 Poster: A snowHead
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We're booking for half term feb 08 and have found this resort of les collons/thyon but also thinking of Morzine in France. What are the pros and cons?
We really dislike crowds and queues and thought Thyon might be less crowded. any suggestions?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ruthie,
I cannot tell you what they are like at half term but the lift system in that part of the 4 Vallees is fairly elderly and may not cope with a busy period. Personally I find Eastern Switzerland / Austria are quieter at half term than France in my experience.
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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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ok i see however we have booked flights to Geneva so looking for somewhere nearer there really. Open to any other suggestions - just worried about the altitude of some the french resorts near Geneva.
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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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ruthie - altitude won't be an issue at half term.
There's no escaping it - Morzine will be busy at half term. But I'm not sure that anywhere will be "quiet".
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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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ruthie, La Rosiere has a reputation on  's for being quieter than most at half term and La Thuile with which it shares an area is quieter sitll and only just through the Mont Blanc tunnel you could try there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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PhillipStanton, if we go for Morzine is it best to in town centre of out near the Nyon lift?
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ruthie - go for the centre of town - Nyon is a bit out on a limb. It's fine if you know what you're doing / where you're going - but not unless you've seen the place.
Drop snowandtrek a line - she's got chalets and apartments in Morzine.
If you want to avoid the worst of the morning queues then the smart thing to do would be to take a car and drive up to Ardent each morning. It'll also give you the option of driving up to St Jean d'Aulp - which is small, but relatively quiet.
Anyway, snowandtrek knows the ropes and will be able to sort you out.
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ruthie, seconding PhillipStanton. The accom near Nyon is rather a hike from town. You could try Dean and Rachel at www.mountainhighs.co.uk or Gordie and Michelle at www.chezmichellemorzine.eu.
Does half term coincide ( I expect it will) with the french school hols? Well it does but not with the Parisiens. That may be a good thing. http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid184/le-calendrier-scolaire.html?zone=9&annee=3
One thought, a similar length drive, excepting delays if the Mont Blanc is busy would be any of the Aoste resorts. We reckon Champoluc, say, to be much more immune to the lemming like French hordes. Pila, Cervinia, etc. all worth a thought. GVA to Champoluc when the tunnel is "fluide" a relatively easy 2 1/2 hours.
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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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ruthie,
Have just completed on an apartment in Les Collons, Although we bought blind so although I have not skied there I would like to comment however I could be seen as very biased .
The resort is split into the Village of La Masse at 1500 with a chair up into Thyon. I feel if it was me I would try for Less Collons main village which is essentially split into three small areas at 1800,1850,and 1900. There is a high speed Quad from 1800, and T bars from 1850 and 1900, that all link to Thyon at 2100 from there you can link into the main 4 vallees. One thing I have been told is that the links are not as easy as the 3V or PDS but someone with more experience of the 4V may be able to give us both more info on that.
There is a free ski bus that links the whole resort and I would say from my experience that a 2 hour transfer from Geneva is about right. The resort is quiet but there are more than a few very good restaurants and the views from the Cambeuse are spetacular.http://www.lacambuse.ch/ .I stayed there once as well on an inspection trip and found them very welcoming, have not looked at peak season prices though. I did one inspection trip early last December and they were skiing back to the village.
Talking with our agent the resort is most popular with Swiss, Dutch and Belgians and only a few Brits.
I have skied Morzine PDS a few times and am afraid it is not one of my favorites. I found Morzine very spread out and the lifts to the Supermorzine link and the Cable car up to Avoriaz a pain. The lifts out of Avoriaz can also clog up easily.Luckily at the time we had a very good hotel that would drop us at the Ardent gondola, for me the best entry point in to the circuit.
I have skied mud too often on the return to the Super Morzine bubble as well and also experienced a complete power failure of the lift system in Linderets, fortunately for us we were in the bar at the time but the piste back down to Ardent at the time was like the M25 on Friday afternoon.
Hope you have a great trip where ever you decide
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Morzine will be busy at half term. Ardent would be your quickest way up, but can be hectic coming down. Also, quite far from the "action" in town. I don't know Thyon so cannot comment, but the above seems pretty thorough..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ruthie, Les Collons is pretty quiet all the time and I'm sure will be at half term aswell. The lifts are a bit antiquated and there a lot of drags around but there is a lot of good skiing to be had but not much apres. It's best for beginners and early intermediates and the better skiers can head over towards Verbier for the good stuff. Good intermediates would probabaly be disappointed with the lack of opportunities to cover large distances cos of the poor lifts. It's a good place but different to the usual sort of place Brits go.
Gilberts Fridge, which building have you bought in ??
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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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ruthie, I have skied most of Les Collons and Thyon and reckon the area is very good. Half term in Switzerland is busy but nothing like France. Morzine is quite low but it has good access to Avoriaz via the cablecar with it its large ski-circus. Les Collons is very Swiss family orientated and popular with the local people from Sion, the canton capital of Valais. It depends on what you want Swiss charm with good ski-ing, or purpose built ski-ing with a great ski circus,
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I know Morzine and yes it can be busy in February, but it is possible to avoid most of the queues if you stay away from the obvious areas. Particularly avaoid the top of the Pleney lift and the beginers area there. I find taking the chairlift up from the bottom of the Avoriaz cable one of the best ways to avoid queues.
I can't comment on the other place.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thank you for all the advice. We have decided to book apartment in St Jean D Aulpes about 6km out of Morzine. It will be relatively quiet but near to Morzine if necessary and will take your advice about which lifts to go to in the morning. Still think Les Collons/Thyon will be worth a trip as the scenery looked spectacular and we're not much interested in apres and to be honest to get from Brits is always an advantage. The thing that put us off a bit, not sure about the truth of it however, was the twisty mountain road. As we would be driving a hire car we were slightly concerned about snow chains etc.
Also Hubby has invited friends to join us for part of the time and the access from Geneva Airport to St Jean is quick and easy for them.
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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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Hire from the Swiss side of Geneva airport. Chains are usually included (though not always, despite what you sometimes read on Snowheads). Check. Cars hired in Switzerland will also have winter tyres, but you must still carry chains or you might just get stopped by the police if roads are busy. Even to the main resorts (Morzine etc) you might need chains. It's not a black art, just have a practice somewhere quiet (and not snowy) before you have to do it in a snowstorm at the side of the road. There are plenty of threads about putting on snowchains, and lots of good advice. Make sure your visiting friends have a Swiss hire car with chains too! And look on the brightside - if you have to use them, it means the snow's good! In five seasons in the French alps I have noticed that Saturdays at half term tend to be very snowy, meaning the usual mayhem on the roads is worse. Not that I ever go anywhere near the roads on those four Saturdays.....
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, Thanks We intended to hire from Swiss side this year after debacle when hiring a few years ago when we had to abandon the french hire car on the swiss side as we couldnt find the access to airport! We are fortunate to have apartment hired mid week so will not have to face weekend traffic.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ruthie, If the snow is good, the Grand Turche in St Jean itself can be excellent for skiing although it looks tiny there are huge runs round the back. I think it does get very busy in the school holidays... but definately worth skiing there for one day of your trip at least.
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