 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello All,
It has always been a dream of mine to spend a prolonged period in the alps. So now the opportunity to take circa seven weeks of has appeared. I am starting to draw a plan of action.
In the last few years, I have been skiing/boarding the large resorts in Switzerland, Austria and France.
I am trying to create a time table of the different ski areas I would like to visit with a general cost of transfers and ski passes.
The idea is to try and book accommodation for the first leg, and try and find my next accommodation for the next leg with the likes of Airbnb/HomeAway.
I will be looking to stay a week or so in each location (big resorts) fewer days in smaller ski areas.
The starting point will probably be Zermatt and move along to a few other swiss ski areas follow by Either Italy or France, Depends on snow conditions etc.
I am not looking to hire a car for the length of the trip, so ideally, locations need to have useful transport links.
I want to avoid half-term in general. So I will either be looking to come back to the UK for a week. Or find somewhere that is not crazy busy.
Questions come to mind.
has anyone here embarked on such a crazy adventure before.
Good ski areas that are not known to all 
Way to reduce the price of ski pass - Consider I will be looking at an average £300 a week for ski pass alone.
Any tips or tricks + company will be great
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@gnave, this season?
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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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@holidayloverxx, Yes indeed.
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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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@gnave, to reduce the ski pass price, pick a place where you can get one pass to cover multiple resorts e.g.
Ski Amade (Austria)
Magic Pass (Valais, Switzerland)
Eskimo Pass (Maurienne valley, France)
There've been a few threads mentioning these passes recently if you do a search
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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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@nbt, Thank you for the input. I have seen those. I think the problem as that you need a car to move between those locations? Correct me if I am wrong. buy normally people come to those ski areas for a day and drive back home
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@gnave, for the Ski Amade you can get around a lot of it by lift and bus. If you get the wider lift pass you could move to a different area by train
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@holidayloverxx, Thank you for this. Already looking
This is why i love this forum. People have an abundance of knowledge.
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You could base yourself in Aosta Italy, get a season pass for 1000euro and for around 200 more Zermatt is included. Cheap accommodation, food etc, and more than enough with a dozen resorts including a couple of mega resorts for seven weeks.
Realistically you would need a car.
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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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@jbob, What season pass will that be?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@jbob, Thank you for that.
Now if i can just not have a car, that will be great.
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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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Grand Massif?
iirc lift pass would cost you c€400 for the whole season, no need for a car, reasonably sized region in its own right and possible to do day trips to Portes du Soleil, Chamonix, quite easily!
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Bourg st maurice with a Les Arcs season pass? Funicular up to Arc1600, short drive/bus/hitchhike to Val d'Isere/Tignes and the 3 Valleys for day trips. Enough to keep you busy for a season.
Direct Eurostar to London if you want to come back for a week at half term.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@gnave, Maurienne valley with a week Eskimo pass wouldn't need a car. If you are based in Val Cenis, then each day can be one of the associated areas via their ski buses leaving each morning.
Cost is closer to £200 for the week, main station is Modane which is on the main train route from France to Italy. Could be part of your schedule with either Suza / Aosta valleys in Italy and Bourg st Maurice to "bookend" that section.
Valais area of Switzerland could be (going out from Geneva successively) Champéry for PdS, Nendaz for 4V, Val D Anniviers for Zinal / Grimentz, then Zermatt. All connected by train or bus into the villages too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Far too late to be planning for this season. You'll have missed all the big discounts on wide-area season passes.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| altis wrote: |
| Far too late to be planning for this season. You'll have missed all the big discounts on wide-area season passes. |
but if he's just found out he has the opportunity then that's just the way it is
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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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Guys. Thank you so much for all the great info.
Its time to do some homework
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| ski3 wrote: |
| @gnave, Valais area of Switzerland could be (going out from Geneva successively) Champéry for PdS, Nendaz for 4V, Val D Anniviers for Zinal / Grimentz, then Zermatt. All connected by train or bus into the villages too. |
Can you elaborate on this, please? Would you stay in each location for a few days? or travel back and forth?
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IMHO, the Magic Pass is probably the cheapest and most accessible for various and varied resorts. So, say...Crans for a week, Saas Fee for a week, Grimentz/Zinal etc, etc. No need for a car, the Swiss transportation system is effective and efficient.
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| gnave wrote: |
| ski3 wrote: |
| @gnave, Valais area of Switzerland could be (going out from Geneva successively) Champéry for PdS, Nendaz for 4V, Val D Anniviers for Zinal / Grimentz, then Zermatt. All connected by train or bus into the villages too. |
Can you elaborate on this, please? Would you stay in each location for a few days? or travel back and forth? |
Obviously it's not my schedule, but from your initial enquiry envisioned something approaching a week in each area to explore. So staying in each of the areas and daisy chaining one to another.
Direct access to Champéry by train to village centre (think it's one change of train) to ski PdS for initial week. Each of the successive ski areas then lay further along the valley travelling away from Geneva.
Then train from there to Sion? Railway station, bus service up to Nendaz is simply a scheduled service, usually good choice of places to stay at reasonable cost here to ski Verbier 4V, new connection lifts here this season to make it easy  a huge area to ski too.
Back down to Sion station ( not sure if the bus connect from here is available to Val D Anniviers or if you have to move along by train a stop or two) then to Grimentz (a stunning high mountain valley) as probably the best balance to stay in this valley. All of these are on the same, South, side of the valley, so north facing for late season snow. Cran Montana is roughly opposite this point if you wanted to visit.
Then back down to railway, connect to Zermatt via train through Tasch.
A final consideration could be to return from Zermatt through Chamonix travelling by train (think this is possible via rail as ive only previously gone this route by car) so a week-ish there to finish off close back to Geneva for return.
As above posted, magic pass could play a part to make it easier here, but you may have to buy some areas on the spot for days required.
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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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@gnave, personally, given it's only 7 weeks, I'd pick one large area and stay there. Get to know the area so you can ski the best bits in the best conditions, get to know people and settle in, not to mention reducing the hassle and expense of traveling, and the significant saving in lift pass.
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@ski3,
Much appreciated. i am pulling the maps out
@Dr John,
I was thinking the same. he large ski area i know and been to are not very 'Local'. Based on your experience where would you suggest?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@gnave, I can see both points of view regarding travel or not, depends ultimately on determination to experience differing places I feel.
Those above, and all along the Rhone valley effectively lay shoulder to shoulder, more or less each one visible from it's neighbour. I've experience of skiing many while staying in the adjacent and getting a full day skiing in the visited area when travelling by car, they really are that close. You almost come out of one valley, move along and go into the next. By public transport each hop is approximately contained within a morning, so not arduous.
For that choice in staying in one domain I'd pick Nendaz because the skiing is so extensive, but with better cost to stay there. Interhome Nendaz branch has been really helpful when I've visited there to get accommodation if the area interests you.
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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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@gnave, I'm (very) biased, but ValD would be my first recommendation; large area, great town, all types of skiing and lots of seassonaire brits to make friends with (whilst also remaining a very French town). Tignes similar but doesn't have the same central village (many here will be along in a minute to disagree). I have friends who season in St Anton (same reasons as above). Depending on the skiing you want to do Meribel or Morzine also fit the large area & lots of brit locals criteria, but with (generally) more sedate skiing, and sadly in the case of Morzine an outdated lift system. As a compromise, I've a friend who's had a place for years in Schladming; 4 or 5 small hills within very easy driving reach along the same valley with one lift pass for all.
Regarding lift pass, buying season pass now in ValD 5 weeks-ish would be your break even, can't speak for the rest.
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