Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all
Any recommendations on ski in/out accommodation in Samoens or Flaine?
Never been to Grand massif but quite fancy it; however looking at some of the Samoens hotels, they look like they're a ski bus away form the lifts. Do either resort offer ski in/out options?
Many thanks
Olly
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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 vast majority of the accommodation in Flaine itself is ski in ski out as it sits in the bottom of the bowl which is the main ski area.
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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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Samoens is at the bottom of the valley, unless you stay at Samoens 1600 (which isn't really Samoens), so it isn't set up as a ski in, ski out resort. Flaine, as @TQA, says, is basically a ski in, ski out resort, although it is worth looking at exactly where your accommodation is in the resort, as some is nearer the bowl than others.
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I stopped at Samoens 1600 this year, very convenient and proper ski in, ski out but it's very (very) quiet at night. Nothing in the way of a supermarket either so have to drive down to Samoens town to get supplies.
As we had small children with us it worked out very well as only a couple of minutes from ski school and didn't matter that it was quiet at night as all they did was play in the snow outside, which to be fair they couldn't have done in Samoens town, as there wasn't any!
If you want a proper resort and ski in, ski out for Grand Massif, Flaine is the obvious choice. There's Morillon Les Esserts too but don't know what that's like to be honest.
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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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Parts of Les Carroz and Morillon are also ski in/out.
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I would certainly consider Les Carroz over Flaine, which is ugly. Samoens is beautiful but the gondola is a walk from most places (I think?).
There's some lovely tree skiing in Carroz and you can be over in Flaine and Samoens very quickly via the gondola and a ski down.
The Milk Hotel ( http://www.milkhotel.fr/en/index.html ) at the bottom of Les Timolets is ski in ski out, and very friendly - I've stayed there loads of times. Nice little bar, good food, bit more upmarket than it used to be. There are a couple of other more expensive places just across from it, too.
There's another smaller place in the village itself which is also ski in ski out (50m nursery slope drag, ski down to the gondola), Les Airelles. It's cheaper than the Milk, and right next to an InterSport if you need ski hire, and better placed for going into the village for a beer, but it has no bar of its own (or didn't when I was last there a couple of years ago).
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Samoëns is beautiful?
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under a new name wrote: |
Samoëns is beautiful? |
I think so, but I guess it's subjective! It's a 'ville fleurie' and (according to wiki) the only ski resort in the country classified by the Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques (in which it's in pretty good company - 'Examples of buildings classified as monument historique include well known Parisian structures such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Palais Garnier opera house, plus abbeys, churches such as Corbiac, and cathedrals such as Notre Dame de Paris or hotels such as the Crillon. Many of the Châteaux of the Loire Valley carry the MH designation as do the renowned gardens at Château de Villandry.' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_historique).
I'm sure we can agree that it's prettier than Flaine... Anyway, I'd still advise Les Carroz.
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northernsoulboy wrote: |
under a new name wrote: |
Samoëns is beautiful? |
I'm sure we can agree that it's prettier than Flaine... |
Fairly low benchmark against which to compare
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Ski in - ski out in Flaine is ideal but virtually all self catering. You can almost fall out of bed at the Panoramic (Flaine Foret) and onto Grand Van lift. Ski hire at Simonds Sports is a 3 minute walk and lift pass office in building. Spa supermarket 5 - 7 mins walk away. Flaine Montsoleil (Terrasses d'Helios & Terrasses D'Eos) far better quality accommodation, right on a green piste that links you easily into main area of Flaine - restaurant attached to each building - ski hire and Spa supermarket in Terrasses D'Helios. If you want a hotel Terminal Neige in Flaine Forum newly renovated and on Daily Telegraph list of places to stay in the Alps - short walk way from numerous ski hire and restaurants/ bars. Bear in mind Flaine is not a wild party resort but if you look carefully there are plenty of pleasant bars and good restaurants
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Flaine is set up for ski in, ski out to the extent that you can realistically ski down to many of the apartment blocks for lunch if on a budget. It's higher than Samoens village, at 1500/ 1600m so snow is more reliable. If you don't care about architecture , but want skiing convenience, then Flaine is better than Samoens imv, which is a more traditional proper village.
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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 skiing is Flaine is almost as dull as the architecture and the link over to the good stuff in Samoens/Morrilon/Les C isn't much better...
I would vote for Morillon 1100
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maidstone98 wrote: |
Hi all
Any recommendations on ski in/out accommodation in Samoens or Flaine?
Never been to Grand massif but quite fancy it; however looking at some of the Samoens hotels, they look like they're a ski bus away form the lifts. Do either resort offer ski in/out options?
Many thanks
Olly |
Flaine - 100% ski out , 90% ski in ( Hameau area not ski in )
Samoens - Sameons 1600 - 100% ski in ski out. Samoens village 0% ski out/in, bus, walk, drive to base lift.
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You know it makes sense.
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To add to comments of northernsoulboy - Hotel Les Airelles is ski-in/ski-out, albeit at 1160m altitude, but the access to the Kedeuse gondola is very easy via a covered travelator/walkway which opened in January 2016, the button having been removed.
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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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Does anyone know if any Vercland accommodation is ski in ski out?
One of my favourite Samoens blacks of all time 'Velarge' ends at Vercland and I've always wondered...
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Poster: A snowHead
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red 27 wrote: |
The skiing is Flaine is almost as dull as the architecture and the link over to the good stuff in Samoens/Morrilon/Les C isn't much better...
I would vote for Morillon 1100 |
I completely disagree. Flaine was built for a reason. The return link (Tourmaline) can get cut up when busy but it's quite a good blast higher up under the chair.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@red 27,
I would never ever say Onyx is dull...Or backcountry off Fred...or fresh powder on unpisted Faust...
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Flaine is great especially if you get up early on a day after a dump (of snow). Easy off piste for lazy people, even a couloir or two for the adventurous, and you're never far from a bar. Plus the reds and blacks at the top are nice fast cruisers.
@skier52 didn't know about the travelator, ta.
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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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In a weeks ski holiday, unless you are total beginners you could expect to ski all Grand Massif areas so it doesn't matter where you stay from that point of view. Personally although we are based at Samoens we tend to avoid skiing there in the school holidays as there are too many beginners and it gets congested, so we go over to Flaine if the weathers nice to enjoy the great views from the top, or Les Carroz if the clouds are down and we want to ski in the trees. Morillon has some of the nicest runs in open pasture and trees. You can eat well on piste in all areas. As regards getting around, the big game changer is the new fast chair from Les Molliets up to Tête des Saix which will make switching between resorts much easier hopefully. Where you stay really depends on what kind of holiday you like and if you want a nice village to walk round in the evening then Samoens is great for that, and you can walk to the gondola quite easily from the village if you rent your kit with storage at the lifts (I wouldn't want to carry it from the village). However it might be a bit far to walk with small kids who are tired, there seem to be lots of ski buses though. Morillon Les Esserts is ski in ski out and has a few eating options. The village in the valley is small so it's a short walk to the gondola. Flaine is functional and not remotely charming but if you will be spending your evenings in an apartment with friends, you might not mind. I don't know the village at Les Carroz.
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Freestyle wrote: |
Does anyone know if any Vercland accommodation is ski in ski out?
One of my favourite Samoens blacks of all time 'Velarge' ends at Vercland and I've always wondered... |
Not last year, because of lack of snow (although that was true of many resorts at lower level).
They've apparently re-modeled the run and added a load of snow canons down to Vercland, as they are trying to encourage people to use that route as a way off the mountain, to relieve some of the pressure on the GME. We stayed in Vercland last season and will be again this coming season. A short walk to the (archaic) bubble and then no queue, so it's a pretty quick way to access the mountain, especially compared to the rush hour queue at the GME, anyway.
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@porkpiefox, good to know about the snow cannons! I'll check out bus routes from vercland down to Le cinema at Samoens to see if that's an option for us.
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Thanks for all the replies - massively helpful !
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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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That's great - cheers, @porkpiefox,
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