Bourg StMaurice daytrippers to Espace Killy

A snowHead

We are staying a ~week in Bourg St.Maurice with car in early March and besides skiing Paradiski we would like to take 2 days out to Val d'Isere area. If roads are ok, where is the fastest or best starting point /car parking that way ? I guessed that the bottom lift in Tignes-Brevieres (30 min acc. to GMaps to Sache lift) would perhaps consume more time going several lifts up than driving up to Tignes 1800 (Boisses) or even 2100 even if 10 or 20 more minutes drive? Marginally more time in the car would bring us to La Daille or Val dIsere or even Laisant but can we expect to find parking either spots ? Where is the least morning chaos ?
What solution makes most sense for daytrippers like us ?

Also looked at La Rosiere but to me it looks like a longish car ride up countless hairpins in winter conditions almost as long as the La Daille trip. What is the best Parking here? We elected to skip Ste-Foy option due to the urge for "mega resorts" this time...have done 3V recently so the 40 min car trip to Brides will not be an option either. But Bourg with a car seems to be smack in the middle of every major mega resort there is...?

Any comments appreciated !

A snowHead

I would think La Daille would be the quickest to get to, virtually a straight main road!

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Take the Ecudets lift from just above Seez to get up to La Ros.

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Take the free ski bus from Bourg up to the Ecudets lift for La Rosiere - very easy

If you go up to Val/Tignes - there is a huge car park at La Daille

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

ski bus! Sounds good for LaRosiere. Is here a ski bus also from BSM to Val d'Isere or Brevieres ?

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+1 for suggestions re Ecudets chairlift to access La Ros. There's free parking next to the lift. That's definitely the closest/quickest alternative from BSM - here's the url for its precise location on Google Maps: ...google.co.uk/maps/place/S%C3%A9ez,+France/@45.6331247,6.8230345,513m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x478968cca3b302d1:0x1a6efe59460013cb

For Val d'Isere/Tignes, Les Brevieres is fine, it's got free parking too. Drive into and through the village to reach the car park next to the Sache gondola: take the gondola up, then glide over to the Aiguille Rouge chair, that lift links with the Corniche piste for the on-piste route down to Tignes Le Lac, from where you can skate over to the Toviere (formerly Aeroski) gondola to link into Val d'Isere.

For day visits, I normally head for the Manchet P7 car park up next to the Clochetons restaurant at the flat bit of the Santons piste - first couple of hours are free and there always seems to be spaces available there, snow tyres needed for the narrow road up though; then either skate down the Santons to reach the main lifts or take the ski bus there and back from right next to the car park.

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

After all it is free

There is a regular bus from BSM to Tignes Val Claret via Les Brev, but as MA says it is a bot steep at €21.60 for a return. There was a deal last year where you could have a day's free parking at the Grand Motte carpark in Val Claret if you bought your lift passes on the day - but I have not seenit advertised this year - I will keep my eyes out.

However, don't forget that you will get one free day in the Espace Killy on a 6 day Paradiski pass (and a day in the 3V) so parking at the free carpark in Brev will be financially more viable! There may be discounts on St Foy and St Berdino passes - not sure on the reciprocal arrangements with Paradiski here. However, if you use Super U in Bourg there are vouchers for St Foy tickets for €20.50 per day (vice 29.50) on the back of the till receipts for Weds, Sats and Sundays only. Very Happy

Thank you Snowheads, for the good advice. Going to look hard at Les Brev parking lot then. We have also heard good things about the long run down there - if snow cover allows. Should do, in March.

BTW, could I ask one more thing - as we have the car: Is the Funicular very busy in the morning so that taking the car up could be a better option , and if so where to in LesArcs area? On LaPlagne, is a car shortcutting the Vanoise Express a viable option, to somewhere along the road up ? Or is it just a matter of minutes to get on skis starting from Bourg, taking the Funi, perhaps 1 or 2 lifts and then the Vanoise -if queues are 'normal' ?

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Snow and weather conditions may affect your choice of where best to park of course.
La Daille has some benefits. It's an extra 6 km drive beyond Tignes Les Brevieres, but parking in La Daille puts you near the centre of Espace Killy. Skiing to either extreme of the area easier, lift options are good (eg funival, gondola, chair) and in case of tiredness/injury an easier return to car park, with good ride-down lifts and frequent buses.
I agree with mountainaddict that Ste Foye is certainly worth a day, especially if weather is closed in up higher. Plenty tree protection and often great snow.
Early March can be busy but doubt driving from BSM to access La Plagne would be quicker/more enjoyable than taking Funi to Arcs 1600, then lifts and skiing across to La Plagne.
La Rosiere seems hard to justify when Paradiski and EK available IMO, not wishing to upset any La Ros fans! Out of interest, how long does that Ecudets chairlift from near Seez take to reach La Ros and is it scheduled to run every day?

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Unless I've got my lifts muddled up, which is quite possible, that Ecudets chair was closed both weeks we have spent in La Ros, because of lack of snow. Both were January.

You know it makes sense.

So unless LaRosiere is a badweather option like SteFoy, we better stick to the MegaResorts at least when we are only for a week. Appreciate all the detailed info! Now I realize I might have a problem in being a bit too eager to plan ahead, but to me that is part of the expectation and part of the fun. And not to mention, avoiding obvious traps or bottlenecks. Seems driving to EK is a breeze....

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

@Geh, one factor to bear in mind is that the first week in March is still French school holidays.

A snowHead

@pam w, even if there is a lack of snow, the lift will be open for access, with downloading available if required.

A snowHead

It looks as if I have been doing it wrong all this time, but I drive up and park in Le Lac. But in only one week I probably wouldn't bother. Every year we discuss taking the bus from Bourg to la Rossiere and every year we cannot be bothered. Maybe this year

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Re your other questions @Geh, the Funi does get very busy in the mornings and particularly so during school hols, so if you do decide to avoid the queues by driving up to Les Arcs, your best bet is to head off early for the free open car parks and roadside spaces at Arc1600, parking is more limited and ticket-only at the other Arcs villages.
As for shortcutting the Vanoise Express for trips over to La Plagne, absolutely - head towards Landry (8km distance), the back road from BSM running closest to the railway line is the queue-jump route when traffic is heavy on the main valley road; from Landry it's a relatively short drive up to Montcharvin - Les Coches, both of which have free outdoor car parks within a short stroll of the slopes/lifts.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Snow Beard, During most of the season and especially at school holidays parking at 1600 is almost impossible so head along the road towards courbaton and walk back the km or so - or try and find a space at the intermediate bus stops (UCPA or Pre st Espirit)

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@geh another alternative is to drive to Ste Foy, the village, turn right to Villoger/Le Pre. There is a free car park always plenty of room. 3 chairs takes you into Les Arc and fantastic run home especially if you start from the Aiguille Rouge.

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

Wow. Never been better prepared so early on. Thanks again for all good advice. Les Coches seems a fair bet. Eager on the Villaroger runs and Ag.Rouge & realize this is in one extreme end of the area but a good possibility if the Funi queue overwhelms us. On the holiday season, I googled that Greater Paris finishes March 1 but some other areas remain until March 8. I expect British holidays to be not that important as French. So, we are hitting the back edge I think...

After all it is free

@Geh: I definitely wouldn't limit Ste Foye to a bad weather day or just consider it as a tiny area that you'll ski in an hour or two. It's got enough variation and vertical for a great day out. And the top lifts are above the tree line - so not too enjoyable in bad weather.

And another thing. I definitely wouldn't dismiss La Rosiere/La Thuile as that much of a poor man's alernative to Espace Killy. Some great skiing and a very extensive area. Definitely worth a look, especially if Ecudets chair is open (just check before you go).

Not sure that La Ros is a great bad weather option it sits on a pass and gets a bit battered in poor weather with relatively little sheltered skiing.

Conversely I would not by pass it for a day trip in favour of the more major resorts . The skiing may not be quite as extensive but there is far more than you could hope to cover in a day. There is variety on either side the views to Mont Blanc are fabulous and it tends to be less busy than the major resorts. The weather it gets through sitting on a pass often means the snow conditions are amongst he best in the area by repute.

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Agree with @mountainaddict, we're going out to Ste Foy for two weeks this year and don't expect to get bored. Well, the skiers don't. I can't ski cos I broke my leg in August.

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What sort of wind speeds typically close lifts? I realise this will vary dependent on location and lift type.

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@Geh, I would choose Le Brevieres - free parking beside the lift. And Les Brevieres is a quit charming place. Drive all the way to the end of the village to the parking at the lifts.

You know it makes sense.

Our trip was a success and many thanks to advisors in the previous posts. We had 5 ski days in BSM in excellent weather and good snow, and the tips for La Daille (9€) and Brevieres (free parking) were both good for EspaceKilly. Did you know they dont sell ski passes at the lifts on the far side of Val dIsere...so La Daille made the day. Sorry no time for LaRosiere, or Brides (3V) which was also within distance by car. For La Plagne we ended up driving to Les Coches, starting there at 8.45 outside the ticket office resulted in a full day there with no return lift stress at the end. We saw that from Bourg via the Funi to Arcs1600, while only two lifts (mont blanc and arpettes) were necessary to both Arc2000/ag.Rouge or Peisey (for the outing to plagne) it saved a lot of time driving to les couches. The arpettes lift opens late, I think 9.30, meaning you easily lost an hour in each end if the intent was to explore the most of la plagne. Which takes a day at least. At least we were happy with this solution!

Help!!

Bourg StMaurice daytrippers to Espace Killy

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