 Poster: A snowHead
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I know there isn't any to speak of. I'm heading out with some pals for a few days and we will be based in BlB. Have any SH cracked a system for getting a bit of Apres in before coming back down the mountain? The options i am thinking about are:
1. Apres in Meribel followed by taxi back to BlB (I'm curious as to how much this will cost. I'm guessing around 50-60E, so split three ways say 17-20E each?)
2. Apres in Meribel follwed by free bus to somewhere like Les [Menuires] Allues (edit: sorry) followed by taxi back to BlB (as above but possibly a bit cheaper?)
3. Apres in Meribel followed by free bus to somewhere like Les [Menuires] Allues (edit: sorry) followed by long arduous heartburn/hypothermia inducing walk down to BlB (the most dangerous and least appealing option)
I have already ruled out option 4 (designated driver required - that won't work). Option 5 is stay in BlB and make do with what is there. We'll almost certainly end up doing that some nights.
This is a topic that seems to come up on SH from time to time without any definitive consensus. Do any of you have any beta on the suggested options or indeed better options? If not I will test each hypothesis when we go and bring definitive answers back for the greater good.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 13-11-13 15:10; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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When does the normal Brides/Meribel connection (the quite fast gondola) stop working? I am assuming it is too early for you? If you want Meribel night life why are you in Brides? Is the travel and hassle really worth the price difference of the hotels?
By the way, when there is lots of snow you can sometimes ski down.
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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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monkey, you'll have a job getting a free bus to Les Menuires; it's in a different valley! Furthest you can go is Les Allues. Free bus there runs every 15 mins at peak times http://www.latania.co.uk/resort/BusPDFs/2013/2013meribusfull.pdf Have never had to do it but it would halve the distance involved. A lot of Meribel taxi drivers will do a flat fee if you negotiate so worth asking along the line. Your estimate sounds about right on a meter but better to fix it.
snowball, the gondola shuts at 5pm, 5.30pm in Spring. I wouldn't do the ski down after après! It's about 15km of barely marked track through forest and open fields. Would be a recipe for getting lost in the woods and dying of hypothermia 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| monkey wrote: |
2. Apres in Meribel follwed by free bus to somewhere like Les Menuires followed by taxi back to BlB (as above but possibly a bit cheaper?)
3. Apres in Meribel followed by free bus to somewhere like Les Menuires followed by long arduous heartburn/hypothermia inducing walk down to BlB (the most dangerous and least appealing option)
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Free bus to Les menuires ????
Have you any idea where these places are? Les menuires is in the valley de belleville, the route from meribel takes you down to the D915 which is the road that goes past Brides. Then you go down to Moutiers. Then you start out again and go up the D117 to Menswear, 44km in total.
Meribel is 14km from Bride if you fancy the walk? I think the local bus service meribel to moutiers has one about 7pm that you could get off near Brides?
The only reason I can really think of staying in Brides though is that you like peace and quiet, although I do remember having a wild time buying a lotto ticket in the bar/tabac once. if you want "apres" why arent you staying in Meribel?
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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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Raceplate, well spotted, sorry about that. I meant Les Allues as you guessed. Thanks for the beta.
andyrew, I meant walk from Les Allues which is a bit shorter but still a pretty grim slog from the looks of things. At least itd be downhill i suppose. The reason we are staying is BlB is that our trip spans a weekend and nowhere up the mountain will take a booking for less than a small mortgage, whereas BlB has some very friendly rates available. The price differential is in the order of a factor of at least 3.5, or to put it another way, the taxi from Meribel to BlB would have to cost about 300e before the cost of staying in BlB would start to level out. That's a lot of beer tokens.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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monkey, another thought. I'd be surprised if the place you're staying in doesn't have cards for local recommended taxis. I bet if you pre-book with them you'd get it for about €40.
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monkey, Have you tried getting somewhere in Les Allues… Stayed there myself a couple of times and has a nice little bar there as well
http://www.tsaretta-meribel-lesallues.co.uk
If you haven't officially sorted your accom then I would seriously think about a reconsider… Depending on how many of you there are, I am assuming you're going to spend the best part of €100 each on a taxi possibly… Could you not spend that €300/€400 getting accomm closer up the valley…? Even if it is a bit more, you'll have so much more of a better time… IMO
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If you are considering Apres every night in Meribel and then taking a taxi to BLB, then the money it will cost could be spent on the higher cost of hotels in Meribel.
However, if you only want to do it once or twice then you might consider the bus provided by BLB tourist office for one evening a week. It was Tuesday last season. It left Meribel at 7pm. Check with BLB tourist office for this season's schedule.
There is also a bus from Meribel to Moutiers each evening which goes right past the edge of BLB. Sometimes the driver is willing to drop you off at a suitable location.
Even if there is enough snow (and this only happens once every few years) I'd advise not skiing back to BLB from Meribel in the dark. The route is poorly marked and along a path through the trees with protruding stumps and rocks. I've done it once in the daytime and it was a bit of adventure.
There are more bars and restaurants in BLB than Les Allues. None of them are stunning for Apres but at least the Petit Auberge has music and Sky TV!
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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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I might be thinking of the wrong town but I remember Brides les Bains as being a traditional spa town with big hotels and a casino. Why would you turn that down to Apre in Meribel?
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AlpineAddict, Mr Marmot, good beta guys. Didn't know about the bus to Moutiers that could be a winner. As for the potential change of venue, I re-checked the options like you guys suggested and came up with the same sort of numbers. Our group (three guys) can get accomm in BlB starting from £250. Cheapest price in Les Allues is £1200, which is actually worse than last time i checked. Next best from Booking.com is Courcheval at the bargain price of £2100. Nowhere in La Tania, Le Praz, Meribel, Mottaret etc are even quoting. Given the fact that we don't mind dirtbagging it a bit, I think the BlB option looks like the best for this trip. In previous years in the 3V i've always managed to find somewhere like La Tania for similar money to BlB but nowhere seems to be biting this year. I'm sure its just that we are going over a weekend this time.
At least we are going to BlB with eyes wide open. We have all been to 3V loads of times so know the layout. I've heard lots of people saying it is quiet etc, and know how long the bubble is in the mornings, but I can live with all that to be honest. We aren't massive Apres hounds. Generally we'll drink a bit throughout the day then hit it pretty hard at 5pm, eat at 8pm, few more bevvies then home. At a push we can live without the Apres but if it's a case of absorbing 15E to 20E each in taxi costs per day, i'd say that's a trivial extra cost, no?
Mr Marmot, what you say about the ski back to BlB is the same as i've heard from everyone so I'd pretty much discounted it as an option. Maybe let's put it in as option 4 for the sake of argument. I wouldn't rule it out but it sounds like a pretty reckless idea.
I'm very impressed as always by the collective SH wisdom. [collective forum doff of the cap]
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If La Tania is one of your considerations, then check out www.latania.co.uk. They have a section dedicated to accomodation including private apartments. Depending on your dates etc. it could be a winner and certainly better than BLB
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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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Have you tried DoronRoc hotel in centre of Meribel - cheap and cheerful, reviews not great ...... but it's not that bad !
You should get 50Euros a head per night if you are staying for a week.
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How's about booking a cheap and cheerful (or not) apartment/hotel closer for a week and leaving after the weekend?
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You know it makes sense.
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monkey,
I may be being dim but what's "beta?" 
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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monkey, try contacting the local tourist office for cheaper accommodation, not everyone advertises on booking.com, their commission for private apartment owners is 15%.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Beta = advice from people who've done it before. Climbing term, I think.
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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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monkey, unless you're dead set on BLB and have booked, let me know your dates and I will ask my cousin, who works and lives in Les allues... They might know of something that suits and is not a bank buster...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Monkey, I have stayed in BLB twice per season for the past 10+ years. I have even visited in the Summer! And whilst Meribel is dead in the Summer, BLB is absolutely full up with people using the Spas.
There are more skiers using BLB these days than 10 years ago. Despite this there is no vibrant Apres Ski. The locals have tried to drum up a bit of atmosphere but they tell me most skiers using the town are self-catering and so just go back to their apartments and have a drink. Patrick who owns a night club adjacent to the lift station tried over a period of 4 years to get an Apres Ski bar going, but of the hundreds of skiers who passed the bar each day, only a handful would stop for a drink. One year he even dressed in lederhosen and played Austrian après ski music and claimed the bar was actually in the West Tyrol but still no-one was interested!
So there are actually less drinking opportunities than there was 10 years ago. The casino used to have a bar with a reasonably good Karaoke night once a week but that is now a restaurant. The casino itself is small and nothing to get excited about.
Despite all this, and as a dedicated après skier when in Austria, I love staying BLB when skiing the 3V. The 20 minute lift ride gives me time to get ready in the morning and time to wind down in the evening.
As previously mentioned The Petit Auberge, owned by Jean-Francois, has popular music playing and Sky TV. The Central bar, owned by Michel, is a calmer place with just French TV and is the favourite place for locals. Silva who owns the wine and cheese shop is always good for a free sample of Genepi or vin chaud. The Emelie hotel has an outside deck area which is sometimes buzzing at après-ski time. A few of the hotels have bars, but these are generally pretty quiet.
BLB is NOT Meribel but it does have a certain charm which I find gives me a different sort of ski holiday experience than the après ski capitals of the World (which I do enjoy as well!).
Our normal après ski is as follows; we will stop at the Folie Douce or Rond Point in Meribel until 15 minutes before the last lift, ski down and catch the lift back to BLB. Have a drink at the Emelie if it is buzzing, then on to the Petit Auberge for an hour or so and finally a quick drink in the Central bar, whilst one person nips next door to the Spar shop for any last minute provisions we might need. We rarely get back to our accommodation before 8pm.
Once a week we might stay in Meribel until 7pm and then catch the BLB tourist board bus back.
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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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Fly to Lyon or GV & hire a car between the 3 of you
Draw straws or take turns driving. Sorted
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I seem to recall some of the British tour operators in Brides running pub crawls up in Meribel, you might be able to buy seats on their buses. Obviously limited to their timings though.
As others have said, sleeping in Brides if you want to ski, eat and drink in Meribel is nonsense. Ignore booking.com for this kind of thing, go on Twitter or facebook and find operators direct, I've seen loads of good offers over various resorts recently.
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| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
I seem to recall some of the British tour operators in Brides running pub crawls up in Meribel, you might be able to buy seats on their buses. Obviously limited to their timings though.
As others have said, sleeping in Brides if you want to ski, eat and drink in Meribel is nonsense. Ignore booking.com for this kind of thing, go on Twitter or facebook and find operators direct, I've seen loads of good offers over various resorts recently. |
When you sleep in Brides Les Bains the nearest (quickest reached) place to ski pistes is Meribel. That is where the only lift takes you! Therefore you can ski, eat and drink everywhere in the 3V and still sleep in BLB. BLB is on an arm of the Meribel lift system. It is part of the Meribel lift system. The lift between BLB and Meribel is the earliest opening and the latest closing lift in the whole of the 3V. But if you miss the last lift, it can be an expensive road journey back.
I have stayed in Meribel dozens of times and enjoyed it, but I also don't see it as a hardship staying in BLB unless I wanted to après-ski in Meribel every day of the week.
Another benefit in staying in BLB is that it is much closer (if you have a car) to Paradiski or Espace Killy to use your one day free (on six day pass). We often drive to Champagney En Vanoise to enter the Paradisski region (second largest area in the world after 3V) and it takes the same time to drive there than driving or even taking the lift up to Meribel!
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 14-11-13 13:34; edited 1 time in total
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franzClammer, aye, thats what we're doing but there's no chance of any of us driving on a skiing day! Thanks for the tips everyone. AlpineAddict, the dates are 13-17 March and its for 3 guys.Jamis, thought about that, but we span two weeks so would have to book two weeks accommodation for this plan to work.
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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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monkey, Ahh just seen your dates… SODs law that apt is booked for that weekend… But apt owners can often recommend pother places in the village that might be available, that you'd never know of… Still worth contacting them IMO...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Mr Marmot, I know it very well, I was a permanent resident of the valley for four years. Based on my understanding of what the OP wants from his holiday (ski and après ski in Meribel every day over a short break), Brides is not a good choice. Perhaps this group of lads will be happy staying in their Brides studio and having a demi in the local PMU, in which case I misunderstood.
Oh and factor in the hour long bubble ride in the mornings and the whole thing really is a farce, he'll spend more time in the bubble and negotiating with the taxi mafia than on the pistes.*
*Exaggeration.
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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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Monkey, the 14th March is the last day of one of my visits to BLB this upcoming season. If you want we can meet for a drink in the Petit Auberge after skiing, and I can give you a bit more info. By the way, where in BLB are you staying?
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| albinomountainbadger wrote: |
Mr Marmot, I know it very well, I was a permanent resident of the valley for four years. Based on my understanding of what the OP wants from his holiday (ski and après ski in Meribel every day over a short break), Brides is not a good choice. Perhaps this group of lads will be happy staying in their Brides studio and having a demi in the local PMU, in which case I misunderstood.
Oh and factor in the hour long bubble ride in the mornings and the whole thing really is a farce, he'll spend more time in the bubble and negotiating with the taxi mafia than on the pistes.*
*Exaggeration. |
Obviously, you have understood the requirements differently to me. I was basing my comments on what he said in an earlier post:
At least we are going to BlB with eyes wide open. We have all been to 3V loads of times so know the layout. I've heard lots of people saying it is quiet etc, and know how long the bubble is in the mornings, but I can live with all that to be honest. We aren't massive Apres hounds. Generally we'll drink a bit throughout the day then hit it pretty hard at 5pm, eat at 8pm, few more bevvies then home. At a push we can live without the Apres but if it's a case of absorbing 15E to 20E each in taxi costs per day, i'd say that's a trivial extra cost, no?
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You know it makes sense.
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monkey, news form my cousin… You could try these…
www.skihame.co.uk Chalet Grange a Charlotte is in Les Allues. They are catered and are often pretty flexible about arrival days.
www.airbnb.co.uk - there are a few places around doing b and b type thing on there.
There is a lady in Bozel who runs a flexible chambres d'hotes type thing from there for a good price. Apparently you get the bus up to Le Praz from Bozel, very easy about 10 mins. www.skicourchevel.net
HTH mate...
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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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Mr Marmot, my issue is seeing the day pan out as he expects.
If they do après on the slopes until 5 or 6 and then decide to go for another one in town they've, let's be honest, probably missed the bubble so may as well have another then go for dinner in Meribel. Except now they've got all their ski kit with them, and may well be dressed in soaking wet ski gear. Fine in some bars, not others and will cause issues for restaurants - I certainly wouldn't want to leave my skis outside in town at night. So they'll have to get a taxi down to Brides to dump their kit and change. It's now nearly 8pm, and to eat in Meribel would mean another taxi up and obviously another back down again afterwards.
Even if they didn't miss the bubble at the start of the scenario, and could get it back down, they'd have to pay a taxi back up to Meribel anyway! One way or another they are trapped in Brides, which would be fine if that's what he wanted, but given this thread even exists, it clearly isn't!
N.B. A partial fix here might be a ski locker if they still exist under the Chaudanne, and if they allow short duration hire.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 14-11-13 15:04; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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I only said you can occasionally ski down. I must confess I did it (after heavy snowfall) during the day. Perhaps not my best suggestion for the evening 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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monkey,
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| Our group (three guys) can get accomm in BlB starting from £250. Cheapest price in Les Allues is £1200, which is actually worse than last time i checked. Next best from Booking.com is Courcheval at the bargain price of £2100. |
I know someone else mentioned it but have you actually phoned (or emailed) the Doron or Le Roc hotels? They don't do online bookings but they most certainly take weekend bookings. A triple room at the Doron is £570 for 4 nights by my reckoning at rack rate? http://www.hoteldoron.com/ Le Roc website is down but their rates used to be the same as they're run by the same people (have a small suspicion Le Roc may have changed ownership, though). They're both very basic and above pubs but the location is perfect and you said you don't mind dirtbagging....
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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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Might be worth trying the chalets direct solution room, I have successfully picked up a deal or two with them previously
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FAQ
