 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
I've never skied in either, have good offers from birth, one marginally more expensive and luxurious.
Which result/ski area offers a bit more if we're going with family (older kids) and might want some apres ski?
Both have minibuses. The sixt one will drop and collect in samoens if we ski the at end of day, the st Gervais will drop and collect in better.
Had anybody been to both? And what would put one above the other?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never been to Sixt so can't comment on that but if your looking for a party place then StG is not your place. It's more reserved with lovely restaurants, a few bars but no boom boom clubs unless your counting the Folle Douce during the day
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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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Sixt is a tiny outlier, loosely connected with the Grand massif. It’s low with patchy snow record, so in reality you have to ski from Samoens. Of the two, St Gervais has much more to offer. (Not that I’d stay in either) 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| SkiSchnuck wrote: |
Hi
I've never skied in either, have good offers from birth |
Welcome to Snowheads!
It's good to know that you've succumbed to booking after years of offers! 
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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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Never been to St Gervais but Sixt is very small, limited apres, diffficult to ski into and you'll have to ski out from Samoen each morning. I wouldn't ski Sixt unless I had a car with me. That said, the Grand Massif itself is a really great area to ski and well worth the hassle of getting to it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@SkiSchnuck, Welcome to SHs.
As @MikeM, the skiing from St G is nice. However...
Sixt is tiny. Charming, but tiny and has (more or less) no skiing locally. I believe there are a couple of bunny lifts.
St G is a bit loosely described. You can be e.g. in St G - Le Fayet which is a good 15 minutes drive from skiing. Even the town centre is a half km or so from Bettex. Actually, that's not too bad, we're 300m from Brevent and that's easily done.
But generally, if an accom is offering free shuttles, you aren't close to where (I) you would want to be.
That said, there are some pretty lovely places not near lifts...
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I've skied both, my knowledge is a bit limited as my visit to St Gervais my skiing was limited by knee injury .
When I skied at Sixt I stayed in Samoens and it was quite a few years ago.
Sixt is tiny and it's own skiing is low lying and from memory just a couple of lifts serving a few pleasant rather gentle runs, but you can ski back to directly from an excellent run all the way from high above Flaine. The general skiing from Samoens is really good if the lower snow conditions are good though if you're not skiing back to Sixt you have to download by gondola.
St Gervais is a small town and very pleasant to stay in. The skiing that I did was very pleasant and varied in wooded country, we had excellent snow but the skiing is not as high as in Grand Massif and I would guess the snow not quite as reliable through the area.
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In Sixt, the chairlifts that served a couple of blue and red runs closed a couple of years ago, there are only a few short drag lifts left at 800m altitude serving a few beginner areas. There may be a new gondola in a couple/few years up towards Flaine but currently regular bus ride to Samoens is the morning option with the option to ski down to Sixt from top of Flaine IF the Cascades blue piste is open. Note that some years there is not enough snow to open Cascades until later in January, about 5-7 years ago the temperatures were so consistently high below about 1400m that Cascades was only open for a handful of days in the season.
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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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@T Bar, @skier52, yeah, when I’ve paid attention, Cascades is closed more often than open
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@SkiSchnuck, If you have older /teenage kids they will like The foille Douce above St Gervais (Your pocket may not) The main lift up puts you well into the ski area unlike sixt which is right out on a limb on one side of the grand Massif
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sixt is a summer village. That said, the scenery is stunning in winter, even if it means you have to drive to the Samoens cable car. I wouldn't use it as a base for skiing, personally.
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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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As others have said, Sixt is gorgeous little place but not a large ski area at all and it is quite low. Cascades is a fun run but not if you have to do it each day, even if it was open. The trip to Samoens can take a while as well and then you have to join all of the folks staying there for uplift. The rest of the Grand Massif is great and a large ski area with lots of variety. As other have said really check the location of the accommodation to make sure you will not feel pout of it and unable to get provisions or out at night.
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