 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
My family (wife, 2 kids 9 and 6, 2 grandparents) are looking at going to Les saisies for a week in 2026. We’ve not been before but reading about it, mostly on here, it sounds good for our boys who have been a few times before.
My question was around dates…we are between 24th January, 31st January and 7th March, for our possible weeks.
I’m leaning to 24th January, as guess less crowds (compared to the 31st Jan week) and maybe less slush (compared to March). Would this be along lines of what you think too, or do you think either of the other dates are better?
Thanks
Mike
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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7 March will be French school hols - avoid at all costs! Busy, and accommodation expensive. Either of the previous weeks should be fine, given that weather is the luck of the draw. And welcome to Snowheads!  You will need to get yourselves there, and you are a big party for renting a car.
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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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Hi thanks for the reply, that’s helpful. Yep I thought first week of Feb might be some French school hols, but thought 7th March would be ok, so that’s good to know.
I’ve found a couple of Geneva private transfer companies…apparently around €550-600 for return transfer for six of us. Though have had that before and when you email…price changes!
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If "return transfer" means both ends of your stay, 100 euros each is good value. Just make sure your accommodation is in easy walk of the slopes - and particularly the ski school meeting place.
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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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French half-term holidays 7/2/2026 - 8/3/2026
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Great thanks, so the 3 dates should be ok actually. Snow cover probably not much between it is there - as in, just luck really I guess?
And yep the transfer was return price so yes, we thought that was reasonable.
Accommodation, looking at mmv les chalets les cimes - looks fairly good location. Also heading for that one, as means we can use clubcard points!
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@mdhenning, yes, sorry, got the French dates confused - they are all OK. I'd probably choose 31 January, but it's a toss-up. Chalets des Cimes should be fine. If you want ski school for anybody, book in good time. I'd always recommend the Glisse Passion ski school. Their "mini team" classes for kids are excellent. Have fun.
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Ah nice, thank you. We’d said for once we might splash out and do a few private lessons and stick them in the same lesson (as unfortunately for the older one, they are pretty much the same ability)…but neither want that, and prefer the sound of a small group lesson. So yes, their mini team ones look ideal for us!
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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 bought mini-team lessons for two grandchildren at Christmas. One ended up in a class of one, and one in a class of two as others had failed to turn up. Have had similar experiences in the past. They got on brilliantly despite a dismal start to their first lesson, in pouring rain that turned to heavy snow. Came back soaking wet, but pleased with themselves.
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Great thanks very much
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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24th Jan: fewer crowds, better snow. 7th March: slush and sunburn. Tough call… not really
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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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7 March is a great week to go actually - first after the French school hols and not normally "slush". Any more than January is "short days, poor visibility and freezing cold".
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The only issue in March is that the lower elevations (1000-1300 m) of the Espace Diamant may be quite slushy, but that's well below Les Saisies' elevation (1600). You could amuse yourself for a week only in LS but I really like some of the terrain toward the Flumet end.
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You know it makes sense.
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Hi,
So just to update.
Accommodation wise I think we are going with Armaillis apartments.
Looks nice enough and we never have a pool so that’ll be a novelty.
Wondered if anyone has stayed there/knows that part of the village? Basically I am wondering, but can’t work out the piste maps, can we walk out to and join a blue and go down to the carrets or legette lift? I’m guessing if so, the ESF lessons might be better for us, than ESI?
Getting to the village centre where ESI lessons are, I suppose the bus might be easier than walking with the two kids? Which is fine, if those lessons are better than ESF I guess. I don’t actually understand the lifts in the centre…is it chardons that goes out of there/that ESI meeting point?
Sorry, as you can see map reading not a strength of mine.
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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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@mdhenning, I have stayed near there, with daughter and family. They are all good and keen skiers and physically strong and walked along a path to the blue piste, carrying their skis. It's not a flat easy footpath - they were climbing over piles of snow and an uneven surface at times. And that is not the easiest blue - it gets quite bumpy towards the bottom. If your family could manage that then skiing down to Les Carrets, and ESF lessons, would certainly be the easiest. there's an easier way back. Getting to the village is a walk and not a particularly interesting one, to be honest. Past lots of apartments and parking spots! We didn't use the bus, but they are generally reliable and will run to the schedule. For your parents, that place has good views but a bit of a schlep to the centre - and an uphill schlep on the way back. There is a convenient ski hire shop though, and a small and well-stocked supermarket.
Don't blame you struggling with the piste map - they're often problematical!
Quite frankly I don't think those apartments are the best located.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@mdhenning, this site is good for seeing where accommodation is in relation to pustes, if your compare with Google maps. I don't recall there being any pistes in the direction you're thinking of but I'm sure Origen will confirm.
https://openskimap.org/#14.53/45.75383/6.53894/9.3
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ah brilliant thanks for that link and for the info both of you.
To be honest I was wanting more in the village/the other side, as wanted to avoid that long walk/bus ideally. But I can’t seem to find anything (affordable) in a better location
Thanks again
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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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We went there for two weeks early this Jan, it's a great place with plenty of skiing for all standards although the harder stuff is towards the bellecombe areas, lots of blues and easy reds and a couple of snow parks for the kids to play in , ten pin bowling alley for a night out too.
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Thanks, yep it sounds like a great resort and looks a good area for our family. Just struggling a bit with accommodation and getting somewhere better placed for the lifts/shops/centre.
Maybe these will be fine, but just not sure.
Maybe need to keep looking at some other resorts too.
Will have a think. Thanks again
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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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| mdhenning wrote: |
Thanks, yep it sounds like a great resort and looks a good area for our family. Just struggling a bit with accommodation and getting somewhere better placed for the lifts/shops/centre.
Maybe these will be fine, but just not sure.
Maybe need to keep looking at some other resorts too.
Will have a think. Thanks again |
Try peak retreats they have several choices there, we stayed in one a bot out of town but drive so that's fine for us, they also have at least block right in town too, if you don't self drive you get the money off the price they charge for the channel crossing . Great little firm to deal with
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Yes, Peak Retreats are excellent but the accommodation they offer is mostly fairly upmarket. Worth looking at the resort website, though not all owners will be advertising their places yet. For me, with kids, ease of access to ski school meeting place trumps most other criteria and is certainly way ahead of fancy bathrooms and swimming pools. You will need to decide on your priorities.
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