 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi
Been reading previous threads but hoping someone can help me with some up to date advice for this year (2024) staying in central Chamonix.
We're a group of 10 decent skiers and have 3 and a half days to ski.
Will be doing Brevente on the first afternoon but what would you prioritise for the next 3 full days? Will probably give Vallee Blanche a miss as not everyone in the group is keen.
Also love a bit of Apres. Any recommendations for bars on the actual slopes... and is Folie Douce any good? Loved the one in Meribel.
Thanks
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
One day at GM, one day at Le Tour, and the final day at whichever of the areas you liked best. Les Houches if it’s bad visibility or if high avalanche risk or wind has shut down other areas. If you have a car you can also drive to St Gervais in 30 minutes.
There aren’t really any on-piste apres bars. The one at the top of Index is my favourite but more of a chilled place with deck chairs than a proper apres bar. FD is likewise nice for what it is (a nice terrace in the sun with fire pits) but is absolutely nothing like the other ones. Chambre Neuf is the liveliest apres place in town.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@MikeskiH, "2024" is a bit vague. Feb School Holidays? April?
Also "central" Cham might not be so convenient to get to any skiing!
Base it on the weather and snow. Everywhere looks pretty good right now (haven't been up since Friday).
Apres ski? Petit Social is very fine in Les Praz (also worth checking the Castel), Chambre Neuf obvs, if in Cham Sud, Bighorn, Becket, South ... maybe the "new" Privilege" although we haven't been ... but does apres need live music? Or just beer?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Thanks both.
We're going end of this month (January) and are fairly near the Aguille du midi train station. I'll look at getting the train/bus to wherever we need to go.
GM is definitely on my list but is it still worth it with the top [I think] still being closed?
I've heard Les Houches is nice so may do that regardless of weather.
Shame about Folie Douce not being like the others, they're great fun. I assume there is still music playing on the terrace though? Will probably start there then try one of your other suggestions.
Appreciate the help!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@MikeskiH, ok the train would be more brilliant for Flégère & the Grands if it didn't stop at the main station for 15 mins or so. That said, I'm probably going to give it a go on Friday. (We've recently moved near a station down town a bit and haven't really checked it out).
GMs defo worth it.
Les Houches still struggling with snow lower down and I don't see any forecast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
GM is definitely still worth a visit, especially if you get fresh snow.
FD has music but they got hit with noise regs so it’s embarrassingly quiet outside.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@hold_my_biere,
| Quote: |
it’s embarrassingly quiet outside
|
Not if you previously lived nearby and were trying to get an early night!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I get it, but they could have let them have one day a week up to 7pm or something. Feel bad for the DJ having to stand up there behind the bar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Alas Chambre Neuf has gone downhill the past few years - the previous resident band that built their excellent apres-ski reputation no longer works with them. The replacement bands and DJs are hit and miss. You might get lucky.
Folie Douce has some options, including the outdoor terrace, but does have to be careful re. noise. There are some good shows/dancers/acrobats across the various bars though. https://en.lafoliedoucehotels.com/have-fun
Loads of bars do happy hours 4-6pm, and some will have live music too (and later in the evening too). It'll vary each day who has what on. Try SouthBar, Beckett and others in Chamonix Sud as @under a new name mentioned; Big Mountain Brewery; as well as the bars around Chambre Neuf area. They're not slopeside though - and I'd advise dropping skis back in a secure ski locker before heading to them! @Kathleen_Mc might have some other suggestions too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks all. I'll look in to your suggestions. I think I now know our ski itinerary but may adjust depending on conditions.
On apres again, all the bars look like they're generally inside. Normally we'd go drinking for a couple of hours straight off the slopes and still in all our ski gear and boots. Are any of the bars suitable for that or is it generally a case of head home to change first and then back out again as @fixx is suggesting?
Thanks again, really useful and appreciated
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
@MikeskiH, good skiers going to Chamonix and prioritizing Les Houches over Vallée Blanche is a strange one for me. If it’s very cold, bad weather and the snow improves significantly low down, Les Houches may be worth a look, but if you get decent weather and with the snow depths up high, Vallée Blanche would be my number 1 objective, followed by GM, Brevent/Flegere and Le Tour/Vallorcine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Is MBC still worth a visit for beer and a burger? Used to be a relatively lively spot but haven’t been for years.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@bigtuboflard, the food (and service) went thru a patchy period but I'm led to understand it's much better again. Rib night used to be great.
Big Mountain was rammed last night.
oh, and Hydromel often has live music or DJs on but usually past our bedtime.
@MikeskiH, the Castel opposite the Flegere base has a post ski DJ, but no idea how good it is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@MikeskiH @fixx
MBC has the best nachos in Chamonix (not saying too much though  ) and some good beer now. Elevation is good for an outdoor apres ski beer esp after VB as it's right by the train station.
Highly Recommend:
Cosmiques hotel for quiet terrace apres ski beer with an excellent view
Le Petit Social in Les Praz if you're out in Flegere. Solid local spot with indoor and outdoor seating and occasional DJ. Kind of small but all around excellent.
Like @fixx said, Chambre Neuf is not what is allegedly once was, but it's always lit and the closest to the traditional chaotic apres as you'll get in Cham.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Great, sounds like we'll try out a few of your apres suggestions and just find which we like most at the time. Really helpful, thanks all.
20 years since I've last been to Chamonix so can't wait!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
My job tonight is looking at restaurants. Does anyone have any recommendations for a cheapish restaurant? We don't need anything fancy although might do a nice restaurant for our last evening.
Also out of interest, what's the going rate for a beer in Chamonix these days?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Bighorn
Hydromel
Elevation
Moo
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Turns out our advertised property location was incorrect and we're further out than we thought, down by Les Moussoux train station. What's the best way to get around Chamonix? The buses don't seem to be very regular.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
The easiest option is to rent two cars.
You might also want to phone the transfer companies and get a quote for a minibus to take the 10 of you where you want to go each morning. The public buses are more tolerable at the end of a day after a couple of beers than in the morning when you want to ski and full ones keep driving past.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Great, thanks for the advice
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@MikeskiH, your accom prvider should give you Cartes d'Hôte which let you use the train. OK it's only one an hour and does stop in Chamonix annoyingly, but it's usually not busy and short walks to Flegere and the Grands.
You can also get them at the Tourist office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks. If we don't get one of those cards, how do we pay for the train? Just buy a ticket at the station?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@MikeskiH, there's a conductor (sometimes) if you get on at Les Moussoux (unmanned request stop).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apologies for the ongoing questions but is anyone in Chamonix at the moment who can tell me if all of the slopes lower down have no snow whatsoever? Do you have to get the Planpraz lift back down? And could you ski down the savoy Samaran run to get to Folie Douce even though it says the run is closed?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
Do you have to get the Planpraz lift back down?
|
not if you have caterpillar tracks on your skis. Absolutely yes, if you don't.
| Quote: |
could you ski down the savoy Samaran run to get to Folie Douce
|
It's not like it's a huge walk. Maybe. Haven't looked. They are working hard to prep it and might not look kindly on any attempts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
And you'd probably not be insured
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks. If you're not allowed to ski on it then we wouldn't. Just can't figure out on Google maps how to walk it without walking a pavementless main road.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@MikeskiH, it's not hard! Nor hard to work out  walk down rue de Mollard, 3rd left is Chemin du Clos de Savoy (there's a barrier but pedestrian space at the side) walk to the end and you're in the Folie car park. Reception/entrance a little further along.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Thanks, that's solved my question. I wasn't sure if you could access Chemin du Clos de Savoy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
You can absolutely ski down the Savoy run to FD from the gondola, and you will see lots of people doing it even if it’s incredibly marginal as it’s all grass underneath. It’s much nicer than walking there imo.
If you want to see FD when it’s loud and lively and with the normal entertainers then Saturday night in the club downstairs from 11pm will be your best bet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Thanks. Will try it out on the Saturday night
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
