 Poster: A snowHead
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Group of 8 gents off on annual long weekend ski trip. Ideally flying from Newcastle so Geneva the only real option. Any options other than Chamonix that people would recommend, tips on accommodation also much 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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Morzine, probably. Not cheap, particularly. Or snowsure, particularly. But good apres and near Geneva. I can't give you any accommodation tips but there are plenty of people here who can, and no doubt will.
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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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Define 'close to', amongst other things. Is good apres dancing on tables doing Jagermeister bombs until 6am, or a few jars in front of the footy?
Within - say - 2 hours of GVA there are hundreds of places!
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Ideally within 90min of Geneva, don't need 6am drinking but ideally somewhere that 8 blokes can have a good drink without standing out to much. We were in Mayrhofen this year and had a great time so something similar would be perfect.
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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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pmercer, sounds like Morzine then  Avoriaz is easily reached in case the snow isn't too good, but we were there in mid Jan this year, when the snow wasn't considered to be great, and had plenty without needing to go up to Avoriaz. Lots of bars, happy hours, lively restaurants etc.,
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pmercer, why not Chamonix? But my otherwise 1st call would be Morzine. But lots of places suitable for a weekend.
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Verbier ticks all the boxes except cheap.
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Must admit verbier is tempting, any recommendations for cheap long weekend accommodation?
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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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pmercer, Morzine as above.
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pmercer, a few friends and I got a 3 bed apartment in Verbier for a long weekend season before last for a very good price through Airbnb. We were very pleased with it!
I can't find the exact one on there right now, but there are quite a few.
I'd still recommend looking at Morzine though - it'll be cheaper, and a slightly shorter transfer. I've done long weekends in both Verbier and Morzine, and had an equally great time.
Edited to add: check out sites like booking.com for Morzine - it's got lots of hotels and B&Bs so the normal booking websites do a good job of finding things for odd dates (not just a week Saturday to Saturday), and a good range of prices/options.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pmercer, If you self cater in Verbier you can keep the prices down. If you hire a car, do a shop for food and drink (stick with local beer and wine) at the big Coop on the way to Verbier, after Martigny, and obviously avoid peak times and you'll have a great time.
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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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Cheers everyone for your advice. I think the big challenge we will have is that we ideally want to travel Thursday to Monday which doesn't seem to go down well with many of the hotels unsurprisingly.
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pmercer,
I always do a thu-mon (or wed mon) trip with or or two mates - never tried it with 8 though. My experience is that it is much easier to go in January than other times - quiet and yet snow everywhere by then. Generally there is a lad of availability but some hotels will not take weekend bookings until near the date - dont want to risk missing two weeks to book in a long weekend. If you wait until early Jan to book, suddenly they are welcoming you with open arms!
Morzine is a good option. I'd suggest Les Contamines on snow / transfer time but it will be pretty quiet in Jan - only a couple of bars will have any life at night.
J
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You know it makes sense.
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Les Gets The new apres ski bar at the bottom of the piste gets pretty lively and there are loads of other bars to head to after that (if you can still manage it). Not v cheap but not extortionate either. Just over an hour transfer and also not Chamonix.
Andy
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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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The cost of lift passes is pretty high in Verbier. I think I paid 70CHF for a day this year. A Morzine/Les Gets pass will be a lot less, maybe €35 or less if you get a deal with the Tourist Office.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pmercer wrote: |
| Cheers everyone for your advice. I think the big challenge we will have is that we ideally want to travel Thursday to Monday which doesn't seem to go down well with many of the hotels unsurprisingly. |
But can be easily done in advance for self- catering. I've posted often about www.morzinelets.com and they readily do long weekends and are not too expensive.
We got a weekend apartment in Verbier from www.sunnyrentals.com in 2012. Decent standard but a bit expensive at £729 (it was a 6 berth apartment). curerntly they have these http://www.sunnyrentals.com/en_US/search/switzerland/verbier/t2658168?start=2015-01-15&finish=2015-01-19&sleepsMin=4&bedroomsMin=2. Transfer to GVA 2hrs by hire car or private transfer. I can't remember lift pass prices but 4 days this winter gone was 266CHF and Morzine (pds) was 166 euro according to t'interweb search (£176 vs £134 at todays exchange rates).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cheers halfhand, Verbier looks like it might be doable of a reasonable budget based on the links you have sent through.
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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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pmercer, apologies for hijacking your thread a little bit...
anderoo, I'd be interested more in knowing about the apres in Les Gets - would it keep a 39 year old jagerbomb enthusiast happy as it might well tick a lot of our boxes for a resort (other than being ski in / out in January?) we're hunting for next season. Thank you 
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always29, It was a few years ago (2007 I think0 but there were a few decent bars in Les Gets. The obligatory Irish bar I recall and an aussie place called Bush. several others whose names I forget.
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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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If après is the main criteria then stay in Austria!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have posted on several threads about this so a quick search will find quite a few reviews etc.
I have arranged an annual lads trip every year for the last 10 years to chatel or Les Gets. There are 7-10 of us all aged between 40-47. We fly out tuesday night at 7pm arriving in resort about midnight and return saturday night so 4 nights of heavy drinking (up till 4am on occasions) and 4 days boarding/skiing. We pay around £150 for flights, £30 each for return minibus from Geneva and around £130 for apartments each and get our own room. Both resorts are 1 hour from geneva. PdS ski area has 650KM of piste and only once in 10 years has the snow in January been less than fantastic and that one year the whole Alps suffered but the pistes were still 80% ski-able from snow making.
I couldn't recommend it enough, both resorts have great restaurants and Les gets was very lively at night and we kept finding bars open very late that were very lively. In fact Les gets almost ruined the skiing completely due to night life.
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Still trying to make my mind up, anyone got any ideas for long weekend accommodation in either Les Gets or Avoriaz for 8-10 people. Don't mind staying in a couple of apartments if necessary. Mheadbee tried to find your previous threads but couldn't locate them?
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always29, There is a dedicated après bar at the foot of the mountain and several others. The Aussie ish based bar is the boomerang and not the bush. Plenty of craziness if that is what you are looking for.
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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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pmercer, when flying to Geneva in January this year I got talking to a gang of girls in the airport who going on a Friday - Tuesday trip in Avoriaz which I believe was organised by Erna Low. Included flights, accomodation and transfers.
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in Morzine - Le Cottage does 3 day breaks around £60 p/p/day DBB. Next to Pleney Lift and good value
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