 Poster: A snowHead
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First ever ski trip coming up (arriving 2nd Jan for 6 nights, 3rd Jan first ski day) so if anyone can help answer the following, much appreciated.
1. How good is the mobile signal on the PdS pistes ? Ar we likely to get a mobile signal anywhere across the whole area or are some places a bit patchy ?
2. What are the Morzine supermarkets like ? Do they stock UK cider brands ?
3. We’re staying in a chalet on the Pleney side of the town, just off the Retour Des Nants piste. Now looking like we’ll be getting bus up to Prodains as our bookings have been moved to Avoriaz. How often do the free shuttle buses run and by the time it gets to where we are, is it likely to be rammed full so we won’t get on it. We’re a group of 20 and have ski school/lessons starting at 9.15am so don’t want to be late.
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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1) very good never had an issue- usually 4g everywhere.
2) also very good - Carrefour in town do a click and collect service- book and pay online. No idea about British cider.
3) very frequently - Pleney is the starting point so no problem getting on but give yourselves extra time on first day.
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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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I don't think I've ever seen UK cider in France but you will normally find Cidre from Brittany or Normandie.
Cidre Doux is like Woodpecker, Brut is dry and stronger.
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I've a question that's related to the mobile signal question - as Morzine / Avoriaz are close to the Swiss border, is there ever a problem with being charged because the mobile has picked up a Swiss (i.e. non-EU) phone mast?
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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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Have a great time! Just save any wild partying until Day 3 or 4, you’ll need your wits about you for the first few lessons.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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1. Fine
2. Not if you want the flavoured ones - never seen them in any supermarkets. But the Casino on Rue de la Plagne is fine. The Spar on the main street is awful.
3. A bus runs at least every 10 mins. You may be able to hop on at the stop before Pleney (ie the end of the line) and just stay on - they do a constant loop. Useful website with live bus locations and route map: https://www.agilbus.fr/morzine - click on the top left and you can select your route and see where the nearest stop is to you. But in my experience the A bus doesn’t get too full at the first couple of stops.
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@denfinella, usually the service provider sends a message to say you are now on X service, ie FR or CH accordingly. I waited until back in Morzine.
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Thanks all. If skiing down to the Swiss side, do you need a passport at any stage ?
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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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| gavman99 wrote: |
| Thanks all. If skiing down to the Swiss side, do you need a passport at any stage ? |
Never been asked in 15 years of skiing there, though there’s a sign on one of the lifts out of Lindarets (Cases?) that says “ID card required”.
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@andy from embsay, just to clarify, are you suggesting we could jump on the A bus when it comes down from Prodains heading towards Pleney (when it should have plenty of space) and then stay on it as it heads towards Pleney - and that way even if it fills up at Pleney, we'll already be on it thus avoiding a "not enough space" scenario ?
Also, towards the end of the day, are there typically long queues at Prodains waiting to get the bus back to Morzine ?
Thanks for the bus company link, should be pretty useful.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@gavman99, yep, if you’re in the right place - there’s a stop on the way up to Pleney. Unless you’re really unlucky and hiot the driver’s tea break they’ll stop at Pleney then carry on round.
Coming down there’s usually A buses every few minutes so you won’t wait long - alternatively ski down to Super Morzine and get the gondola straight back to town, maybe via a cheeky beer in one of the bars at the top of the gondola. They run them down until about 1700 from memory.
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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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Btw @gavman99 - I’d hope it’ll have quietened down next week - French schools (and English ones?) are back so today’s horrorshow shouldn’t be repeated (hope so - we’re out on 5th for a few days!)
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| gavman99 wrote: |
| Thanks all. If skiing down to the Swiss side, do you need a passport at any stage ? |
There is no hard border as such so you can ski freely between the two countries. However you have to provide proof of identity if challenged in both Switzerland and France. This will mean either a ID card or passport although a photo driving license will probably be ok. I always carry my passport and license but have never been asked to produce them in over thirty years.
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You know it makes sense.
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Yep, looks like English schools are back on the 4th so hoping the whole place will be pretty quiet !
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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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| BergenBergen wrote: |
| gavman99 wrote: |
| Thanks all. If skiing down to the Swiss side, do you need a passport at any stage ? |
There is no hard border as such so you can ski freely between the two countries. However you have to provide proof of identity if challenged in both Switzerland and France. This will mean either a ID card or passport although a photo driving license will probably be ok. I always carry my passport and license but have never been asked to produce them in over thirty years. |
For UK residents the passport is the only officially acceptable form of ID. Chances of you being asked for it? Almost zero. Chances of you being in trouble if stopped and you don't have it? Again, almost zero. I'm pretty sure that most cross-border skiers don't carry it, just as I don't. I do have my Swiss driving licence in my wallet though.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I carry my UK driving licence. Never been stopped and asked in 30 years.
I have seen official looking "Douane" branded ski jacketed officials on the slopes. They seem more interested in having a smoke or posing in mirror shades than checking IDs!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I was stopped going down to Les crosets about 20 years back, got taken into the shed next to the lifties hut, had to show my passport (which I had on me) and I think they did a bag check for drugs. I was doing a season in Morzine, had been a regular visitor to the park in LC, was a snowboarder and in all honesty looked dodgy AF so wasn't surprised. Was all fine, no lube was required and they let me on my way.
Haven't been checked since in over 15 visits. 
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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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Skied on and off in PDS for nearly 30 years. Never been asked for ID on the slopes, even when we cycled through the border one Summer and the guys in the border hut just waved at us. Quite lucky really, cos I never take any ID with me. Wouldn't want to risk my driving licence getting wet and disintegrating - it's still an old fashioned green paper one!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I have to ask…. Why on earth do you want U.K. cider when you’re in France?! French cidre, generally, is excellent.
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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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@Timmycb5, my grown up kids ask for it occasionally. They normally drink gin but they don’t like beer but quite like a weird fruity cider as a longer drink.
They’re weird mind.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@andy from embsay, ah the sickly fruity stuff. I’m fairly sure I’ve seen that the Carrefour in Les Gets. No idea about Morzine..
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@Timmycb5, what can I say, I’m a creature of habit. TBH even when I wrote “UK cider brands”, I actually meant Strongbow 
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@gavman99, all aboard the Bow-train. Choo choo.
I can’t remember if I’ve seen strongbkw for sale there but the booze section at shops locally is normally fairly mental. Me and a mate discovered a drink that translates as “pig rinse”. It’s as delicious and strong as it sounds. I’m sure there will be a cider equivalent.
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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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@gavman99, get them to try "Framboise beer" as many like that for fruit influenced drink.
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Skip the UK cider, this is what the demi-pêche was invented for!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Maybe try picon-biere?
It's delicious on the moment, hideous the morning after, but can't be worse than bow.
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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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On a somewhat related note to the topic, what are some good places to look for self catered apartments in Morzine/Les Gets/Avoriaz? Airbnb and booking.com didn't seem particularly good, and Avoriaz tourist office offers seem to have terrible cancellation policies.
Looking for first week of March once the French school holidays are done..
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@klanfa, if you’re brave you could post on Morzine Crew on fb. Airbnb has alot of properties - and agents list on there, also try Total Mountain and White properties.
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You know it makes sense.
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Have you tried vrbo - our neighbour’s place is on there? One of our mates is on mountainextra.com - quite a few options.
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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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Thanks a lot to both - will have a look!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@klanfa, for Les Gets itself look on the accommodation section of the official website. I think it’s booking.lesgets.com
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@gavman99, I feel your cider pain - I always feel so left out when on holiday and everyone's knocking back the beers and there's no cider equivalent. Spent lots of holidays in Morzine and I'm afraid I have never found a strongbow/magners equivalent. The brittany/Normandy cider is very good though.
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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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@karin, couldn’t agree more. My mates hate it when going out and I suggest bars which I know sell the ‘bow or I ask for a quick exit if we end up in one which doesn’t. Somersby is a new one I just seen this year for the first time in the Algarve which is very nice. Makes a very pleasant change from Magners which they tend to sell which after a few days, I want to give up booze altogether!!
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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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| gavman99 wrote: |
First ever ski trip coming up (arriving 2nd Jan for 6 nights, 3rd Jan first ski day) so if anyone can help answer the following, much appreciated.
1. How good is the mobile signal on the PdS pistes ? Ar we likely to get a mobile signal anywhere across the whole area or are some places a bit patchy ?
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If it’s your first trip, be aware how cold and wind chill can kill phone batteries quickly. After an unexpected and inconvenient shutdown, I now always keep mine in my inside chest pocket.
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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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HNY all !!
Question about lunches on the slopes from 3rd to 7th Jan. Can you always find somewhere easily enough to eat lunch or do you have to book ? Not looking for anything fancy, so burger/sandwich type fare will be fine.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@gavman99 - yes, in my experience (certainly on the French side - we tend not to stop in CH much). In most places you’re likely to stop there’s a number of options (eg Lindarets, Plaine Dranse, Avoriaz) so if somewhere’s busy you can try next door. Changabang near the top of Prodains still good for a quick burger and twister fries, the refuges near the bottom of Brochaux lift in Lindarets also well worth a stop.
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Thanks Andy.
Last question before we depart in the morning, how widely is Apple Pay accepted in the shops/restaurants in Morzine and on the slopes ?
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@gavman99, very widely. Don’t think I’ve ever come across anywhere that doesn’t apart from a couple of remote refuges that we’ve been to in summer.
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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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Thanks again Andy. Fingers crossed for a good 5 days skiing. Not what we were expecting weather wise but just need to make the most of it.
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@gavman99, find out what time the morning ski school classes finish and get to your eating place just before......
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FAQ
