 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello All,
We find ourselves sharing our half term with Paris and the perceived wisdom is that France will be 'bombed'. Accordingly, we are looking for alternatives to our previous haunts.
We booked flights to Geneva way back in June and as there only 3 of us (older offspring are unavailable for this trip) we have been watching the snow reports, planning on booking a 'not too busy but fairly snowy' resort relatively last minute (for us). We are happy to drive up to three hours from Geneva to a resort. We tend to prefer more traditional style villages rather than purpose built resorts.
I know that Montgenevre is in France (!) but reports suggest that it doesn't get as busy as other resorts at half term and the Italian extension at Claviere is appealing. Monterosa would also work, and again I have read that it isn't too busy at half term but it appears that the snow isn't currently as good there as it might be.
So, any thoughts on Montgenevre or Monterosa at half term? And any alternatives I should be thinking about?
Thank you very much
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@schuster, I sympathise but those do look like rather tedious transfers. I would have thought that somewhere closer to the Mont Blanc tunnel was the more obvious choice for Italy - but what about Switzerland? Although it has a reputation for being expensive, when our daughter was at school we found it was fairly similar to France which has elevated prices in half term week, and less crowded.
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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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Thank you for getting back to me. Any suggestions for resorts in Switzerland? Perhaps I had unfairly written it off as too expensive.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Worth looking at Switzerland but also through MB tunnel to somewhere like Bardonnecchia or La Thuile. Maybe Cervinia?
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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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| schuster wrote: |
And any alternatives I should be thinking about?
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La Thuile in Italy is an obvious choice, with daytrips maybe to Courmayeur and Pila, plus of course the link to La Rosiere in France 
https://www.bergfex.com/thuile-rosiere-aostatal/
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| pam w wrote: |
| Worth looking at Switzerland but also through MB tunnel to somewhere like Bardonnecchia or La Thuile. Maybe Cervinia? |
Bardonecchia is through the Frejus tunnel. Not a huge ski area, but will likely be quieter than France and combined with Sauze & the Milky Way up the road, would be good.
https://www.bergfex.com/bardonecchia/
https://www.bergfex.com/sauze-oulx/
Cervinia is a bit further than La Thuile through the MB tunnel, but worth the extra effort, with some great intermediate cruising and a cheaper way of skiing Zermatt in Switzerland.
https://www.bergfex.com/breuil-cervinia/
Not the prettiest resort though! 
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Thank you very much. Good ideas coming here. Any more thoughts re Switzerland?
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@schuster, I'm afraid I don't know the Geneva side resorts so well, when we did half term (5 in succession) we flew to Zurich and chose places in the German speaking part*.
There are some enthusiastic advocates for the Verbier area on Snowheads who can offer local advice. There are some closer places, I don't know what Villars is like for example, and the Swiss side of Portes du Soleil might be less crowded than Morzine etc. And there are places further distant but a relaxed transfer via the excellent Swiss rail system such as Wengen.
[*And Romansch-speaking, all the places were in Graubunden/Grisons].
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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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| Quote: |
Bardonecchia is through the Frejus tunnel
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Oh yes - sorry! I always get the routes through those tunnels confused, as up to now I've always whizzed past the ski resorts down to Genoa. I'll be sorting out the geography better next month as driving from Turin to Aoste. The tunnels are quite expensive but worth it to get away from Paris holiday crowds. I prefer Fréjus - always seems a less frenetic approach than MB. I've just checked - according to Google Maps Cervinia is less (just) than 3 hours driving from Geneva airport. But you'd maybe need local advice as to optimum timing for the tunnel.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Bardonecchia is through the Frejus tunnel
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Oh yes - sorry! I always get the routes through those tunnels confused, as up to now I've always whizzed past the ski resorts down to Genoa. I'll be sorting out the geography better next month as driving from Turin to Aoste. The tunnels are quite expensive but worth it to get away from Paris holiday crowds. I prefer Fréjus - always seems a less frenetic approach than MB. I've just checked - according to Google Maps Cervinia is less (just) than 3 hours driving from Geneva airport. But you'd maybe need local advice as to optimum timing for the tunnel. |
Hopefully the cheaper accommodation in the Aosta Valley should more than make up for the €65 return ticket.
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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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| Quote: |
Hopefully the cheaper accommodation in the Aosta Valley should more than make up for the €65 return ticket
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We are renting an apartment in Aosta for 480 euros the week - that's end of Feb, but mid Feb is the same price, though it's 650 euros for 5/6 people for a week - we're only two, daughter and myself. From Aosta there's the gondola to Pila and we hope to visit La Thuile and Courmayeur - we're renting a car in Torino, which is a fair bit cheaper than Gva. The apartment (recommended by a Snowhead) is near a big supermarket and we intend to mostly cook for ourselves in the evenings to keep costs down.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thank you all for all your help - much appreciated.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Hopefully the cheaper accommodation in the Aosta Valley should more than make up for the €65 return ticket
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We are renting an apartment in Aosta for 480 euros the week - that's end of Feb, but mid Feb is the same price, though it's 650 euros for 5/6 people for a week - we're only two, daughter and myself. From Aosta there's the gondola to Pila and we hope to visit La Thuile and Courmayeur - we're renting a car in Torino, which is a fair bit cheaper than Gva. The apartment (recommended by a Snowhead) is near a big supermarket and we intend to mostly cook for ourselves in the evenings to keep costs down. |
My son and I rented a cute little 1 bed house (sleeps 4, big double and two strong foldaway bunks) in a village 10mi east of Aosta in 2020.
I checked, it is available 5nts Sun-Fri (19th-24th) for €282 for up to 4 (€56 pnt), the week the OP is looking for, but not the whole week.
It was well placed to reach all the Valle d'Aosta ski areas. We did a day each in Courmayeur, La Thuile, Cervinia/Zermatt, Champoluc/Monte Rosa & Pila. Nearest was Pila 15mins away, furthest was Champoluc which took just under an hour, but the commuting might not be for everyone.
Takeaway Pizza in the village was €5-€8, so we didn't go hungry! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Schuster Well, the 4 Vallées in Switzerland totals 400kms of pistes (so it claims) and is only 90 minutes by car from Geneva, or 2½-3 hours by train/télépherique (thus avoiding the car rental hassle). If you drove to Aosta from GVA, you'd actually be going right past it and on for another 90+ minutes. Yes, the hub of Verbier can be pricey, but the satellites of La Tzoumaz and Nendaz are generally much cheaper. An advance public transport adult single would be around £45 (that's actually to anywhere in Switzerland, with a few exceptions, and includes gondolas and PostBuses etc. as well as trains).
In my opinion, yes, Swiss instruction is very pricey in comparison to other Alpine countries. If you don't need that, then the costs are much more comparable, especially if you opt for a self-catering apartment. AS a guideline, here is part of a post from me in another thread that cordinates feedback about actual prices in resorts. This is from our trip just before Christmas.
Café au lait - CHF 3.60 (£3.20)
300ml Beer - CHF 3.40 (£3.02)
Vegetable soup, & bread - CHF 8 (£7.12)
Goulash & bread - CHF 10 (£8.89)
Spagbol - CHF 17.50 (£15.57)
Croute aux Champignons - CHF 20 (£17.79) For example, for lunch I had a beer and soup at CHF 11.40 (£10.15), then coffee or chocolate as a break (£3.20).
Self-catering groceries at resort supermarketFresh croissant - CHF 1.60 (£1.42) [that's cheaper than at our local 'craft' baker in Brighton]
300gr fresh baguette - CHF 4.10 (£3.65)
1L 2.5% Milk - CHF 2.10 (£1.87)
500g Rösti Packet - CHF 4.40 (£3.91)
1L veg & tomato soup carton - CHF 3.15 (£2.80)
420g can goulash soup - CHF 5.70 (£5.07)
4x 330ml Local IPA can - CHF 10.80 (£9.61 - £2.40/can) Other costs, per person1 day adult skipass - CHF 56.00 (£49.81) Savoleyres Sector only
1 day adult assurance - CHF 3.00 (£2.67)
Flights, easyJet SpeedyBoarding, front, seat+cabin+hold luggage - £130 return (I think, not certain and will check)
Transfers CH - CHF 102 (£92.50) adult return (train+télépherique+bus) using SBB Saver Day Pass One caveat is that while it's extremely easy to get to Verbier by public transport, getting to any of the satellites involves more limited connections, where you probably need to be getting into GVA before 13:00 to have a margin for delays. See the SBB timetable link below.
Our apartment is in La Tzoumaz, so I have an obvious bias towards it, but take a look at the Verbier link at the top. Our rental agency is Quatre Valais Quatre Saisons and their site will give you an idea of prices here compared to the hub of Verbier. The caveat is obviously that a satellite isn't the hub and means you have to traverse over (on piste or gondola) to be at the centre. As with most places, you'd be advised to book your rental equipment in advance.
If you are looking at anywhere in Switzerland, then it's always worth checking whether there is easy access using SBB public transport, just as a baseline against car rental. Personally, I particularly like the return leg using public transport right into the airport, as it avoids the usual hassle of my being the driver and having to fill-up and return etc. Outbound, the from will be «Genève-Aéroport». As mentioned, the cheapest ticket will usually be the advance Saver Day Pass but always be careful about the price quoted, sometimes the assumption is that you have an annual 50% 'Half Fare Travelcard' e.g. the minimum CHF 29 is only with a Travelcard whereas the standard minimum fare is CHF 58
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 23-01-23 21:40; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To reach Montgenevre, Turin is by far a better choice than Geneva !
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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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@thierryd, not if you have already booked flights to Geneva. That would be a big diversion……
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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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| zikomo wrote: |
| @thierryd, not if you have already booked flights to Geneva. That would be a big diversion…… |
Flights can be amended and car rental are cheaper in Turin than Geneva......
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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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What I also forgot to say is whatever your final destination candidates, don't finalise the accommodation until you've looked at the various transfer options and costs. @Schuster - this year has seen a lot more threads from people who've booked flights or a destination only to be shocked at the cost of car rental or transfers, or find that there aren't any transfers at their travel time, or that the margin for delays is too narrow.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 for Nendaz. Less than 2 hours by car. Stayed in appartments Cristianina (run by Interhome) right opposite the main gondola up.
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| LaForet wrote: |
| shocked at the cost of car rental |
GVA is crazy rip-off pricing, starting around £600 per week!! I don't want to buy the car, just rent it! 
Italian airports and Barcelona (for Andorra) seem to be back to normal post-Covid with winter pricing around £100 for a compact with a major rental firm.
Haven't looked at France, Germany & Austria.
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Thank you again for your comments. Happily I follow Martin Lewis' advice and always book my car as soon as possible after I have booked flights (but always on cancellable deal)!
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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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| luigi wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Hopefully the cheaper accommodation in the Aosta Valley should more than make up for the €65 return ticket
|
We are renting an apartment in Aosta for 480 euros the week - that's end of Feb, but mid Feb is the same price, though it's 650 euros for 5/6 people for a week - we're only two, daughter and myself. From Aosta there's the gondola to Pila and we hope to visit La Thuile and Courmayeur - we're renting a car in Torino, which is a fair bit cheaper than Gva. The apartment (recommended by a Snowhead) is near a big supermarket and we intend to mostly cook for ourselves in the evenings to keep costs down. |
My son and I rented a cute little 1 bed house (sleeps 4, big double and two strong foldaway bunks) in a village 10mi east of Aosta in 2020.
I checked, it is available 5nts Sun-Fri (19th-24th) for €282 for up to 4 (€56 pnt), the week the OP is looking for, but not the whole week.
It was well placed to reach all the Valle d'Aosta ski areas. We did a day each in Courmayeur, La Thuile, Cervinia/Zermatt, Champoluc/Monte Rosa & Pila. Nearest was Pila 15mins away, furthest was Champoluc which took just under an hour, but the commuting might not be for everyone.
Takeaway Pizza in the village was €5-€8, so we didn't go hungry! |
This sounds like a great trip! Those little Italian villages with mama’s pizzas and 1 euro glasses of vino rosso are wonderful!
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