we have been looking for a smallish resort for our first family ski holiday (kids will be 8 and 6). We want to drive so it needs to be easy to get to and as close to calais as possible. Someone has recommended Morillon.
We are idealy looking for doorstep skiing, ski school where our little ones will feel comfortable, reasonably priced (we are on a budget!).
Could Morillon be the resort for us? There seems to be some very reasonable accommodation there.
if anyone has any experience of this resort I would love to hear your views!
thank you
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Welcome to Snowheads.
We ski into Morillon regularly from other parts of the Grand Massif, and it has some lovely blue and green slopes. In particular, it has the 5km Marvel, a lovely green-graded run down through the trees, which is great for confidence building. There are even picnic tables by the piste for good weather.
Morillon is split into two parts. The lower part is down in the valley and you need to take a lift to get to the ski area. The higher part is Morillon Les Esserts, and you are right by the slopes, with a few local shops and restaurants at the same level. It's only a few minutes drive down to 'proper' (ie cheaper) shops to stock up if you are self-catering, in Morillon and Samoens.
What time of year are you thinking of going? This will affect how good the snow is likely to be in Morillon, which is relatively low. By early April this year things were very slushy at the low level.
Can't comment on ski school at all, sorry. Is it a first ski holiday for all of you, or just the children?
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?
Its beautiful but relatively quiet.
This video of my daughter shows the great Marvel run mentioned above, its a lovely piste and great for the kids and beginners.
Great resort for a first family holiday i would say. Easy access to Geneva with loads of transfer companies at reasonable cost. Lovely ski area, look at Les Carroz and samoens as well. I wouldn t bother with the more expensive grand massif lift pass (includes Flaine) as you have more than enough with just the massif pass with the kids.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Also check out Albiez-Montrond which is absolutely perfect for week 1/2 skiers. Small, friendly and very familly-orrientated with no nasty suprises and excellent value. You'd need to check there are English-speaking instructors though.
Morillon is a lovely little place but if you want doorstep skiing then you need to stay up at the ski station itself as opposed to down in the village... The village is about a 5 minute drive to Samoens, which is considerable larger and has oodles of restaurants and 'french' bars (If I remember there is one very lively Irish bar if that is what you want)... Morillon Village is however very quiet. There is a reasonable bar at the foot of the main telecahin and 1 or 2 restaurants, but it really is small...
Up at the ski station, again, there are a couple of places you could dine/drink (no idea about shops etc.) but please don't go there thinking this is a large ski station, as it isn't.. But it is a lovely, relaxed place... If you watch the vid above, at around 5min 30, what you see there, that row of apartment blocks etc. is basically the ski station as far as bar/restaurant/shop things are concerned...
If you want to go to the Grand Massif, and feel you want more of a 'vibe' about the village you're in then I would strangle recommend Les Carroz... Has a lovely village with plenty to do, however, it is not ski to the door... There are a couple of places that are very close to the slopes, but the village has an exceptional bus service and this is only a couple of mins on this bus...
On the whole... everywhere is great in the GM area, and it is really family friendly... but Morillon is possible the quietest and smallest of the 4 main villages... Have fun whatever you decide...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
AlpineAddict, There are ski to door places in les carroz? the odalays place front de neige, and MGM jouvance plus les arielles, milk hotel and les servages (if you can afford it) to name a few
After all it is free
After all it is free
carroz, apologies... I didn't think that they were quite ski to the door, soi stand corrected...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
I agree with all of the above and the suggestion that you stay at a Morillon Les Esserts. (Skiing to the bottom at Morillon itself is open occasionally, but by no means guaranteed). The blue run down to Les Esserts is long and lovely (as is the green as previously mentioned). Les Carroz has a nicer villagey feel, but though there is some great ski in/out accommodation, it may be a bit too pricy if you are on a budget and trying to find somewhere in school hols. The only thing I would say is that, given the altitude, I would not recommend staying in either during April when things can get patchy and slushy.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Oh wow, thank you all so much! This forum is brilliant!!
So, in answer to some of your posts, it is only the kids first time. We have skied lots before. We dont need any night life (those days are long gone!) And plan to self cater.
I have another post active about the best time of year with the kids so your comments about april are well worth knowing. Our preferred time is the first week of January.
Thank you about the lift pass advice. I will have a look into that. We certainly dont plan to ski far as we will either have the kids with us or will not want to be far from them in ski school. A small resort is perfect.
We will have a look at the higher level for accommodation as we would really like ski in/out.
corduroy, brilliant video!! I just showed my husband and he said that we are going to need a gopro camera. Is that what you used??
thank you so much for your replies! And advice on ski hire, ski school?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
abadr
I would certainly highly recommend the Morillon ski area for your children. I think the drawbacks are that there is no real village at Les Esserts 1100 and no resort pool or accommodation with a pool at that altitude. There are places with pools in Morillon village but the access to the slopes is less convenient.
We prefer Les Carroz as a base but the better apartments there such as Les Chalets de Jouvence are a lot more expensive than the accommodation in Morillon.
I do not know about the ESF in Morillon but have experienced the ESF in Les Carroz and it is the best we've come across in several years of family ski holidays.
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.
Quote:
we are going to need a gopro camera
you can rent them, not too expensive, in many places. If the budget is really tight you won't be looking for accommodation with pools anyway but I'd strongly support your wish to be very close to the nursery slopes.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
abadr, I am attaching the link to my trip report from Morillon at half term Feb 2014. Some of it you may find interesting and helpful and if any questions spring to mind feel free to ask. Ultimately we loved the Grand Massif and have booked to go again this Christmas week but staying in Les Carroz.
Appreciating you are experienced skiers but kids have never been before the main point I would raise having now done four trips with my kids is to locate yourself somewhere where it is minimal aggravation to get you on the slopes in the first place, carrying kids kit etc can be a ball ache. If you stay in Morillon and have your car it is really easy to drive to the main gondola station and drop kids and partner off with all the skis as there is a dedicated short stop drop off point for this very purpose. You can then drive across the road into the free car park and walk an alleyway about 100 metres back to the gondola and all hook up. This is what we did every day and it worked well with minimal stress and kids didn't need to walk in boots with skis. You can easily download in the gondola at the end of the day back to the village assuming the slopes are not open all the way down.
Alternatively Morillon 1100 is doorstep skiing but a bit more expensive.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
But it is a lovely, relaxed place... If you watch the vid above, at around 5min 30, what you see there, that row of apartment blocks etc. is basically the ski station as far as bar/restaurant/shop things are concerned...
There are ski to door places in les carroz? the odalays place front de neige, and MGM jouvance plus les arielles, milk hotel and les servages (if you can afford it) to name a few
