 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Everyone, first time here and virgin skier so please be gentle 
We're a group of 10, 5 adults & 5 children (ranging from 3 - 16) trying to plan a skiing Christmas holiday for 2008. Most of us are complete beginners but a couple are intermediates. I've done loads and loads of research and now am going crazy. I think I've narrowed it down to either Courchevel 1650 or La Tania but coudl really do with some advice. One of teh party went to Alpe D'huez last year and wants to go back there but to be honest I'd prefer somewhere with a bit more charm. Main priorities... snow, alpine charm, family friendly, and enough bars and restaurants to keep the ones without toddlers amused. We are looking at a catered chalet so the food is mainly taken care of, it's just that we want to be able to go for a drink and a bit of atmosphere in the evenings.
Please, please let me know your thoughts or any ither sugesstions.
Many thanks - Julia
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jdlaydee, I've stayed in Courchevel 1650 twice and loved it. It's a small place and some nice restuarants. Not sure about the bars as we never went drinking. Most accommodation is near to the slopes but will require a short walk or a short ride on the free ski bus to the main Ariondaz lift.
Both times we've skied to La Tania and love the blue run down to it. Although smaller (I think) than Courchevel 1650 it's generally more modern as it was originally built for the 1992 Winter Olympics but there are some really nice chalets that are ski in/out and I think the accommodation prices are better than Courchevel 1650. If we weren't going to the Dolomites this year we may have gone to La Tania.
Check out the Ski Beat website, http://www.skibeat.co.uk, for some idea of where their chalets are. I think there are plenty of other independent tour operators offering chalets in this area as well.
If you prefer Courchevel 1650 then I used this company, http://www.courchevelskichalets.co.uk/, in 2006 to go there. It was actually a SkiWorld chalet but the price was the same.
I learnt to ski in Courchevel 1650 with ESF. We had a great instructor who is still there I think (Roland Duval) but what made it good was that the ESF ski school in 1650 did an offer for beginners that gives you a lift pass for the whole Courchevel area for free! I've just checked and they still do it. See http://www.esfcourchevel1650.com/en/all-in-one/beginner/ There's no reason to believe that they wouldn't do this next season as it was 2003 when I learnt. There is a good beginners green run called Mickey and a more challenging green run next to it called Belvedere that you would progress to. We also we taken up the Ariondaz gondola to a beginners area near the top of the lift that had a short green piste with a conveyor belt next to it, that you used to return to the top of this short run each time you reached the bottom. They had us snowplowing around cones on this run, to practice our turns.
I can't comment on the lessons in La Tania but it looked a nice but smaller nursery area for beginners when I was there.
Either resort will be good for the intermediates but I think there is a lot more skiing around 1650 and it's also a bit quieter than elsewhere as it's at the end of the Three Valleys. La Tania is at the the other end of the Courchevel valley and is therefore next to Meribel, so if anyone has a Three Valleys lift pass they will be able to venture over into a another valley more easily.
Hope this helps
Any more questions let me know
Andy
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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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Many thanks for all your informations Andy - really appreciated. I think from your comments I'm veering more towards Courchevel. One thing that's worrying me in general though is the snow! Is there a risk that as we are going at Christmas, there won't be much snow??
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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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For the Christmas just passed both resorts had excellent snow but I think last year was a different story. As 1650 is well at "1650" metres above sea level as opposed to La Tania at 1300m I think, then I'd suggest 1650 may be better. Both have good snow making. You can always get the free bus to 1850 from either resort if the snow is less than good. Snow anywhere for Christmas is sometimes variable and not always guaranteed.
Look at the snow history for 1650 on the Igluski web site http://www.igluski.com/viewsnowhistory.cfm?rid=90269&from=snowreport
If I had never been to either, then on balance I would go with 1650 as it's a brilliant introduction for people new to skiing.
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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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jdlaydee, I'd agree with pokemon. Frankly, snow at Christmas is a bit iffy almost anywhere, but especially anywhere with anything approaching "alpine charm" (ie not at the top of a bleak and treeless plateau....). But 1850 is only a short busride - and there are excellent ski schools available. e.g. New Generation. I know where you're coming from; I'm trying to arrange a Christmas party for 2008 too! Make ski lessons your top priority - the quality, and enjoyment, of your tuition will make or break not just this holiday but your entire skiing career... You could do worse than contact the ski school and ask what they can do for your mixed party of beginners, and which would be the better base. The logistics of having children in ski school, the same time as adults, is not always easy to arrange. If you go with Le Ski they have an arrangement with New Gen, or they did when we went there, albeit that was 2002. That year (early January) snow was rubbish most places, but 1650 had the best snow in the entire 3V, including Val Thorens which was, at the time, very stony. We didn't ski down anywhere below 1650, given the conditions.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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jdlaydee, I have to agree with pam w, about the quality of the lessons. Although we had a very good first experience with ESF, New Generation are better and we have used them for clinics and private lessons since. It's just that you got a £120ish lift pass for free on the all-in-one package.
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Thanks everybody for your help. I've been looking at the various ski schools etc but am having trouble working out what will be best for my £ and a half year old. Any advise, ideally I'd like a free half day per day where she's either in creche or ski kindergarden type thing.
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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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jdlaydee, welcome to snowHeads 
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Thanks everybody - although still undecided! I've had quotes from ski beats & silver ski for La Tania and found a nice looking chalet Clarines D'or in Courchevel 1650. Anybody anything to share on these??
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sorry .. forgot to say - had a great deal from Skivolution in Chalet Murettes or Orchis. Anyone any experience of these?
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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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Have you looked at Esprit http://www.esprit-holidays.co.uk/ We have found them really good for the kids in the past. Similar set up to ski beat I think...Can;t comment on Courchevel or La tania as I've not actually stayed in either, but at christmas I'd be heading for the higher resorts.
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