Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Les Carroz in late March at Pierre et Vacances?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Before we commit, did I miss anything?

Planning for the third week of March in Les Carroz, staying at the Pierre et Vacances Les Fermes du Soleil.
We'll be three adults + 1.5 yr old, rotating between us in babysitting (probably not rotating mid-day).

Main things I'm worried about:

1) Snow reliability in Les Carroz itself and the Grand Massif in general in late March?
2) Ease of getting to and from main gondola from these specific apartments. How long is the ski bus ride?
3) Saw quite a bit of slow chairlifts in the Grand Massif area, can these be avoided? Long queues at the high speed lifts?
4) Things to do in the village with our daughter during the day, any nice playgrounds or other attractions?
The hotel itself has an indoor pool and supposedly also a playroom but it'd be nice to have options outside as well.

Cheers!
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
We stayed in these apartments March 19th-24th last season. By French P&V standards they are fairly spacious.

1) Snow was Ok, and you could ski all the way to the bottom gondola. Runs were fairly slushy/sugary for the last few hundred metres though. Higher up is fine and we managed to get to all the linked areas during the week.

2) Rent a locker at the gondola station, and leave your boots & skis there. Saves an awful lot of aggro carrying ski clobba around. In the morning it's a short 5 minute walk up past the mini-market/spa through the market square to the bus stop and you can get on any bus from there up to the gondola. In the evening get the bus down and it stop right in front of reception. You then walk through a walkway, past the ice-rink/sauna/spa to your apartment. Easy in civvy shoes, more difficult in ski boots, so I'll repeat - hire a locker in the gondola station.

3) Can't say I noticed any particularly slow chairs. The gondola out of Carroz gets busy at Ski School start time, and the Gondolas out of Flaine were always 'busy' but only a few minutes wait.

4) Pass. No sprogs in our group.
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?
We have an apartment in a block adjacent to this. My version of answers:
1. It was no problem at all last season. If the snow is not as good, you can always ski higher up and then come down in the bubble.
2. @Judwin is correct that you can walk up to the square, but there's no need to. There is a bus a few yards from the apartments (exact distance depends on which block you are in). Whilst it goes slightly round the houses, it probably takes less time (and effort!) than walking to the square. If you have a car, you also have the option of starting at Carroz 1500 (previously known as Molliets) and taking the fast lift from there direct to the Tete de Saix.
3. Not many of the slow lifts left now, and queues shouldn't be a problem in late March.
4. The ice rink is right opposite the Fermes du Soleil. They have sort of chairs on blades which might be nice for a 1.5 year old. Just past the cinema, about a 3 minute walk from Fermes du Soleil there is a small playground. The big swimming pool is also a good option, and is on the bus route. There is a dedicated tobogganing slope just up from the town (complete with tapis).
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@chenav, I think Les Carroz would be a good choice of resort for that week. The chances are you would be able to ski back down to the foot of the gondola.

However I would recommend looking at the CGH residences Les Chalets de Jouvence and Les Chalets de Leana before making your final accommodation decision. Les Chalets de Jouvence is right at the foot of the piste. The advantages it would have over Les Fermes du soleil would be - no need to take skibus, bigger better apartments and a much better pool, jacuzzi, steam room etc. We have always stayed in Les Chalets de Jouvence when skiing in Les Carroz. Still only 5 mins walk from the village centre and it is easier to walk in apres ski boots than with all the ski clutter!

We have also stayed in Les Carroz in summer at Chalets de Leana. The residence is newer and the apartments are therefore a bit more up to date than les chalets de jouvence. Most have nice views towards the ski area. It has a good size pool and a separate baby pool. It is in the centre of the village. For skiing you would have to take the ski bus as with fermes du soleil but I would choose it over fermes du soleil as it would be more luxurious all round.

You would be staying out of school holiday time so I doubt you would encounter lift queues. Some new lifts have been put in in the Grand Massif in the past few years so the information you were reading could be out of date. you will come across the odd slower lift particularly in Morillon but I doubt you will find getting around a problem. you would need to allow about an hour to get to Flaine and an hour back due to the time spent skiing as well as on lifts. If you are taking a car you might find it easiest to drive to Flaine for one day.

I am not sure about activities in the village during the day as we have always been out skiing. I think that if you were staying in one of the CGH residences you would be able to enjoy the pool etc and potter to the shops. They had a market in summer not sure if it carries on in winter. It is a very friendly place and I would definitely recommend going there.


If you are planning to drive I'd recommend going with a self drive TO in order to get the Eurotunnel flexi plus. We have always used Peak Retreats for Les Carroz.
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
removal of duplicate post


Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 5-10-18 7:40; edited 1 time in total
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Just be aware that they are building a huge new set of apartments right next to leana, and it suffers from being next to the flaine traffic jam at the end of the day returning from Flaine. You also get the bus at the last stop so its busier and you will prob have to stand if early in the day. It also has a weird arrangement for the ski room.

Jouvance at that time of year will need accessing by walking down the moving carpet walkway at the end of the day, doubt if it will be ski in or out, but it will be easier to rotate child care. It is the queuing for the bus on the way back that is the pain, even in low season. This summer jouvance was looking a bit tired and is due a refurb in 2 years time. Les fermes du soleil is older and apartments are smaller. Pool area is fine and it has more jacuzzis and steam / sauna etc than jouvance. It is also right next to souris vert, the nursery, and you are the first stop for the bus, so get a seat in the morning!

There is a market on Tuesday morning

You can book CGH via the CGH website
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Zorrac, We have skied to the ski room door at Les Chalets de Jouvence 3 times out of 4 in the last week of March. The time we couldn't was last few days of March 2017 when there was a very poor end to the season. However we could still get the magic carpet up to the gondola in the morning.
snow report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Appreciate all the tips and suggestions everyone!

Regarding CGH, unfortunately our flights schedule forces a Tue-Tue vacation and they don't allow that in the third week of March.
In fact the Pierre et Vacances in Les Carroz is one of the few places in the alps that was possible on such dates... so I did not have much choice to begin with.
ski holidays
 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.
snowymum wrote:
If you are planning to drive I'd recommend going with a self drive TO in order to get the Eurotunnel flexi plus. We have always used Peak Retreats for Les Carroz.

This went completely over my head, can you please explain again? What's a "self drive TO"? And the "Eurotunnel flexi plus"? Thanks.
latest report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
If you booked accommodation through Peak Retreats then they offer inclusive price for Eurotunnel with a flexible ticket that let's you travel at any time.

If you intend to fly, then tunnel travel is not of interest to you, it's convenient to road travel customers as ordinarily the flexible tickets would cost you more.
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Ah ok, I forgot you assume everyone is British here on these forums. wink Thanks for clarifying.
snow report
 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.
I pulled the trigger on this and booked the vacation. Thanks everyone for your input Smile
ski holidays
 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
Well done. I am sure you will enjoy it. Lots of gereat ideas form everyone here, but I will say if you do not want to rotate childcare everyday La Souris Verte is very close. https://winter.lescarroz.com/families-ski-holiday/day-care/day-nursery.html. You do have to book in advance. There is a weekly 'animations guide' produced by the tourism office that lists all activities in any particular week, so you can get a good idea of what is going on. While they may not have too much for a very little one, it is well worth a look just so the little one can see other children. I second the ski locker recommendation, as it will make you more flexible for childcare changeover. You may even want to do a group lunch in the K Lounge at the top of the telecabine one day and it will make it easier. We never bothered when our girls were little as it was easier to get them into their gear, onto the ski bus and up the slopes all in one go but we are the first /last stop on the ski bus, so always got a seat. We do use one in the spring now though as we like to walk back into the village in the sunshine. Shame that you are Tues/Tues as the market is always a nice interlude. Have a great time. School holiday mean we will not arrive until 6th/7th April - grrrrrr
latest report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy