 Poster: A snowHead
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Hey all, been lurking for a few weeks after our first ski trip in Jan. We've got the bug and are looking to go away anytime from next Wednesday for a week (yes I know it's over half term)
Here's our criteria (might be a lot to ask but let's see!):
1, flights from Bristol - so maybe Geneva area
2, ideally 2 ish hours trf
3, somewhere that works for 2nd time skiers - 2 adults and one 7 year old
4, somewhere with something to occupy mother in law and 2 year old while we ski
5, a good ski school that we can take private lessons (7 YO didn't enjoy ski school)
I've been looking at Grand Massif a lot.
Any insights or advice very welcome!
TIA
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Personally, with the current weather and snow conditions across the alps. I’d try to either leave it late as possible (difficult if you certain criteria you need to meet) or go as high a possible.
I’m currently away so haven’t seen the snow conditions or forecast for the grand massif. But I do know it isn’t particularly high. Flaine does seem to capture a lot of snow though.
You could try Switerzland with either Zermatt or Verbier (more one of the other villages than Verbier itself) but obviously the price will go up with them!
Personally, I’d drive a little further (if you’re going for a week, the extra on the transfer is worth it I think) and head to either La Plagne or Les Arcs (one of the higher up villages), Tignes, Les Menuires or Val Thorens.
You could do Avoriaz but much of the PdS is low.
If you can get to Austria then Obergurgl could be a good bet as well!
That all goes out the window if the forecast is showing cooling down and snow in the next 2 weeks or so. Then take your pick of anywhere really!
As I said, currently away so all that advice may be completely out of date! I’m in Finland and we have loads of the white stuff!
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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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@Butch, what sort of accommodation are you thinking of (SC apartment / B&B / HB hotel / other)? How do you plan to get from the airport to resort? What sort of activities would the MiL like? For e.g. would somewhere with nice walking and the ability to get to meet the skiers for lunch suit?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It's going to be superbusy 10-17th Feb across the Alps with UK HT, start of Paris school hols and German Fasching holidays. Most French and Austrian resorts will be rammed. Try a smaller resort in Italy maybe??
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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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@Butch, it is a Snowheads tradition that when you create some helpful criteria people then suggest something that doesn't fit. I would stick to your guns, with a 2 and 7 year old you don't want a long transfer.
However half term does mean crowds. On @luigi's graph the green shows the number of French holidaymakers - so roughly how crowded French resorts will be - and the yellow Germans mostly skiing in Austria. The week from 10th will be peak crowds in Austria, not quite peak in France. The forecast seems to be for the currently warm temperatures to drop by then, and there might even be snow next weekend.
I don't know what flights from Bristol you could get at relatively short notice, but it is often the case that Geneva is well served. In which case Grand Massif seems a good bet if you can find suitable accommodation (it is unlikely to be anything other than Saturday to Saturday). Flaine is the obvious base for second-week skiers but it is very much a purpose-built resort, not sure what it offers non-skiers or toddlers. A satellite resort such as Les Carroz or Morillon might be easier for the non-skiers but frustrating for the skiers given the recent poor snow at lower altitudes. When it comes to lessons, at short notice you are going to have to go with what is available, there probably won't be many options (and those might be over lunchtime, which means you would need an early fuel stop if your 7 year old is typical).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Butch wrote: |
Hey all, been lurking for a few weeks after our first ski trip in Jan. We've got the bug and are looking to go away anytime from next Wednesday for a week (yes I know it's over half term)
Here's our criteria (might be a lot to ask but let's see!):
1, flights from Bristol - so maybe Geneva area
2, ideally 2 ish hours trf
3, somewhere that works for 2nd time skiers - 2 adults and one 7 year old
4, somewhere with something to occupy mother in law and 2 year old while we ski
5, a good ski school that we can take private lessons (7 YO didn't enjoy ski school)
I've been looking at Grand Massif a lot.
Any insights or advice very welcome!
TIA |
Flaine an obvious choice for many aspect.
Family mixing throughout the day for lunch etc is particularly easy as your not going to be far apart. All skiing for that bit is directly centred on the core.
Good meeting options for both skiers and pedestrian with lift access to top for both.
Lunch places in Forum are very easy for all to meet, with tobbogan facility there too.
Some of the easiest access direct to piste for early skills, with very good /easy/wide blue pistes right from topmost principal lift. The other villages of GM are all good, but none offer this pure ease for early skills.
Short-ish transfer, with not absolutely huge accommodation numbers to stack peak visitors into. It'll be busy everywhere in other ski areas, but can survive a little better here because of this.
If you can find somewhere suitable for accommodation, then it's quite a good choice there.
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| luigi wrote: |
| Try a smaller resort in Italy maybe? |
Doesn't even need to be that small, I have spent the equivalent week in Gressoney several times. It got a bit busier at weekends with people from Milan and Turin but was quiet during the week.
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| rjs wrote: |
| luigi wrote: |
| Try a smaller resort in Italy maybe? |
Doesn't even need to be that small, I have spent the equivalent week in Gressoney several times. It got a bit busier at weekends with people from Milan and Turin but was quiet during the week. |
Yeah, Monte Rosa wasn't busy at HT when I visited either. Many Italian resorts are quiet on weekdays and they don't have a whole week of school holidays in Feb either.
The exceptions are resorts in South Tyrol that are popular with Germans on the Fasching break, so Val Gardena (and by extension the Sella Ronda) and Kronplatz. Canazei also gets super busy with Danes that week too.
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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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1. Flaine
2. Avoriaz
3. La Rosiere
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| Butch wrote: |
4, somewhere with something to occupy mother in law and 2 year old while we ski
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They might be best left at home.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks everyone, that's all really helpful. Flaine was pretty high up on our list with some fairly reasonable accommodation still around. I'll dog a little deeper!
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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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| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
| @Butch, what sort of accommodation are you thinking of (SC apartment / B&B / HB hotel / other)? How do you plan to get from the airport to resort? What sort of activities would the MiL like? For e.g. would somewhere with nice walking and the ability to get to meet the skiers for lunch suit? |
Mainly the latter for the MIL. It's certainly a challenge to find somewhere that works for everyone. If it had a pool that would help. Would happily hire a car as long as there wasn't too much snow!
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| red 27 wrote: |
| Butch wrote: |
4, somewhere with something to occupy mother in law and 2 year old while we ski
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They might be best left at home. |
In an ideal world I'm with you 100% - broaching that subject is a bridge too far 
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You know it makes sense.
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| luigi wrote: |
It's going to be superbusy 10-17th Feb across the Alps with UK HT, start of Paris school hols and German Fasching holidays. Most French and Austrian resorts will be rammed. Try a smaller resort in Italy maybe??
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Interesting graph thanks! We also have the option to go away second week of Easter holidays (1st April) if we pick somewhere high your graph tells me we might have more fun!
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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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@Butch, there's public pool in the centre if needed.
Les Terraces D'Eos accommodation though has a really good pool facility, with both indoor and pretty spectacular outdoor pools + steam room etc. Bit of a highlight the outdoor one for us as family. Particularly in the evening out under velvet dark blue and starry sky, not often I'd swim in the evening but was quite special there.
https://www.sunweb.co.uk/ski/france/le-grand-massif/flaine/residence-les-terrasses-deos-special-prices
Located just outside the main centre of Flaine, but walkable in about 250 meters, an excellent place to stay. It is ski both in & out by using nearby small chairlift to access, literally walk straight out of boot/ski room onto the piste.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Butch wrote: |
| Interesting graph thanks! We also have the option to go away second week of Easter holidays (1st April) if we pick somewhere high your graph tells me we might have more fun! |
Definitely
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It might be too late to arrange any ski lessons to suit you at half term in France.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've been to Flaine a lot - but it can get rammed during Feb half term (once had to unload then park at Vernant and ski back to Flaine Forum as all the Forum/Foret parking was full!!).
Having said that - there is a good area in Flaine Forum for a 2 year old to mess around in the snow with grandparents while others ski.
For a family trip - I'd recommend Flaine at Easter rather than Feb half-term.
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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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Agree that Easter a better bet
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Butch wrote: |
Interesting graph thanks! We also have the option to go away second week of Easter holidays (1st April) if we pick somewhere high your graph tells me we might have more fun! |
Certainly a lot less people ski at Easter, though whoever is about will be heading to the same places that are open and have good snow.
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Thanks again everyone. I think we're going to hold off and see what Easter brings. Maybe a gamble with the snow but if it works could be better value and perhaps less people (which is important at our level!) Will probably hold off for a couple of weeks before and create a similar thread for a last minute trip then! Cheers! 
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Who are DUI on the graph?
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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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@Arwenny, duitsland
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