 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, can anyone recommend a good ski resort an easy drive from Geneva where I can park close to the slopes, and with a nice ski-in ski-out restaurant nearby where I can hang out with a baby while my wife does some skiing for a couple of hours? Our baby is only 7 weeks old so she can't go on any of the lifts so it'll need to be a restaurant at the base.
Pre-baby we used to go to Chamonix a lot but it's not the best place for this scenario. I've been to Les Carroz and it has parking right by the slopes but no restaurant to hang out in without walking back down into town.
Thanks! Steve
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Steve77,
Les Houches - the Kitsch Inn - or Les Marmottes at the base of Prarion
Les Gets - loads of village places. You could even go up the bubble and hang out in the restaurant at the top station. Likewise there are restaurants at the top of Pleney (Morzine), Avoriaz, Morillon, Drive to Les Carroz, loads of ideas.
Or hop across to Mont-Jura depending on which side of GVA you're on.
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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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Les Gets or Morzine. Parking in town. You can ski right back to a restaurant at the foot of the slopes. Don't know if you can simply go on the bubble in Les Gets as a pedestrian without a lift pass. One of the wise old SHs will answer that. I like both towns/villages. Plus you can look around shops while other half skis. About 1hr to 1hr 20 mins drive.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Just to clarify I meant the Mont Chery bubble and I'm reasonably sure pieton passes exist for it and Pleney. Definitely do for Ardent.
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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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Yep, Chavannes and Mont Chery both have pieton passes.
I would expect any bubble with restaurants atbthe summits will.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There are also some nice places up a bubble with a piétons pass in Megeve.
Why can't the baby go in a lift? (I can see you wouldn't want to take her up the Aiguille du Midi, but Mont Chery or similar shouldn't be a problem?)
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Thanks for all the good ideas. Apparently the lifts can go up so quickly they can be bad for the baby's ears, and so they're generally not allowed even in bubbles, although I don't know how universal that rule is from resort to resort. I know for a fact they won't let you up the Brevent in Chamonix though. I'm a little sceptical but it is what it is. Les Gets is probably the shortest drive with something decent at the base then as we live that side of Geneva.
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@Steve77, ah, I see. I took a baby that age on long haul flights and was advised that breastfeeding during take off and landing help to equalize the ears.
The little lift up to the "front de neige" in Les Gets is a very short one - not a big difference in altitude/pressure and there are good spots there for sitting and watching the skiing.
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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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you could do worse than mooch around to Le Crozets - 30 mins from gva centre. There's a nice restaurant at the top of the gondola from Gex. - note the gondola only goes up to 1000 metres, so shouldn't have any baby ear impact, you'd also be significantly reducing the amount of time the nipper spends in a car seat.
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Or if snow is good but roads are ok drive up to La Faucille from Gex. My husband and I spent many days changing over child care in the restaurant there and taking it in turns to ski. Admittedly not with a baby as young as yours though, the youngest we ever took on a ski trip was 14 months old. We preferred to have the car close by for many reasons 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Steve77, I have heard that as well. I think it's plausible but unlikely. As Pam says, jet aircraft (I believe climb quicker and to a generally higher apparent altitude).
The Marmottes restaurant by Prarion about 20 mins faster than Les Gets.
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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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Couple of hours skiing - if the snow is the I also recommend the Jura if you are on that side, very peaceful, different kind of skiing views, and you can look down all over Geneva
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I suspect the whole baby at altitude thing compared to an airplane is because airplanes have pressurised cabins to a certain extent although obviously it's not perfect. It's still better than a bubble though, and you don't get out at the top. Usually.
PS - good for your wife at getting out there so soon! And good for you for supporting her with it as well 
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You know it makes sense.
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+1 for Jura. Have a look at Col de la Faucile. Val d'Isere it aint, but it is a really nice little area. For any serious skier you could do the whole lot in a morning, but if you are not looking for vast expanses it ticks all of your other points.
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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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@sparklies, it's more to do with rate of ascent. I am unconvinced anyway. But I don't have a brat. Or even a well behaved offspring.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Surely a plane climbs faster than a bubble though? I also remain unconvinced anyway!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@sparklies, actually, Inthink not, and I think the rate of cabin ascent is anyway slowed.
Don't know for sure 
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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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We like Praz de lys on the road up to Les Gets, park in the village or at the far end almost on the piste. Plenty of good places to eat and a really good area for a day skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@ski3, I like it too, altho only been once
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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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@Steve77, there is a restaurant up by the telecabine in Les Carroz, it's called Le Tire Fesses. I've not been in it, but know locals who say it is good.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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As a person with problems relating to equalising air pressure in my ears, I’ve had significant issues due to this on both cable cars and funiculars, including at low altitudes, and it can be very painful. As an adult I put up with it, but I wouldn’t advise a parent to risk it unless they were happy with a screaming baby. Especially as the pain can continue for some time after you're not in the lift any more...
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Good for you for taking the baby! We spent many enjoyable days skiing in turns with ours around that age. Most of the time we were actually outdoors. We had a moses basket type option on the pram and would line it with a sheep skin for warmth. Baby was then in a wee sleeping bag with fleecy blankets etc. Even well below freezing this arrangement was OK. This was based on advice from scandinavian friends, where I am told it is common to leave the babies outside to sleep in the winter. The only thing that weirded us out was that she would sleep for up to five hours during the day in the fresh air!
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You can drive up to the top of the Morillon bubble and park at Morillon 1100. There are a couple of restaurants in the 1100 village and a slopeside one right next to the bottom of the Sairon run. Not sure why driving up in a car would be better than going up in a bubble though.
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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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@Col the Yeti, That's a good call a steady lift up removes the multi hairpin bends. In Flaine Foret the Bissac is a nice self steve with large deck to sit out on if it's sunny.
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