 Poster: A snowHead
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Three levels of skier:
Advanced, intermediate (me), absolute beginner (my 10yo son).
I've narrowed it down to two options:
Val D'isere, a catered chalet hotel in the centre, near the Solaise and the kids school.
Sauze, HB hotel right next to the Clotes lift and the kids school.
Pretty much the same price for both.
I'll have to be with my son when his lessons end, and advanced will wizz off on his own.
France is currently on the quarantine list, but TO will refund if still so when due to fly.
Italy off quarantine list.
Which one would you go for?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Can't see how a catered chalet can comply with social distancing requirements, assuming they'll still be in force.
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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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Do they both have roughly the same no. of beds? That would be up there in my decision making given the current climate.
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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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The nursery slope in val is great. Not sure about sauze
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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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@spyderjon, I’ve not stayed in one, but I think a chalet hotel differs from a chalet. More like a hotel but with young TO staff aiui
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sauze bit rubbish for beginners. Need to download on lift to get back to resort unless competent.
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@dode, yes, they're similar sizes.
I'm not really concerned about Covid, more which is best for all three levels.
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@marodo2712, I went to Sauze as a child so a VERY long time ago, but when I did the lessons we did were all day including lunch.
France seem to be set up for half day lessons (morning or afternoon)
For that reason especially as neither is particularly ideal for beginners, I would be tempted to go there as that gives the intermediate and advanced more time to explore area and gives your son more time in a group of similar ability hopefully similar age children.
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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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You might get more responses on this with a clearer title, such as "Val d'Isere vs Sauze d'Oulx. Also it would be better not in Apres.
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If it was in the middle of French hols I might be tempted by Sauze as Val D'Isere can get pretty crowded including ski schools at French holiday time. If it is early season and I was booking in advance I'd go with Val D'Isere as Sauze has not got the most reliable snow record.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sauze is good for beginners and the ski schools are in my opinion very good. My kids had a great time there. Who cares if you have to download at the end of the day?
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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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When are you going? Sauze can be a slush fest later in the season.
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Moved to The Piste as there are only 6 people in Apres 
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You know it makes sense.
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I have a real soft spot for Val D'Isere. It has wonderful ski schools and just enough areas for total beginners - and the steep runs back to the resort can be avoided by taking lifts. What it doesn't have, is masses of gentle runs, like those in the Dolomites. I would say the general standard of runs are on the tough side of their grading.
I would also worry about a Chalet holiday (unless you take the whole thing). Do you have the option of Tignes - maybe a Hotel, which is often no more expensive than a Chalet in Val D'Isere?
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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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| Quote: |
When are you going? Sauze can be a slush fest later in the season.
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New year.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I would also worry about a Chalet holiday
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It's just a hotel with chalet board.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Can't see how a catered chalet can comply with social distancing requirements
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Possibly not, but the OP was talking about a hotel.
As others have said it is very important to know when you are going. If you are thinking of April for example I think I'd prefer Val but in Febuary to early March (the school winter holiday) I may wish to avoid it.
May I ask why you have narrowed it down to just these two? I don't think I have seen any other posts just comparing Val d'Isere and Sauze d'Oulx.
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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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May I ask why you have narrowed it down to just these two? I don't think I have seen any other posts just comparing Val d'Isere and Sauze d'Oulx.p 
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Looked at loads of places, but we brought it down to these two..
We've both been to both, we both like both.
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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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Having been to both around that time of year, I would choose Val simply because the Milky Way resorts can be unreliable for snow early season.
And the open area at the top of the big gondola from Val (forget the name) has some great blues and even greens for a beginner. And just like Sauze it would help to download on the gondola, the one blue back down becomes really quite unpleasant at the end of the day especially when crowded.
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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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@j b, the Olympic gondola.
Never been to sauce but I think Val is brilliant for the OPs group
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'd say ValD. Better early snow record, more runs for all 3 levels and more consistency of those runs; they're similar all the way down, where as Sauze runs can have more steeper sections or pinch-points.
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That blue run home to Clotes at Sauze can be a bit of a motorway at the end of the day. And very slushy.
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The best thing about coming off a slushy Clotes is the free buffet in the village Cafe.
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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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Val d'isere every day of the week if costs are comparable. The learner areas on the top of solaise, and to a lesser extent bellverde, are unbeatable. Very high and North facing means that the snow on them is almost very good and few other resorts have learner slopes like this. Yourself and the 10 year old may occasionally find that it's better to get a lift down at the end of the day which some people are greatly adverse to but I think that it is a price worth paying for the quality of the Espace killy slopes. My first two weeks were there and probably about half of my ski days in total
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But if course, the problem with Val is that, as long as it's on the naughty list, no one will insure us.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I really like both, for different reasons and both are good for intermediates and above.
For a beginner I would not particularly recommend Sauze, especially based a the Clotes lift - quite a faff to get to the beginner area at Sportinia (if you look at the piste map, you will see your best bet will be to get a bus to/from the Sportinia lift rather than the Clotes one the hotel is next to!) and there is not much to progress to in the sauze area (its basically easyish reds).
IMV, VdI caters well for absolute beginners (not mentioned above are the village lifts/area, which I thought was excellent as well - large, choice of drag or chair and pretty long and gentle runs).
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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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Been to both many times ...
Sauze: Generally cheaper, better food, friendlier, better-value and nicer ski schools, beginners have to go up and come down on a chairlift, have to be a bit lucky with the snow.
Val: Better skiing and lifts, big area linked to Tignes, everything is more expensive, better organised, a bit of a skiing factory, more reliable snow, also no easy [beginner's] way down.
For general fun for a mixed group I would go to Sauze if the snow is good and get a bus to Montgenevre for a day [you get a free day there on a 6 day lift pass and it has some lovely beginner's slopes].
For more diverse challenging snowsure skiing, I would go to Val.
I love Italy and am fed up with massive unfreindly French resorts so it would be Sauze for me even with it's faults.
But I also ski Canada and Japan in the same season so don't need to be challenged on a group holiday ....... 
I have been to Sauze every year for the last 12 at least
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Val d'Isere, especially that early in the season, for all the above mentioned reasons.
You'll all go up on Olimpique towards Bellevarde in the morning. There is a perfect green area for beginners with blue pistes nearby. When your son will progress, you can all ski on Prariond toward Val Claret in Tignes and have a great burger there for lunch.
And if you'll put him in a morning school, you'll have your quick access to all the red local pistes including going towards the glacier. And of course early leaving to explore Tignes area and return
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You know it makes sense.
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| marodo2712 wrote: |
| Pretty much the same price for both. |
What? Sauze is usually a lot cheaper than Val. In fact, cheap is usually why people choose Sauze! If they're about the same price, Val, definitely, especially early in the season.
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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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What @Wildsmith said, beginner lessons at Sauze are at the top of the Sportinia lift so you’d need to get your beginner round to the Sportinia lift each morning. I believe new year can be quite busy as well, but who knows this season!
However if you do decide on Sauze I can recommend a fantastic English instructor: Emily4Ski.com
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Poster: A snowHead
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@davehas, adult beginner lessons are at the top of sportinia, but if you go up Clotes you can see all the kids' lessons on the way up underneath the gondola. And there's a magic carpet at the bottom of Clotes, so I'm guessing that might be kid lesson related.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@T Bar, I agree With the snow record for Sauze. . Many years ago I went for two weeks On Jan 3rd. It was totally green. It finally snowed a couple of days before we left but we weren’t allowed to ski as they wanted a decent base of snow before they would let you on. I know there are snow making machines now, but the time of year you are going is key. If it’s early or late then Val is probable a better choice.
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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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| marodo2712 wrote: |
| And there's a magic carpet at the bottom of Clotes, so I'm guessing that might be kid lesson related. |
Definitely not! Sledding only
There is a toddler snow park up at Clotes plus (“lots of!) early intermediates / lesson groups use the Clotes piste as it’s basically the only blu and has a short wife bit for the ‘races’ - it’s not suitable for beginners. I would definitely check with the ski school if I were expecting to plan my day around picking / dropping of a beginner using the Clotes lift!!
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