 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hello!
I'm hoping to go to Saint-Gervais-les-Bains at the end of January 2026.
My family is two adults, a four year old toddler (one year of skiing already) and a one year old baby. We are travelling from the Uk.
I am hoping to stay in Le Bettex and had a few questions!
(1)From what I can tell, the clusters of chalets on the mountainside sit lower than the beggining of the Bettex Arbois gondola so we will be relying on the shuttle bus to start our day. I'm looking at the neighborhoods Les Choseaux, Taguy, etc. The "6 orange" "8 pink" and potentially "7 dark green" bus route. Any recommendations of where to stay or what has the most direct/quickest bus route into Bettex? I find the "6 orange" bus route confusing and not sure if it does a loop!?
https://static.apidae-tourisme.com/filestore/objets-touristiques/documents/42/24/27007018/FACILIBUS_StGervaisMontBlanc_Hiver2024_2025.pdf
(2) My toddler will be in ski school. It looks like the ESF Club Piou Piou is located at the bottom of the Bettex Arbois also? We love ESF, but potentially might want to put her in a predominantly english speaking group lesson. Are there any recommendations other than ESI in the area and where would there meeting points be?
(3) Its a little hard to tell what amenities are at Bettex 1450m? With two young kids, we won't be going out after skiing. But for more robust shops/restaurants is it likely to assume we will be driving down to Saint Gervais?
(4) Lastly, are there good hiking trails with trail heads that start in and around Le Bettex? My husband doesn't ski and he will be taking out baby on short hikes. Is there a resource to find a winter hiking map for the area?
Thank you! Really apppreciate any help in planning this trip!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I forgot to ask...I know its really hard to say but how snow sure do we think Saint Gervais will be? What was teh 24/25 season like this year? I was debating between Les Contamines and Saint Gervais...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
The benefit of Bettex is that you are right on the snow front. However as you have spotted it is fairly thin on amenities, consisting mainly of apartments to rent and the odd hotel. It would be best to be in the area near the lift stations, that is where you will find hotels/restaurants and I have noticed the odd takeaway and what looks to be a "corner shop" selling essentials.
If you are further away, it looks as if the number 6 bus (orange) has the best service. It basically does a loop but along the way does an out-and-back to Le Gratague and sometimes another out-and-back to Les Communailles (which has a drag lift accessing the pistes, and the odd restaurant). I think most people based around there will be French families who have their own car for transport, and anyway bring most of their food from a big supermarket elsewhere.
It is a bit of a drive down to the main town, involving a windy road, but as you suggest there are more amenities there. The Tourist Information office has an inexpensive walking map, and I think also a specific leaflet suggesting winter walks. Obviously their practicality depends on the snow conditions, at times they are more suited to snowshoes.
While there are quite a few ski schools operating in St Gervais, I am not sure I have seen any other than ESF with the very small children. Their instructors all seem to speak English, but whether they have enough clients to run an English-only class for little ones I don't know.
There "ought" to be decent snow cover down to the level of Bettex at the end of January, but difficult to promise - it was pretty sparse at the bottom in 2024 and a bit soft this year but OK for skiing pretty much everywhere. A few years ago they built a second nursery slope with magic carpet at the top of the upper gondola, so teaching little ones should always be possible.
Hope that is helpful. To be honest you would almost certainly find it better to stay in town near the gondola station (areas known as Le Chatelet or Le Nerey). That way you would have easy access to amenities, it would be much nicer for a non-skier with a range of walks possible, and access to the slopes via gondola would be as quick as the bus from those outlying parts of Bettex.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Thank you! This is all very helpful. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@Yo_michelle88, you may be able to contact ESF about children's classes, though at this time of year they are likely to be a bit slow to respond to emails. I fear English-speaking classes may be more likely during British half term, but you never know. The St Gervais ESF is usually quite helpful, and they actually have several native English speakers among their instructors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Thanks j b! Do you by chance know how quickly or how busy the Le Bettex parking lot gets (not half term)(1450m)? Thinking about taking your advice and looking further afield...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Yo_michelle88, well only from looking down on it from the gondola. From what I recall it usually looks as if there are at least a few spaces outside French half term, and I think there may also be some satellite car parks.
But I don't think driving there is optimal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Noted! Cheers for all the info. M
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
