My husband and I are intermediate skiers (on the lower side). We're new but progressing fast and can handle east coast blues but haven't had the chance to try out west yet. We're fortunate enough to work remote and are planning a month-long working trip to ski in Europe (the month of March)
We're skiing 2-3 days a week between now and then so hopefully we get better! But we want to make sure that we find the right place for us. We're up for a challenge but don't want to get in over our heads, and we want to make sure that we have good snow conditions and ideally an interesting town, since we'll be there so long.
We were checking out places like Cervinia, Val Gardena, and others (in Austria / France). We're prioritizing value since we'll be there so long. We're traveling from Madrid so we're open to anywhere in Europe!
As I mentioned, we're hoping for a place that's solid for intermediates, has good snow in March, and ideally (but doesn't have to have) an interesting town with things to do. Any suggestions are deeply appreciated! Thanks so much
UPDATE
I apologize for the lack of clarification, updating the post to address the questions that are in the thread
1. We were trying to stay in one place due to travel time and cost but we are open and willing to travel to more than one place
2. We don't want to rent a car but we're open to all other forms of transportation (plane, train, bus). We would prefer towns that were walkable
3. We are trying to keep lodging under $175 a night
4. We will be skiing from March 1st till March 26th/27th
5. By things to do I meant we don't want to be sitting in our air bnb/hotel with nothing to do after we get done skiing for the day/ski break days. We aren't looking for a super busy area but if there is a decent number of dining options, shows, shops, or other outdoor activities (snowmobile, tours, ice skating, ect.)... I wouldn't be upset if there was a spa option ha!
6. We will be skiing during the day and working at night (we both work remotely and have flexible hours)
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 12-01-23 2:15; edited 2 times in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It would be useful if you defined "things to do". Does this mean ice climbing, sports centres, snowmobiles, ice driving (had a great time on carts on the ice in serre chevalier once), or something else?
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?
I'd recommend Alta Badia. I was in San Cassiano for a week w/ my kids in 2019. Huge ski area that would take weeks to explore. Lots of sledding options too - San Cassiano has a great run. Alps di Siusi, and Ortesi also have sledding. Cortina is not far either. We went night sledding in San Vigilio and had an amazing dinner at Ciastel.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Your fundamental conflict will be interesting town with things to do vs good snow in March (annd particularly this season when little base has accrued in many Euro resorts).
I'd offer Innbruck or Briancon as starters but really for the best snow you will want to get high.
After all it is free
After all it is free
My thought for decent value and decent snow, would be Italy. I think Cervinia with its Glacier could be a good shout.....and if adventurous, the odd day on the Zermatt side. It's better for the skiing and vfm side, than the "Things to do side". I can't speak from personal experience, as I have never been.
My other suggestion would be Bourg St Maurice - which is a proper town and gives easy access via the Funicular to Arc 1600 and thus the Paradiski area - which has 2 Glaciers. Maybe a bit more expensive than Italy - potentially somewhat offset by cheaper prices in BSM. I have been to Les Arcs/La Plagne many times.....and there are s who have residences there, who can give very specific and helpful info.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
With three weeks I would be looking for a resort with a lot of skiing - you can choose whether to measure by km of piste, number of runs (possibly number of blue runs), number of ski lifts. And then having drawn up a short list from internet searches, look at which towns would meet your criteria. My feeling is that most high altitude purpose built resorts might be a bit frustrating to stay in for a full three weeks, so you may want to think of "real" towns in the valley with an efficient link up the hill.
However as @Dave of the Marmottes says, this year you also need to check that your chosen resort has a decent proportion of its pistes at highish altitude - although usually March is a reasonably good bet for an enjoyable mix of snow and sunshine.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I apologize for the lack of clarification, what I meant by "things to do" is that we don't want to be stuck in the air bnb/hotel room when we aren't skiing so if their is decent number of dinning options, a little night life, other excursions such as shows, music, shop, outdoor activities (ice dirving sounded cool!) that would be great!
We do want to be right next to the skiing though
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@sskenne,
I'll stick with my 3 suggestions as they tick many of your boxes. For ideas of other things to do in those resorts have a look at their websites, plus Evolution2's website.
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.
Courmayeur
- Charming (real, old town, not purpose built like most of Paradiski or Tignes) town with easy access (1hr-2hrs) to tons of skiing, all kinds of skiing and winter activities. Ski area above town is on the "smaller" side but offers plenty of fun for intermediates to improve and move on to the more challenging terrain, which Courmayeur is famous for. "East Coast blues" are kind of "Reds " in Italy, I am sure you know that.
- Natural termes, coolinary schools, historical sites, view of some of the highest Alpine peaks,
- Easy day trip/overnight to Geneva, Turin
- Reasonably priced for what it has to offer.
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
@sskenne, a few more clarification questions that may inform the suggestions you get here:
1. Will you have a car for the 3 weeks?
2. Will you be needing to take a flight from Madrid? Or driving?
3. Any reason you want to limit yourself to one place for the 3 weeks?
4. Will you be remote working during the 3 weeks? Or will you be skiing every day?
5. What are the exact dates of the 3 weeks? Beginning, middle or end of March?
Last edited by 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 on Wed 11-01-23 23:49; edited 1 time in total
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Cheapski wrote:
Courmayeur
- Charming (real, old town, not purpose built like most of Paradiski or Tignes) town with easy access (1hr-2hrs) to tons of skiing, all kinds of skiing and winter activities. Ski area above town is on the "smaller" side but offers plenty of fun for intermediates to improve and move on to the more challenging terrain, which Courmayeur is famous for. "East Coast blues" are kind of "Reds " in Italy, I am sure you know that.
- Natural termes, coolinary schools, historical sites, view of some of the highest Alpine peaks,
- Easy day trip/overnight to Geneva, Turin
- Reasonably priced for what it has to offer.
Courmayeur is cute, but I wouldn't recommend it a base for a 3 week stay. You can ski the pistes in a day or two and the long commute to the other ski areas in the valley will soon become tiresome.
There are other better places in Italy with more variety of skiing closer together.
In Italy, I would tentatively suggest somewhere in Val di Fassa in the Dolomites, like Pozza or Moena. It's better value than Val Gardena and you would be able to ski over anyway. You have the Sella Ronda at the head of the valley and numerous worthwhile smaller areas along the valley, probably around 700km total, all on the Dolomiti Superski lift pass. You would probably need a car to explore it all.
The only caveat is that things could get a bit mushy towards the end of March.
You'll need to look at whether it is cheaper to buy a season pass if you plan to ski all 21 days. If so, you'll need one that covers numerous resorts close together.
Austria has some great liftpass unions. eg. Ski Amade covers 20+ resorts over 5 areas and 760km of piste.
Another option would be a week in a different country, as you'll probably be renting by the week anyway. Start off in the spectacular scenery and dolce vita in the Italian Dolomites in early March, head to Austria for the legendary apres in the cosy wooden huts, then a week in chic France at a high resort with a glacier towards the end of March to enjoy the sparkling sunshine and perfect snow. The logistics would be trickier, but it would be a real adventure and give you plenty of variety!
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Thu 12-01-23 0:10; edited 2 times in total
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@sskenne I'm suggesting Verbier in Switzerland. The ski area is oriented towards intermediates and is relatively high. It has excellent public transport links to valley towns that would make for an interesting day trip out for a change of scenery, or if it's bad weather, without having to drive and park in urban town centres. Although you might chose to take the car if you're comfortable with that. Day trips might include
Martigny: Fondation Giannada - Art Gallery esp. Impressionists, modern sculpture gardens and Roman amphitheatre.
Château Chillon: Picture postcard Swiss Castle dating from the 11th Century
Lausanne: Ancient university town
Montreux Bex Salt Mines: Underground train into salt mines & tour
Belle Epoch CGN Paddle Steamers: Do a route around the eastern Lake Geneva, including Château Chillon, Lausanne, Montreux ...
You'd need to do some research to check whether all of these are open when you go, just to be sure. A trip to Bex would probably be easier by car, but the rest should be do-able as a day trip from Verbier using the télépherique down to Le Chable, the short local train hop to Martigny, and then on a fast train to Montreux or Lausanne.
Obviously, Verbier has a vibrant night-life but you'd need to be as careful about choosing venues as you would be on a summer holiday to Ibiza's more up-market spots.
Within the Verbier ski area, you might like to consider a night at the mountain hut the Cabin du Mt.Fort at 2'457m (8,061ft).
If you're on a really tight budget and cant quite fund even a small studio in Verbier then the cheaper option is to stay at Le Chable itself in the valley. This has its train station in the same building as the télépherique up to Verbier, together with the Mt.Fort Swiss Lodge hostel. This has various room types including twin-bed rooms starting at around CHF 100/night/room. The télépherique is a public transport connection, so runs from early morning to late at night. But there is other less utilitarian accomodation in Le Chable as well.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 12-01-23 0:21; edited 4 times in total
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
LaForet wrote:
I'm suggesting Verbier in Switzerland.
sskenne wrote:
We're prioritizing value since we'll be there so long.
I can't foresee any problem there then!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 12-01-23 0:09; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
This helpful website might help with your research:
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?
luigi wrote:
LaForet wrote:
I'm suggesting Verbier in Switzerland.
sskenne wrote:
We're prioritizing value since we'll be there so long.
I can't foresee any problem there then!
You can actually do Verbier for as little as CHF 100 for a twin bed b+b. Yes, you'll have to take the télépherique up and back every day but that's no big deal to my mind. And yes, you'll need to sort other meals out for yourself. And yes, if you want 1:1 instruction then it will be more expensive than most. But I still think it's worth at least considering. Don't write off a resort just because Richard Branson charges £120K/week for his chalet there.
And value doesn't necessarily mean cheap. The OP hasn't actually said what their budget is, which means we're all applying our own subjective definition of what budget means and makes giving relevant advice harder.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 12-01-23 0:55; edited 5 times in total
Something that you might want to take into account is that a lot of the lodging in the Alps rents from Saturday to Saturday, particularly if it's in a popular resort and close to the lifts. If you're further away you might find more flexibility and of course the price comes down too.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I would have suggested the Dolomites / Sella Ronda area but March might be getting a bit late, others might advise, it is stunningly beautiful with plentiful skiing. One good option might be the Zillertal. Lots of skiing around the valley (including a glacier area) which goes into April, a number of villages to choose from (the largest Mayrhofen almost qualifies as a small town), plenty to do even if not skiing, easy to get to (there is a train running along the valley), you can potentially fly into Innsbruck (not so many flights) though Munich might be easier though the transfer is a good bit longer. The general feeling is that Austria is cheaper than France but more expensive than Italy, though how true that is is open to question plenty of expensive hotels in Italy and cheap ones in France.
Your fundamental conflict will be interesting town with things to do vs good snow in March (annd particularly this season when little base has accrued in many Euro resorts).
I'd offer Innbruck or Briancon as starters but really for the best snow you will want to get high.
Briancon may be a pretty good shout. Looking at the reports it has had better snow than further North.
Skiing very suited to intermediate skiers, plenty of reasonably high North facing slopes usually in good condition in March.
Great atmosphere reasonably priced and plenty of decent places to eat with an attractive old town.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
LaForet wrote:
luigi wrote:
LaForet wrote:
I'm suggesting Verbier in Switzerland.
sskenne wrote:
We're prioritizing value since we'll be there so long.
I can't foresee any problem there then!
You can actually do Verbier for as little as CHF 100 for a twin bed b+b. Yes, you'll have to take the télépherique up and back every day but that's no big deal to my mind. And yes, you'll need to sort other meals out for yourself. And yes, if you want 1:1 instruction then it will be more expensive than most. But I still think it's worth at least considering. Don't write off a resort just because Richard Branson charges £120K/week for his chalet there.
And value doesn't necessarily mean cheap. The OP hasn't actually said what their budget is, which means we're all applying our own subjective definition of what budget means and does make giving feedback harder.
I guess only getting around CHF 1.10 to the £ doesn't help. I remember as a kid in the early 80s getting CHF 3.50=£1 and my dad complaining about how expensive it was then.
Maybe the mighty $ will make everything more affordable for the OP
Just checked on Booking.com for March 4th-11th. Cheapest listing is a studio for £908 or a B&B for £1086, both in Le Chable, a cablecar ride away. In Verbier proper, the cheapest option is a small apartment under the owners chalet at £1275. Small hotel B&Bs start at £2060 per week. A small price to pay indeed!
After all it is free
After all it is free
munich_irish wrote:
I would have suggested the Dolomites / Sella Ronda area but March might be getting a bit late, others might advise, it is stunningly beautiful with plentiful skiing. One good option might be the Zillertal. Lots of skiing around the valley (including a glacier area) which goes into April, a number of villages to choose from (the largest Mayrhofen almost qualifies as a small town), plenty to do even if not skiing, easy to get to (there is a train running along the valley), you can potentially fly into Innsbruck (not so many flights) though Munich might be easier though the transfer is a good bit longer. The general feeling is that Austria is cheaper than France but more expensive than Italy, though how true that is is open to question plenty of expensive hotels in Italy and cheap ones in France.
Early March is usually OK on the Sella Ronda, but it does vary from year to year, sometimes it's been full-on winter with regular snowfalls or spring snow and sunshine, which is great for enjoying the scenery and long lunches.
Zillertal would be a good shout for a week on a 2 or 3 centre trip. You can actually see the Zillertaler Alpen from the high points of the Dolomites, though the drive around is a bit longer.
Last edited by After all it is free on Thu 12-01-23 1:17; edited 1 time in total
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.
luigi wrote:
I remember as a kid in the early 80s getting CHF 3.50=£1 and my dad complaining about how expensive it was then.
My first skiing holiday was in 1972 - when IIRC CHF 10 = £1.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
luigi wrote:
@sskenne, a few more clarification questions that may inform the suggestions you get here:
1. Will you have a car for the 3 weeks? - We aren't planning on renting (we don't have a lot of experience with driving in mountain snowy areas). We would prefer walkable areas.
3. Any reason you want to limit yourself to one place for the 3 weeks? We are worried about travel time and costs but we are open to going to more than one place
4. Will you be remote working during the 3 weeks? Or will you be skiing every day? - We will be skiing during the day and working remotely at nights
5. What are the exact dates of the 3 weeks? Beginning, middle or end of March?
- March 1st- March 26/27th
Sorry for the delay, I'm new to the site and I haven't been getting notifications. I gotta check my settings but thank you for your help!
Lastly, we are trying to keep lodging under $175 a night
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@sskenne, as you are coming into Madrid, why not consider Andorra? March usually has good snow conditions still - I skied until 24th April last season. You can get a direct flight from Madrid to La Seu airport which is only 20 mins from Andorra La Vella.
Andorra La Vella is a reasonable sized town with plenty going on. The ski areas can be reached in 10-30 mins from there if driving and about 30-60 mins if relying on buses. You could stay in one of the towns/villages with direct access to the lifts too.
There are three main ski areas: Grandvalira - 220km; Pal/Arinsal - 63km; and Arcalís - 30km.
There are a few other ski areas that are reachable in around an hour such as La Molina, Font Romeu, Porte-Puymorens and Ax 3 Domaines. Baquiera/Beret is a little further away but probably worth a weekend trip.
For 3 weeks, it would probably be worthwhile getting an Andorra season pass that covers all areas in Andorra. It used to cover days away elsewhere too, but I’ve not checked out where yet. In March this year, the Grandvalira is hosting the World Cup finals, so you’d probably get to see Mikaela Shiffrin ski if you wanted to.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Thu 12-01-23 1:55; edited 1 time in total
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.
sskenne wrote:
luigi wrote:
@sskenne, a few more clarification questions that may inform the suggestions you get here:
1. Will you have a car for the 3 weeks? - We aren't planning on renting a car and would prefer not to but we are willing to
2. Will you be needing to take a flight from Madrid? Or driving? - More than likely plane or train but open to renting a car
3. Any reason you want to limit yourself to one place for the 3 weeks? We are worried that travel time but we are open to going to more than one place
4. Will you be remote working during the 3 weeks? Or will you be skiing every day? - We will be skiing during the day and working nights
5. What are the exact dates of the 3 weeks? Beginning, middle or end of March?
- March 1st- March 26/27th
Sorry for the delay, I'm new to the site and I haven't been getting notifications. I gotta check my settings but thank you for your help!
Lastly, we are trying to keep lodging under $175 a night
That all helps!
1. A car gives more options to either visit other resorts or to stay somewhere cheaper, but it's still possible to use public transport or private transfers and stay somewhere walking distance to lifts. Car rental is pricey this year too.
2. A plane, then either train, bus, private transfer or car hire would likely work out best. I wouldn't suggest renting a car in Madrid to drive to the Alps. You need winter tyres in some Alpine countries, so best to rent where you'll get a car fitted with them.
3/4. I would have suggested you could transfer to a new place after skiing, in the evening. I guess you may be working evenings to coincide with the US working day, but you might get the weekend (Saturday) evenings off?? Or want a whole day off and visit somewhere of cultural interest along the way?
5. Early March is better for snow at lower altitudes. Most resorts stay open until Easter. Some higher places ski into May, so no issues there. First part of March until 3rd is still busy with school holidays in France, so that's something to bear in mind.
$175 a night (€1100 per week) is a fair sized budget that will give lots of options. Many will be less than that, but might be a bit tight if you were hoping for food to be included.
I think you're going to end up with too many options with 100s of ski resorts across the Alps (and Pyrenees)!!
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
Booking sites are not the be-all and end-all of a search for accommodation anywhere, particularly in a ski resort. Booking sites covering our village have nowhere near all the accommodation that’s available. They sometime do have good deals but by no means always.
I suggest that you make up a shortlist of 5 or so resorts from what you’ve read here otherwise the choice will just be too great. Then look at three sources for you accommodation 1. Tourist Office 2. Individual rental agency sites and 3. Booking websites.
Tourist offices usually have contacts locally and an in-depth understanding of the local situation and if you email them a clear set of criteria (your $ budget, flexibility of dates, room type etc.) will find you a good deal. Often they have people on their books who don’t necessarily advertise via an agency or booking website. I’d just email three to start with.
Also choose one or two local rental agencies and see what they have available online. And similarly with a booking site.
As for transportation, I didn’t realise that you’re flying into Madrid from the US. I’d assumed you were already there for work or study as it’s not the usual landing point for an Alpine winter holiday. As mentioned, Madrid isn’t really very near to any mountain resorts in European terms and it’s very doubtful a car hired there would come with winter tyres. The suggestion of a connecting flight on to Geneva, Turin etc is a viable one. Looking quickly Madrid>Geneva by train seems to take either 11-1/2 or 13 hours, which might be a bit of a stretch given the additional time to your resort. If you use the ViaMichelin.com route planner then Madrid>Geneva comes out at 13 hours 40 minutes drive time at a cost of $255-$303 so add at least 90 minutes for breaks and then a bit to get to your resort. So that’s be your rental cost plus $510-$606 for fuel and tolls. You may need to pay a fee for cross-border transit as well. ViaMichelin let’s you put in different types of car and fuel and usually 3 route options. Actually, I suspect that working out the optimal transportation may be as hard as finding accommodation.
I suggested Verbier in part because you don’t need a car to get there and in some ways, a car is a hindrance or at least not necessarily the best option. There are loads of resorts readily accessible by public transport and transfers but there are also many resorts which aren’t. So have at least a couple of resorts on your list which are train/gondola/transfer accessible as SnowHeads come up with their suggestions.
For example, if you fly into Geneva then you can get to Verbier by train from the airport for CHF 102 ($110) return per person with the best-priced advance day ticket and no need to hire a car. Cost of a scheduled bus transfer to Chamonix will be similar or less, I suspect*. I doubt that hiring a car in Madrid and driving would be cheaper unless the flights are particularly expensive for some reason. I’ve no idea what a rail fare all the way would be but worth taking a look. Again, focusing on just a few destinations will help minimise the research effort.
*The Geneva Airport website lists the regular scheduled transfer bus destinations and timetable under gva.ch / passengers / access & transport / transport / regional buses | DOWNLOADS
Last edited by 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 on Thu 12-01-23 16:25; edited 13 times in total
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@sskenne, for your level of ability, budget, and trip duration I really think that the 3 Valleys are unbeatable. Val Thorens is as guaranteed as anywhere to have good snow and the other two valleys are loads of fun. You really do feel as though you can endlessly explore, the lifts are fast, in March the queues should be fine and they keep most of the slopes nicely pisted.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@rambotion, I would have to agree, for someone from the US wanting to sample European skiing, Three Valleys is the iconic ski area. There would be no problem spending an entire three weeks exploring the whole area on blues and easy reds if that was the level. Only question is where to stay, the places I have been would grate after more than a week.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@sskenne,
Some of this might be useful some not.
This answer might get some critisism but my choice would be Morzine.
The critisism will come as the town of Morzine is low and has has a poor start to the Winter. I fully expect the snow to recover and there be more than enough for you in March to have fun in the Portes diu Soleil.
1st a it about me.
British, 30 years snow experience, 30 years boarding and 10 x years also sking lots too including recenly 7 x full seasons split between working in Italy (Pila), France PdS, 3 Valleys and Espace Killy plus also a season teaching kids in New England USA.
Also snowboard holidays in U.S. (Colarado, Washington State, Montana, Oregon, New England). Europe, Italy, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Slovenia. Canada, Lots of B.C and Alberta.
Soo......
Morzine is a great town, loads going on apart from the skiing. Gym, Pilates, Yoga, Live music, Amature Dramatics, Ice Rick, Swimming Pool, Hotels with Spa, Walking, Snow Shoes, Skidoo, Cheese farms, Ice Bars, Night Sledging, etc etc etc etc etc
Also Thonnon-le Bain lovley Spa town, 45 min bus journey and Evian (An even nicer Spa town a short train ride from Thonnon). Then also Ferries to lausanne and things like the Olympic museum. Also striking distance of Geneva and other musuems (but Geneva is expensive).
My Partner is American (NYC) and we do a long distance relationship and she comes to the Alps and does some remote working each winter and has just done a 3 x week trip from Dec 10th to Jan 1st she did 2 x week remote working follwed by 1 x week vacation. She worked the same hours the U.S. office was open so 3pm French time to 11pm French time.
With that in mind location is key if you want to ski and also have to work U.S. hours. You really want the location to work for you so that when you are done skiing you can get back to the Accomodation quickly. Maybe have a break, some lunch, maybe a 30min nap and then work.
Other things Morzine is good at is lots of English Speakers and Community.
Check out facebook pages
Morzine Solo travellers
Morzine Crew Talk to me
Morzine/Les Gets/Avoriaz Apres Si
French and European school holidays jam up the slopes for 4 x weeks and stuff is more expensive around those times so if you end up in France then try and come out of those 4 x weeks (4th Feb to 4th March). Also Accom will be much easier to find after 4th March.
You even have co-working places in morzine like the one in the below link so another way to seperate work and apartment or meet other folks.
https://www.thehubmorzine.com/gallery
Lots of places in the alps rent accom Sat to Sat so 4th to 25th March would be great and much easier for you.
Or if you end up elsewhere look at this option for wifi... its the same thing but not rented through a tourist office. (Also can take it skiing with you so can check emails on the slopes without data roaming charges).
PM me any time if you need more info. Good luck in your search.
Yep the town of Morzine is low and the slopes of Morzine and Les gets might not be great this year but staying in Morzine (in a central location or close to telecabin/free bus stop) give you access to Chatel, Avoriaz, Les Crossets and the wider PdS which will al be fab in March.
All the best
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@sskenne,
What sort of accommodation would you be looking for:- hotel, chalet, apartment?
What sort of board:- self-catering, room only, bed & breakfast, half-board, full-board?
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?
LaForet wrote:
luigi wrote:
LaForet wrote:
I'm suggesting Verbier in Switzerland.
sskenne wrote:
We're prioritizing value since we'll be there so long.
I can't foresee any problem there then!
You can actually do Verbier for as little as CHF 100 for a twin bed b+b. Yes, you'll have to take the télépherique up and back every day but that's no big deal to my mind. And yes, you'll need to sort other meals out for yourself. And yes, if you want 1:1 instruction then it will be more expensive than most. But I still think it's worth at least considering. Don't write off a resort just because Richard Branson charges £120K/week for his chalet there.
And value doesn't necessarily mean cheap. The OP hasn't actually said what their budget is, which means we're all applying our own subjective definition of what budget means and makes giving relevant advice harder.
I have an airbnb in Fontenelle booked for the whole of April for £1018. OK right at the end of the season, and nothing going on there, but bus link down to Le Châble and up to Verbier.
This answer might get some critisism but my choice would be Morzine.
I don't think that is a bad suggestion at all. If @sskenne is coming all the way from the US, and wants to stay in one place and not rent a car - then personally the key thing is that the ski area is big enough to keep things interesting. It would be relatively easy to focus on skiing the Morzine area in the first couple of weeks, then get the ski bus over to Prodains or Ardent in the second two weeks to focus on Avoriaz and the Swiss side. A massive ski area, two different countries, good ski bus so you could have different starting points each day, or just walk to the Morzine lifts on the lazy days. Plus Morzine as a town has loads going on.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
swskier wrote:
I have an airbnb in Fontenelle booked for the whole of April for £1018. OK right at the end of the season, and nothing going on there, but bus link down to Le Châble and up to Verbier.
A lot of difference between first week in March which is still high season in many places and the end of April.
But you can't beat a hairpin commute with a local at the wheel who knows every bend like the back of his hand...just don't overload on the pancakes at breakfast!
This answer might get some critisism but my choice would be Morzine.
I don't think that is a bad suggestion at all. If @sskenne is coming all the way from the US, and wants to stay in one place and not rent a car - then personally the key thing is that the ski area is big enough to keep things interesting. It would be relatively easy to focus on skiing the Morzine area in the first couple of weeks, then get the ski bus over to Prodains or Ardent in the second two weeks to focus on Avoriaz and the Swiss side. A massive ski area, two different countries, good ski bus so you could have different starting points each day, or just walk to the Morzine lifts on the lazy days. Plus Morzine as a town has loads going on.
I would have thought Morzine at 1000m was too low for latter half of March, there's not much there now in Jan after a dismal start to the season below 1500m... but if getting on a bus every day is a good way to mitigate that...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
luigi wrote:
Handy Turnip wrote:
@247snowman wrote:
@sskenne,
Some of this might be useful some not.
This answer might get some critisism but my choice would be Morzine.
I don't think that is a bad suggestion at all. If @sskenne is coming all the way from the US, and wants to stay in one place and not rent a car - then personally the key thing is that the ski area is big enough to keep things interesting. It would be relatively easy to focus on skiing the Morzine area in the first couple of weeks, then get the ski bus over to Prodains or Ardent in the second two weeks to focus on Avoriaz and the Swiss side. A massive ski area, two different countries, good ski bus so you could have different starting points each day, or just walk to the Morzine lifts on the lazy days. Plus Morzine as a town has loads going on.
I would have thought Morzine at 1000m was too low for latter half of March, but if you think there's a way to mitigate that...
Yes lots of ways to migitate that, where you don't have to get on a bus - first two weeks walk to the lift, second two weeks you can still walk to the lifts, but you have the bus as an additional option. In those weeks, personally I would jump on the ski bus and do the 5min journey to the Prodain lift and ski the Avoriaz area (and swiss side). Massive amount of skiing that side that is good well into April. But they don't have to get a bus, just stay in Morzine, get the Pleney lift up (to 1600m). Morzine is low at 1000m, but you can avoid that with one lift and then lots of skiing higher up. So many options.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 13-01-23 10:08; edited 3 times in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
Many people had already provided resort recommendation of resorts. I’m just point out a couple of things in your requirement
sskenne wrote:
3. We are trying to keep lodging under $175 a night
5. By things to do I meant we don't want to be sitting in our air bnb/hotel with nothing to do after we get done skiing for the day/ski break days.
6. We will be skiing during the day and working at night (we both work remotely and have flexible hours)
If you need to work in your room, pay attention to the size of the room you’re getting. You have a generous budget, make sure there’s room to do work.
If you’re going to be working at night, how much time and energy do you have to go out after skiing?
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.
@luigi,
I'm with you that this has been a crap start to te winter and madness over the New Year in Morzine. I think March will be a slightly different story.
I've done loads of seasons in PdS and have seen worse starts that this one. Always managed to find plenty of terrain until back end of March and always managed to ski until the last weekend up in Pre la Joux and Avoriaz (lots of North facing slopes which can be more important that altitude).
Wish I knew how to upload pics on here. Normally decent skiing up PLJ and Avoriaz until closing weekend aroud 21st/23rd April. I know this winter in the Alps is bad but honest Morzine suits the OP requirements.
Like you have pointed out. Access to the 'A' bus or 'M' bus gets you quick access to Prodains and Ardent.
I've recommended Morzine as the OP could fly direct from Madrid to GVA. Jump on plentiful 'shared' transfers fom Skiidy
When I'm in Morzine my other half and she is remote working USA Eastern time It's really handy to have an Apartment which is big enough so I dont get in her way and can crack open a beer and watch NetFlix somehere away from her.
@sskenne,
Another thing. Get some Private lessons. Much more affordable in Europe than USA
This place is cute and Kitsch and good value (The paying extra for bedding is a typical French thing). Lots of good launderets in Morzine too.
EDIT I think a half season Full Area Adult Portes du Soleil (PdS) pass is 593 euro and is valid from 4th Feb (but I cant find the info on the date(s)).
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@@247snowman, yes completely agree, it's been a poor part to the season, hopefully the next week gets us back on track.
Morzine is a good sized town, so no chance of getting of getting bored. The ski area is massive - and while some people may see the bus option as a downside, I see it as a plus. The OP can choose just to walk to the Morzine lifts - but the bus gives an additional option of a very short ride to Prodains or Ardent which opens up a whole new area to ski (all under the same pass), which could be really important as a way of freshening things up after a month of skiing (having a different starting point on different days is a great way of doing that). The majority of resorts have some lower slopes, the more important question is how many higher slopes do they have and how easy are they to access.
Obviously the OP needs to work out their priorities and preferences and work out what suits best.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
s who have residences there, who can give very specific and helpful info.
