 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, we are planning a first time family ski trip - all total beginners, 2 adults +3 kids (11,8,6).
I have found an apartment in Morzine called Les Balcons des Bois Venants. Would this make a good base / location?
As I said, this is a first family ski trip, and I really want it to go well, so any inside / expert knowledge on the location would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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this one?
http://en.morzine-avoriaz.com/meuble-chalet-chalet-les-balcons-des-bois-venants-14-mc14.html
looks like its on the opposite side of the bridge, so it'll be a 5-10 minute walk to the centre of town, but the kids will love the footbridge!
I wouldn't have any hesitations staying there, its not ski in/out and will be a bit of a walk (or fun train!) if you want to ski the pleney side, but its not a bad spot by any stretch. It just depends what you actually want.....
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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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@firsttimer, Been a long time since I was on my first ski holiday...and I've never organised for first timers but my thinking for beginners is you want to minimise hassle, and maximise (oddly) opportunities for alternative entertainments. e.g. Kids will probably not want (nor have energy to) ski all day.
Adults want it as easy as possible to manage kids logistics.
A quick nip into town for essentials might be required.
You want it as easy as possible to get to lessons (which will be at the top of Pleney I would think? Maybe at the base of Pleney, snow permitting)
If it's where I think it is, I wouldn't think it perfectly ticked all the boxes. Looks to be a good 1km walk to the nearest supermarket (or bar) and you're on the wrong side of the village for lessons.
But it looks like a nice property.
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http://www.mediahols.com/holiday-rentals/80335
This one actually.
Will have my car, so distance to supermarket not am issue, but would want bar / restaurant in walking distance.
Sounds like it might be a bit of a trek for kids to get to lessons though?
How reliable is snow here in Feb?
Thanks for you help 
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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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I suspect they're all in the same building.
Bar restaurant you look to be about 1km from the mairie which has bars and restaurants. But isn't very near the skiing. If you're driving and it's February, parking is going to be a pain I would think.
Snow at that time of year rarely a problem.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@firsttimer, welcome to SnowHeads  - you have a PM (top right Send/Read messages)
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So long as you have parking at the apartment using the car to get to shops and restaurants should not be too much of a problem, there is a car park that you can usually get into by a supermarket, and there are some restaurants close to that. You can also park in some streets although payment may be required at times.
I do think that location would really be too far away from the lifts though for an ideal first time holiday experience. Driving/parking to the bottom of the lifts is not practical except at Les Prodains (paid parking, direct access to Avoriaz) where you can drop one adult, the children and all the kit off in the drop off point then go and park (the driver may have a longish walk in ski boots though) then reverse the procedure at the end of the day Trying to manage your own kit, much of the children's kit plus dealing with 3 exhausted children is not a pleasant way to end a day on the slopes and its best to make it as easy as possible. Even if you can leave your ski boots and skis at a rental shop at the bottom of the slopes and do the walk in comfy footwear it may be too much for the younger ones!
The younger two may also not cope will a whole day on the slopes so you may all want to finish early and do other things.
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i'd agree with caravan above, I think for a first time experience with the scheduled lessons and what not you'd want to be closer to the centre...
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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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+1 to Caravanskier's comments. Particularly about how physically tiring it is for first timers. The sheer complexity of managing children and kit, plus the fear of missing ski school *again* meant that mornings were rushed, and afternoons often left us all worn out. I've been boarding for the last 20 years but it was first time for my wife and children. I'm sure you will have a great time but do plan on the basis that it is better to stop while you are ahead, so to speak. The end of the day can be hard work so do what you can to minimise the time and effort to get home.
We stayed in a chalet between Morzine and the Prodains cable car, in April. We didn't ski down in Morzine (as it was late in the season and most precipitation fell as rain - I think we were unlucky) but took the Prodains cable car up to Avoriaz every day. There is the slight challenge for beginners of needing to take a further chairlift across Avoriaz from the top of Prodains to the ski school meet. By the second or third day not a problem.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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AN alternative, since you have the car, is to book lessons at Ardent and drive up there every morning. Car park is free, bubble is usually quieter than Prodains, and takes you up to a valley (Lindarets) with 4 chairlifts out of it in varying directions, plus lots of cafes/restaurants.
I remember basing ourselves at a cafe there on our first trip with kids and taking it in turns to go ski, drink coffee, play with kids, ski with kids.
However, someone else might come along here and say that the actual skiing up there isn't quite so suited to beginners - it's been a long time since I was one of them and I may have a distorted view!
Once you can ski a bit it's definitely a much nicer way to get up the hill than Prodains if you have a car.
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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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@karin, it's a good alternative although it's an extra 20-25 minutes of in car faffing.
Whereas if the e.g. the 2nd apartment I saw is only 50m from Pleney bubble, that would be a no brainer for me, in town, flexible, no need to use the car, etc.
In fact it would be a no brainer whether with kids or beginners or not.
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@under a new name, yes, I only suggested it as an alternative to going up to Prodains, because most of the faffing with the car is getting everyone and everything in and out of it, and an extra ten minutes driving is neither here nor there, really. Plus it's 5 euros cheaper...
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You know it makes sense.
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@karin, Morzine to Ardent ('spesh at half term) is not 10 minutes...
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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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Are there any ski lessons involved as getting near them should be a priority if so.
If all good skiers then it is fine just drive up to Ardent as @karin, suggests.
Not sure exactly where it is as it does not say but looks like it is opposite the bridge as it is under the Super Morzine lift on the photos. Good bars just over the bridge as is the mini train to Pleney lift. So not too far out but there are better places in town.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Jake43, I think the clue is in the phrase, "all total beginners" ...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@under a new name, No, but I was talking about extra compared to driving up to Prodains. And obviously I haven't actually timed it, so I was guessing!
We regularly stay in a chalet opposite the Nyon lift, and if we're going Avoriaz direction we have always gone to Ardent rather than Prodains. Last Christmas we were there and had to go to Prodains several times for a ski school meet, and the new lift is better, but we still went round to Ardent when we didn't have lessons. Maybe we're just creatures of habit!
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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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@karin, I had heard the new lift was really good but we almost invariably go to Ardent as well. I only know it's more than ten minutes having run late one morning last season...and my be there in 10 minutes was closer to 25 after following slow traffic (it was snowing and of course they didn't have snow tyres...)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Jake43, I think the clue is in the phrase, "all total beginners" ... |
Exactly hence "handy for the lessons would be a priority for me" ! Not sure if that means Pleney Lift?
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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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Not stayed in Morzine for a few years but ski school used to meet at the bottom of Pleney. I stayed in a chalet near the patinoire and the hike to and from Pleney with 3 kids and all the gear made for a hectic and stressful start to the day and whinging kids at the end of the day. The kids were all beginners the first time and a similar age to the OP's (6, 9 and 10), the lack of snow probably didn't help. The second time in the same chalet was much better, kids slightly older, able to ski better and good snow.
I'm with @under a new name, and would want a place nearer the ski school and a stress free start to the day.
I was with some (adult) beginners in January last year and getting them out the door in time for ski school was bad enough and it brought back memories of getting 3 kids out the door, with all their kit, on my own.
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Don't know Morzine but do know skiing with kids. Very easy access to ski school meeting place is top priority. And if you're going at half term booking ski school for all, all with the same meeting place, must be done soonest. some probably fully booked already. Don't worry about the snow; that's the ski school's job.
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@Jake43, Definitely Pleney lift. Just not sure if top or bottom.
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All lessons meet at the top of Pleney, with the exception of ESF lessons for the really young that meet at their snow garden.
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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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So you have to leave, say, 10 minutes extra + queuing time to get to the top. High season I think I'd be counting 30 minutes from arrival at lift station to be sure.
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If you're staying there I'd strongly recommend hiring your skis from somewhere very close to the Pleney (assuming you are hiring and your lessons will be at the top of pleney) and leave your skis, boots, poles and helmets there overnight and keep some comfortable shoes at the shop for the walk home at the end of the day. Usually the hire shop will store your skis for free too.
If you end the day at the bottom of pleney (which is likely) get 'the little train' which stops at the bottom of the pleney lift back to the super morzine lift and it's a relatively short walk back from there over the bridge. The kids will love the train too.
Provided you organise it so that you are a) wearing comfortable shoes to and from pleney and b) not carrying all your ski gear back and forth I think you'll be fine there and a 15 minute evening stroll to a bar or 2 in the mountains is hardly the worst experience in the world..
As you are 'complete beginners', i'd probably suggest the Morzine / Les Gets lift pass would suffice for your first week as the ski area is large and likely to be more than enough (plus it's considerably cheaper). Some people may disagree and say get the PDS pass and I can understand why as it's an outstanding ski area however you need to be realistic about how much ground you'll be able to cover in your first week, particularly with the young ones.
There are a couple of supermarkets nearby, Carrefour in the old town and Ed Supermarket closer the centre both with car parks so stocking up shouldn't be an issue if you have a car.
As far as snow goes, I've been in Feb a few times and never had a problem. It's probably not far off the perfect time to go.
Am also going in feb at half term with 2 kids so may see you there..! Oh, and it will be busy..!
Paul
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just down from Le Pleney bubble station, I am very fond of Francois Baud Sports, friends for nearly 30 years. Great kit and a warm welcome plus heated boot dryers and overnight storage... 
http://www.fbfreeride.com/index.php?lang=en
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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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The FB shop is good @under a new name and really close to pleney so an ideal spot to hire from, Also very handy for a quick drink or 2 in either le tremplin or le cottage at the end of the day..!
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