 Poster: A snowHead
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Thanks @LaForet, always fancied Verbier. Haven’t actually booked a car yet, just came to the conclusion I needed one as Tarentaise transfers were €200+ each and a car was €250. Also late arrival on Monday ruled a lot of transfer options out.
Worth some more research.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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How late an arrival are we talking, @cardweg?
I've found the SBB app to be better than their website for checking times / prices, BUT having had issues with a train from Geneva two trips ago (person hit by train on stretch alongside Lac Léman which a lot of the lines use and brought the network to a halt) and my train back to Geneva yesterday (arrived in Lausanne, doors opened, stuck, failed to close again and information was pretty poor and only in French, unlike the recorded announcements - fine for me, maybe not for you), Swiss railways are not infallible.
Chamonix will be more accessible with the shuttle companies like Alpybus covering that for weekday connections as pretty standard and for a lot less. But once you're there, it is a bit more spread out and can be a bit of a faff with ski buses.
Have you actually already booked flights? And if so, what are the exact dates and times?
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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'm baffled by how many posts there are recommending resorts clearly a lot more that 2 hours' drive away from Geneva. Is there something about the thread title that isn't clear? 
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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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Verbier is a great shout, and can’t think of anywhere that is reliably easier to access providing your flight arrives before the last train.
Late March is definitely not late season and most of the large French resorts mentioned above will stay open until 16 or 23 April. No economic sense to stay open much after Easter.
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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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Any thoughts on Valmenier as an option?
Village at 1800, skiing to 2500+, variety of slope aspects, good selection of blues & only 2h11m from GVA according to Google maps (via Chambery…?)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No experience of Valmenier from me, but it is a reasonably easy drive on that route out from Chambery along Maurienne valley.
For journey and driving I'd say yes in fulfilling remit.
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| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
I'm baffled by how many posts there are recommending resorts clearly a lot more that 2 hours' drive away from Geneva. Is there something about the thread title that isn't clear? |
I think because car rental / bus transfer is proving to be increasingly expensive and can be fraught. 2 hours by car is 3 hours by train. So if you're prepared to commit an extra hour of journey time - albeit just sat on the train reading a book or watching the scenery - then it's an option worth considering. But the thing with the train is that you have to be sure it's a resort that's readily accessible by it, which many aren't. This isn't to reject transfers: just perhaps a suggestion to consider all three options: car rental, bus transfer and public transport.
I've done bus transfer and found that while the transfer was fairly quick once we got going, the schedule meant I was hanging 'round so the total transfer time wasn't any different to taking the train/télépherique. I find returning my rental car to be a hassle, given I'm usually the driver: traffic around the lake; refueling near enough for the tank to still show full; return parking and hand-over; transfer to the terminal; and then wondering if I'm going to get hit for a scratch charge. Each option has it's pros and cons.
Finally, for a resort like Verbier, not needing parking gives you the option of cheaper accommodation that lacks a parking space. Possibly much nearer to a lift than you could otherwise afford.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 11-02-23 9:35; edited 8 times in total
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@cardweg, I'd stay in Valloire rather than Valmeinier. Where most of the skiing is, really. Nice French town, good choice of accommodation. There have been several useful reviews on SHs - my experience is too long ago to be useful. Went by coach and stayed in Chalet Hotel Valmeinier. Very, very, convenient for the piste but that was the best thing about it.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| @cardweg, I'd stay in Valloire rather than Valmenier... - my experience is too long ago to be useful..... |
Mine too. Went to Valloire on a last minute package nearly 30 years ago.
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So, just to close this off, I decided on Valloire/Valmeinier (2hrs 7 mins from GVA) for a host of reasons, but was then persuaded that both options I'd chosen missed something: one missed breakfast & the other missed a pool.... could we not get both?
Ho hum. By that stage, I'd sort of settled on the drive to the Maurienne valley so looked again and we are heading to Val Cenis. It's north facing with skiing up to 2500m plus and the smaller area, which will be fine for what we need over 4 days, means a cheaper lift pass so allows for nicer accommodation with both breakfast and a pool.
Hopefully all will be just tickety boo and I'm really looking forward to it now as it's only a couple of weeks away now, and it's snowing too - yay! The perfect birthday treat 
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