 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone know of self catering accommodation in Isola?
I've check their website and "uninspiring" comes to mind.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Michael, pretty reasonable description of the resort actually. Built by Percy Bilton in the 60's as a spectulative opportunity. Nuff said.
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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 David, I've not forgotten you but this is for our Jan trip and we can get to Nice for £43 per head at this time which is a BIG saving on Geneva. I have been to Isola in early 70's, I distantly remember it not being too bad for skiing, but the memory is going. How far is La Rosiere from Nice?
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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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Michael, too far, I used to have an apartment near Cannes and we've driven to La Rosiere from there, there are no good roads, using the autoroute to Aix and then up to Grenoble on the Route Napoleon will get you there in about 5 hrs.
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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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Previtha ..... please don't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hi,
Other resorts that can be reached from Nice are Auron (meant to be good but closed for lack of snow when I drove through) and Val d'Allos (Le Seignus/La Foux).
I think it's also possible to reach Pra Loup from Nice - most of the Cols are closed but I think there's one that's open which is served by a bus from Nice - if it is it'd take almost 3 hours. If you can get over that side of the mountains you can ski Pra Loup (linked to La Foux, big ski area) and a couple of other smaller resorts (Super Sauze and Sainte Anne de la Condamine) which are probably about half an hour away by bus. If you had a car and wanted to ski a bunch of resorts, Risoul/Vars would be about an hour away.
I own a catered chalet in Le Seignus (www.chalet-ski.co.uk) so would, obviously, recommend that but there's plenty of self-catering accomodation to be had in La Foux or Le Seignus. None of the big operators go there (because you can only reach it from Nice airport) so demand is fairly low and prices are quite cheap.
The tourist office - www.valdallos.com - rep's a few properties. One agent I'd recommend is Stephan at Verdon Immobilier (Google them, they have a website) - he's a bit laid back but speaks very good English.
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Hi
You can also reach Limeone in Italy in about 1hr45 from Nice. Real nice resort/town but small but not as high as Isola. Being in Itlay food + drink is way cheaper than Isola. Isola as a town sucks. I live in Nice so I go there quite a bit but I wouldnt fancy staying there. Its lively enough but ugly as hell. It's practically one big building.
Are you planning to bus it or rent a car from Nice? The car rental puts a lot of resorts within your reach. Last winter I checked out for weekends : Isola Limeone Auron La Foux+Pra Loup Cervinia (Alagna is on the cards for next year.) Sestiere is within the 4 hours limit too. I did Serre Chevalier + Tignes for a week but that's a big drive
La Foux/Pra Loup I would put ahead of Isola but not as high so the snow is not as sure a bet as Isola.
I have only stayed in Isola a few times. I think ringing the tourist office was the best way of getting accommodation. Actually Pierre et vacances have a place there. http://www.pierreetvacances.com . Their residences are usually pretty nice.
Diarmuid
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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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Diarmuid, ditto, welcome. However just to query your point about relative altitudes, the high point of Allos/Pra-Loup is 2600m as opposed to 2610m at Isola so I don't think there's that much difference. The linked domain of Pra-Loup is around 170 km of runs. Second only to Serre Che in the southern French Alps, although I rate Vars/Risoul very highly too (to 2750m, 180 km of runs).....
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| Quote: |
| However just to query your point about relative altitudes, the high point of Allos/Pra-Loup is 2600m as opposed to 2610m at Isola so I don't think there's that much difference |
Point taken. Isola 2000 is higher but the peaks are pretty much the same. I would definately go to La Foux before Isola
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks Diarmuid and also welcome to Snowheads. We are REALLY struggling on this one. The attraction of Nice is the flight costs but we don't intend to hire a car as there are 7 of us. We absolutely need guaranteed snow and really that means going high, further North. To be honest I'm starting to despair (not Val Despair)about the whole thing.
Personally I am happy to go to Les Arcs or similar.
We are still looking at La Seignus and Pra Loup so any info on Taxi transfer to Pra Loup would be appreciated. Also any Self Catering in Pra Loup.
Ben- Your Chalet is still in the running!
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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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Thanks Diarmuid and also welcome to Snowheads. We are REALLY struggling on this one. The attraction of Nice is the flight costs but we don't intend to hire a car as there are 7 of us. We absolutely need guaranteed snow and really that means going high, further North. To be honest I'm starting to despair (not Val Despair)about the whole thing.
Personally I am happy to go to Les Arcs or similar.
We are still looking at La Seignus and Pra Loup so any info on Taxi transfer to Pra Loup would be appreciated. Also any Self Catering in Pra Loup.
Ben- Your Chalet is still in the running!
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Michael B, A friend of mine has an apartment in Pra-Loup as well as in Barcelonnette. No idea of size. I'll ask if you interested. You could also try Le Sauze, Carole Merle's resort. Her mum has a hotel (Le Pyjama) up at Supersauze, ten mins from Barcelo, which does self-catering apartment deals as well. Really comfortable, great location. Also Carole Merle's restaurant in Supersauze, L'Op Traken, is well worth a visit, the best meal I've ever had in a resort. You could also contact the tourist office in Sauze - ask for Christine, the director.... info@sauze.com - mention I recommended Sauze to you if you do (Pete Garwood).
I know a really good 6 to 8 person apartment by the Boulogne ski lift in Sauze as well, owners live in the apartment above, nice old couple....
PS You could think of hiring an Espace/806 etc?
Don't despair.... Finding self-catering accommodation in the southern Alps is a doddle!
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You know it makes sense.
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PG Thanks for the info. I don't know anything about Sauze. Their website www.sauze.com did not seem to have much info re skiing on it either.
Do you know a website with a piste map of the area on? How high is it?
I will contact Christine and ask her as well.
I'm interested in the 6-8 person apartment in Sauze. There are 3 girls of 8-10 so they can all bunk in one room. Contact details please.
Thanks for the help.
Michael
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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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Doesn't help that the English version of the site is automatically translated at www.sauze.com ... and that their piste map is off-line.
The main resort is at 1400 (where the apartment I mentioned is), Supersauze is at 1700, the highest point of the resort is at 2400m.
There's a pdf of contacts for rental accommodation at http://www.ubaye.com/dld/SauzeLoueurs.pdf
Also a good descritpion of the resort, another pdf file, at http://www.ubaye.com/brochures2004/sauze-en-h2004.pdf
The apartment I stayed in had two bedrooms - owner's name is Monsieur Chardenal - one with a double and two single beds, one double bedroom, plus an alcove with 2 bunk beds in the entrance... might be more than your needs? It's no. 17 on the map on the pdf at http://www.ubaye.com/brochures2004/sauze-en-h2004.pdf
In the list of accommodation pdf his 4 apartments in the same chalet are 16, 17, 18 & 19.
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Poster: A snowHead
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PS according to the site I mentioned above, there is a 20 euro return "snow shuttle" throughout the season from Marseille Airport (another budget airline destination), every Saturday. Shuttles to resorts such as Pra-Loup and Le Sauze.
Tel. +33 4 42 14 30 00 or +33 4 92 81 03 68
Could well be a similar service from Nice Airport, I'm sure you could ask the tourist office at Sauze, or wherever you end up going....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Michael B I wouldnt worry about it. Getting self catering accom in France is a piece of cake apart from the school holidays.
I guess first decide on the airport, then resort and then accommodation. I have usually found that the tourist office is the best bet for finding accommodation. I usually ring them up, tell them what I want and they suggest a few places. Then you can research those few places wrt access to lifts/pubs etc and decide. I find that they are usually honest enough about it.
Is the price difference between Nice and Geneva that large? Flying to Nice does restrict you to the Southern Alps. I guess if I was just going for one week in the year and snow was the priority I'd be looking more at the big resorts up near Grenoble/Geneva or places like Cervinia (easily accessable from Milan, high with glacier and connected to Zeramatt I can recommend a decent and cheap accommodation there in the center of the town run by a nice old woman. When I booked there she didnt even ask for a credit card or deposit http://www.aparthotel.it/pagineeng/indexeng.html )
Anyways hope this helps
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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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Being on the Isle of Man means we have an extra flight to get to the UK airport, so yes there is a marked difference in cost, at this time. We can get to Nice for approx £90 from IOM at the moment but Geneva is £180ish. Also flight times have to marry up. This Jan (2004) we went on the Friday to Geneva and stayed overnight, it worked out cheaper and much better as we were on the slopes in pm.
PG I e-mailed Christine and she gave me the web address, which as you have noticed is not geared up for winter yet.
Anyway thanks for the info I will check out the various sites you have given and report back.
I've had an idea that maybe the 7 of us could go to one of the southern resorts like Sauze or Pra Loup and then the boys could go again after Easter to a higher resort. That would be a result.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Michael B, I'm not sure that there's a coach service from Nice to Barcelonette (from where there are local buses or taxis to Sauze and/or Pra Loup). There probably is, although the trip would be around 3 hours.
There's a Saturday coach service from Nice airport to Allos (La Foux and Seignus) and you can get a train/bus combination from Nice to Allos every day.
You wouldn't gain any extra snow cover by going the few miles north to Sauze and going to any resorts further north than that (Orcieres/Merlette or Vars) would make your journey massive.
The chalet's still available  but there are plenty of apartments for rent in Seignus and La Foux. There are also a couple of self-catering chalets available - the Tourist Office ( info@valdallos.com ) will have details of these.
Some of the hotels in La Foux and Seignus do a hotel/lift pass deal on certain weeks - see www.valdallos.com
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