 Poster: A snowHead
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I need your help! I have been to Les Arcs and La Plagne many times, absolutely love them, and Borovets once (does not compare) and want somewhere new. 5 or 6 nights, starting Sunday 24th March. In a perfect world I’d have-
1. A high up, hopefully snowy village around 2000 meters ideally. I'd rather be high up with snow than low down in somewhere pretty. Love the feeling of being up high up a mountain for the full week.
2. Ski in/ski out.
3. A shortish transfer of 90 minutes (especially because partner demands a private transfer and they’re $$$)
4. A big resort with lots of places to go, 200km+ I guess. I love exploring on skis.
5. The best snow at this time of year.
6. I normally fly from Chambery but flights are $$$ now and it seems mainly Saturday to Saturday and we’d need Sunday to Friday. I think this rules out the obvious choices of Tignes, Val Thorens, and they don’t have much accomodation left at this late stage.
7. Not Swiss prices.
With all these factors, Avoriaz seems to have the most charm but Ports du Soleil is low, Cervinia is most snowsure and has Zermatt (too expensive to stay there), but I heard the link closes a lot due to weather, Sestriere ticks a lot of boxes but harder to find opinions on, it looks great, and my heart wanted to go to the Dolomites but it is probably least snowsure, huge and complicated. If I were going in Feb I’d be going there, but probably not now.
Please help! Thanks so much.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 11-03-24 13:40; 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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I think finding all 9 of your criteria would be a challenge at any time of the year, let alone towards the end of the season! Several of them are at odds with each other (eg high up and short transfer..., ski in&out/charming village, cheap/big resort (bigger areas have more expensive lift passes), high up/tree runs.
Sestriere ticks some boxes (shortish transfer, good value, potential to explore Via Lattea)... Snow is currently amazing, so that may work. I don't think it's 'charming' though (I've never actually stayed there, but have skied there a few times from elsewhere in the region). Personally, I wouldn't want to stay there unless I was sure of being able to visit the linked areas, so that might be a risk in late season, if the weather is warm.
Dolomites are great, but not a short transfer (to the big linked areas), not cheap (lift pass), and I'm not sure about the snow at the back end of the season (have only been in January). I believe Corvara may tick your 'charming village' box (have only skied there, not stayed in town), but I also believe it's one of the most expensive places in the area! I've stayed in Selva and Arabba and both were lovely but I wouldn't go as far as describing them as 'charming villages'.
I haven't been to Cervinia, but isn't the risk of link closure much greater in early season? Sounds like that (of your 4 options) might work best - if it ticks enough of your 9 boxes!
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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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Based on recent huge snow dumps and therefore for this season alone in that week, how about Champoluc or Gressoney? Flying to Turin.
This ticks many of your boxes.
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Cervinia might be a good bet. Decent transfer from Turin. Not a particularly charming village but there are worse things to look at!
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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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Cervinia:
1. Is at 2000 meters
2. Has ski in/ski out hotels and apartments mostly above the village rather than in it
3. Couple of hours transfer
4. Is big, if you can ski in Zermatt, but that's weather dependent and costs you €130 for 6 days or €50 per day on the day.
5. Is mostly west/south facing, which probably is not ideal for snow conditions
6. Turin
7. Not that expensive but far from cheap
8. Has a couple of tree-lined reds and blacks just above the village but really, what do you expect above 2000m?
9. The lower part of the village along the main road fails the "charming" test but makes up for it with a spectacular view of the non-Toblerone side of Cervino/The Matterhorn. The northern end is better at being charming.
It all depends on which of those requirements you want to sacrifice. Perhaps Corvara is closer at the cost of being 450m lower and significantly more expensive (which is why I haven't been there!).
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| WoottonBecs wrote: |
I think finding all 9 of your criteria would be a challenge at any time of the year, let alone towards the end of the season! Several of them are at odds with each other (eg high up and short transfer..., ski in&out/charming village, cheap/big resort (bigger areas have more expensive lift passes), high up/tree runs.
Sestriere ticks some boxes (shortish transfer, good value, potential to explore Via Lattea)... Snow is currently amazing, so that may work. I don't think it's 'charming' though (I've never actually stayed there, but have skied there a few times from elsewhere in the region). Personally, I wouldn't want to stay there unless I was sure of being able to visit the linked areas, so that might be a risk in late season, if the weather is warm.
Dolomites are great, but not a short transfer (to the big linked areas), not cheap (lift pass), and I'm not sure about the snow at the back end of the season (have only been in January). I believe Corvara may tick your 'charming village' box (have only skied there, not stayed in town), but I also believe it's one of the most expensive places in the area! I've stayed in Selva and Arabba and both were lovely but I wouldn't go as far as describing them as 'charming villages'.
I haven't been to Cervinia, but isn't the risk of link closure much greater in early season? Sounds like that (of your 4 options) might work best - if it ticks enough of your 9 boxes! |
Haha, yes definitely an impossible ask to get them all. I've revised it a little bit to be somewhat less schizophrenic!
Good to hear snow in Sestriere is amazing! My idea of that place is that it's sort of an Italian version of a french mega resort- but I may be completely off with that assumption? What put you off Sestriere itself? I'm only thinking it because it's higher up that the other villages there, no idea what it's like!
Cervinia ticks a lot of boxes, but I've read a lot of random things about people saying it's boring and a poor man's Zermat.
I think my idea of a charming village is throwing people off- my idea of a charming village is Arc 1950 in Les Arcs- basically a fake charming village, car free and high up. I value the convenience more than the beauty, but if they can fake it so it looks nice, that's a bonus! That's why Avoriaz is my favourite village of the choices here, because it looks pretty but seems convenient and purpose built.
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@Mckmotion - I'm a big fan of Sauze, which does have a 'charming village' element to it (the old town is lovely, and feels very villagey). My impression of Sestriere is that is is mainly large hotels along one road. But that could be completely wrong - I have only ever been there on skis (from Sauze) rather than to the town itself. Maybe it is like a French mega resort, which I'm not a fan of either! (I've only been to Alpe d'Huez and Morzine in France, so not much to compare it with).
I'm also not a fan of the way you have to navigate through the resort - getting to the gondola from the other end of the resort is quite a big PITA. We always go over there for a day or 2 when we go to Sauze, but I'd much rather stay in Sauze (and I prefer the skiing in Sauze/Sansicario too), but late in the season the altitude has to give Sestriere an advantage.
I'm working on the assumption that the snow is good in Sestriere because it has absolutely dumped it down in Sauze over the past week or so - but don't take my word for it!
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@Mckmotion,
Resort at 2000m plus - Cervinia, Val Thorens or Tignes (upper 3 villages).
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