Any info on Praz de lys and Valberg

A snowHead

Hello

Just joined the site so this is my first post.
I am just starting back after best part of 20yr's.

Looking at taking other half and two kids next year probably Feb half term. has anyone got any first hand experience on either of these two resorts?

Valberg
Praz de lys

Kids and otherhalf will be learning to ski from May this year and will be going to dryslope/indoor on regular basis then continue lessons with myself, so hopefully all being well will at least be comfortable on greens and blues by the time we go and then I can concentrate on getting them used to reds.
Not bothered about runs for me only concern is nice open runs preferably tree lined runs as well if weather not so good ( which both these seem to have). I have looked at the piste maps for both these areas as well as Val Cenis areas and Les Saisies and a few others which are also on the short list.
But many resorts either like to downgrade or upgrade runs to try and appeal to all levels so do these resorts fall into one of these groups or are they reasonable accurate with grading of their runs?
They will probably spend the first couple days mainly on nice easy blues and greens so I can make sure they concentrate on technique then hopefully move onto easy reds.

I have enough info on accomodation but lacking good first hand information on the resorts such as good cafes and other non ski or sports orientated options if other half wants a day off from skiing (I don't want her to get bored and not want to go again). Also on how good is the lift system/how busy do they get during half term can it cope or are there quite a few bottlenecks?

We will be driving down and used to driving in France so no issues re how far away one is over the other.
If you can think of anything else worth knowing about these resorts please chip in as my only concern is to make sure they have a good time and want to go again.

A snowHead

speed098, welcome to SnowHeads.

We live quite close to Praz de Lys and usually go there once or twice a year but haven't so far this year. We are never around during February half term so can't comment on what it will be like then. Its a place that is still full of the French and you don't hear English voices that often - saying that just as it might be an issue with ski school as I dare say you will be putting the children into ski school - lots of tree lined slopes and then big open ones. The off piste is good there, so I am told, but I don't go off piste other than just off the sides, between pistes etc. Reasonable number of cafes around - Jean de la Pipe does great food and you would need to book there. Cross country skiing is popular at Praz - not really sure of a lot of non-skiing options there for your wife otherwise. I think its a lovely little place that would be great for starting out - almost somewhere that's been forgotten so not over-run.

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Hi Thanks for the info Pamski, ski school will not be an issue as I will be teaching them myself unless they go down the route of snowboarding most days. We can get by with our French otherhalf more so than me.
I say kids but youngest she will be 13 and eldest he will be 17 when we go. Hopefully if they take to it and want to go again then I will book them in lessons on the second trip more for the meeting new people/giving me free time/giving them a different perspective, but hopefully by then they would be in a proper european advanced class. If they do not enjoy it then I may end up being a solo skier Sad

There seems to be a good range of blue runs at Praz and Sommand but how good are the piste signs I don't want to leave them in an area while I check out other runs for later in the holiday for them to end up on a harder red or are the reds (especially the N2) around the T1 T2 blues pretty easy reds? There seems to be a pretty safe area at Valberg one lift only has two runs a blue and a green so no issues there.
Problem is I want to book soon after coming back from our Easter holiday and so will be looking at the easier runs but they may well be at a standard that they can be ripping up the reds within a day of getting there, but I do know other half will only ever be a holiday skier at best Sad

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speed098, I have always thought that the signs at Praz and Sommand are pretty good.

Help!!

Any info on Praz de lys and Valberg

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