 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, I'm new to the forum and have never been being skiing before apart from the odd dry slope, there will be 3 of us going. 1 has gone before and his advise is to goto a high peak / slope to guarantee snow..
Now I was wondering how most people get on at Flaine I have read that mount blanc helps to cool it and insure good snow fall.
Any reviews or options on this peak around Jan would be much appreciated, I've seen a video from Jan this year and it looked awesome, the alternative is val thorens..
Thanks seb
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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motherhupit, wlecome to sHs.
Flaine should be a good choice for 1st timers - as are most of the purpose built French resorts. They are purpose built in areas which should satisfy the punters of all abilities for as long a season as possible. Easy access from your accom to the ski school meeting place. No mystery bus tours or queues for a mega gondola to lift you from a snow-free valley floor to the slopes.
There are, as always, caveats - 1) Flaine is an old mining area, with lots of holes and bumps which need a lot of snowfall to fill/cover - not a problem for beginners staying on piste and 2) ESF are the dominant ski school - not to everyone's liking.
Val Thorens is the highest of all the French P-B resorts - might be a bit chilly in Jan. I've not been there but sHs have had many a successful late season 'bash' up there. Finally beware of videos -if I was making one I wouldn't release it if it wasn't awesome. 
Let's see what the others think. You've come to a good source for impartial advice.
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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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Dubaian's observation that Flaine is "an old Mining area" is wrong. As far as I know-the holes are naturally formed from the limestone rock-its a big limestone pavement. It won't matter as you will not be skiing off piste and the slopes are all prepared safely. It is a bl**dy ugly village, but the skiing is good. Has some trees lower down too.
I agree however that VT can be very cold and more prone to poor weather closure (more often a problem in Jan). There are no trees, which is hard for visibility when the weather closes in, and would not be much fun for beginners, though the slopes are good.
In Jan, I can't see any problems with snow wherever you go as long as it is over 1100m (unless this winter is a total disaster).
If you are all beginners, though I think both are good places to start, I think there are better resorts to find your ski legs in January, thought that may depend on your budget. Note that if you are going in mid Jan, wait before booking. That is so low in the season, there will be loads of last minute deals to great locations.
Don't want to add to your confusion, but you may want to look at the following (my main experience is France, others will chip in for Austria etc):
In the 3V: Courchevel 1650 (Moriond) Courchevel 1850 ( harder to find value accommodation there, but the slopes are ideal for beginners), La Tania. In the same area as Flaine-Morillon Les Esserts and Les Carroz. Lower, but lovely tree lined slopes and more sheltered in the bad weather.
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Flaine is a good 1st timers resort as long as you are happy with the ESF. I've not been in Jan but have been several times in Feb and always needed chains to get into/out of the resort. Main nursery slope is ski onto and served by a (free?) chairlift.
Val Thorens has good nursery areas but whenever I've visited the 3V I've always found VT to be a bit cold and windswept so Jan may be a bit chilly but snow sure.
Good luck and have fun.
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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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Welcome to Snowheads motherhupit. The key to a successful first holiday for most people is quality of ski school. A number of the other places suggested particularly courchevel 1650 would give you better options. You shouldn't need to go high in January. Flaine doesn't have any better snow than many other places. What is your budget? Late January is a good time to go.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you're going to Flaine, give Lynne Stainbrook a go - American with excellent teaching skills. Thoroughly recommended.
A fair number of greens at village level to play with for the first few days. Some easy blues to graduate to (Serpentine, Crystal and the blues around the Aujon lift). The 15km Cascades very scenic, not difficult but be prepared to exercise the upper body with some poling. The only downside of Flaine is that there is only 1 way in / out of Flaine to the other linked resorts (Cascades notwithstanding) with the Grand Vans lift and Tourmaline lifts - so can be busy / cut up during busy periods but as you're looking at Jan, this shouldn't be a problem.
Flaine is not really that ugly (maybe I've very low architectural standards) but we certainly have much worse looking inner cities. A fair number of the accommodation is ski in / ski out. There's also the very frequent bus. Don't expect party central.
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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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For beginners I'd go flaine over vt, vt is great but very high (grim when snowing, unnecessarily cold in Jan) and unneccasirly large/busy flaine is nicer size and not quite as mean in bad weather.
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There is another ski school in Flaine, ESi, also there are some private instructors.
Snow should be good in Flaine in January, it has been the last few years.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There are a few nursery slopes you can get your first few days on.
There is a drag at Bissac at the top of the town. You go down a very gentle green, then you can follow a very reasonable green or there is a blue route heading down to the lower village and keep going again gently all the way until the bottom of the village where Aup de Veran starts.
From there you get a chair lift up then skate across to the Telebenne (which are like step in coffee mugs) and then back to the original drag to start over again.
These are all free runs and will bring your confidence up as you cover a fair bit of ground doing this over and over. Keep doing this until bored and there is plenty more to progress gently with.
I have taken plenty of beginners to Flaine and most progressed rapidly and got hooked.
Austria for me now though.
Never been to VT but imagine Flaine is a cheaper proposition. There is a French government backed initiative to get younger people in the mountains with excellent packages and Flaine is definitely one of the centres. For the life of me i cant remember what its called but someone here will pop up with it.
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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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For what's it's worth Less Carroz (which is linked to Flaine) is a really pretty little town with lovely slopes for begginers. Also another good place for new skiers is Rauris in Austria. In my experience I would however agree with the above, a good ski school is what makes your first trip.
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As Bazzer says, Les Carroz is a lovely "proper" village. More how you would imagine a ski village.
All the runs are at tree level so nice scenery and better protected from the weather if its bad.
They do a debutant pass which gives you access to the Les Carroz mountain without the link to the bigger area. Fair bit cheaper.
Wife and kids (and my mates) have all loved LC on various trips.
LC is lower than Flaine but in January that shouldnt be a problem for snow.
For background i have done five trips to LC and three to Flaine.
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You know it makes sense.
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How about Le Gets/Morzine? It's closer to Geneva and cheaper than the 3 valleys.
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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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Perty, thanks for the heads up on the cause of the holes in the Flaine domaine. You're right - it's La Plagne which is an old mining area. I think. Whatever - both need lots of snow to fill them before off piste is viable.
OK back on topic - sorry for mini thread diversion.
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Poster: A snowHead
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+ 1 for Les Carroz. The ESF ski school is excellent there. whilst I'm sure Flaine is ok for beginners I'd say the slopes in Les Carroz and Morillon are better. If you stay in Les Carroz you also avoid the worst of the mountain road if it is snowing/icy. ESF lessons in Les Carroz and Flaine are three hours - half hour longer than your average ESF lesson in other resorts.
There should be no need to go as high as Val Thorens in January. It can be bleak there and there are no trees. Obviously there are trees elsewhere in the three valleys but if you are beginners you will not make it over to Courchevel.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi thanks for all the info and advise.. Flaine does good good are budgets are quite low looking for around the 600 with loft and hire included for a week. Thanks for info about VT poss being bleak etc.. The only thing we are stuck on it that the three of us are aged from 26 to 30 and would like a bit of night life as well have heard FLAINE is a bit dead?? And VT is more lively however we were thinking of staying at Les Temples desolei which has awful reviews, we had a much nice spot in flaine... anyone have any ideas
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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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| Flaine skier wrote: |
There is another ski school in Flaine, ESi, also there are some private instructors.
Snow should be good in Flaine in January, it has been the last few years. |
Yep, I had lessons with ESI back in 2009, were very good I thought 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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Thats it, UCPA. Thanks fixx, it was annoying me.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Another vote for UCPA - the Flaine centre has double rooms at a small supplement. and if you go by coach you'll save a lot too.
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Few years ago now but we were very impressed with ESI for kids group lessons.
Must visit Flaine, Les Carroz again soon 
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| Perty wrote: |
| I agree however that VT can be very cold and more prone to poor weather closure (more often a problem in Jan). There are no trees, which is hard for visibility when the weather closes in, and would not be much fun for beginners, though the slopes are good. |
Had that row with the B in L when going for a long weekend a few years ago - him "we have to go high to get snow", me "we have to stay low to get the vis". We ended up in Val Thorens and had about 30 minutes of sun in 4 days of skiing. Not even in my top 20 of ski holidays
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