 Poster: A snowHead
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Am I correct in saying they don't exist?
We drove to Montchavin last Easter, first two weeks in April. Had a brilliant time, drive from Glasgow and it was an easy drive. Great having two weeks and best of all my son loved the Evolution 2 ski school. So much so he went for the 2nd week. Having only had a not so nice experience of ski school previously and not wanting to go, we were delighted and more than happy to fork out for the second unexpected week of lessons.
So we made the decision that we would have our ski holiday there again this year, and he could go back to Evolution and do his Yeti level 3. The trouble is, I'm sure there are no packages to there or les Coches. I don't mind DIY, but with flights, transfers and accommodation it works out pretty expensive for a week. A long drive for a week, so leaves the option of Easter again. While we'd love to do the drive again, I'm a bit concerned that we will be a week later this coming Easter, school hols start Frid 4th April. Last year we left Glasgow end of March and by prob mid second week, it was getting heavy even higher up and it was a good late season by all accounts.
So my question is, am I missing something? Is there a tour operator that goes there? We may think about taking him out of school last week in March, but then I'd probably end up wanting to stay for 3 weeks! Sounds great but false economy springs to mind!
I think if there was a TO that serviced there we would take him out of school for 1st week after the New Year holiday to keep it cheap.
Gill
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Hi Gill
Seem to be lots out there. I generally find that DIY is cheaper than packages...but I do look VERY hard and spend a couple of days comparing everything. I find the biggest drawback of DIY is the cost of transfer if you are doing a private transfer.
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I spent the season working in Montchavin last year, and I think you are right about no TO - I didn't know all the operators up in Les Coches though, so I may stand corrected. Are you looking specifically at apartments or would you consider a catered chalet? There are a number of independent chalet operators in the area and most of them will offer a transfer service, so you could get the accomodation packaged with transfer.
The second week in January (w/c 11th) seems to be cheaper than the first week this year, though obviously the first week is loads cheaper than Christmas/New Year. I think for a non-peak week you could book the flights now and haggle on the accomodation/transfer deal nearer the time - last year there seemed to be a lot of available beds those weeks so definitely potential for negotiation.
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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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Shimmy Alcott, I think those are all accommodation only or include a channel crossing - i.e. still requring you to self-arrange a transfer or drive, which, if I understood correctly, is what the OP is trying to avoid.
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annaski, Ive been with Iglu and we flew?
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Shimmy Alcott, but all the Montchavin deals listed are accomdation only. I've just tried changing the search to 'any departure airport' and it comes up with no results.
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annaski, ah, fairy nuff 
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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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Shiny they are all accommodation only, no flights transfers included. We actually used Erna Low last year. It's the flights & transfers that is the killer, especially the transfers.
annaski, we would consider a catered chalet, but it's the cost. We've done both with and without son, but to be honest, s/c is best with son, he can get to bed earlier at least on some nights, dinner in the catered chalet was wasted on him, although he is generally a good eater, he won't eat everything (6 year and getting fussy, better when he was 3/4!).
The flights now even going 1st week after NY hols will cost us around £500 for the 3 of us with Easyjet including 2 hold bags and one ski bag (assuming we will put all in one, depending on how strict Easyjet will be nearer the time), add on transfers.... Reckon we were around £300 in diesel driving. Another option we toyed with was driving for the 1st week in Jan, means we can use the school hols to start driving over, and be back Sunday night before school starts. If we did this, a bonus would be if someone had a cancellation for NY week and we got it cheap, we could go over for 2 weeks, that's the beauty of driving is that you are not too tied. Last year wee didnt book apartment until about 3 weeks before.
I think it is decided then that unless someone tell me there are TO that we could consider, then driving either end of NY hols or Easter is the answer.
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annaski, Shimmy Alcott, lol sorry Shimmy, I typed Shiny! Yeah Anna beat me to it while I was typing, it's the flight & transfers that kills it!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And the bonus of the two weeks in April is a free lift pass for son!
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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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DIY can work out cheaper when travelling with kids. TOs often charge adult rates for everything - flights, hotels etc. etc. I get my saving on our families preferred resort/hotel by getting the 6 year old virtually free in the hotel, and junior half price. We get a 5% discount for booking early and a 2% repeat offender discount as well.
That is a saving of about £1000 so DIY makes real sense. The transfer on the train is about next to nothing, or in a private taxi it is only about 90 euro. Even though the flights have doubled in price over last year, it is still cheaper (just) going DIY this Christmas over the TO deal.
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You know it makes sense.
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DIY can work out cheaper when travelling with kids. TOs often charge adult rates for everything - flights, hotels etc. etc. I get my saving on our families preferred resort/hotel by getting the 6 year old virtually free in the hotel, and junior half price. We get a 5% discount for booking early and a 2% repeat offender discount as well.
That is a saving of about £1000 so DIY makes real sense. The transfer on the train is about next to nothing, or in a private taxi it is only about 90 euro. Even though the flights have doubled in price over last year, it is still cheaper (just) going DIY this Christmas over the TO deal.
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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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Gilly28, it's a long drive for a week - couldn't agree more (I just drove back from the Alps today, but only to the south coast, and that was far enough). Can you not fly and rent a car?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Pam I'm sure when OH googled for a rental car last season it was mega, but then we did need a big one as there were 4 adults and one child. Will need to check that out again for just the 3 of us
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Gilly28, for 3 of you, you could take a small car. It often works out cheaper than transfers. You will find a far wider choice of self-catering accommodation DIY than you will ever find through a TO. Some cheaper, some more expensive - the point is that you can get whatever suits you, and your budget. With a TO you are stuck with what they give you
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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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Sleeper train to London and then get Eurostar ?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Gilly28, in regard of going on April 4th. I have stayed in Les Coches in a really bad end of season a week later than that. They did a fantastic job keeping all the links open and there is plenty of high altitude skiing to make the best of.
New Year week is expensive. You are better of going christmas week. IME christmas snow conditions are more reliable than early April. There is plenty of skiing below the tree line out of Montchavin/Les Coches.
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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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Hiring a car may well be cheaper than transfers, however, in early January you will need to make sure that winter tyres/chains are provided. We were always able to get up the hill on snow tyres alone, but on transfer days early in the season I drove past many stuck motorists on summer tyres trying to get chains on their cars in the dark. If you go at Easter again you will be fine without.
Parking in Montchavin is no problem in non-peak weeks but a big problem in peak weeks (when the French are off). Just something to bear in mind if you are considering the New Year week.
There is a chalet company up in Les Coches called Family Ski which has separate childrens meals and transfers included in the price (though not flights). Could be worth a look. I've no experience of the company aside from having skied past their chalets.
There are ways of getting cheaper transfers - when I had friends come up to visit last year they used Bens Bus/Altibus to Aime/Bourg then local transport from there. You can also get the train from Chambery to Landry at the bottom of the hill. You need a taxi from Chambery Airport (20 euro) to Chambery train station and then from Landry station to Montchavin (17 euro I think).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you go at Easter again you will be fine without.
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not always. One of the very few times I have had to put chains on top of my very good snow tyres was after a sudden snow flurry in April; made the roads incredibly slippery but was all gone in a couple of hours.
If you hire from the Swiss side of Gva airport you will get snow tyres - well worth having - but you need chains too as the police will stop cars without chains on busy and snowy days, whether or not they have snow tyres.
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Pam_w Montchavin is quite low - only 1250m. We did have several snow dumps in April this year, but the ground temperature was so warm by then the snow melted almost instantly on the road. I certainly wouldn't buy snow chains just to access Montchavin in April. Worst case scenario you could get a taxi up from Landry.
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beeryletcher, think it would be better to drive? We loved the drive, so much so, I didn't even have to take a turn, DH did it all.
Layne, I hear what you are saying, and I did research this fact before going last Easter, but we did find towards the end of the holiday, the snow was really sticky, slushy, even higher up and over at Les Arcs. This didn't spoil our holiday, as we had two weeks we made the most of the good snow and the most of the sun, however, I wondered if just that wee bit later we'd be skiing in the sticky/slushy most of the holiday. We wouldn't go at Xmas week, as it would just be us 3. I would do it if we were going with friends and their kids but they can't manage this year. As we have only the one child, I think it would be an anticlimax for him, just being on his own.
annaski, pam w, We got snow socks for going last April, didn't need to use them, but if we do go Jan, I'll need to revisit my old discussions on this to find out if they r ok for lots of snow! No doubt someone will remind me on this post  Thanks for the tip on parking, we have tended to make sure we check if a parking space included in the accom, it was in the place we went to at Easter.
The idea of the TO was also if there was one (flights transfers and accom) we'd keep an eye out for a last minute deal, only the 3 of us to consider so easy to organise last minute. There obviously isn't one, so we'll check out car hire prices and then either go Jan or Easter, driving or flights and hire.
Thanks for the input, helped to get my head in order !
Gill
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