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change of plan

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
hi everyone

we were looking at italy for new year, but due to a number of reasons (too boring to go into)

we now need to find somewhere in france, so can anyone help with the following (i have already come up with a few resorts but any input helpful....

self catering
3 bedrooms (with a lounge i.e. not a shoebox)
ski in - out or max 5 mins walk
ideally 1500m plus altitude, but not less 1300 i reckon...
ideally a couple of bars / restaurants for odd night out


i have come up with val d'Isère, alp d'huez, les deux alps, meribel mottaret?, saint foy.....

if anyone knows any specific accommodation then thats also welcome....

cheers

andy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
ajc2260626, Les Chalets d'Emeraude in Les Saisies, available through Peak Retreats http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/les-saisies/apartments/les-chalets-emeraude.htm

You'd need to drive or organise your own transfers.

Those apartments are brand new - nice but expensive. There are a fair few other options with 3 bedrooms too, some of them a lot cheaper.

The Peak Retreats website is a bit odd in that it doesn't mention that the Espace Diamant has around 200kms of lift-linked skiing (including one new fast 6 man chair opening for this season).

If you want a TO package it'll be harder to find a decent sized 3-bed apartment.

However, New Year is exceptionally busy - most good accommodation will already be let. Don't delay.
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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?
Some of these might fit the bill. Three bedroom options and generally more spacious than the stereotypical French shoebox, ski in/out, approx 1850m altitude, nice restaurant and small bar in the next door building, with much wider choice of pares ski about 10 minutes walk in to the village, covered parking, pool, wifi, etc.
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oh i forgot must allow the hound, so probably private rental? unless peak allow?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
ajc2260626, you can search on resort websites. But looking at the Les Saisies site, there are only 2 properties which fit your bill - don't specify about dogs, you'd probably have to enquire about that. The prices are colossal. Over €3K a week at New Year. It's not going to be easy to find somewhere suitable - does it absolutely have to be New Year. I'll be in Les Saisies for new year but nowhere near the downhill slopes.
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hey pam, yep they seem to "charge like the light brigade"

i think that private rental will be the way forward which is what we usually do....

andy
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
If you can get past not ski in/out and accept a 5 minute shuttle, how about Chalet La Giettaz? It ticks all your other boxes, including the hound.

I had a fantastic stay there last Christmas - trip report here.
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=106145&highlight=
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

private rental will be the way forward which is what we usually do....


my Les Saisies search included all privately owned property too. Practically nothing left, and certainly nothing anything less than hugely expensive.
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ajc2260626, Add Tignes to your list and as usual I suggest visiting the resort website. When I last looked there were a few apartments for 8 (two bedrooms) still available. for a couple thousand euro. Actually at 250 per person that isn't too bad.
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tignes is our usual haunt but the missus wants somewhere new.... wink


Gämsbock, we want ski in ski out because we will have our 18 month old with us two so we need to maximise what skiing time we will get but 5 mins isn't too bad
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Try the smaller resort which may well not hit the radar of many british skiers

Val Cenis
Valloire
Valmeinier


edit - try http://www.snowtrex.co.uk/ for suggestions
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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.
ajc2260626, if you are otherwise interested I'd contact Chris & Miranda and ask them about logistics. (Miranda is a snowhead). The onsite bar is very handy, and they also do meals there as well if you don't fancy cooking.

pam w's suggestion of Les Saisies is also a good one. In terms of maximising ski time, you'll get more by picking a quieter resort for NY than being closer to the slopes, as you won't waste so much times in queues! We skied in Les Saisies last Christmas, and it was really quiet, despite having the best snow in the area and lots of people (us included) coming in from outside - I can't remember queuing at all. Of course NY will be busier, but I think not like the big resorts.
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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
Quote:

In terms of maximising ski time, you'll get more by picking a quieter resort for NY than being closer to the slopes

Les Saisies won't be quiet at NY I'm afraid. There are plenty of ski in properties but most of them will be unavailable for NY.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
This fits your requirements:
http://www.termignon-locations.com/pages/anemone.htm
It's in the middle of Termignon which as part of the Val Cenis system.

It's a walk to the lift but this should easily take less than 5 minutes.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
altis, cheers will check it out
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We have rented apartments form http://www.chalet-altitude.com/en/ for the last couple of years. Their La Rosiere chalet was a bit more of a walk to the lifts (but ski back for better skiers) than the Arc 2000 chalet but both met our criteria for easy return mid day etc to the accommodation. Obviously Les Arcs is a bigger ski area but in many respects I preferred La Rosiere, my ski mad (grown up) kids disagree Very Happy

We wanted 'pretty' views and because of the location of both Chalets within the resorts and the choice of particular apartment (with which the company are happy to advise) thats what we got.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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altis, that looks booked already.
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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?
lol....
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might have found somewhere in meribel mottaret.... have never being there.... any good?
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actually looks like a shoebox!
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pam w, I don't think anywhere will be really quiet. I meant quieter, relatively speaking, than the big resorts. Based on comparing Christmas to Christmas and finding it quieter, I was assuming the same would apply for NY to a degree. So for example, I'd expect queues of 20 minutes or more at some of the bottleneck lifts in the French mega-resorts NY week. Does Les Saisies get that busy?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
ajc2260626, You could try looking at mgm properties which are managed via their sister company cgh in terms of renting them out. The properties are generally spacious and very well appointed.
www.cgh-residences.co.uk
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
i have skied tignes and val a lot of new years not really that many queues.... great ski area
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loatie, will have a look
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Gämsbock, yes, much as I like to sing the praises of Les Saisies I am also totally honest, and it does get busy. Just because it's not on the UK TO lists doesn't mean it's not a v popular resort, mainly with French families though there are always quite a lot of Dutch, Belgian too, with a smattering of Italians. The whole area gets more British DIY skiers each year, too - when we were first there it was very uncommon to hear English spoken e.g. in restaurants or lift queues. Brits are still a small minority, but not quite so invisible.

I don't go near the alpine pistes at New Year. Having said that, as in many resorts, there are key bottlenecks which you can avoid, if you know the area and with good planning (e.g. avoid the main lifts out of the Saisies bowl when the restaurants kick out after lunch and the afternoon ski lessons start). Not easy for people staying in Saisies, though. To avoid the worst queues I'd actually recommend staying in Praz sur Arly where the big new 6 man lift tends not to get bad queues. The Arly valley has some great skiing for people who are not afraid of drags - some of them quite fierce. wink

Christmas is much better and, of course, the week after New Year is v quiet - that'll find me back out on the pistes.
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ajc2260626 wrote:
might have found somewhere in meribel mottaret.... have never being there.... any good?


I liked it. Some of the apartments are shoe boxes. The PV ones are OK, and were ski to door.
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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.
turned out to be no no good, v little about for new year it would seem....
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 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
This apartment in Les Arcs is currently available for New Year week.Meets all the criteria in your OP, although £2.5K is not a bargain basement price...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

£2.5K is not a bargain basement price...

no, but not bad for a place that sounds very nice - and a lot cheaper than the ones I found in Les Saisies.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
yep i think that we might have to look for 2 beds rather than the 3 we wanted, the trick will be to find somewhere where theres actually a lounge rather than just a small 2 seater sofa!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
pam w wrote:
no, but not bad for a place that sounds very nice - and a lot cheaper than the ones I found in Les Saisies.
Although I don't know that particular apartment it is in the same building as my place, so I can vouch for the location if nothing else.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
ajc2260626, have you thought about Serre Chevalier, there are some lovely larger apartments being rented out here by a friend of mine. All privately owned spacious and comfortable. Try www.eurekaski.com for details
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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?
Hells Bells, cheers have dropped them a line....
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We stayed in Les Arcs 1950 a couple of years ago. Try http://www.pierreetvacances.com/gb-en/fp_AWL-H_apartments-arc-1950-village/accommodation?hc=AWL12&duree=7&dated=2014-12-13#nav-product
Where we stayed was definitely ski in / ski out and most of the apartments there seem to be the same. Not cheap (I don't think you will get anything cheap over NY) but the standard of the accommodation was good and it was definitely one of the roomier self catering apartments I've stayed in. I'm a fan of Les Arcs in general. Nightlife is poor but I don't think that will be high on your agenda with an 18 month old!

I know you say you want a change from Tignes but I'm going to throw this out there anyway. Stayed in a nice place with these guys in Le Lac http://www.appartatignes.com/ Again it was ski in and out and furnished very well.
Although I have never skied that early in the season I presume the altitude of the above resorts would give you a good shot at some decent condition.

Good luck!
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