 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi folks,
We have been skiing in French resorts for last 7 years and have visited following resorts:
Tignes - Espace Killy (2x)
Les 3 Vallees
La Plagne
Les Arcs
Chamonix
Can somebody suggest any other comparable resort for good skiers (not offpiste though) with comparable size and piste variety? Also without necessity of ski-bus transfers like in Chamonix (Ski-in/out accomodation is what French resort should be about  )
I am thinking about Les Deux Alpes or Alpe de Huez but wouldn't like to risk some big dissapointment. Any ideas?
Thanks!
XM
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to  . I ski'd in Alp D'Huez last year and there was no disapointment. Skiing to the door is just about the only option you have there so you will not be disapointed on that front. If you look at the ski map it is a good all round resort with plenty of challenging runs.
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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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Serre Chevalier
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Val D'Isere ?
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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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XM, welcome. I'd recommend Deux Alpes - plenty of good piste skiing. The vilalge is a bit spread out but it's pretty much all on the flat (the pistes aren't!) so staggering around at night isn't a problem. There are plenty of hotels and apartments by the foot of the pistes but some are a bit further away so take a look at the map before choosing.
It is a bit Blackpool with snow (ie plenty of Brits) but that's probably the case in a lot of the big French resorts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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XM, Go back to 3v. There is no way you skied it all. Perhaps stay in a different 3v resort to last time.
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brian
brian
Guest
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XM, Deux Alpes should fit the bill .... an alternative not in France but Francophonic at least, Verbier and the Quatre Vallées. Switzerland is no more expensive than the likes of EK or the 3Vs.
parlor's a running a chalet there, www.skiextra.co.uk
Others you might look at, the Portes du Soleil (Avoriaz for ski in/out), Les Sybelles ?
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XM,
I don't know why 2 Alpes or Alped'H shoul be a dissapointment most people seem to enjoy them? Actually I don't know why people are so keen on ski in ski out without kids; most of the resorts are less attractive and more expensive . Having said that Flaine and Avoriaz should meet your requirements of decent size ski areas, ski in ski out and a good variety of slopes.
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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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XM, maybe time to explore the world beyond France - Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Arm yourself with a copy of 'Where to Ski and Snowboard'. Look at the Dolomites network, Zermatt/Cervinia, Flims/Laax (relatively unknown, hugely good), Saalbach/Hinterglemm/Leogang network (stay in Saalbach, great fun), Lech/Zurs or St Anton (linked by bus to Lech/Zurs), Ischgl/Samnaun (Austrian-Swiss network)
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I'd certainly back Alpe D'Huez and Les Deux Alpes. If you stay in one, you can visit the other - and Serre Chevalier is not too much of a hike for a day trip, either, IIRC.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Of Les2Alpes and Alpe'dhuez we found the slopes at Les2alpes to be more interesting and less busy with a greater variety of runs. There were more bars and restaurants in easy reach for apres as well, but as mentioned above Alpe d'huez probably has the edge for true ski-in ski-out but the lifts at les2A run right from the centre so no bus journeys required.
Don't know what sort of accommodation you are looking for but if it's hotel I can wholeheartedly recommend the Hotel Chalet Mounier. Not cheap but very comfortable with friendly staff and excellent food. http://www.chalet-mounier.com/hiver/en_index.php. The hotel is a short walk from the Diablo lift.
I wouldn't say that either resort compares (in size and number of skiable kilometers) to Espace Killy, but les2A does have an easily accessible glacier so is pretty snow sure (like Tignes).
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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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Have a think about Vaujany. It's connected to the Alpe d'Huez system and takes you straight into some of the most enjoyable skiing by a very efficient lift connection. Supposedly it has great facilities for kids (no experience of this myself though). Attractive traditional village. It isn't ski in ski out but you certainly won't face anything like the horrors of the Chamonix bus system
edit: don't know why I brought up kids - must have got confused with someone else's requirements
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Fri 6-10-06 14:06; edited 1 time in total
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LDA is not really of comparable size and I'm not convinced Alp d'Huez is either, although it has been a while since I went there. I found both to be a dissapointment tbh as did the rest of my group (~12 people)
I did enjoy pas/soldeu and schladming (some bussing though). Serre Chevalier might also have the scope you are looking for?
A return visit to Les Arcs or mottarett/menuires might be in order though - of all the places I've been they've been the best combo of scope/access/fun.
aj xx
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You know it makes sense.
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ajhainey, I am very surprised that you did not think ADH a reasonable size, and though it was a disappointment. Though quite a bit of our skiing was off-piste (and so outside the scope here) it seemed to me that the pisted are was pretty large (240 km of piste) - and it catered for a wide variety of skiers from very gentle greens to the toughest black I've skied (The Tunnel). It also had the longest (16km) black I have been on. Serre Chevalier (also a delightful area) has access to about 250km of piste - so broadly comparable in size to ADH.
Just to round off the figures. LDA has 220 km of piste. Plus (though again not relevant here) easy access to la Grave.
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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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XM, welcome to
Is there any reason you are limited to France?
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Poster: A snowHead
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XM, Welcome to snowheads. If you are thinking about giving Alpe D'Huez a go then you may be interested in having a look at our website as we have a chalet there. There is quite a bit of information about the resort on the website and with the piste running along side our chalet we are completely ski in ski out. I'm about to start my fourth season there and the variety of piste skiing hasn't disapointed me so far.....we always give discounts to snowheads
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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AdH I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt - it was relatively early in my skiing career, and from memory a pretty bad snow year but the reason we haven't returned is that none of us were impressed (although I am considering giving it another try this year in fact as have found a cheap deal). I thought that worth mentioning as my ski choosing criteria seem similar to the original poster.
LDA I went to last year and while it may claim 220km I am extremely skeptical about that and as a group we were not impressed - I don't think it suits convienience oriented, keen mileage hungry folk. (very good at other things, including nightlife, off piste, demanding runs etc etc before anyone has me lynched)
aj xx
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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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AdH or LDA are both pretty good options also check out Portes de Soleil (Morzine/Avoriaz) = or Grand Massif (Flaine/Les Carroz/Samoens) which would probably suit just as well.
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| ajhainey wrote: |
| .............LDA I went to last year and while it may claim 220km I am extremely skeptical about that ............ |
I think the figure is reasonably accurate. Don't forget the considerable area the other side of the valley from the Jandri Express. Lots of interlinked intermediate skiing there. But, on the "main" side of the valley quite a few of the claimed kilometers are taken up by 2 long runs (Les Demoiselles, and the long flog down to the first station of the Jandri Express). These are really there for transit rather than pleasure.
There are many good piste runs, though, and some splendid off piste. For me, the quality of instruction is the attraction. Two of my best instructors (one is easiski) are based there.main
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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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homphomp, Agree about Grand Massif - but I am biased!
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