Cluses .... Am I mad?

A snowHead

I have a chance for another sneaky trip this year, and have found early (and cheap) SleazyJet flights from Luton to Geneva leave early on a Thursday and come back on Sunday night.

I have been searching for half-board hotels or B&B in the Grand Massif, but keep coming up blank. So... I'm wondering about hiring a car from Geneva and staying the Cluses. I can then drive up to Grand Massiff, Portes Soleil, Chamonix on a day by day basis and buy day lift-passes.

But the question is.... am I mad? Is this a realistic thing to be doing?

A snowHead

Absolutely yes (realistic), depending on which side of Cluses you are would depend on whether you go up to Les Carroz/Flaine side or Morillon/Samoens side but any destination from any side of town is easy. Make sure car is tyred and or chained if going up to Les Carroz as it is steeper and more affected by snow than the Morillon side. You might also want to consider staying at Taninges and Marignier too.

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

I would find Cluses a rather dull place to stay and I wouldn't fancy doing all that driving every day - that time could be spent skiing.

I would suggest staying in Annecy and driving or getting the bus to La Clusaz/LGB. Or you could look for accommodation in Saint Gervais and ski Les Contamines, Megeve, St Gervais and possibly Chamonix or Les Saisies.

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I'd agree with basil as it's only about thirty minutes up to Morillion from cluses to enter GM. There's a big carpark there too so the cars must come from somewhere. Pra-de-lys is also on the way up to Les Gets for another/different area to see for a day.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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@snowymum, I imagine the problem was that the OP couldn't get accommodation in a ski resort for his non-standard stay.

A hotel in one of the valley towns is a good solution. Another possibility is Sallanches, which would make for very easy days to Chamonix, Les Contamines, Combloux, etc

You'd only have three days to ski - and you'd be spoilt for choice.

The Saturday (changeover) day could be a good day to ski but on that day, particularly if it's in a school holiday period, it would be sensible to drive up to resort early and have breakfast there.

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

Worth adding that loads of local people visit ski resorts by car, for a day skiing. It's certainly not mad or even unusual.

After all it is free

Pam W

If you are local then it isn't worth paying for accommodation and of course you'd drive.

I can also see that jamescollings will find it harder to find accommodation when his holiday cuts into two weeks and that it is therefore sensible to look at a town within striking distance of a resort or two.

I just thought that maybe there are pleasanter bases than Cluses for doing this type of holiday. I am obviously the only person of this opinion tonight! I am probably thinking I find once up the road to Les Carroz/Flaine per week sufficient as I don't like the bit where the rock hangs over the road. I'm sure many people don't think twice about it and enjoy the challenge of driving round windy mountain roads in all weathers. There is the option of driving to Morillon or Samoens on a very easy road as mentioned above.

It takes me 15-20 minutes to get from Morillon to the Carrefour in the centre of Cluses so would be an easy commute to ski the GM every day. The road although quite winding is a main road and you shouldn't have trouble with traffic or weather. Samoens 10 mins further on. PDS (les gets/morzine) or La Cusaz would be around 30-40 mins away from Cluses (in opposite directions of course)

@snowymum, If go go via chatillon and turn right at the roundabout you can miss the overhanging rock. The road is wider and less busy too.

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jamescollings, From memory it was only about 20 minutes from Cluses to Les Gets early in the morning, I have driven over from the Val d'Arly several times.

Have also stayed in Sallanches for odd days before or after a weekly apartment rental.

You could even stay in Annemasse if you can't find anything in Cluses or Sallanches.

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@Basil, i don't understand what you mean about sides to Cluses.

Ah, now I think I see. You mean maybe using the Magland-Flaine road?

Nah. Nightmare, especially atbthe weekend. Mind you the Chatillon one isn't much better.

In any case access thru Morillon.

@jamescollings, Cluses is not the nicest town in France. I can't believe you can't find anything better.

Airbnb?

Booking.com

St Gervais at valleynlevel has a couple of reasonable looking hotels. Samoens has and it's actually a ski resort. Unless you are thinking during vacances scolaires in which case you're mad and out of luck.

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@897sma, Thanks for the tip! We are going to Les Carroz again this season. snowHead

You know it makes sense.

If you are going to be out all day from 8 am and making the most of the short break by skiing from first lift to last, then I don't think it's too vital where you're staying - supper and an early night would be called for, I imagine. If you do this trip in mid - late March you'd have longer opening hours for the lifts, too.

Annecy is indeed a more interesting town but it's quite a bit further to the ski slopes than somewhere like Sallanches. And you wouldn't have much time for exploring Annecy.

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

Cluses is a useful but dull town with no charm for the tourist. It would be a good base for all the resorts you mentioned but if you stay at Taninges, it's a shorter drive to either P de S or the Grnad Massif resorts of Samoens and Morillon. Cluses to Les Gets in 20 mins sounds optimistic but that's how long to Giffre valley. Cluses has a train to Chamonix but I've never used it.

A snowHead

Am sure there are a few places to stay in Magland, at the bottom of the road up to Flaine/les Carroz. Before you abandon all hope of staying in a resort, have a look at the Milk Hotel in Carroz. We have certainly done a weekend there before. Nice hotel- on the piste too!

A snowHead

Thanks everyone... It's good to know that it isn't a completely crazy idea. Having skied PdS 3 times now, it would only be a fallback option if Cham and GM were closed.

I' em been surfing the booking.com and hotels.com websites for hotels that'll do the 3 day stay, but there seems to be no availability for the dates in March that I'm looking at (apart from super-expensive spas).

I agree that Cluses is ugly, so i'll also check out the other suggestions that have been mentioned for a valley base. Since our normal annual trip involves driving to the Alps, doing a little 20min jaunt in the morning and evening will be a breeze (and definitely shorter than my 2hr each way commute to work!)

Thanks again for all the suggestions

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

@jamescollings, which dates in March?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Sallanches is quite a pleasant town. A long commute to Flaine but very close (and very easy driving) to Combloux, Megeve, Les Contamines, Chamonix. But it's a long way from Cluses to Flaine, too. 42 minutes according to google maps.

There's a big car park at the Princessa gondola - the first one you come to driving up to Megeve. You could be on that gondola, having bought your lift pass and climbed into your ski boots, in around 30 minutes from Sallanches.

But, of course, wherever you stay your destination will be dictated in part by current snow cover.

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I have stayed in Cluses on a Saturday night after skiing the Saturday in Flaine. We got the bus rather than drive The hotel was almost empty, it was cheep and had a good restaurant. On other weekend trips I have stayed in Aime, and Crolles for Les Sept Laux. To me it makes perfect sense for a weekend ski trip.

Of course Cluses is not a pretty town; it is a working town in a hostile environment. You are going for the skiing.

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

We have friends with an apartment in Flaine and they sometimes stay at the Hotel National in Cluses if they are driving from the UK, arriving late and would not be sure what state the road might be in up to Flaine. I don't know where there is to stay in Taninges, - there is a Hotel National there which has probably got rooms, real old fashioned traditional French place.

After all it is free

someone - maybe UANN - mentioned a very nice little place in Sallanches, recently, but maybe it was only a restaurant.

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pam w, Maybe here ?

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@pam w, 'twas probably me and @rjs, is right. We haven't been back in a few years but all we see from the outside are improvements. We have a delightful lunch there.

@jamescollings, again, what dates? I am getting all sorts of results on booking.com

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under a new name, I haven't eaten there yet, I was always needing to get up too early the next day to do the place justice. The rooms are to a very high standard with very comfy beds.

@under a new name, @rjs, that looks a good place, will save the details as good to have recommendations for places when we are here at non-skiing times.

You know it makes sense.

@rjs, @rjs, yes, that's the one. Looks delightful; just the place for a quiet evening after a long day's skiing and much nicer than the IBIS.

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

@rjs, are they indeed? We were contemplating a room only so that we could enjoy dinner and the wine list without considering driving. I may file away for a sneaky weekend surprise for Mrs UANN.

A snowHead

and a room for one costs only a few euros more than the IBIS - a no brainer!

A snowHead

@pam w, very, very much so.

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

I think we can all go for the chains, IBIS, Campanile or whatever as we know the names if searching in the dark - its so good to have recommendations. We stayed at a lovely place near Epernay mentioned by Hellsbells.

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@jamescollings, have you tried ian @ snowbeds, dom @ skiology or maurice at chalet andelain?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@jamescollings, if you want to ski in the grand massif, the Residence Palladior in Morillon village does short stays. Perfectly functional and is just about walkable to the gondola - it is also on the ski bus route. I did a Thursday to Sunday stay there last March.

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The dates are (dictated by a pal that I'm going with) Thursday 5th to Sun 8th.
I will retry booking.com using the villages you've named. I guess I only 'know' the names of the major resort towns, and therefore have overlooked the outlying villages that are still near a lift. I'll spend a few hours pumping in the village names mentioned above with a map handy so I know where they are.

Thanks again everyone

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

@jamescollings, ah. I think the problem is probably the Saturday night, 7 March. That's the beginning of the French school holidays. Accommodation (not just in the major resort towns but also in smaller places) is mostly booked up already and the few without full week bookings already will be hoping to sell them once the snow is looking better.

You could probably book somewhere till Saturday 7th, then move out of the accommodation on the morning of the 7th, ski all day (transfer day, nice and quiet before the school holiday rush) and then sleep somewhere like Cluses or Sallanches on the Saturday night. If you have a car the logistics should be easy enough.

Sunday 8th will see BIG queues for lift passes. Make sure you're not in them. wink

After all it is free

@pam w, I think 7th March is the end of the French school holidays Happy

Though of course @jamescollings is still clashing with them.

It's a bit left field, but what about staying in Evian?
GVA 1hr.
Low season (for Evain as it is geared up for the Masters, and the Summer) + lots of accom = competitive rates.
It has good bars and restaurants, a casino, and clubs, not to mention spa, great views, Palais de Lumiere etc..
If the snow is good you can ski in Thollon-les Memises (15 mins), or Bernex (20 mins), Abondance (35 mins), Leysin (1 hr)
Or go into the PDS La Chapelle (40 mins), St Jean D'Auplps (40 mins), Montriond (45 mins), Chatel (50 mins), Morgins (55 mins), Torgon (1 hr).
Haute Savoie is the first area for the holidays, so that is from Feb 7th - Feb 21st. Mar 7th, only 1 zone is on holiday, and normally only the middle 2 weeks are busy, so it should all be dandy by then.
Cluses though, is good for LGB, La Clusaz, Les Carroz, Samoens, Les Gets etc, but as towns go its real Fugly.

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Cluses .... Am I mad?

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