 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Just returned from 2 weeks in Chamonix. Total success... wife & kids can now ski and want to go again! But....ferrying skis, baby, push chair, spare clothes etc etc. up narrow steps and through turnstiles to the gondola (Brevant)with 15 people queueing up the steps behind you blocking every return for the next load AND all the while worrying is someone walking away with my new skis left outside till last... was a nightmare.
I've heard Le Carroz is much more family friendly. Need convenient cafe for duty baby sitter close to vehicle access (will be driving) and ski lifts to both beginner and more advanced slopes (I guess reds will keep me happy) Also Ski School for further lessons for wife and kids. Used Evolution in Chamonix, is there an English school in Le Carroz?
Any advice appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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empee, welcome to snowheads, you may like to have a look at La Rosiere, very family friendly and will meet all your criteria. There is an Evo2 school in the village but any of the 3 ski schools are good. Have a look at our ad in snowShops or go to our website www.tracksvacations.com the village is an easy drive from Calais, autoroute to within 60 kms and there's plenty of free parking right by the main ski lifts. There's a link from our website to the Touirist Office and you can access their webcams. Our skiing is in france and Italy and the resort has a very different feel to the mega ski-stations nearby.
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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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ferrying skis, baby, push chair, spare clothes etc etc. up narrow steps and through turnstiles to the gondola
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Sorry if this is a stupid question empee but why were you taking your baby & pushchair up the gondola? Is that where the creche was?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I can't compare Les C (or anywhere else) with Chamonix, since I've never been to Chamonix. However I wouldn't say that Les C is a dream resort if you've got to worry about babies, push chairs and things. The main lift towards Flaine (the main reason for being there for most people, I imagine) are not especially convenient. There is a certain amount of parking near the lift, but I suspect you need to be up early to get it. There is easy access to the snow form elsewhere in the village, but that requires a ski to get to the main lift.
There are cafes around the place, as you'd expect. I don't know whether any is particularly good for your purposes.
I'm not sure where would meet your criteria, and I'm not sure why you want to take a (presumably non skiing) baby and push chair on a lift, but no doubt you have your reasons. Courchevel 1850 has relatively easy lift access from the street, I suppose. Many N.American resorts are well set up to deal with kids; I can recommend Banff (Sunshine) from my own experience. What about leaving the non skiing nippers at home, or using a specialist TO like Ski Esprit?
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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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Are you planning to self cater? If so and wild night life is not on your priority list I would recommend Morillon (same ski area as Les Carroz and Flaine) as a possible addition to your list. You have the option to stay in the village, small and quite pretty but still with the morning bundle to the gondola - there is also a hotel here though- or Morillon Les Esserts where most accommodation is, if not ski in/ski out, only a couple of 100m from chairs taking you to the links for Les Carroz, Flaine and Samoens. There are 3 cafe/restaurants at Les Esserts that I can think of off the top of my head - the main one at the top of the gondola will give the babysitter a good view of incoming 'shift change' down the main blue Sairons to the plateau....but La Combe does better pizza and vin chaud! and the other one does yummy crepes. Recommend Le Refuge d'Alpage apartments with those in block A having the easiest access to the skiing - but none are really arduous. They're new and IMO pretty spacious by French Alpine standards and are available through Peak Retreats. Le Grand Morillon, Les Ertelous are also pretty convenient but don't know what they're like inside. The tourist office is pretty good for getting accommodation information more generally. There's a well stocked Sherpa supermarket under the apartments I would say that it's perfect for beginner/lower end intermediates in the very local area a 5km green, various blues and I think 3 relatively easy reds and plent of scope for more demanding territory within the area which I would think would be enough for all but the really advanced. (The Massif pass provided more than enough 'entertainment' for us for the week but you could upgrade to the Grand Massif pass to add Flaine to you options) The only ski school in Morillon is ESF (DON'T book them for childrens' group lessons in February, I didn't see one group with less than 12 in it and even saw one with 20!!!) but Nouvelle Dimensions in Les Carroz would I think be relatively easy to get to for lessons as an alternative and seem to be quite well regarded. Joss at Ecole de Ski 360 in Samoens was excellent for us but we did 'engagement' (not cheap, but brilliant value for money) for 4 days so he came to Morillon - would be a problem for normal lessons as the Le/La Lanche chair is prone to closure for wind. It's also an incredibly easy drive, motorway to within about 20k
You might guess that I love it here!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for the response.
First, for the confused...! Not comfortable leaving baby with strangers just yet. When he's 3 he'll go to ski school but till then it's with us or someone stays home all day! Which means 1 more year of setting up base camp with push chair, food, kids clothes etc etc!
Drove over to Morrillon from Chamonix for the day Annie and it was where we planned to go next year so appreciate your views. Were told to check out Le Carroz too though. We will be self catering, and driving over. Still need to decide on school, 1 total beginner in group plus wife and daughters (8 & 5) would benefit from further tuition after making great progress on their first outing last month. Maybe group class for the beginner and private for wife & daughters? Mixed group is a problem and none of us are french speakers....!
Meanwhile I've e mailed Peak re prices for Refuge d'Alpage...
Thanks again
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empee, Flaine itself would be better, you'd be right up in the village next to the lifts and facilities. No taking anything up any lift.
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empee
I am a very big fan of les carroz having bought a chalet here with some friends last season. As such, forgive me if this is not so impartial.
I think Les Carroz is a wonderful resort. Skiing in the grand Massif area is very good and highly under-rated. Mostly suitable for beginner/intermediate but also lots of off piste for the more advanced. The area between Les Carroz/Morrillon is particularly scenic with mainly tree-lined skiing.
The main beginners area is at the top of the gondola in town. Although the gondola is up the hill from the village, there is a large car park at the base and should be relatively easy to load spare clothes/skis etc onto the gondola. This is rarely busy so unlikely to have to jostle with a queue of people. At the top of the gondola is a self service restaurant with good views of the valley.
Perhaps a better alternative would be to base yourselves at Les Molliets. This is a piste-side restaurant (very good) about five minutes drive up the mountain from Les Carroz (it is also a great sun trap). There is a chair lift from this restaurant that goes pretty much to the same place as the main Les Carroz gondola. The piste that this is next to is just a gentle blue run so the whole family should be enjoy to conjugate here.
There are two ski schools in town (Ecole du Ski Ecole and Nouvelle Dimension) that each offer private and group lessons. I agree with Annie that Nouvelle Dimension are good. There are also two schools that specialise in private lessons.
Unfortunately our chalet (sleeps  is fully booked until 15th April but have a look anyway www.flameski.com
If your enquiries through Peak fall through let me know anyway (csimmons@flameski.com) as I have other contacts in resort that may be able to help. Good luck!
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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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Flaine itself would be better, you'd be right up in the village next to the lifts and facilities. No taking anything up any lift.
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I strongly agree, if you are set on going to Flaine. But there are lots of other places which could fit the bill, one of which is Les Gets. There is a major "cafe area" at the bottom of the main lifts, which can be reached by lift but also by car, with close parking. It's an ideal place for a "base station" with the advantage that you can see the other chicks coming down, baby can potter around on the snow. I don't think from memory there is anywhere like that in Les Carroz and it IS a drag from there up to the main Flaine lifts. Some of the other slopes accessed from that side of the Grand Massif are not beginner friendly.
I would also agree that La Rosiere is good, but Les Gets is the best "base station cafe" I have found - used in my case for non ski-ing granny who needed a walking aid, so similar logistics to yours. She loved being able to watch her grandchildren coming down the slope, and they could easily ski over for a drink and a chat. It is also absolutely ideally placed if some members of the family are swapping baby sitting duties. The British Alpine Ski School in Les Gets is excellent. and, last but not least, it's an extremely English resort.
there are two "sides" to the ski slopes, and a little train shuttles round the village linking them. You ideally want to be on the main side.
You made a brave choice of Chamonix for your first holiday, with your family set up! If you coped with that and are still hooked, you have half a century of expensive holidays ahead of you... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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empee, for future reference as I notice you have already booked. I have an apartment a short (and relatively flat) walk from the chairlift in Monetier-les-Bains (Serre Chevalier). You could base camp in the apartment with views of the slopes, or at the cafe next to the chairlift. There is also a British ski school in the village (Eurekaski). A bit of a longer drive though (10 hours).
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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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Thanks Helen
Had a look, too small for us though, couple plus 4 kids 16yrs to 1yr, plus xtra adult this yr. We've booked 3 bedroom.
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simo, I second this info! 
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