 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
A large group of us (around 20 but growing) has been going every year to Les arc 1950 at Easter for a few years now. It’s been great but we are now starting to think about trying somewhere else but not sure it’s possible to tick all the boxes. The priorities would be:
1. Travel - as cheap as possible and I guess the option of driving or going by train would be a bonus in this case.
2. High due to time of year.
3. Accommodation options would need to be flexible enough for all of us to book independently with a wide range of options but be within a good distance of each other to be able to get together in the evenings. We all have booked self catering apartments in Les arc previously which works well and because the resort is so compact and because it is the cheapest option.
Maybe we could try a chalet hotel type option ?
Would be interested in any ideas.
Thanks
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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 would have though it would be possible to do similar in quite a few high altitude French ski stations Tignes, Val Thorens, Avoriaz, Belle Plagne, etc.
But obviously you have hit a sweet spot at Arc 1950 as it's quite new and tasteful, has compact ski-in ski-out logistics and also the train connection down at BSM. Other places might not be quite as straightforward.
Not sure what the budget is, but there are places with good late snow record in Austria that might work too, like Ischgl, Obergurgl, Obertauern, etc , if you wanted to really branch out. The offering tends to be more hotels than apartments in Austria compared to 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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Thanks both - budget wise we are probably spending about 1k pp as it stands. Just checked and the 2 bed self catering accomm last year was 1200 euros for our family of 5. Yes to catered chalet or chalet hotel but I guess it would have to be reasonably in line with budget bearing in mind how much we would typically spend on catering out there (we do packed lunches and cook but inevitably end up spending a fair bit on restaurants despite good intentions…
Thanks for resort suggestions so far - will take a look.
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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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I'm assuming all at least competent skiers? If so worth looking at Morzine. Low so less popular at that time of year, but that just means accomodation a little cheaper than higher resorts while offering a huge range of accomodation and evening options, all with the higher altitude skiing in Avoriaz accessible via the Super-Morzine gondola out the centre of town.
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Your model of sub-groups booking their own self-catering option sounds good to me because all concerned can make their own decisions about how much to spend (nice lunches on the slopes, eating out in the evenings) without impacting others' choices.
A hotel would almost certainly be more expensive as every cup of tea, glass of wine or beer or child's soft drink would be at bar prices, not supermarket. 20 people would be a big group for a catered chalet. And in my (not great) experience a "chalet hotel" can combine the worst of both worlds - lots of other people's kids running around and no chance for all to sit around and chat.
Personally, if there are kids involved, I wouldn't go to Morzine late in the season. Kids do like snow to play in whilst the adults sit around drinking tea or beer!
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@Mustardski12, welcome to snowHeads  Could you describe a bit more about the composition of your group? Skiing/boarding abilities, approx number of children, range of ages, any other 'must haves' or strong preferences?
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| Mustardski12 wrote: |
Thanks both - budget wise we are probably spending about 1k pp as it stands. Just checked and the 2 bed self catering accomm last year was 1200 euros for our family of 5. Yes to catered chalet or chalet hotel but I guess it would have to be reasonably in line with budget bearing in mind how much we would typically spend on catering out there (we do packed lunches and cook but inevitably end up spending a fair bit on restaurants despite good intentions…
Thanks for resort suggestions so far - will take a look. |
Didn't realise it was families involved and quite a lot of self-catering going on.
As @Origen says, a catered option isn't going to be as flexible and will likely work out quite a bit more expensive than that.
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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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With self-catering you can take stuff kids will like, and a few emergency meals (even if you expect to eat out a lot) sort out your own breakfasts, have snacks and drinks available at supermarket prices and have some privacy for those special family moments when you're finally outside, with all your ski boots on, and one child needs to wee. And after he gets kitted up again and you set off for the lift, realises he left his gloves in the bathroom.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Has to be Avoriaz.
Pick the Falaise quarter, and everyone will have tons to choose from (multiple buildings and budgets).
Or pick the resort centre, e.g. Les Fontaines Blanches.
I hope to be driving out there around Easter too.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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@luigi, I've had to put up with that video on auto-repeat every morning (on Avoriaz TV) during my last few stays.
It's like Groundhog Day.
Falaise is best for ski-out. Such a pleasure to walk out the door, step into your bindings, and then just slide off down the first run of the day (Proclou).
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Zell am see
At worse you end up on the glacier. Otherwise you get the glacier, zell & saalbach area
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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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One specific satellite village I don’t think mentioned yet is Reberty, in the 3V. On the edge of Les Menuires but very good access to Val Thorens and La Masse.
Quite a good choice of accommodation and built in a style more sympathetic to the mountain landscape. Has the benefit of great access to the highest area in Western Europe without paying such high prices to be based there.
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All those pimping Avoriaz and Morzine is the snow going to be that good / there at the end of April?
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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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@Mike Pow, certainly not guaranteed.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, certainly not guaranteed. |
That's what I thought
I was there one January into February and the coverage down low was thin
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| PeakyB wrote: |
One specific satellite village I don’t think mentioned yet is Reberty, in the 3V. On the edge of Les Menuires but very good access to Val Thorens and La Masse.
Quite a good choice of accommodation and built in a style more sympathetic to the mountain landscape. Has the benefit of great access to the highest area in Western Europe without paying such high prices to be based there. |
Was going to say the same, Les Bruyères would also work as an option, may actually be better. You can be on the junction of Val Thorens, Meribel and Les Menuires in a single gondola from both accommodation centres, the Les Menuires resort is high itself at 1800m ish, with access to the highest skiing possible so good for easter, and being very French there is plentiful self catering options with a lot of them being on the lower end of the pricing scale.
Reberty is more detached from the other areas if not on skis so everyone would need to stay in that zone to be able to easily meet up in evenings, it is also spread across quite a large part of the hill so it wouldn't be that easy to get from an apartment on the lower end to one at the top on foot so booking apartments close together would be beneficial. Les Bruyères is a 10/15 min walk from the main Croisette area via a flat pedestrian footpath which will almost certainly be clear of snow at Easter so it would be viable to be spread over those areas. Although a place in the lowest part of Reberty could be considered more accessible to Les Bruyères, via the footbridge, than the top of Reberty. Reberty has better access on skis as you can ski down to any of the lifts to access the other resorts, in Les Bruyères if you're below the main snow front you'd have a short walk uphill to the Bruyères gondola or need to ski down to the Reberty chairlift to end up above the Bruyères gondola and main snow front.
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| Quote: |
I'm assuming all at least competent skiers? If so worth looking at Morzine. Low so less popular at that time of year, but that just means accomodation a little cheaper than higher resorts while offering a huge range of accomodation and evening options, all with the higher altitude skiing in Avoriaz accessible via the Super-Morzine gondola out the centre of town.
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With Easter being so late in 2025 I would rule out Morzine which closes on April 6th. Avoriaz also closes Easter weekend.
For the Easter holidays I would be looking at the very high resorts and Les Menuires just about comes into that catagory but my experience is that the snow gets very heavy there in the afternoon late season. It may sound odd but I actually prefer Les Menuires to Val Thorens. It is IMHO a much under appreciated resort.
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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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I'd say Val Thorens (stay in the central area and you should be fine) or Tignes (choose Le Lac or Val Claret but not both). Both are a bit larger than 1950 so you would need to be a careful to make sure you are close enough to each other. The longer drive will be a bit of a pain but should still be ok. Both have fabulous skiing at Easter. The swimming pool at Tignes Le Lac might swing it (I'm assuming you use the pools at 1950)
Accommodation wise anywhere is going to feel a bit like a downgrade compared to Les Arc 1950 though, for comparison think about what Les Arcs 2000 is like compared to 1950.
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| johnE wrote: |
| For the Easter holidays I would be looking at the very high resorts and Les Menuires just about comes into that catagory but my experience is that the snow gets very heavy there in the afternoon late season. It may sound odd but I actually prefer Les Menuires to Val Thorens. It is IMHO a much under appreciated resort. |
It does get heavy late afternoon in April, for competent skiers i don't think this should deter people from LM, the one run of heavy snow is just a chore with the reward of a sunny beer piste side beer at La Ferme. And you don't need to do it more than once per day after returning from the colder, higher slopes in VT (twice if you like an apartment lunch or have kids in ski school). For absolute beginners who can't explore beyond the greens and blues around LM then I'd agree for later April LM may be a bit too low.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think that’s a good shout by @bouquetin, about Les Bruyeres as a base.
I also agree with @johnE, that Les Menuires is an undeservedly much maligned ski town. It justifiably got hammered by the Good Ski Guide for its unsympathetic architecture back in the 1980s. However, the satellite villages mentioned above, developed since, are easier on the eye I think. More importantly, it’s a convenient base with a range of accommodation and good lift connections to hell for further afueld
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| Avoriaz also closes Easter weekend. |
Avoriaz is open on the Easter Weekend. It closes on Tuesday the 22nd April.
Les Gets & Morzine, being fairly low compared to Avoriaz, close a couple of weeks earlier.
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Les Menuires closes for the season on Easter Monday 2025. So it depends very much on when at 'Easter' the OP wants to travel. Even the week before snow conditions may be poor, and some parts closed.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
| All those pimping Avoriaz and Morzine is the snow going to be that good / there at the end of April? |
Define good.
Are you likely to be balls-deep in fresh powder? Unlikely, but then unlikely to find that anywhere else in the alps.
Are you likely to have spring snow, that's ice first thing/goes nice after an hour or so/turns to porridge in the afternoon? Probably, because it's spring and what you'll tend to get everywhere else too.
But will there be snow you can ski on? Yes, though you might want to focus on skiing more Avoriaz side than the Morzine-Les Gets one.
Some will always say "You need to go high" but more often than not the truth is "You need to go North facing". That and adapting your ski day 'profile'. Rather than mid-Feb's 10ish lift/long lunch/last lift think more first lift/late lunch/drinking a beer in shorts in the sun by 4.
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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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| Quote: |
Avoriaz is open on the Easter Weekend. It closes on Tuesday the 22nd April.
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Good point - I took the Easter weekend as including the bank holiday I should not have done so.
Many French ski resort will be closing immediately after Easter in 2025
For years we would go skiing at Easter driving out overnight Maundy Thursday and returning overnight on the Saturday after Easter. I had Good Friday and the Monday and Tuesday off hence I could get 9 days skiing for 3 days leave allowance
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Mjit wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
| All those pimping Avoriaz and Morzine is the snow going to be that good / there at the end of April? |
Define good.
Are you likely to be balls-deep in fresh powder? Unlikely, but then unlikely to find that anywhere else in the alps.
Are you likely to have spring snow, that's ice first thing/goes nice after an hour or so/turns to porridge in the afternoon? Probably, because it's spring and what you'll tend to get everywhere else too.
But will there be snow you can ski on? Yes, though you might want to focus on skiing more Avoriaz side than the Morzine-Les Gets one.
Some will always say "You need to go high" but more often than not the truth is "You need to go North facing". That and adapting your ski day 'profile'. Rather than mid-Feb's 10ish lift/long lunch/last lift think more first lift/late lunch/drinking a beer in shorts in the sun by 4. |
Cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@PeakyB, wrote: “Les Menuires is an undeservedly much maligned ski town.”
It’s by far the most monstrously ugly ski resort I’ve ever visited, and that’s saying something, considering the architectural standards of most French purpose-built resorts. It’s as though the planners went out of their way to make it look as dreadful as possible.
“good lift connections to hell…”
You said it!
Now, St Martin de Belleville on the other hand…
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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 guessing Easter means when the schools break up - which for us is April 4th.
I would suggest Les Menuires - just make sure you are in the same sector.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@tatmanstours,
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@PeakyB, wrote: “Les Menuires is an undeservedly much maligned ski town.”
It’s by far the most monstrously ugly ski resort I’ve ever visited, and that’s saying something, considering the architectural standards of most French purpose-built resorts. It’s as though the planners went out of their way to make it look as dreadful as possible.
“good lift connections to hell…”
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Yes, I agree completely that the architecture of the original (and majority of) Les Menuires is dreadful. Depends how much of your time you spend looking at those buildings as to whether it affects a ski trip much. Personally I've found myself gazing at the glorious mountain views of La Masse, down the Belleville valley and beyond. Enjoy the views from the terrace of L'Ours Blanc, with their excellent lunches, to appreciate my point I think.
In the context of a late season high altitude holiday, how many organically grown traditional ski villages fit the bill?
Well spotted on my typo, which should have read.... 'good lift connections to head further afield' 
I definitely feel I've been to uglier ski towns. Orelle and La Toussuire/Le Corbiere spring to mind. Not keen on the look or feel of Val Claret either, though the skiing more than compensates. Avoriaz gets worse the closer you get, though from a good distance, blends quite well into the terrain.
Perhaps we should have a Blot on the Landscape thread? 
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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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@PeakyB, I'll kick this off with Blott on the Landscape by Tom Sharpe.
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Yeah, Les Men is fcking awful who would want to be here...
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Brelin does divide opinion mind.
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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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FAQ
