Which Le Grand Massif Resort as Base?

A snowHead

Our family of 4 which is composed of 3 intermediates and a beginner are looking for the best place to base our adventure in the Le Grand Massif area. We know we want to buy the Le Grand Massif ski pass, but we aren't experts into which one we should choose. What would be the best base to depart from each day in terms of easiest to get to from Geneva and easiest to go to all the different ski areas and be back at the end of the day? Thank you in advance for your knowledge! snowHead

A snowHead

They're all much of a muchness in terms of ease of access from Geneva (all easy and quick).

You can probably write off Morillon and Sixt if the snow is poor I would say (and Sixt is the hardest to get to and from, being linked by bus - you can at least get in and out of Morillon on the gondola if conditions are bad).

In terms of travelling between Les Carroz, Flaine and Samoens on piste, this is easy and it doesn't make much odds so choose on other criteria.

If you like wide open reds and blues go for Flaine (which isn't pretty architecturally but has a lot of bars etc). If you like prettier villages one of the others. Both are quieter - personally I would go for Carroz (which has trees if light is flat) but I am biased as I go there every year.

Additionally, you could go for a Carroz only pass for the first couple of days to save a few quid if needs be.

The skiing is easy (throughout the GM) so you should be fine from that point of view.

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+1 for Les Carroz. Attractive village with tree lined runs. Easy to get to everywhere.

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Another vote for Les Carroz d'Araches. Nice little town, very easy access from Geneva and good access to the whole of the Grand Massif.

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Having lived in both Les Carroz and Morillon I'd suggest you go for Morillon BUT MAKE SURE YOU'RE UP AT 1100 not Village.

This will mean you're ski to door with the Nursery slopes on your doorstep as well the blues from the top give a real sense of distance there's even a great 5km green from the top (Marvel)

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Morillon 1100 or Les Carroz for ease of skiing,pretty tree lined runs and the best mountain restaurants (in my opinion!). We prefer Les Carroz as we like staying in Les Chalets de Jouvence at the foot of the piste and there are generally more shops/amenities in Les Carroz. Morillon 1100 has more basic apartments without pools. If you are on a budget Morillon might be the best option. If you can run to Les Chalets de Jouvence in Les Carroz I'd recommend staying there.

We have always booked through Peak Retreats who have a good range of accommodation in both resorts. Their prices include the Eurotunnel flexi plus which we have found useful.

We have taken friends who were beginners with us to Les Carroz and they have now booked for the third consecutive year as they like it so much. I'm not sure when Marcellus lived in Les Carroz/Morillon but things have changed a lot in Les Carroz in the past few years and it is now a lot better for beginners than it was five years ago...eg. Molliets piste has been remodelled and magic carpets have been installed etc.

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@marcellus, you beat me to it for Morillon, it's my pick of the places to stay there as well having stayed in all of the villages. Nothing wrong with any of them as they're all good in my book but for ease of access it's hard to beat that one both for getting there and staying right next to the chairlift.

One lift in the morning will get to either Morillon ski area or to Les carroz and just two lifts will get you all the way back from Flaine to either LC or Morillon. Coming into Morillon also you have one of the best green pistes in the whole area, Marvel, so great for beginner progression.

Just a small consideration is for your group with one beginner, Flaine itself may just hold an advantage in terms of skiing together as out around the villages you have to have enough skills to at least get around in order to travel the links. If you are based in Flaine, you can do more loops round the general area with two of you while one accompanies the beginner and effectively ski the same area by changing over who does what and having a more common meeting up point.
One of Flaine's attractions is that even with a mixed group you can all get to the highest point and ski down together on a very very wide gentle blue run, it's very hard to match that in most ski areas and can play a big part in the enjoyment for a group such as yours.
You'll often get Flaine's design sited as a downpoint, it should not detract from how it is one of THE most convenient places to stay right in the middle of the snow and should not be discounted particularly for beginners as a very easy place to be introduced into skiing.

I like the modern architecture and it's very cleverly designed to be effectively a non traffic village, it's a great place to ski.

After all it is free

I am biased for Samoens but agree that Carroz is probably best for most of the reasons described. I think it also depends on what you want once skiing is over for the day. Carroz is pretty much in the middle of everything ski wise and the new lift out of Les Molliets will make access to the various sectors even easier. What nobody seems to be saying is that all sectors are easily accessible for the intermediates and you can opt for different routes on different days if the weather is nice. Carroz wins on bad days due to its really nice tree runs.

I love the whole area and think of it as one of the best to visit but I do feel enthusiasm for different parts ignores the group mix. I've often organised for very mixed groups skill wise and it's always the least skilled that ultimately affects where you ski if you want to enjoy it together.
That I don't feel is a problem, but getting a beginner (the skill level of which you must assume as basic) for example along the top ridge of LC is fine until you come to the final pitch down to village and that can really colour their experience. Just leaving the top of the telecabine at top of LC to enter any of the pistes gives learners something to think about, evidenced by how many are usually standing around there trying to overcome their own fear limits.
I know these are not that drastic, but given raw beginner skills they can become a significant barrier to someone on the very first part of their learning curve.
When you have to get a group to travel out along those links it's either everyone waiting for the least skilled, meeting up somewhere (with, oh no I thought you meant that cafe type scenario) or leaving the lowest to practice on lower slopes, not so good if you've all gone together. You can avoid all of that in Flaine. In fact I can't think of a better place in the alps with such good access to the pistes along with such a spectacularly usable blue right from the top to all progress on. The sense of skiing together could not be better achieved without compromising the least confident person.

Hopefully the OP will get to enjoy the area and as skills come up would venture to stay at different parts of it in coming seasons as they each have a different character.

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@ski3, I would say the Marvel in Morillon is the best beginner run overall in the Grand Massif. However the lifts in Morillon are on the aging side and the Biollaires lift would not be easy for beginners as it is the older style that comes round quickly. It can be avoided by skiing down to resort level each time. It is true that there is a bit of a step up from the beginners slope in Les Carroz to the Combe but the beginners I have been with have not found it too much of a problem and it is easy to download in the gondola for the first couple of days. The Molliets piste used to be challenge for beginners to get out of the area to Morillon but now it has been modified and the arête has also been widened so it is now easier for beginners to ski both resorts which tend to be a bit quieter than Samoens and Flaine.

I love Flaine but personally think it is more for intermediates/confident skiers as a lot of the runs are red and Tourmaline is not the easiest blue when it is busy. The blue from the Grandes Platieres is gentler but it has some dips which could be dangerous if a beginner were to stop mid piste and a skier from behind didn't see them. I believe there was a fatal accident on that piste last year when someone had stopped on the piste and were hit by someone rejoining from off piste. I have also observed teenagers going far too fast down runs like Amandine and struggling to stop safely at the bottom where the piste joins a green run. The Aujon drag lift which accesses another blue run is also on the jerky side and I nearly did my back in on it as a confident skier. Obviously accidents can happen on any piste in any resort but I think there are better places than Flaine for beginners.

Samoens has a good beginners area but the pierce neige to Morillon could be tricky for beginners if it is icy or busy.

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Mixed groups are always a problem also French ski school is only a couple of hours for kids unlike Austria where you can wave them goodbye for the whole of the day. Therefore you have to consider how the intermediates will enjoy their resort while the beginners are at ski school. I respectfully disagree with snowymum as the skiing in Flaine is pretty varied and so the intermediates can ski the whole of the bowl while the beginner is in classes and no one needs to do the somewhat challenging and often slow and lengthy transfer into/out of Flaine as they can enjoy lots of skiing there. The red runs in Flaine are easy to avoid and there's lots to ski. I have personally not seen people skiing dangerously there, there is always the odd idiot but in general it's hardly full of reckless skiers. The other resorts are fun but unless the intermediates are very inexperienced they will soon get bored if they can't go to Flaine.

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I'd say Flaine for a mixed group. Good variety of pistes, blues from the top to bottom, lots of places to ski/meet up/eat together as a group and Mephisto, top to bottom in a oner on perfect corduroy having got the first egg up is as much fun as you can have on two skis......

@snowymum, also with respect, I feel that description of the run in Flaine gives a very dramatic impression of the slopes we are talking about. One that could be applied to any piste really, and perhaps gives a too much emphasis to danger that we expect to be mitigated by using all the pistes responsibly.
I've been on Marvel and had people hooning through there at completely inappropriate speeds endangering many of the slower less skilled skiers, I know it doesn't make sense but we have to make sure that whichever piste we choose that we do our best to avoid any conflict or undue risk.
My two kids have virtually grown up in their ski lives based in Morillon Les Esserts, from nursery to ski school and progression to the other areas so I'm very familiar with all of those villages. As I said in first post, it would be my first choice for my circumstances.
I guess what I'm trying illustrate is that if you are a beginner, you are effectively confined to your location unless you reach a level that allows you to travel further afield. That may not limit some with faster rate of progress but for other's it starts to compromise a group holiday. I think the bigger scope of Flaine just offers a better balance. If for example the beginner takes lessons in the morning, it's entirely possible for the rest of the group to venture out around GM and get back to Flaine to meet for lunch. Afternoon if you are all out together, it's just less limiting to go with the pace of everyone and with 3 good cafés down the left side of Flaine's bowl you can easily match effort used with appropriate rest stops.

Importantly, when there it never gives that feeling for someone learning that they've got an insurmountable journey back to base.
I still think it offers a better mix for the original question asked. Also the option to reach the top for the beginner even if they opt to lift back down, it's fabulous at the end of the day as the sun is getting lower, that view across over Chamonix is stunning.
As I've said above, there are no bad bits of GM for me. There are some really great pistes, just a bit more scope for a first time visitor in Flaine.

You know it makes sense.

@Minnie, My post was in response to Ski3 who suggested it best to choose the resort based on the beginner. I agree with you that Flaine is good for intermediates.

Ski3 I agree with your point that people can ski badly and endanger others on any piste. However I do feel that the dips on the serpentine make it harder to see those ahead. You have made a good point that it is nice for beginners to experience the view of Mont Blanc at the top of Flaine....it always seems to be snowing when we are there so have not seen the view properly in winter. snowHead

We have managed to ski Flaine whilst having children in ski school in Les Carroz but ours were at a more advanced stage. Either one of us went back for them at lunch on skis or sometimes we have popped all the skis in the car at lunchtime and driven up to Flaine for the afternoon (in order to ski longer and not have to worry about links shutting). Presumably the logistical issue is the same in reverse if you stay in Flaine as wherever one is staying you need to allow an hour to get from one side of the GM to the other and then an hour to get back.

It is also worth checking the length of ski school in the GM resorts. In Les Carroz it is 3 hours which is longer than average.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

I think it's a testament to the GM that we can all contribute the positives we have for the area and hopefully the original poster will have a more comprehensive picture of it on which to base their decision.
I remember staying for the very first time in Flaine and going out to Tete de Saix, from there as a group we skied all along the ridge right the way down to LC, all amazed at such a brilliant run it was.
Marvel, we've been down when it's almost walled with powder, another sublime run down through the trees.
Café L Beu (think that's correct) for lunch in Morillon, family run and one of our favourites. Although there are quite a few tucked away to enjoy.
Taking the last run before it closed from the top of Flaine, turn right (think it's diabolo) with the snow turning pink in the sunset and throwing long shadows across the piste from every little lump of snow laying on the surface, quite magical.
Staying at Terrace D Eos In Flaine, and swimming in the outside pool at night with our children. Again, a magical feeling with that velvet and dark blue sky, beautiful starlight and backdrop of the mountains to frame it. Very very special experiences all of them.
It's a ski area that perhaps doesn't have the big numbers and jaggedy peaks that attract people who make comparisons in that way, but for those who decide it's not for them, they won't know what they've missed.

A great place to go and stay, all parts of it. Little Angel

A snowHead

@ski3, You've made me want to stay in Flaine now. I like the sound of outdoor night time swimming snowHead

A snowHead

@snowymum, like you, we've mostly used peak retreats to both drive to and rent accommodation in one cost. Works very well I think.
The Terrace D Eos stay we tagged onto an already booked peak retreats trip. I was looking to find somewhere else to extend our trip and got a private rental there, so paid the owner and off we went.
I must admit it's never been my aim to go swimming after skiing so I've not previously booked with that facility in mind, but it's certainly made a convert of me. They have a big indoor jacuzzi, plus a scandi steam cabin, then just outside on the terrace is the pool, fairly big one as well. We found it best to open the door and leg it to jump straight in as it was nice and warm once submerged.
As I said, almost instant conversion for me, it's really quite different swimming outside in those temperatures. My kids rate that stay as one of their all time best.
It was a very nice apartment to and with direct access onto the snow from ski/boot room. It's the new buildings on the left as you drive in towards Flaine just before reaching the road entrance to Flaine Foret.

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Going to Flaine on the 24th of Dec and staying in Terrace D Eos (got an absolute bargain deal), so i'm very happy to read all these positive reviews about the accommodation and the resort itself.

Just need some snow now.

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Something that should not be overlooked is the different altitudes of the resorts in the GM. The OP does not say when in the season they are planning to go. I'm in Flaine at the moment (Terrasses d'Eos, as it happens) and there is only one lift open (Aup de Veran) and basically only one way down. Having driven through Carroz this morning that resort won't be opening this weekend, as originally planned, and until there is another decent dump of snow the only skiing will be in Flaine and the only way of getting there will be by road. Carroz is at about 1,200m, as is Morillon, and the top of the GM Express in Samoens is about 1,600m. Don't even consider Sixt at the moment! The bottom of the Flaine bowl is about 1,550m and there is a lot of skiing above 1,800m. Although the other resorts do their best to keep the slopes open into April the slopes back to the resorts inevitably suffer.

Another reason for liking Flaine is that you can ski across to the other resorts in the morning, have lunch, and have a leisurely ski back. I agree about the restaurants outside the Flaine bowl being much better.

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Until they replace the Lanche lift, I wouldn't stay in Morillon, personally. I get that there is some nice skiing that way, but I've stayed in Morillon, Samoens and Flaine and it can take a fair amount of time to get from Morillon to Flaine, whereas most of the others are easier to move between, especially now the new lift is there in Les Molliets.

This is obviously just my opinion, but if you're planning to try to get to all the different areas and you have to factor in lessons in the Morillon area for your beginner, then you aren't going to get much time to get over to Flaine after a lesson finishes. Getting back is fine, it's the getting there that takes the time. I like skiing in the Morillon area, but, as a base, I think the others offer easier access to the whole area.

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Flain is overrated imho. Just get the massif pass stay in Morillon and you will have plenty to keep you all happy for a week. Les carroz is great and sairon run into Morillon is my favorite run home of all the resorts I've been to and samoens also has great skiing. Stay away from Flaine you don't need it.

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