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Christmas Family Ski Advice

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I like ski in/ski out.

I also like a nice hotel with a swimming pool and spa.

They don't seem compatible Puzzled
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Jonny996, I like St Gervais, I've been there 4 times and Megeve once. However, my kids are 3, 7 and 10 and that means I end up doing a lot of carrying their crap. In Avoriaz, I step out of the front door and I'm on the slope and I ski back to my front door, when we return. There are plenty of restaurants and leisure facilities all within walking distance, as it's just like a little town in the middle of the slopes. I'm not suggesting this is the only place you can do this, but it suits us perfectly at the moment.
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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?
@maggi,

We stay at the Amara Apartments in Avoriaz and it has them.

Fat lot of good it does me, small children = no chance to relax anyway Laughing
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pam w wrote:
Doorstep traffic-free skiing at a pretty snowsure altitude? Easy drive from airport with big choice of flights from all parts of the UK?

It might be traffic free but watch out for those fecking horses Skullie
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
musher wrote:
pam w wrote:
Doorstep traffic-free skiing at a pretty snowsure altitude? Easy drive from airport with big choice of flights from all parts of the UK?

It might be traffic free but watch out for those fecking horses Skullie


Laughing
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@maggi, http://www.hoteldesdromonts.com/#!hotel-avoriaz/spa f'rinstance? Or there's a slopeside one in Morzine? Probably Les Gets as well?

I don't think there's any shortage of ski in/out hotels with pools and spas.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Jonny996,
Quote:

I don't see any issue with getting a cable car up to snow,

Neither do I actually - however it's the walking or bussing to the cable-car that can be a pain. And having to get a cable car down, instead of being able to ski all the way back to your accommodation, is for me something to be avoided if possible.
Quote:

Does ski in/out mean you are not walkable to restaurants & town centre

No - at least, not in my experience.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@maggi,
Quote:

I like ski in/ski out.
I also like a nice hotel with a swimming pool and spa.
They don't seem compatible

I could give you a list of such hotels in our village - and that's without doing any research.
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There's even one in Les Saisies - and with a much bigger and more varied "spa" establishment just over the road! It's expensive, though.
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@pam w, We find that the ideal compromise is to pop next door, to the luxurious hotel to which we are attached, pay 10 euros and use their "Wellness Suite" - the best of both worlds.
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@porkpiefox, I have 4 children. You have to wait until they have left home before you can relax Laughing

@under a new name, I looked at the website but didn't see a pool Puzzled

@Tatman's Tours, we stayed in the Saalbacher Hof in July. Lovely hotel but I have no idea where the snow would be in winter. Booked for Alpine Palace in Hinterglemm in January (2nd time there, food to die for and indoor and outdoor pool), which is not far off ski in/ski out but not like chalets where we've stayed in France which were literally on the piste.

@pam w, "over the road" might as well be the other side of the village. I just want to walk down the corridor in a robe. I don't want to have to get dry/dressed and walk outside with dripping hair.
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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.
@maggi, there's an in house spa as well - and a small pool. http://www.hotelcalgary.com/fr/activites-et-loisirs.php

If you decided to have a holiday there you could even come to my place and slum it for lunch!!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@pam w, slum it for lunch? Laughing If it's just me and OH we make do with a beer and a packet of peanuts between us! I do like a nice pool though. As I always say to him, if I'm in the pool after skiing, it saves on the bar bills and gives him a bit of peace and quiet so he can have a snooze without me jumping up and down like a 3 year old trying to get him to go out somewhere 'cos I'm bored.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@maggi, The Saalbacherhof is actually well-located from the point of view of being in the centre of the village and within an easy walk of each of the three village-centre lift stations. As you may have discovered during your stay, the Schattberg Xpress is about 100m away in a downhill direction, whilst the Bernkogelbahn is about 150m away in an uphill direction, and the Kohlmaisgipfelbahn is across the square and up the slope by the church - about 200m. There are a total of 6 pistes that lead down to the village - 1 each to the first two lift stations mentioned above, and 4 to the third.

However, there are other hotels in Saalbach - too many to list - that offer more of a ski-in ski-out experience, including quite a few "up the mountain". The luxurious Hotel Hinterhag boasts that guests can actually ski right into the hotel itself! The not so luxurious (but characterful and immensely enjoyable) Bergeralm mountain inn could hardly be more ski-convenient, being located just over half-way up the Kohlmais mountain. The Hotel Sonnleiten is located alongside the Turmwiese nursery slopes, quite near to the Hinterhag. The Hotels Panther, Kendler and Kohlmais (the latter next door to us) are about as near to the piste as you can get, without actually being on it. The back door of Hotel Peter is 30m from the Bernkogel lift station, where the Bernkogel piste also terminates - literally less than a stone's throw. Other Snowheads have enthused about the ski-in ski-out Hotel Konig, although it's 3 star and doesn't have a Wellness suite, likewise the highly-regarded Pension Enzian, which is again on the piste.

In Hinterglemm there are likewise many ski-in ski-out hotels, e.g. the Ellmauhof and the Sonnalp - again too many to list. Also at Hochalm there is the Hotel Residenz - right alongside the piste.

The drawback with some ski-in ski-out establishments is of course that they are in elevated locations - handy for skiing but not for getting to and from the village centres with all their attractions. However it's not difficult to find a hotel that is located right at the foot of the pistes and yet handy for the village - some of those mentioned above are ideal. It's important of course also to establish that the lift(s) and piste(s) alongside or nearest to the hotel are ones that you'd actually want to use most of the time. It has been known for hotels to advertise themselves as being directly on the piste, when the only piste that leads to and from the establishment is a black run.

I would imagine that the Alpine Palace is very aptly named! From its appearance and the photos on its website it most certainly surpasses any French chalet that I have stayed in, and it's as near as dammit to being ski-in ski-out, as well as exceedingly handy for the Goassstall - but of course you know all that already.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Tatman's Tours, thanks for the advice about hotels. Lots to look at for the future. Oh, and I have stayed in many cheap and cheerful French chalets and most probably will again. I'm not posh Laughing .
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Don't forget when staying in Avoriaz the cable car down to Morzine runs till late in the evening 10.00 pm ?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Jonny996,
Quote:

I don't see any issue with getting a cable car up to snow, I think it needs a call on what you want from your holiday. Does ski in/out mean you are not walkable to restaurants & town centre as this is what the OP seems to want
Getting a cable car up to the snow is a deal breaker for me. In my experience it typically knocks 40-60 minutes off your skiing time each day as you usually need to queue for and travel on a major lift before you can catch the first proper lift up and then you have to take the last lift back down again at the end of the day. It's probably the major reason why I am biased against places like Morzine which can struggle to maintain decent snow quality back to the village early and late in the season.


Quote:

Does ski in/out mean you are not walkable to restaurants & town centre
Certainly not, in my experience. Not sure why it should.
snow report
 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?
@foxtrotzulu,
Quote:

Quote:
Does ski in/out mean you are not walkable to restaurants & town centre

Certainly not, in my experience. Not sure why it should.

My thoughts exactly.
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How about Les Carroz as a prettier alternative to Tignes/Avoriaz and a more snowsure/charming alternative to Morzine?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@rumdiary, having now examined the options for both DIY and TO, it seems that Neilson are doing Tuesday-Tuesday (20th-27th) holidays for that week. So for the first time we might be going back to a resort and staying in the same place. The one Neilson offer I've seen is difficult for us to beat DIYing.

Fits in perfectly with the OHs Christmas hols too.


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Thu 25-08-16 23:05; edited 1 time in total
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@foxtrotzulu, I know we have agreed to disagree, but the Brevent Bubble is 3 minutes walk from my front door and takes 10 mins or so to the snow, and you exit half way down a run.

Expecting better than that in general will lead to disappointment, IMV.
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@under a new name, I don't know the Chamonix(?) area, so I can't comment. Those timings aren't too bad at all, but if you still end up losing half an hour per day. That's not too bad so it's just a question of whether the other advantages compensate for the lost time.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
hammerite wrote:
@rumdiary, having now examined the options for both DIY and TO, it seems that Neilson are doing Tuesday-Tuesday (20th-27th) holidays for that week. So for the first time we might be going back to a resort and staying in the same place. The one Neilson offer I've seen is difficult for us to beat DIYing.

Fits in perfectly with the OHs Christmas hols too.


Decision made then. Good stuff.
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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.
Just wanted to say a big thank you for all taking the time to respond!
A great read and lots of advice and information.
Thank you
Puzzled wink Very Happy
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:

@under a new name, So did the architect. That makes at least two of you. Smile

I like it as well. Not so keen on the Disney architure that appears to be so popular now.

But back to the original post. Chistmas day would be like any other Sunday in the ski resorts, all restaurants, slopes etc will be open, but expect Christmas eve to be expensive with all restaurants etc full and bars to be closing early. As to tradditional Christmas food availability the shops will be full of oysters, which I gather are tradditional on Christmas, there will be festive bread in the bakery etc.
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Quote:

As to tradditional Christmas food availability the shops will be full of oysters, which I gather are tradditional on Christmas

..and carp in Austria
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