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Morzine Advice

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hello Snowheads! Its been a while... (like about 4 years!!)

I would like to pick the hive brains.

Due to a change in circumstances (= wrong passports!), Mr Hamster and I are looking at actually being able to go on some ski holidays this season rather than working most of the season.
One of the places we fancy trying for the first time is Morzine - we've never been and it looks like a great place to try. Hoping to go for a week, mid January.
We are both accomplished skiiers and plan to drive out with our own gear.

So, I'm looking for advice around:
- where in town to base ourselves? ideally once in resort we'd like to park the car and leave it where it is for the week.
- if anyone has recommendations for specific accommodation rather than general areas, that is also gratefully received... (a couple, one car, apartment or B&B basis preferred, will consider half board)
- are there ski garages near the lifts or will we have to walk through town in boots and take skis "home" every day?
- good places to go in the evenings? (tend to be early beer, food and bed before 10 people in order to get early lifts and ski until they close) (equally, places to avoid!)
- pistes that "just HAVE" to be ski'd
- local top-tips and tricks
etc etc

Thanks all,
Skiinghamster.

Thanks in advance
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
skiinghamster wrote:

- are there ski garages near the lifts or will we have to walk through town in boots and take skis "home" every day?
There are parking options near the lift base stations. I've used the underground car park "Parking Joux Plane" near the Pleney base station. You pay for this, up to about 12 Euros IIRC for a full day but I think multi-day or season passes are available.

A better option for linking in to the wider PDS domain is the free outdoor parking at Ardent. It's a pleasant drive up via Montriond, and there's a little cafe at the bottom gondola station which is perfect for a morning espresso if you arrive before the lifts start turning. My favourite way to begin the day.

EDIT: Apologies, I think I misread your question, asking for a garage you can park your car in, rather than ski lockers to store you ski kit in. I can't recall seeing ski lockers near the lift base stations. Whenever I've skied in Morzine I've always stayed on the edge of town and mostly driven to start the day's skiing, either at Pleney or Ardent.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@skiinghamster, what sort of accommodation are you thinking? We stayed in a place via Airbnb last January that was perfectly fine, reasonably cheap. Can find a link if you wish? Was a studio with bunk beds and sofa bed. Nothing fancy.10 or so minute walk to the lift/centre of the village. Had a Carrefour a couple of minutes walk round the corner which was useful.

When the weather was lovely and sunny, we enjoyed drinks at the end of the day at L'Passage just by the Super M lift back down to Morzine. They had a nice terrace with music playing, and you can catch a bit of the sunset.

I write on pretty much every Morzine/PDS thread about the bakery in Avoriaz called Le Fournil de cannelle. Really rate that place. Great reasonably priced/cheap pizzas that are massive 16", all sorts of baguettes, cakes etc, worth a visit in my eyes. Virtually opposite the tourist office in the centre of Avoriaz.

You can do a nice loop starting and ending in Morzine that takes in a load of the villages on the lift pass, clockwise or anticlockwise. When you get over to the far side of chatel you'll see how quiet that area is, probably down to the fact its a load of drag lifts but it's lovely to get over there away from the rest of the crowds. It's a good full day out skiing as well if you do the loop.

@rob@rar mentions starting the day off via Ardent which is a good shout, like wise sometimes worth taking the bus up to Prodains. If you go the Super M route up to Avoriaz it's a bit tedious, takes 3 lifts up to Avoriaz with a tiny bit of skiing down a fairly flat green run in between two lifts. For the sake of a short bus journey to Ardent or Prodains it saves a lot of that hassle. Personally I don't mind the Super M route as 2 of the 3 lifts are chairlifts and I enjoy just sitting in the fresh air, but for efficiency there's definitely better routes up.
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Food/ Bars:
Tremplin is first place you land at bottom of Pleney stade - apres beers
Bec Jaune- brilliant food and micro brewery
Satelite - best coffee, breakfast, lunch
Etale - all day bistro and good pizzas
Calibri- all day cafe with good meal options on the healthier end of the scale
Cavern - apres and evening bar of choice
O’Chalet - burgers and beers from 11am til late
Clin D’Oeil - run by a lovely couple - good french fare
Le Local - new this summer - all day dining inc. brunch lunch and bar snacks - love music etc.
coup de coeur - coffee (strong french) and very civilised apero spot asp good pizzas inc takeaways.
also loads of good delivery options.
Bakery - bonbonnerie. End of.
Le Dez Alp on rue du bourg also good for more frech mountain cuisine.

January is quiet so accom wise i’d stay central so you can go for super morzine to Avoriaz or Pleney for Morz/ Les gets depending on what you fancy. No recommendations as we have our own place so havent been in the market for a while.

Parking Office du Tourisme - you can book weekly via tourist office. Underground and secure.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@skiinghamster, It's been a few years but I liked Morzine as a base for access to both sides (up to Avoriaz and the main PDS on one side or up Pleney to Les Gets and Mont Chery up the other). My group have used https://www.morzinelets.com/ for accommodation a coupe of times. Not super luxury but comfortable enough and not too expensive.
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To add to the above:
La Grange in town ((for Savoyard food etc)
On the mountain - Chez Nannon
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I’d stay as central as you can to give the option of skiing both sides and also both the Prodains and the Ardent bus - in which case no need for a ski locker, though Hubert Sports will rent you one for about €40 a week.

Agree with all @Nadenoodlee’s recommendations but would also give an honourable mention to Changabang up in Avoriaz for a burgery lunch - my kids’ favourite for about the last 10 years (though both have gone veggie now so perhaps less of a favourite).
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Oh wow! Thanks all. I can see Snowheads hasn’t changed while I’ve been away… you’re all still super knowledgeable, friendly and helpful!


@swskier, : accommodation wise just somewhere for the two of us (pref with a double bed) either B&B or with small kitchen so we can fix breakfasts. (If we have a kitchen we _may_ eat in occasion evenings, but probably not.On-site parking a bonus as Mr Hamster doesn’t really like leaving the car in public car parks for extended periods.

(Still open for any more suggestions and ideas - keep them coming!)
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Lots of accommodation in the Morzine Tourist Office reservation site https://en.resa-morzine.com/
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If you're looking for a cosy hotel a really easy walk to Pleney (and on the bus route for Prodains) we stayed at Le Sporting a couple of years ago. It was lovely and the dinner was delicious - simple and great quality.
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We stayed with SnowHead DallyPaul (real name Paul Dally) and his wife Nina in their 'Chalet Morzenettaz' a couple of times. They're great hosts, who went out of their way to show us round and generally be helpful, and are a 10 or 15 min walk into the centre of town. The ski bus stops almost outside their door and is a short drive to the Ardent gondola, or they are a 10 min walk to the Super Morzine gondola. Ardent is a better access point IMV.

DallyPaul hasn't been on here for years, but I wouldn't hold that against him.

http://apexmorzine.com/index.html
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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.
@skiinghamster, Morzine is quite a strung out town - do make sure you get yourself a place reasonably close to one of the ski lifts. For what it is worth we used a UK company called Snow & Trek who are agents for several self-contained apartments, mostly central. But they will take a cut, you can probably do something cheaper yourself.

We once stayed in Hotel Sporting in the summer, fairly nice small hotel. The walk to Pleney would have seemed a bit longer if you were carrying skis though. (However it is on the flat, and along the way there are a couple of small drag lifts which I think link to the green run down if there is enough snow).
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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
Stayed at igloo and rented from the shop right by SuperMorzine lift, so I could step off the lift and into the shop and leave boots and skis there each night, and walk back to hotel in normal footwear.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Mini update: after a lot of debate and looking at what felt like endless a/c options we booked the Hotel Fleur des Neiges (B&B basis). A bit more expensive than we’re used to, but also a bit more upmarket!

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Really looking forward to skiing somewhere new which we haven’t done in a while and trying new eateries. Will definitely look at some of those Savoyarde places!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@skiinghamster, If it's still going Robinsons bar for apres ski Mutzig used to be good. Tibetan bar for a bit later.

I guess the must ski piste is the Swiss Wall.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@skiinghamster, Hotel Fleur des Neiges is a good central location.
For accomplished skiers, the Nyon Sector is worth a morning wander. You can drive, get a bus, or bimble your way across from the Pleney.
Otherwise the best of the PdS can be accessed by taking the SM Gondola, and taking Zorre and the Proclou towards Avoriaz.
From the top of Proclou, your choices are great: The Ardent / Lindarets sector, where you have the Star Wars run, the Satellite run, access over to Pre La Joue and happy valley. The La Chapelle park is right there, or take Prolays and Mosettes for access to Switzerland and ride the natural half pipes and gullys in Les Crossets (Also the Happy park).
Or go down through Avoriaz to the freeride zones, and up to the top of the Wall and down to Switzerland that way.
The Top of GD Paradis is great, but the bottom few KM can be a bit of a schlep.
If you decide to go over to Les Gets, it is agreeable more than challenging, then do make the effort to go to Mt Chery, it has nice runs on the North face and gentle runs back to Les Gets, consider booking a great lunch at La Grande Ourse.
If the weather is bad, then Pleney, Les Gets, Lindarets and Morgins have pistes through the trees.
Other things worth noting, Morzine Penguins Ice Hockey is a good night out, they normally have league matches at weekends, but they play friendlies (with staged fights) mid week.
The Farmhouse and the Chaudanne restaurants (not previously mentionned) are worth a look for the evening, Beanies is ok for a pint and a bite.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
halfhand wrote:
@skiinghamster, If it's still going Robinsons bar for apres ski Mutzig used to be good.


It was in January 2020, and looking at their facebook page, it was open this summer, so presumably will be this winter also!

For what it's worth, if you want a nice cruisy blue that you can get some nice speed and turns on, I like the Tulipe run off the Ranfoilly Express in the Les Gets Chavannes area.

I also quite like the area at the base of the Troncs, Tetes and Charniaz lifts where there's a restaurant or two, one with a snack bar which made for a nice lunch one day when we were last out there. Was quite the sun trap also.
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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?
The morzine le gets side has some really nice runs and is much less busy than the avoriaz side, but they suffer badly if poor snow.

You can take the chair down the Swiss wall if u don't fancy it.
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madlondoner wrote:
The morzine le gets side has some really nice runs and is much less busy than the Avoriaz side.

One reason is that it's not connected to the main circuits of the PdS.

But over the years I have noticed that the Avoriaz sector is busier than neighbouring ones, but it's just a function of the local pass vs PdS.

If you go up to the ridges on the edge of the Morzine / Avoriaz pass: Chaux Fleurie, Mosettes, Chavanette etc.. and look at the number of folks on either side. There's far fewer on the Chatel side of Chaux Fleurie, and the Swiss side of Mosettes ( there's probably another reason for the Swiss side of Chavanette being less busy Smile )

Thats why Ardent is a good starting Point as you can get out of the Avoriaz/Morzine pass-covered area pretty quickly from there.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@WindOfChange, there is no Morzine/ Avoriaz pass. Its Morzine/ Les Gets or PDS. I’d much prefer to be able to buy a M/LG/ A pass like we had as residents but apparently the other 8/9 resorts kick up a huge fuss. Avoriaz is the most visited in the PDs in terms of lift pass tap ins.
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@Nadenoodlee, Our staff use to get the M / LG / A Pass -I didn't know it was not a thing any more.
But like you say Avoriaz IS the most used place (hence busiest), but from Morzine, you need to go thru Avoriaz sector to get to the best bits of the PdS, otherwise you're limited to Pleney, Nyon, Les Gets.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@WindOfChange, you used to be able to get it with a work contract or full time residence stamped by your mairie, but now its almost urban myth status and down to the wim of the ticket office staffer as to whether you get it or not, apparently.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Nadenoodlee,

I’m not sure that’s correct. I have had one (apart from last season) for the past ten years or so. You just need to be a Morzine, Les Gets or Avoriaz resident. There has never been a requirement to have the Mairie stamp anything.
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@zzz, it isnt available for public sale- OP is a visitor.
Regarding PNGA stamp- lucky you! I was turned away, skis and all, at Ardent and had to go to Montriond Mairie and get a stamp - she seemed used to dishing them out. I was resident with Tax dhab and all sorts in hand mais non. The power wielded at the ticket desk is infinite.
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I was there at season start. Avoriaz was more popular as it was higher and therefore got more snow.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As you don't want to use the car once you're in Morzine you're best off keeping it central (you can stay further out and use the free and pay busses to get around but can face a wait first thing in the morning as already full busses just drive past you). What this means will depend on you/how far you're willing to walk, at which point a few minutes on Google Maps will let you define your own search radius (based on the tourist office as that's basically the middle of town and equidistant from both the Pleney (Morzine/Les Gets) and Super-Morzine (Avoriaz) gondolas and Ardent (PdS Lindarets bowl)/Prodains (PdS Avoriaz) first bus stops.

I don't believe there are any ski lockers at the bottom of either the Ardent or Prodains gondolas but there are I believe some under the Pleney base stations. In addition to that certainly Hubert Sport have lockers (2min to S-M/5min to Pleney/30sec to Prodains bus stop) and I think the Intersport next to the S-M has them too. I'd guess some of the hire shops by the Pleney will have them too but never used them so don't know for sure.

There are loads of bars and restaurants in Morzine so you'll be spoilt for choice and also sure to find something that matches your mood. I also don't think I've ever had a bad meal in Morzine so would recommend/not warn against anywhere. One that hasn't been mentioned so far is Dixie Bar. In general this is just your generic Irish theme pub showing Sky Sports and not somewhere I'd go - but a few times a year they have The Dixie Micks playing, at which point it's 100% worth a visit!

Up 'on the hill' and worth a visit:
* Changabang in Avoriaz has already been mentioned and is a really good, really quick burger.
* For a more French lunch I like La Ferme des Pistes by the top of the Linga gondola out of Chatel.
* For a coffee/cake break I have a thing for Restaurant d'Altitude Le Passe-Montagne, which I think is half way down from the top of the Les Combes chair, heading back into the Plaine Dranse bowl.
* For the experience you just have to stop for a coffee in Chez BaBeth in the Plaine Dranse bowl...
* If you're skiing back to Morzine via the S-M stop at the top for the best Vin Chaud anywhere in Restaurant La Grenouille du Marais (it's the higher one that looks down on the Zore chair/S-M gondola).

Up 'on the hill' ones to avoid:
* The self service at the top of the Pleney - even by French mountain top self service restaurants it's terrible.
* The Vin Chaud from the place just before the Chamiaz/Tronics Express/Tetes chairs chairs in M/L-G - it's literally vin that's been made chaud.
* The restaurant at the top of the Swiss Wall/top of Chavanette chairs - go in for a Coke, leave having taken out a second mortgage on your house to pay for it.
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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.
Salade Paysanne in Les Marmottes in the Lindarets bowl is a must every time I visit the PDS! Been a few years but hopefully it's still there...?

Coupe du Monde is a cool black run, especially early in the morning when it's "firm" snowHead
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 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
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
Mjit wrote:

* The restaurant at the top of the Swiss Wall/top of Chavanette chairs - go in for a Coke, leave having taken out a second mortgage on your house to pay for it.


Made that mistake before! Shocked
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
swskier wrote:
Mjit wrote:

* The restaurant at the top of the Swiss Wall/top of Chavanette chairs - go in for a Coke, leave having taken out a second mortgage on your house to pay for it.


Made that mistake before! Shocked


I was going to add "If you really want a drink while looking at the Swiss Wall but it from the little hut at the bottom of the Fornet bowl and take it up with you" - but thinking about it the top of the Wall just gets busy and can be a bit cold/windy while that little hut own in the bowl is I think a lovelly little sun trap and a much less touristy stop so screw the Wall, just stop there instead Smile
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Restaurant L'Abricotine near the bottom of French Mossettes chair. Omelettes/frites hit the spot.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Bu you get to hop over the border line in the middle of the terrasse! Thinking about it - thats where I first had palpitations NYD 2017. Jesus was it the price of a choco rum??
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I remember walking into that restaurant a few years ago holding up a snowboard for the owner to claim. Which he did. Unfortunately had to tell his friend that we weren’t quick enough to catch the other board before it took off over the edge.
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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?
@DJL, why would you pay someone to cook an omelette? rolling eyes
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under a new name wrote:
@DJL, why would you pay someone to cook an omelette? rolling eyes


I don't usually carry a pan or camping stove when out skiing. And I like omelettes.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@DJL, somewhat under equipped then aren't you?

I will confess that, on rare occasion, I have ordered omelettes in restaurants.

Passers by have, however, been rather amazed by the quality of our on mountain picnics.
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@DJL, haha. Also eggs in a backpack is a somewhat precarious undertaking, as my friend found out when he had the bright idea of saving money shopping in Tignes. Ski back to Val consisted of 3 of us taking it in turn to whack his backpack with ski poles. Messy business.
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under a new name wrote:
@DJL, somewhat under equipped then aren't you?

I will confess that, on rare occasion, I have ordered omelettes in restaurants.

Passers by have, however, been rather amazed by the quality of our on mountain picnics.


Sunny day then a decent picnic takes some beating. Leave a couple of packed rucsacs in the car and them send the two fastest skiers down to collect them. You'll even save enough money to be able to afford an omelette when the weather is less clement!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
DJL wrote:
under a new name wrote:
@DJL, why would you pay someone to cook an omelette? rolling eyes


I don't usually carry a pan or camping stove when out skiing. And I like omelettes.


I also quite often have a lunch omelette up the mountain. Having eaten my body weight in cheese the night before and knowing I'm going to be doing much the same that evening a nice, lite omelette/frites lunch just hits the spot. Certainly much nicer than drinking raw, whisked eggs, which is I assume what you'd get up a mountain if you were in a restaurant and order an omelette but refuse to pay for it to be cooked.

DJL wrote:
Sunny day then a decent picnic takes some beating.


On a sunny day maybe but I'd say sitting inside in the warm eating a nice omelette beats a picnic on the day's it's NOT sunny, but rather -20C, snowing and blowing you back up the slopes!
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Omelette jambon fromage is my favourite on the mountain- Les Marmottes in Lindaret and Chez Flo are favourites. There has to be about 10+ eggs in them, and served baveuse yum!
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Does anyone know if there’s a free tow at the bottom of Pleney? We’ll have my mate’s daughter’s boyfriend with us in jan and he’s never skied before. Not worth getting him a pass for the first afternoon, but as we’ll have a couple of hours we wondered if he could pootle about there?
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