 Poster: A snowHead
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Been away from here for a little while (long story) and are excited to be going to Tignes in a couple of weeks (for probably the last half-term skiing ever!)
1. We've ordered ski passes but they did not post them out. Instead they refer to picking them up from a "Distributer" (or words to that effect). Is this a machine, or a person? (I presume its from the place next to the ESF at the start of town)
2. We left it too late to book a car-park so we're planning to park in the big open-air car-park. We're driving overnight and hope to arrive Sat ~ 10AM.
a) What's parking going to be like then?
b) When we get back at say 15:00 and want to move the car (to unload at the apartment) and re-park what's that going to be like?
Many thanks
LR
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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LittleRob,
I'm sure Mountainaddict will be along soon to advise you about free parking 
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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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The Grande Motte parking will probably be empy at 10am on a Saturday - even during half-term that's still changeover day. Most people will have been checking out before 10am while arrivals are staggered all day long.
I'm not sure about 3pm. I've never seen that parking full, but have only been in Val Claret at xmas or end of January (last time 2 weeks ago)
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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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Oh, and a 'distributeur' is a machine - like an ATM. I've seen some in Tignes and I can only assume they work like in other FR resorts, i.e. you pay (or simply retrieve if paid online) with card. There's one at the Grande Motte in Val Claret.
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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 for the replies. I think we nominated the collection at the other end of town (rather than shlep over to Grande Motte). Hopefully it'll make sense once we arrive.
I've ordered a replacement peage "doofer" (had ours since 2013) is there anything else we should consider? Expecially with a tunnel crossing post that B-word thing?
LR
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We collected our lift passes from the machine when we went over Christmas. Its a machine like a cash point on the outside of the lift pass office. When we collected ours one of the employees came outside to show us how it all worked (although by this point we had our passes), you need to click on the receipt after the passes have been issued as you need these if you loose the pass.
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| patrick! wrote: |
| Oh, and a 'distributeur' is a machine - like an ATM. I've seen some in Tignes and I can only assume they work like in other FR resorts, i.e. you pay (or simply retrieve if paid online) with card. There's one at the Grande Motte in Val Claret. |
There's also one in the wall next to maison de tignes in val claret very useful as everyone goes to the motte, you'll be queuing for ages if you go to motte
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@LittleRob, I was in the same position four years ago, I hadn't booked a parking spot and arrived around the same time on a half-term Saturday. It was snowing though, which might have had an impact on my experience, which was a bit chaotic.
Back then, I also went for the big open-air car park, but unlike @patrick! says the people were not yet all gone, but still leaving and the entrance was blocked by mini busses and cars and inbetween there were people running around with their luggage.
As I couldn't enter the car park and nothing was moving, I stopped my car and decided to wait. I was then told by a man with an orange vest (no idea how official he was) that I couldn't enter for a while still, my car was in the way and I should proceed to the covered car-park Golf. I followed his "orders" as otherwise I would have actually been an additional obstacle and I wasn't that keen on spending the morning in my car while being snowed in. 
I then barely made it through the snow to the car park Golf, just to find out that you could normally only enter with a reservation, which I didn't have. I was lucky though, as after discussion with the kiosk, I managed to get the last available spot (at least they said so, don't know if it actually was the last one, but as it was half-term and very snowy they were probably right). Even though it was more expensive, I was very happy, as I had no idea what to do with my car otherwise. Also, it goes without saying, it made leaving much easier as I didn't have to dig my car out of mountains of snow. 
Maybe this was all just due to the snow, which potentially delayed departures and you won't have any of these issues. But depending on the weather and weather forecast for the week, it might be worth to give the covered car park a shot even without reservation.
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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've just booked our lift passes and got the impression that you can collect from any of those machines - there seems to be a few around (one in Lavachet where we are staying).
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@LittleRob, I've used that car park a few times, normally when I drive up for the day from Les Arcs. It is usually busy with a lot of people driving up to Tignes for the day. A couple of years ago we stayed in Val Claret over New Year (which is usually the busiest week of the year) and the car park was full. At which point we were told we could park on the street but still had to get a ticket from carpark entrance. It worked fine with cars parked on the road a fair way down to Le Lac. It seems they make an effort to make sure everyone can park somewhere, for a price. Towards the end of the season the car park is free.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The complication, as far as I see it, is that we'll be parking Saturday morning (say 10:00) then at around 15:00 we'll want to move the car to unload all of our stuff into the apartment, and re-park. This means that we'll be wanting to re-park just when everyone else is as well.
I guess if its really busy, and that seems like too much effort, we could just carry from wherever we're parked, but we're bringing mountains of stuff (self-catering, so we'll have pre-cooked food and so on with us).
LR
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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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For posterity I'll report a few details of how we got on:
Easy Friday evening Eurotunnel crossing, then bombed down to just south of Dijon (Aire de Nigel Farage or something like that) and kipped for a few hours. Traffic to Tignes on Saturday morning wasn't great. I *don't* think this was caused by the usual half-term volume, but by the strikers protesting in Moutiers. GPS wanted us to take a back route, gendarmes less so.
We drove straight to the ski-office to pick up the passes from the machine (very easy) and then, after a lap of town, to the Grand Motte car-park and parked up opposite the Ski Republic from which we'd hired. We were on a lift by about 11:45 and skiied until about 15:30. Great conditions, and very quiet on a cross-over day. Decided to leave the car and carried stuff to our apartment (Pramecou) via the lift. Took a few trips, but not that bad. Next day went and paid for the car-park. This was a long schlep in ski-boots. Should have done it sooner. Total cost 85 euros for 8 days. We have winter tyres, so car-park was fine, saw lots of people struggle without. Certainly a shovel is a useful addition. (we carry one).
Skiing on Sat/Sun was quiet, but obviously busier during the week. Stopping for lunch early (we were stopping by 11:45) meant that not only was getting food easier, but the next hour or so of skiing was some of the quietest.
On final Saturday we emptied apartment, dropped keys, and were on lift by 09:45. Really good day skiing ended up at top of Grand Motte at ~14:00. By 14:45 were were in the car and driving. Easy journey home and on 02:20 Eurotunnel. Traffic going the other way looked *awful*.
I don't think we had any particularly memorable meals out. Certainly not on the mountains. Best in the evening (aside from home cooked obvs) was probably Le Caveau.
Youngest has A-levels this year, so this was probably (hopefully) our last half-term skiing ever. Overall, they've not been too bad.
LR
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Your timing was impeccable, @LittleRob, that's how to do it! Skiing at 1400, Eurotunnel at 0220 - chapeau.
Last edited by 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  on Mon 24-02-20 16:02; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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@Pam it was an odd feeling, going to bed that night (though actually Sunday morning) at home thinking that we'd had lunch in Val d'Isere. The drive home was helped considerably by the eldest being able to drive. Splitting the driving 3 ways (I even got a couple of hours asleep in the back) makes life so much easier.
LR
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