 Poster: A snowHead
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When skiing in Chamonix, is this the only place I can buy a ski pass:
http://www.compagniedumontblanc.co.uk/
Every website I visit seems to direct me there.
Also, am I better buying a ski pass on the day or buying it in advance? I assume if I want one on the day I can get them from ski rental shops? Or do I have to go to one central location to buy the ski pass?
Any help is appreciated. There is a big group of us going, all first times, and I'm trying to work out the easiest way of doing this.
cheers
Amphersand
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Passes all from the lift company. Available at all lift stations, can be a queue on Sunday and Monday mornings. It's cheaper to get multi day passes than buying a day at a time. If you are first time skiers then there are cheap passes available at/for the nursery slopes until you are ready to go up the mountain proper. Where are you staying.
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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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Thanks for the info.
We're staying right in the middle of Chamonix.
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@Amphersand, there are a few Chamonix ,locals on here so fire away with anything you need. The beginners area in the centre of Chamonix is the Savoy, it has a couple of small lifts and ideal for the first few days on skis. Are you having lessons? You may be able to organise your own groups if there are a few of you.
Lots of info here
www.chamonet.com
And
www.chamonix.com
Check out
http://www.basschamonix.com/lessons.html
For native English speaking instructors
Booking your ski hire online in advance can save a fortune.
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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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Excellent, thank you!
We have some short lessons booked with ESF, 2 hours, for the first day, and then we are skiing / boarding for another 4 days.
I'm guessing those lessons with be in the Savoy as you have pointed out. For the other 4 days I was looking at getting the Chamonix Le Pass: http://www.compagniedumontblanc.co.uk/en/lift-passes/chamonix-le-pass.
Does that seem like a good idea?
Can you advise where is best to hire skis and snowboards from? I was thinking somewhere close to ESF, so we don't have to walk to far etc. We will need everything from boards and skis to clothing and helmets etc.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Amphersand, if you haven't skied before you may not need a four day Le pass although that is the correct one to get when you are ready to go up the mountain. It very easy to get passes so no panic to get in advance or make up your mind in advance.
Chamonix is not the easiest place to learn to ski although it is entirely possible with some smart choices. The easy areas to ski apart from the three nursery areas are La Tour and Les Houches at either end of the valley. There are lots of buses. A good shop in the middle of town is Sanglard, but there are deals to be had online both for Sanglard and other shops especially if there are a few of you. Might be worth phoning you might get up to 40% off your ski hire depending what week you are here.
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@Amphersand, tbh, wait and see how you get on. The Savoy slope is reasonably extensive for a beginners area and isn't at anymof the "main" areas so it's beginners only. You may not want to venture anywhere else in your first. 5 days. Or some might, some not. A Savoy pass is significantly cheaper than any main area pass and there's no discount for buying in advance.
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Invaluable stuff, thank you jbob!
I agree, we may be getting ahead of ourselves with the 4 day pass, but we're a pretty active and adventurous bunch, and keen to make the most of it.
Is there no discount for buying your ski pass in advance?
After the nursery slopes we had our eye on the easy slopes up Plan Praz and La Flegere, but if we struggle I will keep in mind La Tour and Les Houches.
I will do some phoning around over the next few days to get some prices on gear.
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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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Thanks 'under a new name' I didn't see your post.
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@Amphersand, no worries  where are you staying?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We're right in the middle of Chamonix, south end of town.
thanks for all this guys, some great info, and not the kind of stuff that is easy to find on any tourist website.
cheers
Amphersand
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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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@Amphersand, Cham Sud?
Reasonable walk to Savoy. Various bars in the immediate vicinity, Etc.
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One thing that might make the full unlimited pass worthwhile is if you want to do a bit of high altitude sightseeing as well as skiing. E.g. the Aiguille du Midi cable car is about €50 return on its own, the Montenvers rack railway/ice caves (and nice restaurant at the top) is about €30, Grands Montets top lift (IMO better than the midi in some ways for sightseeing) is about €30 return. All these are included in unlimited.
If you ski in the mornings then want to do some of these trips in the afternoon (e.g. the midi is great on a 2pm lift - really quiet) then the unlimited is a better option.
If you've not been up the midi before then I'd definitely get the 4 day unlimited over "le pass" and take a late pm trip up (I think last bin down is 4.30 or so, but you'd definitely want to check that!).
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You know it makes sense.
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@snowdave, I think(!) you can upgrade LePass to MBU for a day. I'm just not sure absolute beginners will need more than just the Savoy in 5 days. Mind you, I am rather out of date on general progression rates these days...
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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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Amphersand, if you're staying in Cham Sud, there are several ski hire shops dotted around the square and one at the main bus stop in Cham Sud. Better to hire your gear close to your a accommodation than to the ESF, that way you don't have to mission on your last day to return the gear.
If you are complete beginners, you'll either be on the Savoy slope (at the foot of the Brevent area) or the Le Tour nursery slope. However, with the ridiculously warm weather we've been having, you will probably be at Le Tour where it's higher and colder, so better for snow cannons. For both nursery slopes, buy your tickets on the day at the nursery slopes. If you then feel more adventurous in the afternoon, you can buy half day passes for the mountain at the main ticket office at the base of each mountain.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Again guys, big thank you for all the info, it really is invaluable stuff, and making my life a lot easier at the moment 
Any ideas how much a transfer up to the Le Tour nursery slope is? Roughly?
having spent more time looking at the map, we're staying a bit further south than I thought, in Les Pelerins. My bad.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The ski bus system is free with the guest card your accommodation should give you (or a lift pass).
With some combination of tourist tax and ski pass money, ski areas generally make the busses free.
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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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Our accommodation is a private house through Airbnb, so I doubt that we will receive a 'guest card'.
Can we pick these up anywhere?
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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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If it's like other parts of the alps then I think even private rented houses that are paying tourist tax correctly will be giving them out.
http://www.chamonix.com/transport-in-the-valley,13,en.html suggests Town Hall or Tourist Office otherwise and 7E per head for the week, which must still be a better deal then buying singles.
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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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If you have a lift pass you can use the bus free. Do you have lessons only on the first day? Unless you are particularly fast learners you might benefit from some more, not least to prevent you getting into some bad habits.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Is your accommodation near a ski bus stop?
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We have a lesson on the first day... We're a bunch of ex skateboarders who have convinced ourselves we can pick it up in about twenty minutes! I mean, your strapped in, how hard can it be!!! 
It also turns out that a few of our group have snowboarded and skied before. I was unaware of this.
Just had a look at the bus routes and there is a stop not far from our accommodation. I think we will be using them a fair bit.
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@Amphersand, skateboarders do learn quite fast on snowboards, IME (have known two, who certainly did).
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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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I still think ESF will try and teach on Savoy.
@mtsuit, is correct, if t.d.s. is being paid, they should have cartes d'hote and give them out.
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Again, big thank you's to everyone for all the info.
Can anyone tell me, do most of the ski rental places do ski clothes too? We're looking for jackets, trousers, gloves? The shop websites don't seem to list them as an option. Is there somewhere else I should be looking for this?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Can anyone tell me, do most of the ski rental places do ski clothes too?
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No, sorry.
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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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You'll need to go somewhere like T K Maxx - can usually pick up good stuff at cheap prices there.
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@Amphersand, it looks as though Sanglard Sports rents clothing. I have no idea of quality or cost. Knowing Sanglard, it won't be cheap.
You'd be much better buying stuff either at your local Decathlon or there's a shop in Chamonix called Technique Extreme that does very cheap but reasonably functional gear.
If you shop wisely, almost everything you buy will be useful for other things. I.e. Don't buy ski specific items.
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You know it makes sense.
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Cheers folks, great advice!
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@Amphersand,
ESF?
Interesting.
At least you know where to go.
Civilised apres ski at the Lapin Agile on the way home maybe then? Or less civilised at the Pub...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We're in our late thirties, but we're not too civilized! But his segues nicely into my next question... any advice on the apres ski?
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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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Chambre neuf.
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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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don't worry about the buses and checking cards etc. I have never once been asked on more than 100 journeys, it's basically taken as given that if you are there you have a card of some sort.
The only bus you do need to pay for the the night bus, which you might need to get if you stay in cham past 6/7 ish (as the buses stop then) and wait till 11 ish to get back home.
I think it's two euros so not expensive
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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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So much good stuff here guys, I can't thank you all enough.
Booking ski gear in the next few days and really getting excited now, only two weeks to go
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Couple more questions folks...
As it's getting down to around -10 in Chamonix this coming week, would I get away with 'lightly padded' ski pants or do I need fully padded?
How much is a Chamonix pint or the equivalent?
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@Amphersand, you need layers - if it's cold, stick long johns on under your ski pants. If you have lessons down in the valley you might find it's not too cold and the exertion will help keep you warm. But it's certainly going to be cold up the mountain and on lifts.
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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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A pint is usually about 6euros although some places will be more.
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@Amphersand, those trousers and some good long johns underneath should be fine. just don't tuck the long johns into your ski boots. 
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