 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
We're a bit behind the crowds but have decided we'd like to go skiing for New Years (27th/28th December) for a week.
My friend has asked if I can try and find somewhere that is more of a traditional french village type development (think low rise, think morzine, stone and timber chalets that sort of thing). However, I'm more concerned with getting as high as possible to try and guarantee snow cover ski-in / ski-out if possible.
Can anyone suggest any happy compromise between our two views? Vallandry at the bottom of Les Arcs seems sensible to me but has anyone got any other suggestions?
Cheers in advance,
Chris
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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 and Les Gets are nice. The resorts are low but we went NY 2012 and everywhere was white all week. From Morzine you can head up to Avoriaz which is 1800m.
I am going to La Ros again this NY. Its at 1850 and the resort is nice. Its not traditional as such but there are no high rise and its well designed. There are other resorts like Meribel which are more picturesque and slightly higher. This article has a few suggestions if the look of the resort is of importance.
http://www.onthesnow.co.uk/news/a/587464/top-10-most-picturesque-ski-resorts
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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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Hi Mike-H, thanks for the reply.
We were in Morzine for a long weekend back in early Feb this year and it rained nearly the whole time at village level, very grim - that said, a few hundred meters up on top of the Pleney it was fantastic, so much fresh snow! I guess this demonstrates that you just never can tell. Which I guess is why I'm looking for a resort that's as high as possible to maximise our chances, whilst also trying to please the others who are coming and are looking for a picturesque village! I think this could be an impossible task......
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Have you had a look at Arc 1950?
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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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I'd recommend Montchavin, just accross the valley from Vallandry on the La Plagne side. It's a more genuinely traditional village with a number of rather ancient original buildings in the compact village centre. Vallandry is nice, but more spread out, more 'modern but built in a traditional style', and more expensive. However, Montchavin is also quieter - more going on over in Vallandry. Nowhere is exactly ski in ski out, but there are a few chalets very close to the piste. Savoie Holidays, Snowchateaux and Snow Place Like home are companies I can remember operating there (no TOs). Also has a really good ski school/hire shop (Evo2).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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How about Plagne 1800? It's at 1800m so ideal for snowsure but most of the development is low-rise and relatively attractive.
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We stayed in Plagne 1800 back in March this year for a week. We were in one of the Chalets on the top road and found skiing back at the end of the day a bit of a pain. I'll take a look at Arc 1950 though.
Gamsbock - Montchavin does appeal in many ways, my only concern was snow cover at New Years being as low as it is - it's always nice to be able to ski back at the end of the day rather than have to download.
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chopkins13, I think Champagny would meet your requirements, it is a traditional farming village that has been classed as the best unspoilt resort in France by the DMS&S magazine.
It has access via a gondola up to 2000 metres giving you access to the La Plagne ski area, it is also useful if you don't want a tricky red run back down to Champagny at the end of the day. It usualy has snow in the village for the New Year week and there is artificial snowmaking on the le Bois run down through the trees so you should be able to ski down if you wanted to.
We know of an old converted farmhouse that is very 'traditional', it has been converted into four separate apartments and is in the older part of the village near the 17th Century chuch. We have stayed in one of the apartments in the past and that was excellent, they still have a couple of apartments left for New Year week and it is good value.
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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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Montalbert?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Belle Plagne isn't too high rise. Whilst not to everyone's taste, it does have a bit of a villagey feel and is certainly fairly snow-sure. The rest of La Plagne may put off, however 
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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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chopkins13, how about Italy - e.g. Champoluc? Also has benefits of being generally cheaper and quieter. The slopes were practically empty at New Year this year.
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Bonneval sur Arc: not quite ski in/out but very traditional village and pretty snowsure.
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You know it makes sense.
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chopkins13, As you can see from the above (some, I imagine, tongue in cheek, Arc 1950 is hardly traditional French) there are plenty of choice, so I will add a few more to the mix:
La Grande Bornand
Vars
Val Loire
La Clusaz
St. Martin de Belleville
Pralognan
La Grave
St Pierre de chartreuse
And that is not even looking at the Pyrenees.
OK some are not that high, but should have snow for New Year and some are not really ski-in /ski-out. Traditional villages and high ski-in/ski-out snow sure ski resorts are really incompatible. Who would create a village where for 3 months of the year it was covered in snow.
BTW what do you mean by
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We're a bit behind the crowds but have decided we'd like to go skiing for New Years
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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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JohnE - thanks for your reply, my 'behind the crowds' comment was referring to how a lot of chalets are already booked out for New Years, clearly we're behind the crowds in getting something booked!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Wow, I was thinking of going to Tignes over New Year, but I usually book in Sept - Nov. Many, if not most apartments will not be released until then.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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johnE, hmmm, we generally are fully booked for NY (in Chamonix) by October. As typically are all the nice apartments we know.
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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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I second St Martin de Belleville, 1400m, so not too low, and access to the whole 3v area. Only thing is finding some accommodation as it gets booked up so early for new year. It also depends on how many you are, your budget, whether you are driving down, or looking for a package,, and what sort of accommodation you want. If you are prepared to stay in one of the "villages" (Villarabout and St Marcel spring to mind, both about 1km from St M, the latter being somewhere you can easily ski back to), then you open up more options, including one or two nice owner operated chalet businesses. It really is lovely, and the skiing is fab. Wherever you go, it won't be cheap and it will be busy!
Just had a look on one of the local agency websites, and they came up with 6 properties still available for that week, including this! Looks lovely....
http://www.agencedesalpes.com/en/winter/vacances-montagne/location/2-1053-1
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Samoens has a lovely village centre. It's quite low but a fast gondola takes you up to where the snow is.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 to Tignes les Brev
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Lots of nice traditional villages in Austria - have you thought about going there? Lech is lovely and has a good snow record for New Year.
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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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Right well thanks (in large part) to all your suggestions on here, we've narrowed it down to: Saint Martin de Belleville, Tignes Les Brevieres or one of the smaller Serre Chevallier villages. Struggling to find a self catered chalet with 3 bedrooms though (could cope with more, budget is around £3,000).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Gämsbock, that looks very nice, but no listing for that date? I agree with other posters above that New Year weeks are often rented far ahead.
I looked in my area, just out of interest, and found several 3 bedroom places still available (from £1400, ski in/out) but only a small number, considering how many there are! I have friends looking for an apartment in my development for that week, and they're struggling.
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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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Hi Pam W - What's your area?
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My reading of it was actually that they haven't released the winter season bookings yet, rather than it had gone. Last year whilst looking for Christmas I found some accommodation owners didn't release their bookings until September. If it was otherwise of interest, I would just contact them to check availability.
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You know it makes sense.
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My reading of it was actually that they haven't released the winter season bookings yet, rather than it had gone.
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yes, I agree - a lot of French places don't officially start their bookings till about now. But so many people book the same place for the next New Year, with the owner, straight after their holiday that until that week is officially for sale there's probably not too much point looking them up.
chopkins13, my area is Les Saisies, which is part of the Espace Diamant. Low rise, quite attractive buildings. Does get very busy at New Year but then, so does everywhere!
http://tinyurl.com/q5oyral
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FAQ
