 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi All
We will be based in Menthon St Bernard this winter (Jan-April, 2023).
Family of 2 adults and 3 boys, aged 9, and 10s.
The boys speak french and will study at a local lycee - no school on Weds.
I’ve been so busy getting all of the necessary practical details in place that I haven’t had much time to concentrate on what we will actually do for 12 weeks. Of course Wednesdays, and weekends, we’ll be skiing - La Cluzas is the closest best option, but given the February Holidays in France, I imagine we’ll want to venture out and explore the region on a few overnight trips - needless to say, I think skiing won’t be our issue.
Question:
To those of you with kids and who know the area, are there any kid centric options on offer?
Futbol/Soccer, ski clubs for locals, sports clubs, robotics, social group activity for young ones…?
After a life time of work - this will be my first winter in the mountains… I imagine that skiing 3x/week will keep us plenty busy (between school work, and skiing, and hopefully making a few friends)- but are there any kid centric options on offer? I don’t think occupying our time will be too difficult, but I don’t know the area very well - - any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
AJ
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Menthon St Bernard is my favourite place on the lake. I have no idea about kids clubs - there's one of those very French "holiday club" places on the lake. Lots of sailing in the "Club Nautique" there - the French are very good at teaching kids to sail. Other activities there too - I once saw kids at what appeared to be a music camp. Delightful little groups of young musicians were dotted around doing their thing.
La Clusaz is very close but Praz sur Arly (Espace Diamant) and Megeve (upmarket resort with lots of mink coats and access to St Gervais etc) are not too far for a day out.
Endless lovely walks when the weather cooperates.
Big parapente area too, though maybe conditions aren't often right in winter.
Have fun!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
And leftfield, if you like touring, Areches-Beaufort. And, of course, loads of places everybody has heard of.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Thank you for the well wishes!
I am looking forward to exploring..!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
Menthon St Bernard is my favourite place on the lake.
|
Mine too (though I've never been there in winter, it's gorgeous in the other three seasons). Sorry, I have no kidcentric information, @US_EU, but I hope you have a wonderful time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@US_EU, When I was staying in La Clusaz a couple of years ago with some friends my friends were keen players of indoor lasertag, and one time we visited this place in the north west suburbs of Annecy situated on an industrial estate at 520 Rte des Prés Rollier, 74330 Sillingy: https://www.lasermaxx74.fr/lasergame-annecy
I don't know if that's something the boys would like, but maybe worth asking them. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I know Cran Gevrier has a ski club that organises day trips to different resorts on a Saturday
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Must be a cool lycée, my son has just finished that stage of his education and had a ton of homework and certainly wasn't "skiing three times per week" or having 2 hour lunchbreaks.
When it is busy you can try Seythenex. Be careful if you go to le Semnoz - there is one road up and down and you can get stuck in mega traffic jams. The Espace Diamant is not far.
I doubt they'll be doing much sailing in the winter, or anything much on the lake tbh. Maybe by April but the French tend to live by the seasons.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
these are all GREAT tips - - Thank You!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@davidof, I think it's the adults thinking of skiing 3 times a week when the kids are in school!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Or maybe skiing with the kids weekends and Wednesdays? Saturdays are quiet on the slopes but tend to be very busy on the roads, especially Christmas, New Year and the 4 week French school holidays. Sundays always busy on the slopes - and the favourite day for locals to come and ski before and after a long lunch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| pam w wrote: |
| @davidof, I think it's the adults thinking of skiing 3 times a week when the kids are in school! |
I've just read the ages again, 9 and 10, I thought the whole thing sounded un peu chelou... école primaire not lycée; une autre paire de manches and why they get Wednesday off. So they won't be too busy although skiing them 3 days a week may leave them a bit knackered. Most ski clubs will have filled their quota by now but worth contacting anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@US_EU, Menthon is a great spot - we lived there for 3 years in the very early 80s when I was your kids’ age.
Re non-ski activities in the winter there is a football club there (up on the ‘away from the lake’ side of the main road, no idea if they play right through the winter though… Similarly there is/was a tennis club, on one of the roads heading down to the lake, but all outdoor courts still last time I went past so maybe one for the spring.
La Clusaz, Grand Bornand/Chinaillon all easily half-day trippable (we pretty much learned to ski at Col de la Croix Fry (it wasn’t linked to LC back then).
Day trippable ski areas are too numerous to mention, though traffic will be the big challenge.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@US_EU,
The Tarentaise resorts are all day tripable, just keep a weather eye on the expected traffic on Saturdays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@US_EU, Love Menthon SB.
The Chateau is amazing and then the beaches (nice in April), and Talloires, the paragliding.
Such a great spot.
I first worked near Annecy in 1987, and more recently worked a few Summers opposite Menthon SB in La Thuile, and know plenty of people who ski out of there as a base.
Most of the locals went for day trips to Le Sambuy or Semnoz, but a couple of them had a place in Chinaillon so went to LGB quite a bit and also Manigod was popular.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
On weekends you might want to avoid La Clusaz and head to La Sambuy.
That's because contrary to, say, Tignes or Val Tho, the Aravis resorts (La Clusaz/Manigod, LeGrandBo) are quite busy on sunny Saturdays - because of the proximity of Annecy. And traffic getting out of there is a pain.
Being in Menthon you're therefore better off in the Bauges.
For sailing, I think local clubs more or less close over winter - when kids all switch to snow activities. i.e. my son's club basically splits training in a Fall and Spring phase.
Oh, and I think Semnoz still does a pay-by-the-hour ski pass, so if you just have 1/2.day it can be worthy.... probably except on Wed afternoon where all Annecy kids head there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| davidof wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| @davidof, I think it's the adults thinking of skiing 3 times a week when the kids are in school! |
I've just read the ages again, 9 and 10, I thought the whole thing sounded un peu chelou... école primaire not lycée; une autre paire de manches and why they get Wednesday off. So they won't be too busy although skiing them 3 days a week may leave them a bit knackered. Most ski clubs will have filled their quota by now but worth contacting anyway. |
I'm the one who is knackered... I'm barely able to stand, and find myself looking forward to Mon-Tues-Thur-Fridays, when the boys go back to school and I can lie down or soak in the tub..
They? They can't get enough.. and are loving living here. (as am I)
Thanks to you all for the input.
Best wishes
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@offpisteskiing, we are looking to move for a year or two to a mountain town, I too have 3 boys who go to French school in Oregon. We visited le Grand Bornand and really loved it. What are you thoughts on living there as an expat family or would you live somewhere else? thx
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@US_EU, hi I would love to pick you brain! We are a family of 5 with 3 boys (8,9,10) from Oregon and we want to move to a French speaking mountain town for a year or two. My boys go to French school here, not quite the same as real French school but at least it is a start. We would love local schools for the year as well.
I see you live in Menthon- would you recommend it or another spot? We really would like to be in walking/biking distance to the slopes for the year. Boys love to ski and be outside. We love to ski, trail run, backcountry... would love to hear more about your adventures and your thoughts on places and any ideas for mountain villages you could think of:) I speak ok French but my husband does not. How hard was it to find housing? meeting people? kids intergrating in school?kids sports? clubs? anything and everything:)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@OuatteDePhoque, wondering what your thoughts are on living in Chinaillon/le Grand Bornand?We are a family of 5 (3 boys 8,9,10) looking to do similar to the OP but would like to live in a mountain village, local French school is ok. Boys go to French school here in Oregon- I know they would still struggle a bit but at least they have a good start... any ideas or places you recommend to be for a year with easy access to mountain life (skiing, backcountry, biking, trail running..). thx!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@jujujuju, Hi there
Do you go to the Lycee in Portland?
Our directrice at the lycee in Madrid used to work there in Portland... Alix... and her boyfriend, Sebastian, I think...
Well, I say go for it - - for me, I couldn't live all year round in GranBo... for me it would be too limiting... also because I spend the rest of the year in Madrid or San Francisco... I think I personally need a little more stimulation.. (that's just me)
Also, living in Menthon, and the boys going to school in Annecy, worked really well because they were able to meet a whole lot of friends.... I don't know how big the school is up there; you might even have to drive down to Thones, which wouldn't be ideal for me... but for a real outdoors type, living up there might be the perfect fit - I'm sure lot's of people live there year around.
For us, we only lived in Menthon during off season (Jan-April), so it was easy-ish to find a place to live - - lot's of property owners only use their places there for Summer/Summer Rentals... so we've been able to find places for the 3 months we needed it - - then it's back to the cities for us.
Living by the lake is amazing... and really it was only 30 minutes door to parking lot at the ski station... (after having done it for 2 seasons, i think next year, we'll forego the season pass and do more skiiing in and around the region - We went to Tignes last year, and now we're ruined... I'd prefer 2 days there vs 5 days at La Clu... but again, that's just me)
Feel free to pm me - happy to chat as needed / but I say go for it / our kids will be grown and out the door in a matter of minutes - for me, I made it a priority to explore France, the mountains, the lake, the people, the food, etc... no matter what you decide to do, it will be an unforgettable success, I have no doubt.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thx for the info. Maybe we will look into bigger ski resort areas:)  ️ I’m so glad it’s been such a great success for your family. How are the kids doing in school?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thx for the info. Maybe we will look into bigger ski resort areas:) ️ I’m so glad it’s been such a great success for your family. How are the kids doing in school?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
