Vallandry

A snowHead

Anyone got any good tips for Vallandry? We're booked to go Feb half term. We've booked ski lessons for the kids with New Gen (hoping it's worth the not insubstantial cost).
We stayed in Plan Peisey about 9 years ago but I had just had a bambino a few weeks before so didn't do much skiing that year (excuses, excuses).
Just looking for tips on places to ski and eat mainly (and any combinations of the two). We are self catering in Oree des Cimes so any tips on nearby supermarche as we will have the car also greatfully received. We've never done half term before as have always been naughty parents who took the kids out of school.

Ta muchly

A snowHead

For your eating out a nice place is:

Restaurant L'Ancolie
Nancroix
73210 Peisey-Nancroix
Frankrig

A bit out off the way from Plan Peisey - but great food.

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

Thanks, will look it up

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You will have a small supermarket in Vallandry itself and another the other end of town in Plan Peisey. 15 mins walk between the two, a few mins by car; big car park next to the Plan Peisey supermarket makes it very convenient. A handy minbus shuttles between the two ends of town (Vallandy and Plan Pesiey being cheek-by-jowl). For hypermarkets, you would need to go down the hill to Bourg St Maurice where there is a choice of Dia, Intermarche, Lidl, Super-U. Drive around a bit and you can't miss them, all are on view from the main road.

I chance upon New Gen's kids' lessons and groups from time to time. They always look like they are having HUGE fun.

Ancolie gets booked solid by about a week ahead - do phone and reserve. A 15 min trundle on the free local bus if you want to have a few drinks, usually a late bus home available about 11pm. Do check the the timetable very carefully as it can be a bit confusing (or have the folks in the tourist office explain the exact buses you want to catch). La Vache (next to Parchey lift, Plan Peisey) also nice and cosy.

Where to ski? Depends what you like. Give us a few clues...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

bagginsmum, Small Sherpa in Vallandry which is generally well stocked, next door to it is a place which does roasted chickens which are good, pre-book at lunchtime.

La Refuge next to that is good for an evening meal, again worth booking for evening. Le Relax (I think) is on bottom of runs near lift and is a nice place for coffee and to watch the world go by.

There is a sledging area for kids near the bottom of the lift, by the nursery which is good for kids.

Never been but there is a small cinema in Vallandry, which shows some English versions of films. Everything in Vallandry is in a small central square near to Sherpa so easy to get what you need.

Have been once at half-term, lifts out of Vallandry and generally fine if you miss the half hour when ski school starts when there is a huge queue of parents standing in the way trying to get on the same lift as their kids.

As you'll know from Peisey, there is a lot of good skiing above Vallandry which is often quiet as everyone heads over to Arc bowl

We lurrvee Vallandry and have self-catered there for the last 8-years for our hols

Oh if you have car, I'd suggest doing a main shop down in Moutiers or Bourg or Albertville and just topping up in resort

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You lot are good! Ski wise, husband is a boarder and I ski so we are generally in conflict wink

I like steep flat stuff, he likes trees. The kids absolutely love skiing in trees too, We tend to ski with them in the afternoon after lessons, they are both pretty good (unfazed and competent on pretty much anything, will be 9 and 12 when we go). they like a good hot chocolate stop somewhere

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How do mountain restaurants compare with say La Tania/Meribel area price wise? We went to Austria last year and were astounded at how much cheaper drinking and eating on the mountain was

After all it is free

bagginsmum, can't comment on price comparison as only done Vallandry of late!

From top of Derby chair there are lots of ways to drop back down to Vallandry which inovolve ducking in and out of trees if you want, or staying on pistes, they all end up in same place.

If you follow Renard down there are lots of places to play in bumps and trees, can also cut through to Bosses piste. Our other fave is to go off from Barmont, below Matiz, and cut through the trees until you drop back onto Foret. It's a path you kind of have to know but is usually fairly well tracked. Is a real fave end of day mess about as is fun but easy. If the kids are having lessons with New Gen I'm sure they'll be shown some routes.

Re Hot Choc stops, depends what you're after but our fave stop is teh little hut opposite the Trans Arc mid station as it is rarely busy and reasonably priced.

bagginsmum, I can't compare to La Tania/Meribel, but they are a fair bit more expensive than anywhere I've been in Austria. My favorite (and cheapest I found eat-in) restaurant in Vallandry is Blanche Muree, just down from the mid-station of the transarc. You can get a hearty portion of soup and bread there for €7, or plat du jour for €12-€14. They also do chips, steak hache etc.
The downside is it gets very busy. Particularly in half-term week, you need to be in before 12 or after 2 or be prepared to queue out the door.

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+1 for the transarc midstation area for eating on the hill. No where near as cheap as Austria, but much better than elsewhere in Les Arcs side, especially up around 2000 area.

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Sounds like you have picked the perfect resort! You will have more trees above Vallandry than you can shake a stick at, and lots of pisted reds that run in between them. So you can all do your thing and meet at the bottom of the lift you have agreed on. The places I usually see New Gen and kids are the self same trees! They might also enjoy runs like Malgovert where you likewise have to be nimble on your feet.

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bagginsmum, This thread i did post my 08/09 season is probably a useful reminder of the pistes etc. - http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=53223

I think most of the bar/restaurant stuff is probably very out of date, but i do heard La vache is still going strong which is great as it's ace, but probably need to book as it's a busy week
Don't discount the bar mont blanc for 'pub grub', and the resto next to the transarc used to do good pizzas (& takeaway/delivery option) - handy if you want to flop..

Thanks, that's a great thread, some very useful stuff, will print it off Cool

You know it makes sense.

bagginsmum, I'd just mention a lunchtime stop at La Ferme, up the hill a bit from La Vache ( so you have to get to it from the top of the Parchay lift, taking their "300 metres to go..." signage with a large dose of salt).

Absolutely NOT a "resort restaurant", but we consider it a genuine delight, and visit at least twice, three times a year. It's a little bit quirky, and yes, be prepared to consider it a bit 'Marmite'. You'll either think 'wow this is why I like risking off the beaten track' , or "I wanted to go to a mega-resort for consistency and a known quantity - what the 'ell is this?"

For both Vache and Ferme , remember that the Parchay lift closes for lunch (yup ...) 12:30 to 1:30 I think - Vallandry experts help me out here? - so it can be a pain getting back into the ski area if you time it wrong.

AR

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

Arctic Roll, yes that lift does close over lunch, but you can still get to main Peisy resort and get lift out from there if needed

A snowHead

@bagginsmum, - just on the off chance you see this- would you mind letting me know how you got on in vallandry- I am considering it for half term 2016. Thank you!

A snowHead

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

Vallandry rocks, particularly for families. Just has everything. Bit of charm, decent food, couple of decent bars and loads of tree ski.

We did La Vache on the last night two years ago and had a fine ol time. Must book on the first day in resort though.

Mont Blanc bar was good for light evening meal (mexican)

A mate got stuck on that lift at lunch time when they stopped it without checking it was empty.

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Went to Vallandry last year at the end of March (2014). It was a nice place, if very quiet. There was one lively English bar we found up the hill (cant remember the name of it) which had a live band a couple of times a week and did really nice food. Apart from that, not much else.
As we went late in the season the afternoons/evenings were hot and sunny (shorts and t-shirt weather!) but the piste still managed to just about hang in there until we left (although was receding a lot through the week). Had it been colder and icier, I think we would have got quite bored in the town. However we were a large group and had a great chalet so we were easily able to entertain ourselves.

No matter about the town, skiing-wise the place links up to so many Km of pistes that it is a fantastic location to start each day from. It just down the road from the Les Arcs - La Plagne cable car which opens up trips up to the glacier there. I would go back there again if I could get the same chalet that we had, which our kids enjoyed thoroughly.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

sounds good- not so bothered about there being stuff going on in the town- I dont know whats wrong with my family but we are generally too tired to move after a days skiing!! I drag them out to dinner a couple of times but thats generally it.

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probably the Mont Blanc Bar thats up the hill

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

We loved Vallandry and Oree des Cimes was lovely. Apartment was massive (we had a 4-6 people one) and the kids loved having the pool for a swim afterwards. Even at half term it wasn't too busy. We could ski out to Grizzly from our apartment. In an evening we would have a drink at Mont Blanc and atre there a few times (great pizzas and very friendly staff). We also ate down in Vallandry village at Le Refuge (also great pizzas).

It is quite small but there is a good choice of eateries, loads and loads of kids sledging in an evening so you have the opportunity for a drink while the kids sledge, the little Sherpa is incredibly well stocked so we didn't have to go down the mountain to shop. All in all, we'd definitely go back and the kids loved it

After all it is free

Afraid my only tip for vallandry is dont wipe out on the slopes and break a collar bone there rolling eyes

Hard to think that was 4 years ago.

Help!!

Vallandry

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