Should I risk it next weekend?

A snowHead

Hi, I have flights booked to Geneva next Friday 20th - Tue 24th Dec for a cheeky last minute ski trip before Xmas.

The family (incl 7y/o and 9y/o) are all low intermediate having has skiied twice before in Flaine and Avoriaz - both times at Easter.

Keen to try somewhere new and considering nearby but lower resorts eg Les Carroz, Morzine, Les Gets etc (looking for somewhere with quick/cheap transfer from Geneva).

Les Gets looks like it could be nice and Xmassy but can anyone advise how the snow base is looking? Should I just stick to the high altitude places?

(or shout if Im overlooking any other options).

Thanks!

A snowHead

I’m in La Tzoumaz this weekend. It’s a satellite of Verbier, so a good deal cheaper, with about 50kms of pistes. This area is linked to Verbier (200 kms) by pistes and lifts, but as you might expect, you have to spend 30-40 minutes extra skiing/gondola time to get to the middle of the Verbier sector. My one day adult ski pass was CHF 65 but obviously, advance booking for longer gets you a discount.

Piste conditions are good with a packed, solid base, no ice, and no bare patches. It snowed lightly last night and some more this morning, so that bodes well for the Christmas conditions, barring a sudden thaw. The snow line currently goes down to about 1500 metres with snow guns keeping the run to the bottom in good condition.

Obviously it was very quiet yesterday (below, taken from the summit station of Savoleyres) but is a bit busier today, but is usually quieter than elsewhere even in the busy weeks. If you’re happy to self-cater take a look at a local rental agency site like QuatreValéesQuatreSaisons and see if anything suits.

You can get here from GVA by train télépherique and PostBus but my guess is that for a group, car rental will be cheaper as it’s probably too close to the travel date to use the CHF 52 advance discount Saver Day Pass. But it might be worth taking at look at the SBB travel page, just to see. Set from as Genève-Aéroport and to as La Tzoumaz, télécabine.

I’m sure someone will also post recommending Nendaz as another satellite, albeit bigger in terms of the size of the town. Nendaz is also connected to Verbier and is in the furthermost valley on the upper left of the photo’.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@LaForet - many thanks for taking the time to answer. La Tzoumaz looks great. I had a look at the accomodation website but annoyingly it doesn't quote any prices - but Vrbo.com shows some self catering apartments and chalets at not too crazy prices.

I do worry about Swiss prices for everything (Im haunted by paying £30 for a McDonalds meal at the airport but I know thats not wholly representative!). I guess if we rent a car we could stock up at a supermarket - but car rental prices at geneva look higher than i expected (and more than the transfer costs for Avoriaz/Flaine)...

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@AliAfro,
Switzerland isn't cheap but when we've self catered the self catering side of things isn't particularly expensive providing you're not a carnivore insisting on prime cuts of meat.
My understanding is and it is true from my experience in Nendaz mainly that resort supermarkets are the same prices as in town.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@AliAfro,
The prices in Switzerland really not any worse than the big French resorts on the mountain etc, some things cheaper some things a bit more.

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Sorry about the agency site, as it almost always quotes specific prices - must be a Christmas / NY thing. As well as emailing them, another option is to ask the Tourist Office (info@latzoumaz.ch) to look for you, as they often have good contacts locally as well.

You could go to the T-Resort website directly, and see what they have. This is a big purpose-built vacation apartment block right by the gondola in La Tzoumaz, built by Téléverbier the lift operator. [Edit: I just did and they seem to have apts starting at CHF 221/night.]

If you have a car, then you can shop at the new Co-Op in the valley at Riddes, which is where you’d come off the autoroute for La Tzoumaz. It’s right opposite the massive Hornbach DIY store. Prices are going to be a bit cheaper there.

If Christmas pricing for GVA car rental is inflated, then perhaps price out going by train if you don’t have a load of ski equipment to transport. What I like about it is that once I’m on the bus in the village, Swiss efficiency being what it is, it’s nice that I don’t have to worry about anything and get dropped right inside the airport. But you have to be sure your flight coincide with the various connections.

But don’t let me over-sell La Tzoumaz just because I’m actually here at the moment, on a similar short break. Nendaz would probably work out equally well and I wouldn’t ignore other options you’ve researched. Obviously, Verbier would be the ideal and going by train is especially easy and convenient, but Verbier is going to be pricey for accommodation unless you’re lucky. You could similarly email the Verbier Tourism Office and see what they come up with.

Help!!

Should I risk it next weekend?

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