 Poster: A snowHead
|
Group of 4 guys going in early Jan. What’s the best part of the resort to stay in for après and if possible close to the lifts?
Thanks
TP
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Anywhere within Chamonix or Chamonix Sud will do to be close to the night life/apres. Use the bus service to get to the lifts or drive. Best apres for me was Chambre Neuf opposite the station. Lots of other bars and clubs around. There is also a micro brewery just on the edge of town which is quite good for apres ski.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
If price is high on your agenda, and the 4 of you get on well together, the Vagabond is cheap and cheerful, has its own bar (which was doing good Guinness at the weekend), is within a 10 minute walk of the Aiguille du Midi cable car, and staggering distance of a few good pubs/bars. It's a hostel, so, bunk beds, etc. Great views from the balconies.
...and all that for under £10 a night!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Thanks. Budget not really an issue. Any other recommendations for accommodation? 4th to the 8th Jan. I'll check out the Vagabound.
We’ll be hiring a car and driving up. What's it like driving up there?
Also, anyone else over there then?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Proximity to the lifts is academic. The only lifts in town are the Brevent lifts. The downside to Chamonix is the main ski areas are not linked. Therefore at teh start and end of each day you travel to your chosen area by car/bus. A snowhead Davidof is renting apartments which he tells us are within 5 mins walk to the lifts. Its over 10 years since I skied in chamonix but the nearer to the apres ski will mean taking you away from the lifts
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Driving is fine, roads are usually pretty clear (but get chains in case). The Town and car parks can get full quite quickly. A car is actually handy since the ski areas are quie spread out along the valley and probably better than squeezing on to the ski bus. I've always done self-catering and have found some decent apartments using Interhome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| dan100 wrote: |
| The only lifts in town are the Brevent lifts. |
What about the Aiguille du Midi lift? Kinda the most famous one in the town!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And the Brevent lift is at the top of a freakin big hill, which isn't a lot of fun if you can't be bothered to wait for the bus at the end of the day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| dan100 wrote: |
| The only lifts in town are the Brevent lifts. |
What about the Aiguille du Midi lift? Kinda the most famous one in the town! |
thinking pistes rather than off piste
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
tp023 - you might want to try David Murdoch who has some apartments - link here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I like the microbrewery too (the MBC). Chambre neuf bar is attached to the Gustavia
http://www.hotel-gustavia.com/
which is a nice hotel and close to the station - v.handy if you get the train times sussed as it's a nice way to get around. Not to far to Cham sud where there are also some cheery bars. Having a car is handy though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
tp023,
Depends what you want to ski...for a 1st look around then you will probably spend most of your time on the GM so it might be an idea to stay in Argentierre. The delights of Brevent and Flegere and indeed the Midi plan aren't so obvious at first. The place will make quite a first impression but even then its still a grower and you'll be back for more.
If you want to base yourselves in Chamonix and want apre then Swede city which is Chamonix Sud is a good start. With a car tho' it will not really matter where you are ski-wise. Get the to the car parks early-ish
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I stayed at the Alpina for a short break some years ago. Reasonably central and though we did walk up to the Brevant lifts, a car would have been much easier.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
http://www.verthotel.com/
Check this place out, its owned and operated by some people to do with TGR and a chamonix holiday specialist called Freshtraxxx, they're all top guys. Its on the same road as the vagabond a little further out for walking into town but they've put alot of effort into the bar there and it tends to be better of an evening than most of the places in town and they usually have some kind of DJ or Band organised. Bar food and restaurant hit the spot as well. In terms of the location for skiing you'll wanting to use your car as the buses suck
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
firebug, Always forget the name of the Gustavia. I seem to recall that it gets very full of Scandinavians (no bad thing usually tho')
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
tp023, I'm afraid that we're full for New Year week and the fact you arrive mid week on arguably the busiest week of the year might cause you some trouble...
We stayed at the Hotel Vallee Blanche on the Rue de Lyret which was OK. Try the Tourist office?
Re Brevent the hill isn't that bad  and if you're walking distance from there that means you have heaps of skiing without bus-ing or car-ing it...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
tp023, we stayed in Chamonix last xmas. Try the Croix Blanche. It's right in the main square, and is a short walk from Brevent lift (which we did on 3 days), and 100 yards from the bus stop.
"The Pub" is just up the road, one of my favourite bars in the resort, and as other people have said bar Chambre Neuf is about the best for Apres ski. There's also a bar we liked right opposite Bar Chambre Neuf, can't remember what it was called, but had a takeaway food hatch as well. You can bacon butties etc here for brekkie of a morning!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Thanks for the replys all. Keep them coming!
One of our group is a novice. Any thoughts on ski school for him?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Quote: |
One of our group is a novice. Any thoughts
|
Different resort 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
You might do better to stay in the Argentierre area of the valley by the best skiing, if the skiing is the most important thing - but Chamonix is where most of the night life is.
PS I hope you find enough snow in early Jan - our season seems to start (and sometimes end) later as the years go by.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Park Hotel Suisse is OK and very central - just off the town square near the tourist office. Very handy for bars.
In Chamonix, nowhere is handy for the lifts unless you know that you are going to be skiing one area the whole time. The buses work but with four of you I would recommend hiring a car - makes the transfer really quick, will be handy for the trip and not expensive split 4 ways. DEFINITELY GET SNOW CHAINS - made this mistake last year and won't do it again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Les Houches for beginners? I think it's not too far away from Cham.
Also depending on how much of a novice is a novice, I think there are a few greens and easy blues from the first level of Brevant?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Le Tour has some relatively gentle runs to suit the novice as well, I think?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IMO Le Tour has the best beginner area at the bottom - don't even go up the Gondola. Far better than the sketchy piece of ice at the bottom of Brevent. Nice & wide - lifties geared up to helping beginners master drags etc. More advanced members may have to do the descent which can be man made sketchy boilerplate to meet for lunch though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I'd say Le Tour too.
The problem with Les Houche is that its the wrong direction for the better skiers. Le Tour has some nice skiing over the back for the more experienced and you could drop your beginner mate off and head to the next village down - Argentiere and the Grands Montets
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
