 Poster: A snowHead
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Some good suggestions in my other thread, but I've now narrowed it down significantly. I've got some seriously cheap flights sourced to geneva around the 12th April for a week.
Looking for somewhere with ski school in the morning and where we can all ski together afternoons
Me. Strong inter, with limited off piste experience, but keen to learn more.
Mrs L strong inter, but happier with cruising rather than high speed hooning around
8 year old, strong skier and beginner boarder
6 year old. Can manage steep reds and blacks as long as they are wide.
So where to go? We've never skiid in France so I'm a complete newby to all this. Plan is to hire a car in gva airport and head somewhere. Pref less than 2 hours drive but up to 3 if worthwhile
The suggestions from my other thread, plus googling have sprung up the following High altitude resorts for mid April
Duex alps
Val d'isere
Val thorens
Chamomix.
But I've got no idea of their suitability for my criteria, and ease of driving there from gva airport.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chamonix is very short drive but possibly a bit awkwardly laid out, the others are fairly distant from GVA, I'd budget 3 hours for all of them. Given those choices, Val d'Isere, but staying in Tignes would be even more sensible. You might be overthinking the 'I need extreme altitude and a glacier' aspect. Mid April in a normal-to-good year... you can ski all over the place in mid April usually.
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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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Also, considering your plane is landing in Switzerland, you seem to be overlooking Switzerland.
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Not intentionally ignoring Switzerland, but Those 4 resorts above kept coming up googling the ski in April thing, but I'm open to any other ideas. What would be suitable in Switzerland for my criteria? Although I'd rather have a slightly longer drive to get to the "right" place than go to the nearest place that "will do"
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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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Zermatt or Saas Fee look pretty much on-topic. Z is notoriously expensive, but the exchange rate is better than it was a while ago, and if you hunt around you can find good value lodgings.
Verbier. Nice short drive, not as snow-reliable, but will almost certainly be ok in an ok year. Main town is expensive, some of the other towns on the piste map are good value.
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Deux Alpes - kinda uninspiring any time of year
Val d'Isere- can only imagine what those runs into resort like that time of year. If going that far would strongly recommend tignes.
Val Thorens- also great choice. Quite cruisy so should suit you well
Chamonix - agree too fragmented and not good for family
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alexl, You could add Flaine into the list because it's a very easy drive from Gva and should normally still have good skiing in mid April - though obviously you can expect spring conditions. Another, less obvious, suggestion is Les Contamines, open until 21 April. 1 hour 10 minutes from Geneva airport, according to Google Maps. Right down at village level snow will probably be scarce but all the best skiing is above the top gondola station anyway, and downloading in the lift makes sense at any time of the year, in my view. The top runs are east facing and hold their snow well and it's a good place for a bit of near-piste off-piste. It's not a big area but plenty for a week, especially if you are having ski school in the morning. Prices of lift passes (€184 for 6 days for an adult), accommodation and eating and drinking will all be usefully cheaper than the Espace Killy or the 3 Valleys.
I've never had ski lessons in LC but I think they probably all start at the top of the gondola (Signal) which is a useful central rendezvous if the family splits up, sometimes, even though the restaurant there is not exactly the most atmospheric on the mountain. There's a place you can eat your own sandwiches, which can make for an economical lunch.
The village (in a pretty valley) is strung out. I hardly ever go there because I access Les Contamines from the Hauteluce (Belleville) side, but there are some Snowheads who know it well who could advise about accommodation, if you were interested.
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Les Arcs somewhere else to consider
Seems to be a lot of back and forth re what will happen weather wise for rest of month but potential for 2 weeks of high pressure and major melting of snow, particularly low down where base is more precarious, still looms. I would think with Easter so late this year and the way snow has been, this would be good year to consider going high if going at Easter. I would go to either Tignes or Val Thorens, notwithstanding that so many SHs get excellent snow at such low resorts 9 out of 10 easters.
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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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You could probably afford to leave it later to decide - shouldn't be any shortage of accommodation.
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Tignes over Val d'Isere is a good shout, it is the longest drive though from Geneva airport. Les Contamines is lovely but it's less likely that there will be British kids at ski school, not sure if you are bothered.
If you have a car then Chamonix is manageable but the ease of ski in ski out for me would make Val Thorens the top choice. It's a very easy drive to Moutiers (2hrs) and then 45 minutes on a windy mountain road.
Not to confuse things further but I would also have a look at Avoriaz, it's a shorter drive but it is ski in ski out and pretty high.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Avoriaz is a good one. Car-free though, so it is awkward to park outside and then lug all your bags into the village. Once there though, ski-in-ski-out everywhere, and very snow sure.
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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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alexl, Nearly six weeks away a lot can happen in that time some years you get blisteringly hot weather in March which fries the lower slopes other years you get plenty of snow. In what is not a very high season week , my own inclination would be to take the flights and car hire and wait and see which resorts snow holds up well, it is unlikely that you will be unable to secure accommodation.
Personally I have been to Nendaz a few times recently in April, it links in with Verbier. There is a decent amount of high altitude skiing as well as some tree lined stuff if the weather is poor which it can be in April. You can generally secure good quality accommodation at a very reasonable price as there is plenty of it and you get a decent family reduction on lift passes.
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alexl, I wouldn't go to Les Contamines for a couple of reasons. Part of the village is near to the lifts, the main town is a short hop away. So you would have to be careful to find somewhere in the right bit. Two, some of the drags are too steep for a 6yo and a beginner boarder 8yo. Whilst they can be avoided it's a limiting factor. Don't get me wrong much of what pam w says is correct and it's a nice place. But I just think there are better options for your group. You can search for my trip report on here if you want to know more.
I would also rule out Chamonix on account you won't get the best out of it and I believe the snow will hold up better elsewhere.
Tignes is a good call, Arc 1800/2000, Plagne Centre, Val T also all good option IMV. And I think your thinking is right in regard of longer drive, better option.
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You know it makes sense.
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If i was flying into Geneva I would go to Avoriaz. Ease of transfer. The others will take longer to get to and when you add petrol and tolls and stops etc it can counter your cheap flights. I know visually Avoriaz isn't for everyone but the skiing is great for a family. Park your car and load your stuff onto a snow taxi which takes you straight to your hotel door.
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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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Pretty much anywhere really - baring the very lowest resorts or a heatwave.
Your guide to France:
http://smbt.g-r-c.fr/userfile/file/1376291881_guide-stations-BAT.pdf
Well, much of it anyway.
FYI, it only took us 2¼ hours to drive at half-term from GVA to St Jean de Maurienne (way down south), in the rain and including a picnic stop. IMV, hardly onerous unless you're only going for a weekend.
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Poster: A snowHead
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What about La Tzoumaz in Switzerland (easy ski links to Verbier)? We drove from the UK but from Lausanne it took 1 hour. We (2 families with young teenagers) stayed here at half term and loved it. Usually ski big French resorts at 1/2 term so were very surprised at how quiet the 4 Valleys was, hardly any queuing and similar prices for on mountain cafeteria type lunches and apres drinks in Ebatalons bar in La Tzoumaz.
We stayed at Chalet La Luge catered chalet which was brilliant. http://www.chaletlaluge.com/index.html. Chalet/rooms/food/service/hot tub/views everything was great. They do self catering chalets too.
La Tzoumaz is a small, quiet place but the teenagers enjoyed the evening fun swim in the local pool, ski shop was efficient with good quality equipment and there was one bar/disco open until late, we didn't try it (never managed to leave the chalet after dinner). We used the new ski school, Tzoum'Evasion, for adult refresher lessons, fine, and 2 days guiding for the teenagers which they loved. Would definitely go back.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Layne, yes, you're probably right about the drags - they are not for the faint-hearted, are they?
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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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Layne, yes, you're probably right about the drags - they are not for the faint-hearted, are they?
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Keeps the riff raff and little kids out though I guess 
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thanks for all that info chaps and chapesses.
Alvoriaz looks interesting. This may be a dumb question but when do resorts "close" and how do I find out. We are going 11 april but all the package companies have 5 april as last week for Alvoriaz and alot of the stuff on their own website also seems to end 5th April.
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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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Google for 'RESORT NAME season dates' usually does the trick. Third week of April is common.
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i would be carefull about avoriaz as it is an area that catches the sun and the sking does not go that high.This year most of the snow fall has been at higher levels and sub 1500 meters could be quite thin by then.If you are prepared to drive up to 3 hours from Geneva this puts most of the big ski reorts in range !
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http://www.avorinet.com/lifts/dates.html
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Snow cover permitting, the Portes du Soleil ski area will be open daily from 21st December 2013 to 27th April 2014
Portes du Soleil ski area will be open daily from 21st December 2013 to 27th April 2014
Morzine & Les Gets ski lifts are partially open (Pleney and Chavannes) from the 13th December 2013 and then fully open from the 20th December 2013 - 21st April 2014
Avoriaz ski lifts are open from the 13th December 2013 - 27th April 2014 (partial openings first and last week)
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I suspect like all the big ski areas it will be "open" the week you go. How much skiable terrain there will be will be dependent on several factors. Plenty of resorts of sunny slopes and anything below 1500m will get patchy or closed.
TBH I wouldn't sweat it. Just sort out a decent ski school and accommodation close by in a large resort above 1500m and then accept what's on offer.
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Can I reinforce what the others are saying don't worry about the resort just yet. Easter is looking very very quiet so you should get somewhere easily and cheaply.
alexl, Many of the big resorts shut at the end of the Easter week, but Tignes stays open into May. I was told that many British operators stop doing ski trips just before Easter so that the charter aircraft can be rescheduled to beach destinations.
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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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Thanks guys and gals. Loads of good info. Gonna book the flights tonight and then take it from there.
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