 Poster: A snowHead
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(I google a lot for the questions below, thinking post here maybe get better advices.)
I and my wife plan going to eur for a ski vocation, 3 resort, St.Anton, Austria, Verbier, Switzerland, and 3 Valleys, France. We have epic pass, so we get 5 free days for every resort.
We have two options for the date, January, or March. They said Jan, after new year, would be cheapest and more quiet in the valley.
So, for snow condition, Jan or Mar ? Which one is better ?
We want to fly to Zurich, rent a car, drive to St.Anton, then Vernier, 3 Valleys.
About the rooms, how about the opportunity to get a good booking deal one month before ? Or, We have to book 7 nights for it?
Right now, in booking.com, most room up US$ 1500, normally US$ 3000. It's too expensive for us. Many hotels are not available for -7 nights.
Verbier, how about stay in Martigny, drive a car every day, free parking ?
How about the train from Martigny to Verbier, and take the free bus ? And the cost ?
Any advices on this really appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For Verbier there is free parking at le chable where you get the bubble lift up to the skiing, which is probably preferable to driving up to Verbier itself each day, so Martigny isn't a bad option and a 15 minute drive to Le Chable. Verbier is super expensive to stay in.
All three of these should be fine for snow in either jan or mar, march having longer and warmer days. January will be quieter but March is mostly after school holidays and so not too bad either.
A lot of ski accommodation will 7 days only, self catering in particular. Sometimes you can get discounts nearer the time, but not guaranteed.
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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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| Quote: |
A lot of ski accommodation will 7 days only, self catering in particular. Sometimes you can get discounts nearer the time, but not guaranteed.
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In those resorts this is often the case...
I would suggest looking on the tourist office sites for the resorts, there are many, many more hotels and B&Bs in the resorts than ever show up on the major booking sites. If you are spending 5 days skiing in each then you will want 5 or 6 nights at least, plenty of hotels will be happy with that. If not, look slightly out of the main resort - e.g. St Jakob or Stuben for St Anton, La Tania for 3V, Nendaz for Verbier.
March would be my favourite time, Jan would be fine too, but there'll be a deeper base and more daylight in March.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thx so much for your reply !!!
Last night, we have booked the flight tickets in Jan and one room near st.anton with a good price !!! 
Thx again !!!
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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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wowmac, Sound like a great trip.
As already mentioned it might be hard to get less than 7 days bookings in main resorts now, but you should have more options nearer the time. If you have a car you can always consider satellite villages. As sah said resort websites will be the best for full list of accommodations.
Make sure in St Anton you ski as far as Lech which will be connected to Warth for the coming winter. You will need a bus or car from St Anton.
If you want to make the most of 3V skiing-wise I would stay centrally in Mottaret. It is a bit dull but very easy access to all corners of 3V - so you can pick up any area for the day without the "commute".
However I think the best vibe and apres, and possibly terrain is in Val Thorens.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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St Anton has changed a lot over the 11 years we have been going there. It used to be very much a 7-day booking resort, with Saturday change- over. A lot more short-stays now and weekenders. Saturdays used to be very quiet on-piste; alas, no more.
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I am writing this on the basis that you are based in North America so may never have ventured into the Alps before, apologies if that's not the case and some of this is well known to you.
I hope you are using your 5 days in each! The size of the ski areas are so vast you can't get the benefit of skiing them if you try them in any less time. You may find shorter term accommodation easier to find in Jan. It will be colder, but there will be lots of snow! What type of skiing do you like to do? St A and Verbier are famous for off piste. The off piste is great in the 3V too. Obviously the more you want to ski powder the later in the season you may want to go, but I reckon by mid Jan you should have no problems anywhere.
If you so decide to go in March, you are best advised to avoid the first half of the month until 15th March in France (though the snow will obviously be better in the first half of the month than the last) as it's still their school half term holidays (see- http://about-france.com/school-holidays.htm ) so the ski resorts are really busy and hotel costings will be High Season. My guess is that the french will also spill over into Verbier during that time too, but maybe not as far as St Anton. I think you will struggle to get a shorter duration hotel booking in France during that time. That leaves you with going towards the end of March. The conditions will still be good, but you may get mashed potatoes at the end of the day. If you hate that and can tolerate colder weather, I'd plump for January.
How smart do you want your accommodation to be? In my experience the less fancy hotels are more flexible, and in January you should be OK about a later booking. Everyone has a view about where to stay in the 3V. Though lacking alpine charm, in Jan you should get a good deal in the Hotel Carla in Les Menuires (yes the resort is really really ugly, but the skiing in the Belleville Valley is awesome). Also look at the Alp Hotel in St Martin de Belleville (my fave resort), right at the bottom of the lift, lovely village, great access to the skiing. The hotel has been refurbed since we stayed, and has a great restaurant at the back. The part of the 3V I like the least is the Meribel valley-though it does give you a central location, the runs home at the end of the day tend to be hard as the valley sides are steeper than in the other 2 valleys.
The off piste directly above St Martin is great, lovely cruising over the summer pastures and not steep at all. I love it!
Re Verbier-you could stay in Martigny or Le Chable (both are a little soulless IMHO). The lift up is included in the ski pass from Le Chable. Or...how about staying in La Tzoumaz which is just over the hill and the skiing links in to Verbier (and I assume your pass covers the "4 valleys" rather than Verbier in which case La Tzoumaz is included). We have had a very pleasant stay at the Auberge la Tzoumaz http://www.aubergelatzoumaz.com/ a couple of times a few years ago. They only have about 4 cosy rooms, serve good breakfast, and I know they don't insist on a 7 day booking. It's a nice little village, though obviously lacking in the crazy glamorous nightlife of Verbier. The owners are friendly, though their english is a bit limited compared with most places (you won't struggle in St A or the 3 V or Verbier itself at all).
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thx again for Whitters, sah, Tom W, ulmerhutte and Perty !!!
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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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no benefit to staying in Martigny over Le Chable IMHO, just more travel. Enjoy your epic trip.
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wowmac, where have you skied before? As someone else said, it does make a difference if you come from the USA or Canada as the situation with relation to off-piste is different over here and needs to be understood. There is much more of it over here but it is not avalanche patrolled and you get the most out of it by hiring a guide or (probably more realistically for you) joining guided groups.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| snowball wrote: |
| wowmac, where have you skied before? As someone else said, it does make a difference if you come from the USA or Canada as the situation with relation to off-piste is different over here and needs to be understood. There is much more of it over here but it is not avalanche patrolled and you get the most out of it by hiring a guide or (probably more realistically for you) joining guided groups. |
sure, safety is the very first one we want to keep. Our level is not qurlify for real off piste.
I have booked one room in Brunson near Verbier, and one in BIB on 3V, free cancel, so will check rooms again after Oct.
I am going fly to nepal for mountain climbing after two hours, no power, no wifi, for more than 20 days.
So, talk to you nice guys later.
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