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First ski trip - Morzine good choice? Alternatives?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi

Really enjoy the forum, it is a excellent source of information for a complete novice like myself.
I am currently trying to arrange the family's first ever skiing holiday and would appreciate any advice or views. As we have two young kids (4 and 6) we have to travel in the school holidays, so this really means Easter (21st March - 7th April).
The key considerations were:

- Not expensive (hoping for £1000 for flights/accommodation) - so I have been looking at doing DIY
- Things to do in the resort apart from skiing (in case the kids really don't like it)
- Short transfer time (due to kids again)
- A good chance of good snow on the beginner slopes
- Good lessons (probably go for private tuition so we can all have 1 instructor)

I have spent a fair bit of time looking for somewhere that might achieve this, and Morzine seemed to be a contender.
I can get cheapish flights to Geneva, transfer time is ok, and there seems to be a lot of apartments advertised online (eg Chalets direct) that have availability for around £600 for a week.

The thing I'm not sure about is if it is a good resort for beginners, will it have good snow in late March (is it high enough?), and if there is much else to do for the kids apart from ski?

If anyone has any views on this it would be much appreciated. Or if anyone knows of a better place for a first ski holiday that fits the bill I would love to know.

Also, does anyone know of any other websites apart from chaletsdirect.com where private owners advertise their accommodation.

Thanks

Chris & Jo
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Welcome to snowHeads C&J. snowHead

I spent a week in Morzine a couple of years ago. My trip report is here.

I enjoyed it, and being as it is a 'proper' town, there is probably plenty to do away from the slopes (but I didn't look, so can't tell - I skied, ate, drank a tiny bit, and slept...)

Snow... Morzine is quite low at village level which can be problematic. However, the main learner terrain is towards the top of the mountain (at the top of the Pleney bubble lift). Plus, you also have the fall back of going up the bubble lift on the other side to head up to Avoriaz (which will almost certainly be a reliable safety net) - if you're going for privates I doubt the instructor will mind hitting whichever of the two areas is best.

There is also a British ski school in Morzine (and Avoriaz) which I would probably recommend for first timers (without wishing to start the old BASS v ESF debate), however, they are more expensive than the ESF.
British Ski School - Morzine / British Ski School - Avoriaz
Having just recommended a British Ski School, I am going to back-track slightly because, if you do go for privates, you can make sure the ESF provide an excellent English speaking instructor which would negate virtually all negatives of using the ESF (you'll probably never stop them smoking like a steam train though...)

Unfortunately I can't do my usual, lazy piece of advice giving and suggest Soldeu in Andorra, because, frankly, there's sod all apart from the skiing and the spa...
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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?
jomax, At that time of the year I would go up to Avoriaz. Not as pretty as Morzine but you have doorstep skiing. You should be ok with the budget too. We are out there on the 5th April for a week, it is always nice to finish off the season with a blast around the slopes.

Have fun jomax, and welcome to snowHead 's
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jomax, welcome to Snowheads. I agree that Morzine might be a bit low - with little kids, it's nice to be able to ski right near your apartment and not drag them round. You might find that instructors are a little reluctant to teach such little ones and adults together - learning styles are very different - but if it's private, you can maybe call the tune! I agree that BASS is good. They are expensive, but for your kids, the quality of their first experience is absolutely vital.

Avoriaz would be better. I don't think you need worry about a resort with "facilities". Because if the kids don't like skiing, the things you'll want will be nearby snow to play in, build snowmen, do a little gentle tobogganning. One possibility is swimming, I suppose, and some resorts/apartments have indoor pools. What more could a 4 year old want??

One suggestion you might consider is our resort of Les Saisies. One and a half hour drive from Geneva. I have no interest in flogging holidays here - our apartment will be fully occupied (by us!) at that point. Even last year, a poor one for snow, the skiing was still good in late March - the village centre is at 1650. Plenty of gentle, encouraging, skiing right in the middle of the village, and a little toboggan area for kids too. However, you would need private lessons as group ones are all in French - it's a very French resort. There are two apartment complexes with pools - available through Erna Low. Also lots of cheaper ones without - certainly less than £600, I should think. There's quite a bit on Snowheads about Les Saisies if you do a search. There are some very good instructors who speak adequate English.

Another one to look at is Flaine. Again, not a lot of adult non skiers, but plenty of very convenient apartments and a good snow record.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks for all the advice so far, I am going to investigate the higher resorts you mention.
I guess the best approach is to book flights now as they won't get any cheaper and then look for accommodation.
With the cheapo airlines it is a lot cheaper to book midweek flights rather than weekends. If I book midweek, from peoples experiences are there plenty of indpendent chalets that offer non weekend start dates?
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Quote:

If I book midweek, from peoples experiences are there plenty of indpendent chalets that offer non weekend start dates?
No, unfortunately. There are some - but I wouldn't book flights mid week without having found the accommodation first.
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Agree with pam w here, unless you're going Sat-Sat, get the accommodation sorted first.

Flaine will probably have great snow, but be warned, it is ugly, think Slough on snow.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Yes, it is ugly, and it doesn't have any better snow than Les Saisies. But it has loads of English and English speaking instruction, and is an easy reach from Geneva. Avoriaz is pretty grim, too, though arguably preferable to Flaine. But if in search of the picturesque, Morzine isn't really where it's at either, and although it's a lively town for adults, what does it have for little kids that other places don't?
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jomax, Instead of Morzine you could try Les Gets. Snow is still an issue though, although has been okmfor the last few seasons. The village is better for smaller children than Morzine as it is flat (unlike Morzine which is built into a valley and therefore has hills to climb up). At that time of year you may get a good deal bu the French on the whole do not go at Easter. Why not take the kids out of school for a day either side to pick up a cheaper flight?
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jomax, I am afraid you will have to go Sat - Sat if you want an apartment in Avoriaz, and most other resorts at easter. chrisb, is right that Les Gets is a beautiful place but snow may be a problem at that time of the year. Be safe and head high. However forget about mid week for that week, we were booked up in October for that week the first week we could get out was the 5th April.

The onlyl places that advertise day by day is Bansko in Bulgaria, but is definately not ski in - ski out. The two I would go for is either Avoriaz or Les Saisies. With the little ones you have to go for convenience. Unless of course you enjoyed basic training!!
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jomax, have a look at ski amade. It's around 1 hour from Salzburg and has a lot of variety. We used the ski school in Alpendorf and they were great with a school group.
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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.
I am a big fan of Flaine and it might by ugly but it is ugly in an interesting way...(Corbusier, Picasso etc). Also - the mountain scenery is superb and an intended consequence of using concrete (max 5 stories) is that you can't see the resort once you get more than about 800m away. Its amazing how it blends in.

The first surprise about Flaine is that it is really quite small - 2 streets really, parallel but about 100m difference in height (linked by lifts). It is very child safe - no through traffic at all and just the odd delivery van and bus. Much smaller than Avoriaz which is its nearest comparable, rather than the lower resorts of Morzine and Les Gets in Portes de Soleil (which comapre with the the other Grand Massif rsorts of Smaoens and Morillon)

Tuition is very English orientated and I think its snow record is much better than Portes de Soleil - even around Avoriaz.

The skiing is superb - on and off piste and most can make it down from the top of the mountain (via blues) by the middle of the week - and the view from the top of the Grand Platieres cable car is one of the best in the Alps - it even has a Green run next to the top that you can play on and still get the cable car back down if you're not happy bringing the children down on the blues.

Non skiing is limited to an ice rink, a pool and a cinema that shows films in english once per week - but if the kids don't like the snow you'll be in trouble wherever, I think.

Finally, the Pierre et Vacances apartments Residence de Foret are 1 min from the upper nursey slopes and 5 mins from the lower ones - refurbed last year and are as nice as any budget apartments I've seen in France at least.

Good luck - but if you don't like Flaine it can only be because you love chocalate box villages or the family don't take to skiing and that would be a problem anywhere, methinks. wink

Oh and its 75mins from Geneva....

snowHead
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Oh - and another thing....

We went Easter last year (07) after a rubbish winter and still had a reasonable week's snow in April...(though the nursery slope was a bit of a paddling pool by the end of the week BUT Easter is a couple of weeks earlier this year and last year was really really warm and wet as everyone knows...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thanks for all the advice. I've taken some of it and booked flights for sat-sat (29th March - 5th April) as this will give us more choice in the accomodation.

I have also narrowed the resorts down to either Les Saisies, Flaine or Les Carroz. I get the impression that both Les Saisies and Flaine would be fine for the beginner, but Flaine may be slightly better because of the lack of English ski tuition in Les Saisies? Anyone got any views on Les Carroz?

In Les Saisies there seem to be two nice apartment complexes - Le Village des Lapons and Le Hameau Beaufortain. Does anyone have experience of these, and which might be best located for the first time skier?

In Flaine the Pierre et Vacances apartments Residence de Foret look good, but has anyone been to the MGM Les Fermes du Soleil apartments at Les Carroz? How does Les Carroz compare to Flaine or Les Saisies?

Thanks for all the help so far, I'm slowly getting this holiday booked!

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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
jomax, Les Carroz over the other two by far. It is however lower than the other two, I also do not know much about lessons there. It is a good link to the Grand Massif area. Being late in the season is the problem, I have not skied there at that time of the year, but it is a beautiful place.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
jomax,

Took my family to Flaine Easter 07 and we are going back Easter 08.

Les Carroz is (a lower) part of the Grand Massif area (Flaine being the main, upper area). Samoens and Morrillion are also lower parts of this area. Our bus transfer went through Les Carroz and its seemed like a nice, pretty village whereas Flaine is dog ugly.

I'd agree with kewhoward about the snow record being better for Flaine and at that time of year this should be a big consideration - at Easter 07 there was a distinct lack of snow lower down (Samoens, Les Carroz) whereas up in the main Flaine bowl the snow held up really well.

I'd say for beginers the ski-ing is hard to beat at Flaine - the Architecture is awful with a capital A but this doesn't matter to me when the ski-ing is so good there !
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
jomax, the two MGM apartments you mention in Les Saisies are both very high standard. The Village des Lapons is much better placed for beginners, easy walk to the ski school meeting place, or to everything else in the village. From the Hameau du Beaufortain you can ski down a very gentle slope to the village, but that's not possible for beginners for a couple of days. It's far too far to walk from the Hameau into Les Saisies, you need a car, though there are regular (but not terribly frequent) free ski buses.

I am not sure on what criteria Roy Hockley reckons Les Carroz is much superior to Flaine or Les Saisies. I agree with the other posters who have sung the praises of Flaine. In Les Carroz, that late, there could well be very little snow on the ground, and the kids do love to just potter and dig in the snow. It's also great to be able to go right up the top of the cable car, which does indeed have stupendous views, and all have a play on a nice short easy green run, then down in the gondola again. From Les Carroz it would be an impossible journey on skis for beginners, you'd have to drive up and park. It's a little hike from the car park to the slopes, and even a little hike is a big one with kids and skis. Many people staying in Les Carroz late in the season will go up to the main Flaine bowl to ski anyway.

The only reason to base yourself at Les Carroz is that it is a prettier place. But it's not that pretty once the snow is disappearing, and if you want something more "traditional" than Flaine's concrete blocks, Les Saisies would fit the bill. It is no good at all for non French speakers wanting group lessons, but if you were going private anyway, that wouldn't be a problem. It is not a super traditional picturesque village (there was nothing up at 1650m before the station was developed in the '70s) but it's certainly at least as nice as Les Carroz, and more compact and accessible. The scenery is superlative. One snag for beginners is there are no gondolas. But you will soon master chairlifts.

I have only done days skiing in Flaine so I can't comment on the accommodation at all. The two MGM residences you have spotted in Les Saisies both have pools, which is a nice extra to have with kids. There are no doubt places with pools in Flaine, too.

Your approach to tuition might decide this dilemma - it might be worth posting on the BZN section about having lessons "en famille". There are a number of experienced instructors who might be able to advise you. From the instruction point of view you would probably have more scope in Flaine than in Les Saisies, because it's so much bigger. I haven't heard any recommendations on instructors or ski schools there, though we could point you in the right direction in Les Saisies.
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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?
Thanks PamW and others for comments.

Pam W - Do you happen to have any contact details for english speaking instructors in Les Saisies? I have been on to the Les Saisies website and there are a couple of instructors advertising, but they do not state that they speak english.

I think our preference is now for the Village des Lapons, if we can try and arrange some suitable tuition.
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jomax, I would go for the Glisse Passion international ski school - there is a link to their site on the Les Saisies website. If you decide to go down that route I can strongly recommend Stephane, who speaks enough English and is a lovely guy. However, I do suggest that you get some advice from Snowheads' instructors about all learning together.

There is a free rope tow in the village, which you could all practice on outside lessons, though unless your kids are fast learners it won't be that easy for you to get them up the slope. I had some sessions on it last year with 5 year old beginners and I have to say I found it very hard work - and I'm an experienced skier. I don't want to dissuade you from going to Les Saisies, far from it, but in Flaine you would at least have some fall back - for example to go into a group lesson, or to have the kids in an English speaking "ski kindergarten", where they could play a bit, ski a bit, and have other English kids around.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
pam w, It is more chocolate box! I did acknowledge that being a little lower than Flaine and les Saisies, the snow would be better.
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Roy Hockley, actually, I wouldn't claim that either Les Carroz or Les Saisies is "chocolate box" but they're pleasant, low rise, compared to Flaine and pretty in the snow.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
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I think they are pretty villages, may not be Grindelwald but still attractive.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
jomax, We skied Les Saisies at Easter last year. My wife and two teenage sons all had group ( adult ) lessons with English speaking ESF instructors. I think the ESF at Les Saisies are providing more English speaking instructors as the number of English visitors increases at the resort. My wife had two different ESF instructors, Alexander and his brother ( always wore a white hat but we can't remember his name ) who both spoke excellent English. Les Saisies is great for beginners as most areas of the resort can be explored on green and easy blues. My wife is a "timid" beginner and loves the place compared to other reorts I have taken her to ( like last week! ). In fact we are going back this Easter to stay in exactly the same appartment in the Village des Lapons with two other families of beginners. Booked appartment locally via Agence du Grand Mont ( link on TO web site ). If you want any more info on Les Saisies just ask.
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Way too late on this, but I'm surprised that no one has suggested taking the kids out of school - they are only 4 & 6, hardy going to miss anything too important - it would have opened up a fair few other options.

Having said that, there's a lot to be said for late season skiing with small kids.
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