 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
So, having lost our family ski trip last year and probably it not going ahead this year, my thoughts are with 2022. It's a shame as we had planned Easter 2020 to avoid Feb half term crowds we are accustomed to....and Easter 2021 (unlikely). So we're probably going back to Feb half term 2022.........if there's any accommodation left of course.
We're a small family of good intermediates (prefer reds/blues/wide pistes/fun off piste) and we drive - usually to a French resort. I love to go to the 'lesser known' areas to save a bit of money (usually only on lift passes!) so we've had a lovely few years at both Chinaillon and Les Saisies. However, we'd like to avoid resorts with lots of drags!
Not sure if anyone would like to share their tips for other French resorts that may suit our needs? Or even ways of accessing bigger resorts via linked lesser known satellite villages that may be cheaper but provide access to a wide range of slopes. We're not into apres ski (exhausted that before the kids!).
I've also wondered about trying to find Sunday to Sunday appartment rentals but not sure if that's worse than finding a needle in a haystack!
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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Here you go @kettonskimum - I can recommend Val Cenis.
https://www.haute-maurienne-vanoise.com/hiver/val-cenis/
- Unheard of in UK.
- Fairly high altitude.
- Very decent ski area.
- Excellent lift system.
- Far cheaper than the mega resorts - bargain
accommodation.
- Excellent area pass covering other resorts.
We had a great week there.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@kettonskimum, last year's Feb half term we went to Vaujany. I know it's not one of the lesser known areas and the lift pass with Alpe D'Huez isn't cheap, but we stayed in an apartment with www.vaujanyskicompany.com who do Sunday - Sunday. There is a wide variety of pistes so the area should meet your skiing requirements.
Downsides are it's busy at half term and if you're picking up children from ski school at lunchtime then it can be a trek from ADH's outer regions. If you don't want to ski the black La Fare to get back to Vaujany in the evenings there tends to be a fair old queue to get down from Mont Frais on the gondola.
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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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I don't know how busy Les Contamines is at half term - it's pretty quiet out of French school holidays, though some of the accommodation is some distance from the lifts. From Les Saisies you would drive (or take a bus) to the "back door" into Les Contamines, at Belleville in the Hauteluce Valley. From LS to the village of Les Contamines itself is quite a drive. I don't think anywhere in France is likely to be very quiet in the Paris holiday weeks.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
Here you go @kettonskimum - I can recommend Val Cenis.
https://www.haute-maurienne-vanoise.com/hiver/val-cenis/
- Unheard of in UK.
- Fairly high altitude.
- Very decent ski area.
- Excellent lift system.
- Far cheaper than the mega resorts - bargain
accommodation.
- Excellent area pass covering other resorts.
We had a great week there. |
Endorse this recommendation too.
We've, family of four, returned a few times as it's so easy to use. Very good to drive and general acces, parking etc. Skiing right from highest point with blue piste, extensive wide open terrain with much variation to develop and explore.
We like Val Cenis Lansvillard as preference, but most accommodation is virtually walk out onto slopes to ski.
As mentioned above, cost is better balance than many of the headline named locations, with excellent restaurants on mountain and in village.
Ordinarily we self cater as supplies are not costly, but always gives the option of eating out if you're tempted. Real village to walk around after lifts close too.
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| mountainaddict wrote: |
Here you go @kettonskimum - I can recommend Val Cenis.
https://www.haute-maurienne-vanoise.com/hiver/val-cenis/
- Unheard of in UK.
- Fairly high altitude.
- Very decent ski area.
- Excellent lift system.
- Far cheaper than the mega resorts - bargain
accommodation.
- Excellent area pass covering other resorts.
We had a great week there. |
Will it sustain two old farts (and very average skiers) who want a month/6 weeks? Others have recommended it to me, and I fancy it.
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@kettonskimum, obviously it's your choice, but I'm not sure of the logic of going back to Feb half term next year. It's almost as if you're blaming 'Easter' for being shut twice during the global pandemic?
Personally I wouldn't give up on Easter as a time of year yet - I ski during Jan, Feb and Easter, and Easter is always my favourite time. Fantastic skiing, sunshine, and less crowds. Sitting outside in the sun overlooking the mountains (sometimes in a t-shirt) having a beer after a days skiing, is pure heaven. Your original reasons for moving from Feb to Easter still stand - and I can imagine next Feb half time being the busiest for a long time, as all those French families etc make up for missing 2021.
That said it's your hols to choose what you do!
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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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| Charliegolf wrote: |
| mountainaddict wrote: |
Here you go @kettonskimum - I can recommend Val Cenis.
https://www.haute-maurienne-vanoise.com/hiver/val-cenis/
- Unheard of in UK.
- Fairly high altitude.
- Very decent ski area.
- Excellent lift system.
- Far cheaper than the mega resorts - bargain
accommodation.
- Excellent area pass covering other resorts.
We had a great week there. |
Will it sustain two old farts (and very average skiers) who want a month/6 weeks? Others have recommended it to me, and I fancy it. |
Easily, it's genuinely a really good place to stay and that's not as a compromise against some of the most notable ski areas. It stands quite happily on it's own merit.
Very friendly, relaxed and easy access to so many different ski areas on the region lift pass. Many of the slopes are on north facing side of a broad valley, keeping snow really well. It's much more subtle but with extensive skiing particularly for mixed skills group, and you can venture to every part of the pisted runs with relative ease. Some really good on mountain restaurants too without feeling you have to spend a fortune. Some very good patisserie dotted around, along with other individual food shops.
As mentioned, we like staying in lanselvillard because of the more village surroundings. But lanselbourg is a little more commercial, not much, and no less attractive if you want that. The two parts are essentially spread apart along the road by about 2 miles with more or less everything along there walk out onto the piste (you can travel between them on skis) at any point.
Also the adjoining area of Termignon (linked by lift) to explore. Plus Bonneval sur Arc, plus Val Frejus, plus La Norma etc, and all on the same pass. You'll not be short of something to do in that time.
I think you may be a convert after visiting.
Also a day trip to 3 valleys via Orelle too. All in all a fascinating valley and much more than this too.
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Hit google maps and travel west from val cenis, lots of lesser known resorts along maurinne valley.
St francois longchamp, les sybelles, valloire, orelle, along with other areas highlighted in other posts.
This is the secret valley (to uk)the other-side of Val Thoren, etc.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@ski3, Cheers for that (both).
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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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@Handy Turnip, Hey, you know what. I am so glad that you have said this. Perhaps I have been blaming Easter for the lack of skiing. Last year we could have gone Feb half term but friends swear by Easter so we thought we'd give it a go - and so it was annoying to ultimately lose a year of skiing by making that small change. This year everyone is in the same boat.
However, the original thinking was to go back to Feb purely as it's such a long wait now until Easter 2022.........but I do think there is credibility in your thinking about pent up demand leading to a busier (and more hectic) Feb 2022. You have given me some food for thought!
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Could always do both... 
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You know it makes sense.
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@kettonskimum, I'd echo the comments on here. All of our family trips have been at Easter, and I'm happy to say have been great successes. Hearing comments about heavy traffic and toll booth queues on the drive down and back, I can say that I haven't experienced those at all when driving at Easter.
That said, the looming presence of A levels and GCSEs is making me consider half term over Easter for next year, but it does seem perverse to go at absolutely the peakiest of peak weeks. Easter is still a strong contender.
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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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@Orange200, Ah, if only.....but not a cheap holiday anymore with 2 kids! Would probably rather have one brilliant one rather than 2 average (due to cost). And thinking Tignes as we used to go there before kids and really want the kids to experience it. We've got GCSEs coming 2023 which might make that Easter a bit iffy so sounds like me maybe ought to just stick to the original, original plan - Tignes Easter 2022.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| kettonskimum wrote: |
@Handy Turnip, Hey, you know what. I am so glad that you have said this. Perhaps I have been blaming Easter for the lack of skiing. Last year we could have gone Feb half term but friends swear by Easter so we thought we'd give it a go - and so it was annoying to ultimately lose a year of skiing by making that small change. This year everyone is in the same boat.
However, the original thinking was to go back to Feb purely as it's such a long wait now until Easter 2022.........but I do think there is credibility in your thinking about pent up demand leading to a busier (and more hectic) Feb 2022. You have given me some food for thought! |
@kettonskimum, i think that's refreshingly honest of you, and i can't deny that i had a tinge of jealously about friends and family being about to ski in feb when our Easter trip was cancelled. But what happened was all by chance, with Feb happening but Easter not - and it was nearly the case that it happened the other way round this year (and then you'd have been overjoyed at your choice!)
I think you just have to make a decision and stick with it, as there's no way of predicting freak events. However, I do see your point about Feb being sooner - Easter 2022 is still 14months away (school hols are generally later next year as a warning) and it's a painfully long way away. We'll have missed 2 trips now (which will equate to 3 years without skiing for the kids), so i am trying look if we can somehow squeeze in a trip before next Easter. But I'll still do Easter as it's such a glorious time to ski, and i don't want to miss out on that.
Yes, I think skiing will generally be busier next year - and with Feb half term being by far the busiest, I can see that week getting the biggest % increase. I'm sure that Easter will be slightly busier too, but for some reason lots of families (especially the french) view Easter as a time to be on their bikes not their skis.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One of the satellites to Alpe d'huez such as Oz or Allemond (new lift) very affordable and easy drive from UK - lift passes for whole ski area on expensive side, however. But more restricted ski area lift pass more affordable. Also tops out at over 3000m and has Europe's longest black run.
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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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| Quote: |
Personally I wouldn't give up on Easter as a time of year yet - I ski during Jan, Feb and Easter, and Easter is always my favourite time.
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Easter 2022 is very late - Easter Sunday is April 17. It will limit the resorts availablity quite a bit.
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- Unheard of in UK.
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Val-Cenis is hardly unheard of in the UK. It used to be one of the mainstays of English school trips years ago and is still a popular destination for UK skiers.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| johnE wrote: |
| Quote: |
Personally I wouldn't give up on Easter as a time of year yet - I ski during Jan, Feb and Easter, and Easter is always my favourite time.
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Easter 2022 is very late - Easter Sunday is April 17. It will limit the resorts availablity quite a bit.
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Very true, it is later next year - the good news is I assume the OP is thinking about school holidays which will only start a week later than this year, so will be from the 9th April 2022 (vs. 3rd April 2021). Plus if they are looking at Tignes then late shouldn't be an issue at all!
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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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Hi, I am prepared and tend to do way more research than is necessary according to hubby. Our school breaks up on 1 April 2022 (of course!) so we'd be in resort on the 2nd. When I say Easter I tend to mean going the first week of the 2 week Easter holiday and returning to the UK Easter weekend (bonus BH Monday).
Yes, I still hold out a tiny bit of hope that Tignes may open up late but there are so many variables to have in place that it's really obviously not going to happen. But without hope, what do you have......
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| Quote: |
When I say Easter I tend to mean going the first week of the 2 week Easter holiday and returning to the UK Easter weekend (bonus BH Monday).
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Yes, this does get confusing. To me Easter means Easter, in particular the bank holiday weekend where we would get the bank holiday and the Tuesday off work so could get 8 days skiing (driving overnight) for 3 days off work. I would even get Good Friday as a holiday whereas my wife had to work Good Friday so we would be ready to go as soon as my wife got home. To me Easter holiday means Good Friday, Easter Sunday and the Bank Holiday
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Like the look of Val Cenis. Thank you for the suggestion as it was not a resort I had come across before.
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| Quote: |
Like the look of Val Cenis. Thank you for the suggestion as it was not a resort I had come across before.
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It used to be a very popular area for budget and school trips. I'm not sure why it has droped off the UK radar recently.
I find the history of this part of the world fascinating since the Mont Cenis pass was a major connecting route between the north west of Europe and the south. Just imagine the journey to say India in the 1860s. Train from Calais to Lanslebourg then by horse drawn carridge over the pass to Susa and onwards by train to Brindisi. From 1868 to 1871 there was a mountain railway over the pass using technology similar to that on the Snaefell mountain railway. So passengers and more importantly mail had to change trains. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Cenis_Pass_Railway for more information. The tunnel was openend in 1870.
It is an interesting area with some huge fortifications to protect the area. If the weather is warm try the via ferrata around the fort Marie-Thérèse. A lovely day out. IIRC there is even a long, high zipline across the river at that point
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