Some (more) Flaine advice please?

A snowHead

So we're now booked up to stay in the Foret area in early Jan. I'm hoping for some info to maximise my groups enjoyment. I have looked at some of the older threads but things change and it would be boring if people didn't ask the same questions over and over again.

I gather there are some free lifts but don't know their names - we have a second week boarder and first time skier who no doubt will make good use?

Is there a good value food place accessible by beginners where we could all meet for lunch?

Decent Pizza (I'm guessing probably not much choice)?

Somewhere for Savoyard cuisine in the evenings?

Recommendations for a few beers apre and a bit later (fully aware that we're going to a quiet place at the quietest time)?

Will there be any snow?
Toofy Grin

Thank you.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

The Cascades restaurant might be a good option for meeting up at lunch - it is near the beginners area and I think can be accessed by a green run. It has a large self service restaurant where we have eaten but I've a feeling it also has a kiosk selling paninis etc (not completely sure of this). You could also meet up with your friends a the top of the Grandes Platieres. There is a nice mountain restaurant there with an amazing view of Mont Blanc. The beginners could either ski back to the resort on a blue run or take the gondola back down again.

Flaine is north facing and hold its snow well. I would not be worrying about snow in January.

I don't know about evening restaurants as have only skied there and stayed in different GM resorts.
Did not look for free lifts as had a full GM pass.

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There are a couple of places in the Foret that do pizza, takeaway too. The magic carpet from the bottom of the Grand Vans is free, as is the bucket thing from the Forum up to the Foret (magic carpet leads to a v easy green run down to the bucket and there's a nice place to eat on the flat bit). Not sure about any others. Slopeside places tend to be pricey. Don't be tempted to take the newbies down Tourmaline (if you don't know it already, it's a long blue run that's like the M25 and gets mashed up early on), they'll hate it unless it's first lift down. Flaine's quite lively in the evening and there's even a tacky Irish bar to avoid in the Forum Toofy Grin

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Oh please the snow question was a joke! I even forced out an emoticon - not an easy feat for a 40 year old man. It's booked, we're going, it'll be fun.

I've done a little digging and it looks like there are 4 free lifts: As Waffle says Bissac, the buckets that join Foret to Forum and 2 more at Pre.

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@HoneyBunny, It was in the Irish pub (which was ghastly) and at the Dutch pub in the Foret, but I am used to Arc 1950 and tend to book an apartment in the quiet bit....zzzzzz

After all it is free

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No worries Snow Hound! snowHead

I must have been oversensitive! Embarassed

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@Snow Hound, I love Flaine I been 7 times so know it reasonably well. There's a nice self serve restaurant at the foot of Bisac lifts and the yoghurt pots, they do a great Tartifillete which is large enough to share, was about €14 in 2012, you can all meet there easily at lunch there's reasonable room inside and a big deck if it's warm enough to eat out. the serpentine/crystal runs end there from the top of the mountain, so as your beginners progress they should be able to ski that with you after lunch. The pizza place in the forum centre is nice, and I think there a reasonable place serving savoyard at the end of forum near the gondola station. You'll have a great time Very Happy

The place by the DMC gondola and bucket lift isn't bad. L'epicea is very good and on the green run just past the turn off for Cascades Restaurant but be aware that Flaine is the most expensive place for on piste eating in the GM so value is a relative notion.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks everyone.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Best value lunch on piste is L'eloge which is a comfy "self" next to the much more expensive Chalets Michet about 80 m slope side uphill of the DMC ticket office. Good sharing pants and hot steak sandwiches, etc. Not a spot for a long, lingering lunch, but nourishing and bang in between the free beginners lifts ! But along the front of Forum there are a number of good value very typical small French restaurants with good, reasonably priced Plat du Jour - the sort of places where the whole Ski Schoo office eats every day of the season ("grain de sel"). Finally, don't forget that your apartment is most likely a very short walk back and the previous evenings leftovers can be very palatable. Finally as mentioned above L'epicea and also "Pente a Jules" are the green run between the yoghurt pots and Forum - Pente a Jules most expensive, better terrace if sunny.

"Quote:

Is there a good value food place accessible by beginners where we could all meet for lunch?

No "

Some SnowHeads are either not very current on Flaine or their irony sadly surpasses me !!!

A snowHead

A snowHead

@pam w, Shoulda posted pn Snowheads and asked then!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Snowhound

This won't be in order (since I'm half asleep) and it's more a case of 'what we do' rather than 'what you should do' when we're staying up in Montsoleil. You might find something in here useful.

Firstly, I'm with others with regard to La Pente A Jouls. It's a good spot. Equally, Le Bissac should be very close to the top of your list, being very close to the bottom of the learner slopes and the foot of the Grand Vans lift and certainly fits the bill for somewhere being able to meet easily. And Cascades is decent, too. A quick word of caution: choose somewhere that gives an alternative route down other than the main reds (Jade, Faust etc), which can all be a tad daunting. That said, if you don't mind walking 100m from the foot of the DMC to the Forum complex, the Brasserie Cimes is generally pretty good at any time of day or evening. The owner and his wife are always friendly and the service invariably good. Lunchtime set meals are around €13 from memory, and include salads/good pizzas/specials. Like others, they do a decent 'cook it yourself, here's a hot stone and some raw meat' arrangement, which is an easy winner. Also in the Forum complex, for the evenings, is Pizzeria Chez Pierrot which has never let us down either for Savoyard grub or pizzas. If you fancy something a bit more upmarket, but in no way stuffy, it's l'Ancolie all the way. We've had some fantastic nights in there. They, like all the other places, will send the free shuttle bus to collect you and bring you home (shout up if you don't know about the free shuttles). Incidentally, getting from Foret to Forum is really simple, there are two funicular contraptions that were refurbished last year so are now, finally, reliable.

There's a lot more to the area than Flaine, especially for learners and improvers, but how much your L-plated colleagues are able to take in may depend on their propensity to take on Arete and Perce Neige, as well as Tete de Saix.

The more time we spend in the GM, the more we enjoy Les Carroz now that the piste map makes sense (it's downhill from left to right through the trees, which themselves are on a ridge). Of a morning, we often avoid the Grand Vans bun fight and ski along Portet, a long and winding blue which often requires a bit of poling to start but the majority is lovely and invariably deserted. For lunch, Milk at the foot of Timalets is brilliant, although may not be suitable for your beginners since Timalets is a red, albeit very wide, very straight and with a pretty linear gradient.

And, of course, there's Igloo. Lovely Igloo. When I've had enough of mountain food, I have their ham and chips with two eggs and white bread, for which I make absolutely no excuse. I make chip butties, eat them looking out towards the upper Morillon slopes and, for those few minutes, I am the happiest man alive (especially on the day when a snooty woman was trying to take a panoramic photo but a random dog was trying to hump her leg). Oh, it also does fantastic salads, according to the lovely mrs twodogs. Igloo is at the top of Bergin which, other than in pure icy conditions, is a great blast. Marvel is a legendary green which winds down through Morillon and is great for learners. There's a lot of skiing to be had outside of Flaine, so it may be a good call for you to send the more experienced of the gang across on a recce?

Other stuff? We've always found Sherpa preferable to Spar, and the Perdrix Noire in Foret can be hit or miss. If there's a group, you can make it your own and have a decent time, especially if the fire's lit. The White Pub in Forum is a big place which was very busy, and with a very interesting live band (kind of retro blues and soul but with some really nice old instruments too), the last time we went on a Wednesday night. It was decent enough, although the only previous time we poked our head in was during an early week happy hour and it was 'orrid.

Finally (hurrah!), see if you can get your learners up the Aujon drag, which is right at the end of the bowl. There are two or three absolutely lovely, easy blues and it's always deserted, so a great place to practice away from the crowds. I think it's possible to get back down to Forum from there using the bottom of Mephisto and Pin, which are blue and green respectively but, again, it may be worth sending somebody up first to check? To access the Aujon drag, take the Aup de Veran bubble and then the top blue part of Mephisto. Hopefully that'll make sense of you're looking at a piste map.

Shout up if you need anything else, there are plenty of us around with relevant, recent knowledge who are happy to pitch in!

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+1 for Bissac, Sherpa and Aujon. Avoid Tourmaline when you are with the beginners. Flying Dutchman pub ok for drinks. There was a mini market place near the flying Dutchman that roasted chickens which you can pre order

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

As always with Flaine you need to keep up with recent developments before making decisions
Things change - this year is no exception - and some of the advice on the forum (mine included) is out of date
For example, the whole Bissac area has been reprofiled and a new lift installed making a much bigger and better area for beginners
Likewise a new drag now links the bottom of Grand Vans to Gerats so no need to take the bus to Montsoliel anymore
This should reduce traffic on Tourmaline making it less busy at the end of the day - there has also been some work on the slope itself
Off the slopes, Pedrix Noire is much better with the new owners - even the locals now go there
That said, best value at lunchtime is still Le Pre by the DMC - not pretty and simple food but typically €5 cheaper than anywhere else and a good meeting spot especially if you have kids
The Bissac is also better than it used to be but I always find it too crowded - probably unfair but just my view
Likewise the pizza take away in the Foret shopping centre is excellent and Monster Burger in Forum surprised me with how much you got for the money
Elsewhere L'Epicea & Pente a Jules are good if you have deeper pockets
In the evening Brasserie Les Cimes has never let us down & Sucre Sale has an interesting and different menu (but is always quiet when I go there)
Further away L'Beu in Morillon is still the best on slope option in the whole of the GM
Night life is still rubbish everywhere (no one could stand a whole week going to the White Pub surely?) but we all go for the skiing - right?

After all it is free

Thanks everyone we're having a great time. I think you've just got to pick the right night for a 'big one'. You know, out out. Last night in the White Pub was one of the craziest, sweatiest, most hilarious nights ever and that's in 25 odd year raving career. Freestylers big up dem chest!

Edit: Many of your recommendations have been utilised to great effect! Much appreciated.

@Snow Hound, Where did you stay? Our boys trip is likely to be Flaine in early March and we 'aint booked an accommodation yet.

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@halfhand, Pierre & Vacances Residence La Foret. Some of the reviews aren't great but the apartments we had were fine. We did have 3 in an apartment that theoretically sleeps 5 though. The other appartment was smaller and the TV didn't work. Location is good, not quite ski in/out but close. Heated ski lockers in the basement are a bonus. Price is very good.

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@Snow Hound, Cheers for that. There'll be four of us (lads trip). Will check it out.

Help!!

Some (more) Flaine advice please?

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