to Prodains or Ardent.
None of these routes are quick and probably a good hour before you are in Avoriaz. If someone needs to correct me on time then fine , I've not bothered with Avoriaz for over 5 years.
Alternatively there is a bus service from Les Gets to Morzine which I believe can get you there in time for a 9:00 am Super Morzine lift. It was about 2 Euros. Details will be on the LG website if not already there.
Hope this helps
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Thanks @franga and @Timc. Yes unfortunately won't have a car and such a shame there isn't a Les Gets to Prodains direct bus early in the morning! Seems like a no brainer of a route, but I guess 2 busses could get us to Prodains without wasting too much of the skiing day.
Can you buy a daily top up on the Morzine pass to do PdS for a day? Any idea of the cost? Can't seem to find any official info online
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@2322matt, I don't know about a top up for PDS, but if you want to save a few euros then it may be worth looking at buying an initial day pass then registering online and buying the next days pass on line either a PDS pass or a 4 hour local or just having a rest day. The last time I looked the 6 day local pass wasn't a lot cheaper than 6 separate day passes.
Would be worth going on to the Pass Les Gets website https://pass.lesgets.com/en/contact-us/ and asking about the PDS upgrade.
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| 2322matt wrote: |
Thanks @franga and @Timc. Yes unfortunately won't have a car and such a shame there isn't a Les Gets to Prodains direct bus early in the morning! Seems like a no brainer of a route, but I guess 2 busses could get us to Prodains without wasting too much of the skiing day.
Can you buy a daily top up on the Morzine pass to do PdS for a day? Any idea of the cost? Can't seem to find any official info online |
They don’t offer daily top ups to PDS but you can upgrade a weekly pass, for the week, before it is used.
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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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| Crosbie wrote: |
| @shep, so, given the Prodains cable car (now Express) runs late, do you think there have been many folk who've dared the descent down the Crôt a few times after piste closure? Or even just once, for those having a late après drink in Avoriaz before skiing down to accommodation in Les Prodains? |
Yes I guess it still happens, I've toboganned/skied down a few times but that was before it was made illegal. 15 odd years ago France outlawed piste access after closure after a few nasty accidents of people skiing into cat winch-cables in the dark. I don't think they winch-groom the Crôt, but you do need to be careful, the cat can be out of sight and earshot and the cable is invisible. You need a clear moonlit night, a head torch doesn't have the range to orientate yourself on the more open sections. Personally I'd still do it gingerly on a clear night if I had to get down, but it wouldn't be any fun at a safe speed.
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| Crosbie wrote: |
| @shep, so, given the Prodains cable car (now Express) runs late, do you think there have been many folk who've dared the descent down the Crôt a few times after piste closure? Or even just once, for those having a late après drink in Avoriaz before skiing down to accommodation in Les Prodains? |
Please don’t - pistes are closed for a reason … in this case, for grooming, the downloading of mountain workers on skidoos, safety work etc …
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FAQ
