 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there,
I'm looking for recommendations for ski resorts for a family of 2 adults and 4 kids. Only mum has skied before.
Here is what we are after :
1) French speaking (kids are going to French school in September)
2) cheapest possible for ski hire, lift passes, ski school
3) preferably self-catering cheap accommodation
4) good snow record in first week of January
5) northern Alps, as we are driving from Brussels
6) no need for night life, but would love the resort to have a swimming pool
7) no need to be a huge ski area, just enough to occupy us for a full week
 preferably somewhere the Brits do not go en masse
Does anyone have any idea? I have so far spotted Les Saisies, anything like that would be great
Thanks for any replies
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Crest Voland and associated resorts.
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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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With a car you should have no problems with cheap accommodation if you are willing to spend up to say 20 miuntes driving to a resort, as off-resort accommodation can be 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper than those in the resort. The area you can select accommodation is also much bigger as you can draw a circle of say 15km radius round any resort to look for accommodation inside.
Although I have never been Les Saisiers in Norte Dame de Bellecombe but have investigated its facilities and it appears to be a good choice for beginners. The area around Praz sur Arly, on N212 before you hit Norte Dame de Bellecome area if driving from Sallanches side, is a beginner area/resort, except it is rather low. You can accessible the Domain Evasion, comprising Megeve, St Gervais and Rcherbrune, from there though.
The deep end of Chamonix Valley is Le Tour/La Valmaine. It has a very flat and large beginner resort served by only a few drag lifts. It is ideal for a large group of first timers including adults, especially if you want to keep an eye on all of them. At 1500+m and deep inside the valley it has better snow than the lower beginner areas of Chamonix. It has only green and blue slopes.
The first winter Olympic was held in Chamonix so you can certain swim there or do a bit of skate or cross country skiing too. Should the group progress well you can try the other 8 resorts inside the valley to match your advancement in skill. If you stay in Le Tour/La Valmaine the ski pass will be very cheap because it is just a beginner haven with only drag lifts. Ski pass is only expensive if you want a big area, with gondola and cable cars to go up huge heights and a lot of facilities which are all unnecessary for beginners.
I don't know any self catering accommodation but I estimate you should be able to get affordable accommodation when you can have a whole valley to search for it.
Nearly every French resort will have beginner friendly zone and is potentially suitable. The above is good for starting one adult and 4 kid from scratch, even though Chamonix is a resort frequently associated the experienced skiers. If the family is able to cruise long green and blue slopes as a group then selecting a normal large resort would be more appropriate.
While staying in Chamonix we often find eating at the hypermarkets' cafeteria in Sallanches, 17 miles from Chamonix, a good substitute for cooking.
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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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wildnoon, welcome to Snowheads. Les Saisies fits all your criteria except resort swimming pool. There is some accommodation with a pool (Calgary Hotel, Village des Lapons, Hameau du Beaufortain) but they're obviously not gonna be the cheapest. Lift linked to Crest Voland - also an excellent place but beginners could not do the links between the two. The wider Espace Diamant, which includes Praz sur Arly (which is NOT just a beginner resort) also hits the buttons.
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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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wildnoon, welcome to snowHeads 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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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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thefatcontroller, Opening post point (5 
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 5-02-08 20:40; edited 1 time in total
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wildnoon, welcome to Snowheads.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Wildnoon,
The place that fits the bill , except item 5 I think, is Val Cenis. Have just returned from a trip (my first skiing) & cannot overstate how much the people ( locals + tourists) & the surroundings made such a fantastic holiday . Its is a great area for a first ( 2nd, 3rd & many more also) skiing trip, there are great beginner area's & also what appeared to me some very challenging ( bloody scary) reds+blacks etc. The area is pretty & the prices to eat/drink out very good value indeed..............hot vin rouge on the mountain at a little over 2 euros.........thats cheap in my book. The brits not on mass but not unknown either. Limited, but enough, nightlife; pretty sure there is a swimming pool but definatley has ice rink or two, huskey sledging, etc...
There are some very good self catering places available thru erna low/peak retreats etc.
One of the cheapest ski passes, ski school & anything else around
A great place, definatley recommended & I will be going back for sure.
Mitch
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Thanks for the great replies. They are much appreciated.
I have found a really cheap place in Val Cenis - Residhotel Residence Les Valmonts to Cenis - which is just perfect with a swimming pool and ski lift and ESF ski school 50 metres away. The appartment, ski school/nursery 2.5 hours a day for 5, ski hire for 5, lift passes all comes to just under €1200 for 6 days for all 6 of us in the first week of January 2009. There is only one downside and that is that it's rather more south than I would have preferred but the whole package is just so good that the extra driving should be worth it.
BTW yes we are in Dover but we shall have moved to Belgium by August, hence French speaking school.
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You know it makes sense.
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Try Samoens. Hotel Neige et roc. Samoens has one of the best nursery slopes I've seen, and good blues to progress to. Is genuinely French in Character. The Hotel has an appartment building behind it, which is substantially cheaper than the Hotel which is very good 3 star, to 4 star standard. You can have all your meals in the Hotel if you wish. Very short ski bus to a gondola up. The only disadvantage really, but the Gondola is new and quick. Massive area to ski, - is the 'Grand Massiff' area encompassing Flaine, Les Carroz, Morillon etc.
Oh the Hotal does have a pool (indoor of course)
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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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We stayed in Morillon last year, a small village higher up the mountain than Samoens which has several chairlifts and a nursery area and links directly into Flaine etc, but you really don't need to buy the whole area lift pass if you are beginners. We had three young kids on their first ski trip and the place was ideal, not many tourists, not too commercial. No swimming pool though.
Our apartment was a 4 bed, three bathroom, you could ski in and out and it was minutes from the, shops, restaurants, ski school etc.
I think it was around £900 for all of us (4 adults and 3 kids) for the week, (but that was school holiday time), the complex had a variety of smalller apartments too if you want something smaller. I'm sure you can rent cheaper if you rent from french owners......
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FAQ
Read the OP, there's a clue 
