 Poster: A snowHead
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I will be spending Christmas week in Val d'Isere  with a big family group. But I have a challenge.
Several members of the group will be arriving at Bourg St Maurice on the overnight train. This is a group of people who have not skied before so they will not be thinking "whoo hoo, up to the slopes straight away to get a cheeky extra day in". A further challenge is that they will have a baby with them.
So, does anyone have any good suggestions for what they should do until the chalet in Val d'Isere is available at 4 pm? Do any of the hotels in Bourg offer day rooms? Would it be better to head up the mountain to find somewhere to hang out in Val D'Isere?
All sensible or amusing suggestions gratefully received.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We had some time to spare in Bourg last Christmas before going up to La Rosiere and we will have some time to kill in Bourg again this year.
We walked from the train station across the road to the little parade of cafe/shops, had some food then went to the the Super U (a car ride away) and stocked up on food for the week as its cheaper with more choice than up the mountain, but that may not be relevant if your accommodation is catered.
However, the main shops are close to the station and there are some nice cafes and restaurants there too.
How are you getting to Val d`Isere? It will be busy on the roads and very busy in the afternoon so that journey will take up some of your time.
I was travelling with my Aunt aged 88 so everything had to be easy and well planed. We were met close by the station by family with a car.
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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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We had some time to spare in Bourg last Christmas before going up to La Rosiere and we will have some time to kill in Bourg again this year.
We walked from the train station across the road to the little parade of cafe/shops, had some food then went to the the Super U (a car ride away) and stocked up on food for the week as its cheaper with more choice than up the mountain, but that may not be relevant if your accommodation is catered.
However, the main shops are close to the station and there are some nice cafes and restaurants there too.
How are you getting to Val d`Isere? It will be busy on the roads and very busy in the afternoon so that journey will take up some of your time.
I was travelling with my Aunt aged 88 so everything had to be easy and well planed. We were met close by the station by family with a car.
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I will be driving out from the UK all the way to Val d'Isere and may be able to pick up some of the train group for the last leg. Others will probably take the bus.
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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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Apart from stocking up on cheaper food at the Super U (which if your chalet is catered you won't need anyway), I was say there's not too much value in staying around BSM as opposed to getting straight up to resort. It should be possible to leave luggage at the chalet before check in, and especially with having a baby they may even be allowed to get into the room early if they're lucky. If the beginners don't fancy skiing that day then its a good opportunity for them to have a chilled out day, have a walk around the resort and find out where everything is, grab a long lunch, and get fitted up for skis and boots while the hire shops are relatively quiet. For those that do fancy having a blast around on the slopes then that's an easy possibility too.
To be honest, the biggest draw of getting the snow train is that you do get an extra couple of days of skiing to the standard 6 day trip. And ski resorts typically are, quite obviously, centred around skiing and the apres ski thing, so there's often little to do outside of that. But they could always jump on the free navette (ski bus), the cafe out towards Le Fornet is very nice (great cakes too).
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Which train are they getting? If the Eurostar overnight direct one, they'll be at BStM very early and I would recommend staying there for a couple of hours, getting breakfast and so on before heading up to Val d'Isere. I wouldn't expect much to be open in Val d'Isere at 6am! If they're getting a proper sleeper train they tend to arrive in BStM a little later, around 7-8am, but again having breakfast in BStM would seem sensible. If it were me, I'd then play it by ear, especially with a baby around and just do whatever is easiest and what fits in with the busses.
You could ask your chalet whether you'll be able to drop bags, have a shower, etc. on arrival, and arrange something with them in advance. My experience is that most independent chalet operators do their best to accommodate your needs, but they obviously will have a lot to do that day.
If you can get your lift passes on arrival I think (but not sure) that you get one free entry with each pass to the swimming pool complex in Val d'Isere so that might be a nice way to relax for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Then they will have plenty of time to pick up their ski hire gear and things like that, rather than being in a rush in the evening or next morning like everyone else. With a baby this day to get acclimatised and do things at their own speed rather than the usual Saturday evening rush might be very welcome.
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Thanks for the thoughts. I had considered the swimming pool option and it might still make sense. I have never travelled to the Alps with a baby along for the ride so I am not altogether sure how much hanging around it (sorry, wash my mouth out - she)will be able to take. That's why I was wondering if there is anywhere in BsM to pass a few hours in comfort.
In our case they are taking the snow train because it is easy - no messing about in airports and no long transfer, and cheap ( access to certain unpublished fares). So there would be a few shillings left to pay for a day room in Bourg if such a thing were available. Do you think it would be worth emailing any of the hotels there to see if they would entertain such an idea?
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You could try it; its not something I've heard of before though. In any case, you have to ask; is it really worth it for what you'll get out of it? Arrival in BSM will be 7-8am or so. So if you went for a bit of breakfast locally then went up to resort you'd probably arrive around 10am. From then, by the time you've dropped things off at the chalet, gone for a walk around, sorted skis and boots and had a spot of lunch, you're really not all that far away from the check in point of 4pm. And there's a chance you'll be able to check in early anyway.
I've travelled with babies in the group a few times; and to be honest the younger they are the easier it is, as they just sleep in their cot/buggy most of the time. It does get a bit more difficult with toddlers who are in a routine of an afternoon nap.
I'd say its a much better option to just get to resort. Your chalet may let the baby couple hang out in the front room or even a bedroom if its made up already; its somewhere to stash luggage, and those that want to can explore the resort. I'm not sure what benefit you get from being stuck to a room down in BSM.
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The youngest any of mine were when we went to the Alps was 14 months and I was 3 months pregnant with my 3rd, my eldest was 3. I don`t recall any real problems other than parental fatigue. But we always had the car as a base. I found France much easier to be in with small children in public places than England was at the time.
If you do not need to stock up at the supermarket I would be inclined to do as has already been suggested, have a leisurely breakfast in Bourg, and a gentle journey to the resort (ahead of much of the traffic). With a baby in tow, breakfasting, getting out of outside gear, feed, nappy change, getting togged up again etc it will likely be lunchtime by the time you are in Val d`Isere. I can`t recall VDI well enough to suggest lunch possibilities but I don`t recall having any problems finding somewhere to lunch with an injured child (suspected broken thumb) with husband and other sons still up the mountain, at resort level on a day trip there from Bourg.
A protracted lunch (with all th baby requirements) and maybe a stroll into a ski hire place etc will easily take you up to check in time, and yes it would be worth asking your accommodation about earlier drop off of luggage etc!
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The youngest any of mine were when we went to the Alps was 14 months and I was 3 months pregnant with my 3rd, my eldest was 3. I don`t recall any real problems other than parental fatigue. But we always had the car as a base. I found France much easier to be in with small children in public places than England as at the time.
If you do not need to stock up at the supermarket I would be inclined to do as has already been suggested, have a leisurely breakfast in Bourg, and a gentle journey to the resort (ahead of much of the traffic). With a baby in tow, breakfasting, getting out of outside gear, feed, nappy change, getting togged up again etc it will likely be lunchtime by the time you are in Val d`Isere. I can`t recall VDI well enough to suggest lunch possibilities but I don`t recall having any problems finding somewhere to lunch with an injured child (suspected broken thumb) with husband and other sons still up the mountain, at resort level on a day trip there from Bourg.
A protracted lunch (with all th baby requirements) and maybe a stroll into a ski hire place etc will easily take you up to check in time, and yes it would be worth asking your accommodation about earlier drop off of luggage etc!
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