 Poster: A snowHead
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I realise its many moons since I was last here...but hoping SH may have a bright idea..
A group of friends booked some time ago to stay at Club Med Extreme in Les Arcs 2000 week of 5th Jan, all inclusive. I needed to move some lecturing, which I've only just managed to do. So the price, which was already higher as I'm wanting a single room, has gone up, and in addition I'm not wild on flying to Geneva then spending 3+ hours in a coach (dodgy back). I'm used to booking my own trips, and Eurostar looks like a better option. I have today asked the company (Ski Solutions) if there is a less expensive alternative elsewhere in Les Arcs as I think I can get a day pass to join the friends on some days/evenings for meals etc. But am not overly hopeful Ski Sols will have any options so have begun investigating.
It looks like there is self catering accommodation in Les Arcs 1800, but I've never been there and am not sure if it would just be a pain to try and get back to 1800 at the end of an evening in 2000? Accommodation for 1 in LA 2000 proving not quite so easy/reasonable price wise.
So I am very much hoping the collective experience of SH might be able to come up with a suggestion or two....
Many thanks
Jasmine
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ski collection have a lot of accommodation in Arc 2000 and Arc1950 and you can also book Eurostar through them so I would see what they can offer. If I were on my own I'd book the Taj I Mah hotel  . I am not sure how the price of it compares to Club Med though. It is probably more than you want to pay but does have a very nice pool and jacuzzi etc. If you want a cheaper option we have stayed in La Cime des Arcs and the 1 bed apartment we stayed in was very nice. It had a piste view and you could ski to and from the door. It would be even better for you as we were a family of four crammed into the one bed apartment! There is a very nice restaurant called the Savoy underneath and I think you can book a block of meals there so you would not need to self cater.
You would also be fine staying in Arc 1950 as it is linked by gondola to arc 2000 all evening. I would not book arc 1800 if your friends are in 2000 as it would be harder to get there..I expect there is a bus but it is quite a windy road between the two...the kind of road I was glad only to have to go up at the beginning and end of the week.
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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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Thanks snowymum, had a quick look: looks like 2000 and 1950 higher cost end of resort...hohum..decisions!
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| Late Starter II wrote: |
| ... not sure if it would just be a pain to try and get back to 1800 at the end of an evening in 2000? |
No, it's not a sensible option. You need to take two shuttle buses to get from 1800 to 2000, and it might by up to an hour for the journey. The shuttle bus service also stops around 9pm. If you want to socialise in Arc 2000 in the evenings you need to stay either in 2000 itself or in Arc 1950.
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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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Have a look at https://www.ski-planet.com
You can get a SC appt in Arc 2000 plus lift pass for €594 or €340 for accommodation only for that week - cheaper if you can get another bod to share the accom. Not going to be the most luxurious but if you are just looking for a bed and bathroom after spending the day elsewhere with friends then might suit.
They also have lots of very affordable SC in 1600 and there are buses between 2000 and 1600 every 30 mins - not sure what time they run to.
I booked with them last year (les Coches) and have booked a cheap half-term trip again this year to 1600.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Club Med is all inclusive with a free bar and therefore your friends are unlikely to want meals or even drinks out in the evening. If you want to socialise with them in the evening you are going to have to stay at club med. Your can book directly with club med, I just had a look at the price for a single person for that week and considering what you get it is not awful. If you were happy not seeing your friends after the lifts close then you could stay somewhere like Riders Hostel - Chalet Arc which will be cheaper and you are likely meet new people
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Thanks all, very helpful. Looks like 2000 best option, will look at 1600 also. Yes as Club Med is all inclusive I need to go to them if I don't actually stay there. The Club Med package includes ski lessons too- if anyone has ever experienced would be great to hear, tho I think most SH more independent. For a cautious mature (🙄😏) skier who has had a fair amount of technique lessons -including from the excellent rob@rar- in a new resort I would be mostly looking for getting to know the resort.
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@Late Starter II, I just had a quick look at the Les Arcs website, https://www.lesarcs-reservation.com, and there is loads of accomodation in Arc 2000 for that week (It's probably the cheepest week of the year) rising from about 350 euro. In fact you could do the trip very well eating out every night for a lot less than the club med price.
As the others have said do not stay in 1800 and expect anything more than an apre ski drink before heading back. The last bus is about 9 pm and takes about an hour with a change in 1600. With the exception of a very expensive hotel and club med there is little difference in price between 1800 and 2000 in price. Arc1600 will be about 50 - 100 euro cheeper for a week (275 for a small studio)
As well as the train from the UK there are trains from Geneva to Bourg st Maurice then either the bus or funicular upto Les Arcs, as well as a selection of private transfer options.
Gulp. I have just had a look at the new club med prices for arc1600 - almost £3000 per person for Christmas week including transport. I'll be doing it for about a quarter of that
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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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I would check out this place. I think it is an all inclusive MMV. It will not be the level of luxury of club med but would be an awful lot cheaper. We have stayed in an MMV club hotel elsewhere and liked it.
http://www.mmv.fr/sejour-ski-arc-2000
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I would check out this place. I think it is an all inclusive MMV. It will not be the level of luxury of club med but would be an awful lot cheaper. We have stayed in an MMV club hotel elsewhere and liked it.
http://www.mmv.fr/sejour-ski-arc-2000
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As above posts, all the villages are very accessible by skiing but much more inconvenient via road.
Given location of group, it's really the only choice to stay in 2000/1950 villages to be part of them outside skiing.
Possible route there could be flight to Chambrey, taxi to rail station with direct train to Bourg Saint Maurice (the Geneva and Euro train passes through there I believe as that's the route into Tarantaise valley). Yes I know you can't get on the Eurostar train there before anyone points that out.
If you've not been to LA before, it's well worth the effort for a great place to ski.
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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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@Late Starter II, I agree that Club Med is expensive for what it is (went a few times when it was cheaper). However, as far as I remember guests aren't encouraged to have people over, so socialising might be a problem, if you're not staying there.
About the lessons - Club Med groups are usually very large and the lessons are more of a "let me show you around the resort" experience (as it is a "low" week the groups might be small-er. There are groups of good skiers (usually parents of small children attracted by the child care). You can't join the ski groups if you're not staying there (I've never seen it done).
Club Med have packages without transport (you might try booking direct, maybe via the french site) so you could at least travel with the Eurostar
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks @sugardaddy. Apparently you can buy day passes to join the all inclusive people in club med- had that confirmed tho no price info available. I reckoned they wouldn't want to miss out on extra business! Yes I reckoned I wouldn't be able to join the 'lessons'. As the friends are varied levels and quite independent I suspect they may not be with the groups that much. But accepting I could end up skiing on my own....tho if I wanted to ski the same pistes as they are I think no one would stop me...😆...there are compromises with all the options but all the info has been really helpful in clarifying what might work best
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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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maybe worth holding off for a last minute deals?
after all, an empty room brings in no income!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Late Starter II, I stayed at CM Les Arcs two years ago. The group lessons then were pure guiding round the resort and the pace was quite fast which I enjoyed. All ski instructors are from ESF, and they were very good at finding good, reasonlaby quiet pistes to ski. The group was about 8 people iirc.
There are two lessons per day, a morning one and an afternoon one. Lunch is always back at the Club. A lot of people only skied with the group in the morning, making the afternoon group pleasantly small.
Last season we stayed at CM Serre Che, and there we got both instruction and guiding during the lessons, which was great. What you will get is probably based on which instructor you get, but I'm sure they would be happy to instruct if your group asks them to.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Late StarterII, I agree with scr, we've been to CM Les Arcs two or three times, once for the Christmas week.....staff were fantastic....the hotel was a bit..... lived in ! But i think it has undergone a refurb a year or so ago.
The food, booze & staff were very good as was the "lesson". If you are a beginner or maybe 2nd time skier, it will be lessons, if you are a little experienced then it is guiding, but the ESF instructor will make you do some drills each day.
I do a couple of trips with the missus & a trip with a group of maybe 12 guys. We are all different standards but want to ski together so tell the ESF guy at the ski school registration in the hotel, we all want to ski together & he sees that we all ski together. Ski groups do shrink in the afternoon..... in VT last April, there was 3 of us skiing in the afternoon.... and the ESF instructor beasted us !
We have been going to CM since before we had kids...and my youngest is 29 in December ! We thoroughly enjoyed the whole CM experience.... even the daft shows....but accept that CM won't be everyone's cup of tea
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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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Thanks everyone, definitely very useful to get a feel for the options and experiences. So have decided to go for a studio apartment close to Club Med, travelling by Eurostar. Booking through resort accom office you can get discounted ski passes which keeps costs down so that means I can hopefully then join friends for some skiing and some Club Med social stuff- but can escape if I need some peace! Thinking about lessons either group or one off private but that still in the decision process. So if anyone has thoughts on the ski schools there that would be great. Also ski hire: have boots & helmet needs skis/poles: there seem to be several shops so any particular recommendations welcomed (been skiing some 12 years now but avoiding black runs...unless US black....and somewhat cautious with anything steep/icy more cruisy blues and reds so not after bells and whistles).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@late starter, I think it has already been said that to "take part in the CM social stuff" you will need to pay for CM day..... which aint cheap if you're staying elsewhere !
CM isnt like hotels where you can go and buy a drink in the bar.....it is after all a club !
I seriously doubt you will get in to the hotel without your CM wrist band..... and you'll get challenged & asked to leave if spotted..... but good luck with that anyway 
Edit. The missus said that an extra day at CM VT last year was around £140 pp.... but that included a room.... it might be cheaper if they do a price without the room
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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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Thanks Ricay...do not wish for criminal record with CM! I am expecting to not just be able to pop in for a drink...hence going for very inexpensive self catering accom! .Any idea how much a day pass is/has been??
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well Late Starter II the difference between a 7 night stay & a 8 night stay without transport at CM Les Arcs Extreme is £167 but that includes the room .... I can't see a day rate without the room.....you could try calling the London CM office.... they are usually very helpful.
We did go out a couple of nights to watch football in the a square above the CM hotel, which had several bars.... one called the frog & rosebif , I seem to recall that was good
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Ah thanks. The email I had said they wouldn't get this year's day rate until the season started...so was curious to know if you had a rate from a different year. Just been trying to estimate as rate includes ski pass and ski lessons as well asroom and full board/ drinks etc...will update if I get anymore info.
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FAQ
, some really good - and inexpensive- options in there: hopefully there can then be another trip elsewhere a few weeks later... 
