 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All,
Its been a while since ive been on but im finally in a position to start skiing again!
Both myself and my old man were confident red run skiers although we haven't been in years and I am also looking to take 4 other family members (2 children, 14 & 11) along with us.
I have settled on Serre Chevalier - I have read plenty of good things & found good flights and transfer options. Now for the Questions...
1) Best time to go? I was avoiding February with french half terms. I was considering late January to be safe although I imagine there's more chance of heavy snowfall/fog? adverse weather? Would the first week of March be less or more of a risk?
2) Accommodation - I had read the official site https://booking.serre-chevalier.com/promo-ski-pass-serre-chevalier.html was a good option for booking as they offer additional discount on ski passes. Looking at the ski pass page on the same site, it already shows discount more linked to the period you are skiing in - rather than the accommodation https://booking.serre-chevalier.com/buy-your-serre-chevalier-ski-pass.html Does anyone have any experience of this? where is the discount linked to accommodation?
3) 4 of our group are going to be new to skiing. We will likely give them lessons on the dry ski slope before we go and get them to a good standard. Any thoughts on this vs instruction while they are there? Cost difference/benefit?
4) The ski pass. If it were just me and my old man, it would be a simple 6 day pass. I expect the other family members wont appreciate the way their legs will ache at the end of the day. Anyone got any advice for the best way to approach this with beginners? Do I pre book them all 6 days just to give them freedom? do I pay on the day? If I went the instruction route - can ski passes be packaged together and may be a better option?, then simply upgrade later if they wish to ski all day? If instruction is a good route - any idea on the best/cost effective way of doing it for a group of 4. Or simply book them in with larger groups of others?
5) Equipment hire - Linked to the previous questions really. How much do I simply pre book vs other benefits of doing it there
6) Local Bus - Any advice on daily tickets? is there a weekly ticket option? did anyone find themselves travelling to briancon a fair bit if there was less locally?
I appreciate the answers here will likely come down to my own guess of how much I think the family will dive head first into it Usually I would just pre book and give them the freedom, but for 6 people, 6 day pass and 6 day equipment hire can soon be get quite pricy, but I hate being wasteful and I expect one of our group will be very nervous and not as keen. 1 other adult will likely be supportive which may also pull them away from the slope. Other 2 will be for skiing every day. Kids - who knows, hopefully love it
Were going to base ourselves in chantermerle. Seems to have the best lift access to the most green/blue slopes with options for myself to shoot off to a load of reds when time allows.
Any pointers very welcome
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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There are others who are based there but would aim for second week of March rather than first week to avoid French half term. Look at eurekaski - Mel is v helpful and the apartments at chamriossiere are really nice though they are in monetier. I like that ski area and again it is good for a mixed group.
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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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Ok. Information on passes etc may change. Usually everything is online by the end of September for the new season.
1) Do avoid February, and the first week of March. They are French holiday weeks.
2) Late January and the second week of March are good ones and accommodation will be cheaper. Accommodation booked through tourist office will sometimes offer a cheaper pass, but discount depends on season (less discount at peak times, more in lower season weeks and April).
3) Don't skimp on the lessons in resort, skiing on snow is much different to a dry slope. Group classes appropriate to their age will be the cheapest option, or if they are all the same standard, book a private lesson for all 4.
4) There is a family pass available, and also group passes called OuiK. Also Skialacarte/Holiski pass which you can use by the day (no kid's discount or half-day passes though).
5) It is much cheaper to book for a week than to hire by the day.
6)Use the bus if you need to you, it's about 2€ a single journey. I think you can get a book of 10 tickets in advance. You might want to go to Briancon once to see the old town, but not necessary as there is plenty in Chantemerle.
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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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Thanks for the great info! 
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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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Regarding (3), we've just taken our kids for their first ski trip. Ours had 3 lessons at a dry slope before we left the UK. Our friends' kids (similar ages) didn't have any lessons before we left.
I don't think there was any difference in their abilities after their first morning of lessons on the snow. That might be because they didn't get a lot of actual ski time in the group dry slope lessons. Or it might be because dry slopes are very different to real snow. But I probably could've saved myself some money!
The main benefit for us was in getting our kids (who are not exactly confident, outgoing types) familiar with the concept of skiing, putting skis on and listening to an instructor. I think that will have benefitted my kids, but yours might be different.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just posting an update. Im all booked from 25th Jan to 1st of feb!
Thanks all for the input. Flights and accommodation sorted, Serre Chevalier here i come! Just taxi transfers from oulx and equipment hire/passes still to resolve which i will likely need to sort later in the year.
Thanks all
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I wouldn’t worry too much about the dry slope training. Unless they go loads they won’t make that much progress.
They will get the benefit of knowing how to put boots on as sonmi451 says, but there’s also they risk they fall over a fair bit and that’s less fun on a dry slope than it is on snow. Not sure the benefits outweigh the risks of putting them off before you even go.
If you live near a snowdome that would be good of course.
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