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La Rosiere 1850 - any tips, advice or warnings?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I am still soldiering on with my mission to find our group a skiing holiday! I am so grateful for the advice I have received so far and in combination with others in the group, so far the ideas have been cast aside.

We are now looking at La Rosiere 1850 w/c 9th March- does anyone know

- what the transfer times are like from the airport?
- what the skiing is like for beginners?
- if it is particularly or not so particularly suitable for children? We are hoping to use the Esprit 'spritelets' childcare in the village for our 2 4-year olds and possibly the 3 year old.

Thanks in advance for any views!

Mirjam
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
double post


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Tue 15-01-08 10:42; edited 1 time in total
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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?
Mirjam, Lots of different threads on La Rosiere but not easy to find due to the mickey takers rolling eyes wink

Transfers are a pain. From GVA or Lyon you are looking at 3-3.5 hrs by transfer coach. 1 hr less from Chambery.

La Rosiere at that time of year is great for young kids. A very safe and quiet town that has no through road.

Skiing is good for beginners. The step from the learner slopes to the main chair is quite daunting, but once done it is worth it. The ski schools are IMHO excellent, with a gauranteed max number of 8 in a class in March.

25 of us going a fortnight after you snowHead

Downsides:
Can get windy at times
South facing slopes can get hit by the sun, but this is a bonus if you have kids as they like nice weather.
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The British-built (or is it American-built?) sewage system of La Rosiere is said to be one of the great symbols of the entente cordiale.


Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 15-01-08 10:44; edited 1 time in total
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
surely the snowtrain is the best way to get to La Rosiere. If you can afford it.
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I agree. Shirley the Snowtrain is hugely loved.
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David Goldsmith, Any more of them amd it will be " a large building with patients" for you my boy wink
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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!
I have always found the skiing to be most satisfactory in La Rosiere, but have never stayed there. Wide open, groomed pistes, and I would imagine that beginners would soon progress on to the mountain proper, where they will have no end of fun - even if they only take one chair and stay on the 'front' of the mountain.....(sorry, lift and piste names mean very little to me, as I have the memory of, what was it again, oh yes, a sieve)

As I say, I have never stayed there overnight, but it seems pretty quiet, but has got a couple of bars for the drinkers amongst you. Transfer wise, I would imagine it is as Frosty says about 3 hours-ish, so similar to transfers to Tignes or Val d'Isere, possibly Val Thorens etc...unless you are in a car, then take a good hour off (if you know where you are going and know where the loud pedal is in a LHD car!!)
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Ooh thanks for all of that. Do you mean the Eurostar Christopher? I'd love to have a go but I think with 3 young children and more importantly a baby it might be a bit of an arduous journey after the initial novelty has worn off.... If we fly to Chambery, would it be worth organising a private transfer instead of the TO's coach (we are looking at booking with igluski) to save time?

Mirjam
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recently stayed in la rosiere with esprit, most of their chalets are well located but check the brochures/website for exact locations as some are further out than others.

Transfer for us from chambery was 2 hours although we were told due to bad weather it would be nearer 3.
Our son was in spritelets with esprit and it was okay except that they had 17 spritelets on our week (more than normal I believe) and this meant 17 children out on the learner slope at any one time. Ratios were adhered too i.e 3 instructors and 3 snow rangers but it still seemed a bit chaotic. Having said that our son can now come down a green run using snow plough turns and use a poma, so he did learn a lot.

If I was going again I would check how many spritelets there was going to be in resort and assess from there. Also speaking to other esprit guest the level of service in the chalets was very variable and it wasn't always the most expensive chalets getting the better service

PM me if you want any more details
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Mirjam, I think for 4 yr olds then all you can expect to get out of the holiday, ski wise, is the same as fizz, got.

The max of 8 in lessons does not apply in February. You could get a private trannsfer, but if a coach is provided with Esprit, then why go to that vast expense?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Hi Fizz, thanks, I'll PM you in that case if you don't mind. Frosty - I thought if we got a private transfer it might be faster....?

We are not that bothered whether our 4 year olds get skiing really well (although that would be fab of course, we are only just off beginners ourselves) but more importantly we are really desperate to find somewhere they'll have a good time while we selfishly ski 2, maybe 3 hours a day).

Thanks!

Mirjam
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Get on the coach as early as possible and sit as near to the front as you can. Strongly suggest you take travel sickness tablets as even people who never normally get car sick were making good use of the sick bags provided, both going to and returning from the resort.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Mirjam, I have an axe to grind, we have a chalet in La Rosiere and we have avilability for w/c 9th March, you can find the details on www.tracksvacations.com., there are a few options for childcare and you don't have to go to the expense of Ski Espirit. There is a very good creche/nursery in the village Les Galopins which is associated with the ESF. There are now 2 les galopins locations, 1 in the village and 1 in Les Eucherts, slightly further away but still convenient. Galopins will take children from 18mths to 12 yrs and are fexible as AM or Pm or all day, they have their owwn snow garden but will tie in with ESF lessons, so you can leave your children there all day knowing they will be well looked after, fed and entertained. You can find all the details by clicking on the La Rosiere link on our website or by going to www.larosiere.net and clicking through to the ski schools link. Ski Espirit use Evo2 exclusively for lessons and at busy times classes can get rather large, they havel also sub-contracted to the ESF at peak times. All of the ski-schools in the village have good reputations, we have no hesitation in recommending any of thgem.
As Frosty the Snowman says La Rosiere is an excellent resort for beginners, it's also great for families and in March you'll get the benefit of the south facing slopes, we're having a fantastic season so far, there's masses of snow and more forecast. The transfer from Geneva does take about 3 hrs, Lyons is about 21/2 hrs and Chambery 2hrs, Geneva has the widest choice of flights so it's the airport we use.
From the experience of our guests with kids your children should have a great time and you'll be able to get the skiing you want. \you can eamil us at info@trcaksvacations.com if you've any more questions about La Rosiere.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Hi David and thanks truffaut (!) eek! I've already been halted by the group who say the transfer is too long. Sad But having read Truffaut's message I'm starting to think maybe they're right! Next resort to look into Courchevel. rolling eyes

Mirjam
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Mirjam, If your group is transfer time sensitive have a look here, but bear in mind tour ops transfer times may be slightly longer. Most resorts are going to involve a winding hairpin road at some point Toofy Grin
http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Geneva.html
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Courcheval is as long from Geneva as La Ros...look at flying into Chambery Smile
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
boredsurfin, BLIMEY do I wish I'd known about that link sooner!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much! And yes am looking at Chambery for Courcheval.

Mirjam
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Mirjam, I'm just waiting to be corrected for my winding road comment wink If my memory is correct Les Get isnt up a windy bit !
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LOL. Thanks for that. I think I've run out of ideas for our group in Les Gets for the w/c 8/9 March. We want a chalet to ourselves and childcare or an informal ski school type environment for part of the days for our 2 4 year olds and a 3 year old - all within walking distance from the slopes and/or lifts - and it just doesn't seem to be available anymore. We are asking a lot though at this point in time! I've learned so much from this search I'm considering becoming a specialist ski travel consultant!!! snowHead

Mirjam
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Mirjam, I would ignore those that whinge about transfer times. If you are going for a week why worry about an extra hour on a coach.
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Mirjam, Have a look at http://www.skiamis.com/ski/catered.htm I have no knowledge of them except I know a couple of their staff who do rate the company.
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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!
Frosty the Snowman, do you have children? If you have I apologise but whilst I myself would happily sit on a coach for 4 hours if it got me to a nice resort, the addition of 3 over-excited, over-travelled, whingy children one of whom has only just been potty trained can turn that 'only one more hour' into sheer hell, minute by minute. Evil or Very Mad

Admittedly, it all depends on how the journey has gone up til then, what time the day started etc but times that chance by 2 for the journey back too, and it really is worth looking into shorter transfers! Laughing

And thanks boredsurfin, that site looks great too, will have a browse....

Mirjam
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Mirjam, Resorts with 'short transfers' can seriously reduce your choice of resort, and as such, possibly reduce your holiday experience as a whole. You also run the risk of a multi drop transfer, which may involve being dropped off at a point and then waiting for a second bus trip up the hill. Whilst a royal PITA, these drops may give the opportunity for you to nip to the loo at various bus stations, train stations etc - all you need to do is make yourself known to the rep when you board, and be polite when requesting them. You'd be amazed how a little bit of courtesy goes a long way when dealing with transfer reps...
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Mirjam, I do, I have 2 boys, 16 months apart, that have knocked 7 bells out of each other from day 1. and we dragged them to Val D'Isere and La Plagne as babies/ young uns. They were fine on a coach. If you fly to Chambery then its only 2 hrs. The question is to find a resort that ticks the most boxes. You will struggle to find anywhere that ticks every box Very Happy

My kids learnt to ski in Kaprun. I wish I knew then what I know now, as somehere like La Rosiere would have been so much better.
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Mirjam, A snowhead called redrunmarcus does private transfers his website is here www.snofox.co.uk
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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.
Thanks Frosty the Snowman, I'm nearly convinced ( snowHead ) but also have to consider the other couple in the group who have a baby and want to keep it short. Then again, they reckon La Plagne is NOT a long transfer but Val d'Isere is which I am struggling to get my head around.

The way things are going now we are going to La Plagne with Crystal IF we can find somewhere our two 4 year olds can play or learn to ski that we are comfortable with - am currently considering Oxygene which was recommended on here. OR Courcheval with Esprit but that depends on whether the others in the group will be happy with the price. Confused

Guvnor, if they throw in a multi-drop transfer on top of a long transfer, I think I'd go and slit my wrists somewhere!

Mirjam
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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
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Mirjam, La Plagne is about the same transfer as La Rosiere. Tignes / Val d'Isere another 20/30 mins. The cost of EVERYTHING is significantly less in resorts such as La Rosiere when compared to La Plagne, 3 valleys, Espace Killy etc etc.

If considering La Plagne with kids then Mark Warner have a very handy spot in Plagne Centre, but again it is lots of wonga.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Mirjam, Remind your friends that the transfer can be influenced by many factors. To get to Val d'Isere Tignes and La Ros you have to get through Bourg St Maurice which can be at a standstill on transfer days. Whereas for La Plagne you turn off the N90 18km before BstM and go through Aime which can also be at a stanstill on transfer day but at least most of the traffic is going up to La Plagne. In the summer I can drive from Aime up to La Plagne Centre in around half an hour same journey in winter at miday midweek about 45 mins, transfer day stuck behind a line of coaches lorries etc with no oppurtunity to overtake an hour plus?
Obviously the earlier in the day your transfer the better for traffic unless it has snowed of course........ Toofy Grin
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Mirjam, surely the train is the best for children. They just get in their couchettes and sleep most of the journey - waking just before they arrive at Bourg St Maurice (just below La Rosierre) at just the right time for a days skiing. Then on the last day have a full days skiing and dinner and then get on the couchette again, tired and ready to sleep. You get 8 days skiing for 7 nights in the resort.

It is a bit expensive, unless you book in the first days after the tickets become available: then it is less than half the price. (But lnot so expensive anyway if you think of the 2 extra days skiing)
If you use Eurostar from St Pancras and then French trains from Paris you do have a short taxi ride in Paris to change station - or you can go on the British ski train and then you don't have to change - it avoids Paris (but I think it is slightly more and I don't know how booked up it will be).

No long waits at airports or long transfers - just sleep and ski.


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 15-01-08 14:30; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Mirjam, Another tip. Try and go with companies that do a Sunday transfer as the roads are dead and you get the wonderfully quiet Saturday on the slopes Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

they arrive at Bourg St Maurice (just below La Rosierre)

Laughing As the eagle flies Toofy Grin
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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?
Frosty the Snowman, Very good point Toofy Grin
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boredsurfin wrote:
Quote:

they arrive at Bourg St Maurice (just below La Rosierre)

Laughing As the eagle flies Toofy Grin
Yes, you can see it from accross the valley but it is a winding way up.
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snowball wrote:
Mirjam, surely the train is the best for children. They just get in their couchettes and sleep most of the journey - waking just before they arrive at Bourg St Maurice (just below La Rosierre) at just the right time for a days skiing. Then on the last day have a full days skiing and dinner and then get on the couchette again, tired and ready to sleep. You get 8 days skiing for 7 nights in the resort.

It is a bit expensive, unless you book in the first days after the tickets become available: then it is less than half the price. (But lnot so expensive anyway if you think of the 2 extra days skiing)
If you use Eurostar from St Pancras and then French trains from Paris you do have a short taxi ride in Paris to change station - or you can go on the British ski train and then you don't have to change - it avoids Paris (but I think it is slightly more and I don't know how booked up it will be).

No long waits at airports or long transfers - just sleep and ski.


I don't have kids, but I'd imagine the train is the worst option of all.. long long journey time and if you take the direct snow train, then it's uncomfortable and noisy..if you take the change in Paris option, then it's all the pfaff of change in paris.

IMHO for la ros, la plagne or any other of the tarentaise resorts then it's fly to chambery or drive yourselves, so you can take all the extra junk that parents seem to bring with the kids..

Personally (despite not having been myself) I'd go to La Ros and find an nice chalet nearish to lifts, fly to chambery and be done with it.
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Gosh you lot are obviously experts! Shocked That is really useful knowledge! Frosty the Snowman, Why is the cost of La Rosiere less than La Plagne? Is there something wrong with the resort? (David doesn't seem to think so! Very Happy ). boredsurfin, do you know what the journey to Courchevel would be like from Chambery, bearing in mind we would be transferring on a Sunday? My preference is going out to that holiday now....

snowball, the train journey itself sounds very suitable for children but all the bits at the start (getting to St Pancras is a 2.5 hour journey from where I live!!!) and the end would undo any benefits, I think.....

Mirjam
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Mirjam, Chambery to Courchevel. The first part from Chambery to Moutier is on Dual Carriageway so IF early ie prior to 4pm should be quite quick, once at Moutier the road is 2 way and serves other busy resorts like La Tania and Meribel and so is dependent on the weather and traffic volume on the day.
BTW have you looked at La Tania, I haven't been for a few years but went when our kids were young and had a great time. www.latania.co.uk for info.
Your query on cost is simple, LR small high resort. LP massive high ski domain. Toofy Grin


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 15-01-08 14:41; edited 1 time in total
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 brian
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Coaches, smoaches, hire a car !

Be treated like a brain dead sheep and sit about for hours waiting for the Gatwick flight ... or jump in a car and off you go ? The choice is yours wink
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Mirjam wrote:
Gosh you lot are obviously experts! Shocked That is really useful knowledge! Frosty the Snowman, Why is the cost of La Rosiere less than La Plagne? Is there something wrong with the resort? (David doesn't seem to think so! Very Happy ). boredsurfin, do you know what the journey to Courchevel would be like from Chambery, bearing in mind we would be transferring on a Sunday? My preference is going out to that holiday now....

snowball, the train journey itself sounds very suitable for children but all the bits at the start (getting to St Pancras is a 2.5 hour journey from where I live!!!) and the end would undo any benefits, I think.....

Mirjam


La Ros costs less as it's a less 'high profile' resort, once La Plagne rebranded itself as 'paradiski' then it gave them an opportunity to charge more. Generally the larger / higher and more 'high proile the domain' the more expensive

Travel time to courchevel will be similar to La Ros / Val D'Isers - you go through Bourg to get to all those resorts (IIRC)

If you're going to courchevel, then 1850 is better for beginnenr/progressing BUT will be MUCH more expensive than La Ros. 1650 is smaller and more compact than 1850, but note that some places are a good walk from the lift station, and some people (well my 69 year old monther learning to ski) found the top of the nursery run in 1650 a bit steep!

I still like the sound of car-free la Ros however..
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Mirjam, The cost of holidays, lessons, food, drink, lift passes, ski hire....in fact EVERYTHING is higher in the famous mega-resorts than in the less well known. Lift passes I can understand as the lift sytems are often better, the rest is down to supply and demand. I reckon as a family of 4 we save at £100 per person going to somewhere like La Rosiere over the mega resorts.
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