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Megeve

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Looking to try somewhere new in France for skiing this year. What's the low-down on Megeve?

Where to stay/not stay?

Anything to know about the area?

That sort of thing. Bit open ended I know. For context we're intermediate skiers, and this year did Val Thorens. Also, we'll be driving (via the tunnel)

LR
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Go to Saint Gervais rather than Megeve, same ski area but the prices in Town are a bit more realistic. Megeve is lovely but very up market, Also it is a easy 10 minutes off the motorway so no tricky mountain passes.

There are 4 main Ski areas all a bit different, 3 are interlinked with Les Contimens being a 10 min drive.

Depending on what you want to do at night, easting out/in be careful where your accommodation is unless you have a driver.
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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?
And the area suits intermediate skiiers, lots of blue and red runs and most of the blacks are fine for an intermediate in good conditions. But I (like @Jonny996) am biased.

Compared to Val Thorens it is lower (most places are!) so less snow-sure at each end of the season.

If you have more specific questions there are plenty here to help you.
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Sorry can't help on the where to stay accept in terms of Price/poshness. You have Megeve at the top, St Gervais in the middle and Combloux at the lower end. All three villages are linked.

Skiing this linke area can be roughly split into three.

Jaillet/Giettaz/Combloux is the middle sized area (in terms of number of runs/lifts) but is the bigest in terms of area. This is the gentlest of the 3 areas and also the quietest.

Megeve Mont d'Arbois/St Gervais/St Nicholas is the largest and most diverse area, having also the highest and lowest elevation. There is a very long slow chair up to the highest point, Mont Joly. Worth the trip for the views and the red run back down isn't bad.
Le Schuss bar above St Nicholas is one of the few inexpensive places on the mountain for lunch etc.

Megeve Rochbrune/Cote 2000 smallest of the 3 ski areas, but most consistent runs and snow. Steep old drag lifts necessary (blame one unplesant landowner and a faux environment group for delaying the replacement) to get too/from Cote 2000.
I am a ski patroler in this area starting this winter.

As jb says , any specific questions, just ask
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Idris wrote:
There is a very long slow chair up to the highest point, Mont Joly. Worth the trip for the views and the red run back down isn't bad...

I think that is code for "the runs aren't really worth the ride", except perhaps under perfect conditions. I sometimes think the main purpose of that lift is so that resort summaries include the top elevation.
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@LittleRob, what type of accommodation are you looking for? Catered or self catered? Apt, hotel, chalet?
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
j b wrote:
Idris wrote:
There is a very long slow chair up to the highest point, Mont Joly. Worth the trip for the views and the red run back down isn't bad...

I think that is code for "the runs aren't really worth the ride", except perhaps under perfect conditions. I sometimes think the main purpose of that lift is so that resort summaries include the top elevation.


True of the pistes. But the off piste is spectacular, if highly avalanche prone. Hence the lift is closed a lot.
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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!
@LittleRob,

Not sure of your budget/what sort of accommodation you are looking for but we stayed with Standford Ski at The Hotel Sylvana, It was excellent then BUT that was 10 years ago... https://www.stanfordskiing.co.uk/catered-ski-chalets/chalet-hotel-sylvana
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Thanks for all the replies. We’re aiming for self-catering and will have a car if necessary (we’re driving from the UK).

We like to eat out a couple of times in the evening, but mostly we’re doing our own thing.

One place we looked at is Megeve mont arbois but some looked to be in Megeve “proper” which I guess is a no-no as really we’d like to be ski-in/ski-out.

Thanks
LR
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
@LittleRob, it's not really a place for guaranteed ski in ski out, unless you stay at Le Bettex above St Gervais which would limit your possibilities for eating out (but you would manage a couple of times in different places).

Otherwise there are lots of apartments in St Gervais close to the gondola station, but the piste right to the bottom isn't always open, it depends critically on nights cold enough to make snow at 850m. That would be the most likely place to find rentals.

There are as you have noticed what look like a couple of blocks near the Megeve Mont d'Arbois gondola station, some at the bottom of Rochebrune, and a few buildings near the bottom of the Princesse, Chattrix and Les Communailles lifts though I doubt you would find rentals easily in any of those places.
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When are you thinking go going, @LittleRob?

Quote:

Jaillet/Giettaz/Combloux is the middle sized area (in terms of number of runs/lifts) but is the bigest in terms of area. This is the gentlest of the 3 areas and also the quietest.

Very beautiful views across to Mont Blance - but Jaillet/Combloux slopes don't keep their snow well - they are on the side which gets most sun.
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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.
@pam_w we’re going (somewhere) from 4th-11th March
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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
If you want ski in ski out, forget Saint Gervais.
Even if you do find an apartment off the home run that states it’s ski in/out your only option is to ski down home run (if it’s open) then tackle the stairs, cross the road and join the queue for the main gondola up.
Personally I’ve never experienced ski in/out but I have to say, a 10 minute walk normal shoes via the bakery for coffee to the heated lockers under the gondola to put your boots on is a nice start to the day
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Jonny996, agree, those lockers at the gondola station make walking a few minutes a lot more pleasant. (10 euros a day I think, for a family size locker).
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
What are any of the stations like for free parking at the lifts? Ta. And, if any one can expect anything these days, is the area likely to have good snow in January?
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@LittleRob, that week in March is a great choice for the French resorts - first after the end of the French school hols.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@pam_w benefits of the kids growing up finally wink just a pity that we can't spring child #2 from Uni for the week (dreadful holidays in year #3 med-school)
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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?
@Charliegolf,
Quote:

What are any of the stations like for free parking at the lifts?

https://www.visit-megeve.com/en/parking/

Quote:

is the area likely to have good snow in January?


The perennial question with no real answer. Usually, the later you go in January, the higher probability there will be good snow, whatever that is.
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In our experience, staying in an airbnb in St. Gervais about 10 minutes' walk from Le Bettex base but keeping gear in locker at top is a great solution. You can't often ski down to the base anyway. If there is decent snow it's a varied station, just watch out for prices for on hill dining. There's a decent salle hors sac iirc...megeve proper is not really my scene, but we really like St. G in both summer and winter. If you have a car it's worth a day or two in Les Contaminés, or just go to the end of the valley and visit the small church.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@LittleRob, Stanford Skiing have been operating in Megeve for decades. No idea what their prices are like, but they have quite well located apartments, convenient for lifts, including small ones suitable for 2 people.

As others have pointed out, Megeve is not a purpose built ski in/ski out kind of place. It was a proper town long before the Ancient Britons invented skiing.

With a car, it's quite easy to spend days in other nearby areas, including Chamonix Valley, Courmayeur, via the Mont Blanc tunnel and even Verbier, though that seems a long way to me. The Mont Blanc Unlimited pass also includes various tramways and lifts to spectacular high mountain terrain, if that floats your boat.
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Charliegolf wrote:
What are any of the stations like for free parking at the lifts?

Parking at the St Gervais gondola up to Bettex is free. There claims to be 700 places, but it fills up completely in French school holidays. There is also free underground parking in the town centre, not more than 10 minutes walk but again that gets tight in season.

@Pasigal I agree, one approach if you are renting gear anyway is to rent from Skiloc in Bettex and keep it there during the week. However it would make it more complicated going to Les Contamines.

@LittleRob we have that third year med school problem too! The only possible week to take our daughter is the very last week in April - same last year and we only skiied three days. (Well Christmas theoretically possible except we need to host mother-in-law).
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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 have done both self-catering to St Gervais in 2019 (well Les Communailles just at the bottom of the lift with the same name) and Stanford Skiing catered in Megeve last year. However neither were ski-in/ski-out and you would be hard pressed to find anywhere that is. Free buses make it easy to get around the 3 main ski areas and then I drove my car to Les Contamines quite a bit as I love that place. Free parking at Les Contamines but Megeve is either on street or payable underground. I parked outside the chalet as Rochebrune lift was just a short walk so I didn't pay for lockers personally. Stanford skiing have some self-catered apartments I believe. I found them helpful, informative and very reasonably priced and would definitely recommend them. If I can grab a week on my own in 2023 I would probably check them out for availability first.
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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!
@LittleRob, I think you have some answers there from @Snowmadmum. There is accommodation within walking distance of the piste in both Les Communailles and Megeve near the Rochebrune lift. But not actually ski-in ski-out.

But if you want to follow the advice to have the option of skiing in Les Contamines (a bit small for a week, but a satisfying ski area) you would really want to be based in St Gervais from which it is an easy drive or bus ride.
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