 Poster: A snowHead
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Help wanted, never been to europe let alone skied in europe, will be in France around first week in February 2009. Have a week (& a few days if I can get the reluctant sometimes ski partner to have fun). Saw that Brides was at the bottom of the 3 valleys, so "other" activities may help ss partner enjoy. Will have a hire car.
Is this a good option, looks easy enough access to slopes (we usually ski perisher here in Oz)?
Any help with accommodations etc much appreciated. There will 3 of us, 2 X fanatics & 1 X SS partner.
Thanks
Steve
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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8250006, You can also park for free in the area opposite the ice rink and in the Coach park..
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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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You can also drive upto Merible Village, just before Maribel turn left towards La Tania and go about a quarter mile and turn right. There is a big free car park there by the lift for the Le Pan run with comes down from the Altiport. Plus the free buses from Meribel go there all day upto 8 or 9 pm.
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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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8250006, hi Steve, welcome to Snowheads. Firstly, no worries about first week of Feb as being French holiday time. As far as I know the French holidays start second week of Feb so you'll be alright. By the way unless you didn't know already French holiday time in big resorts like the Three Valleys=mayhem and ultra busy so if at all possible go out of that time which you are anyway, so cool.
I've stayed in Brides Les Bains once before in February actually, and I wouldn't stay there again.....I'm going to Meribel again next season and this time I've opted for staying in Meribel centre as in Meribel 1450 if you look on a piste map. Here is a link one for the Three Valleys if you've not seen one before:-
http://www.latania.co.uk/skiing/maps/Full3V.pdf (915kB PDF)
Brides Les Bains is nice enough I guess, it has a few restaurants and shops, a spa (I think) but as a base I do think with your non skiing partner and ski fanatic mate you'd be best off in Meribel itself somewhere as others have aluded to, either Meribel 1450 or Meribel Mottaret perhaps but there are other choices too. The gondola ride up from Brides Les Bains to Meribel itself, is very long, they say it's 25-30 minutes but I clocked it as more like 35 minutes and then you have got the walk down/ski-still have to walk a bit down even if skiing to the Chaudanne area (this is the main bit in Meribel 1450 where all the lifts run out of) so realistically you are talking a good 40 minutes each morning and each afternoon when you go back unless you drive up and park in Meribel 1450 as others have suggested. I'm not sure how long it takes by car mind you as haven't done it, but I reckon it's quicker than the gondola ride up, but then by time you've parked etc, walked up to the ski area etc who knows? The last gondola down if you leave the car at home to have a beer at the end of the day is at 5.00pm at that time of year so you need to take that into consideration as well.
If I was you coming all the way from Australia (presumably) and coming to Europe for the first time and Skiing in Europe also for the first time then you need to be much more central, particularly if you and the other one are really keen skiers, there is much more in Meribel itself for your non-skiing partner as well. Plenty of shops, ice rink, etc but also there is no better place for your partner to get into skiing a bit more. The snow should be in full swing that time of year and the slopes should be relatively quiet as it is not a holiday time for the UK or France that week. There are lots of English speaking ski schools which are highly rated nearby, that might help things along a bit  if you want recommendations for this then ask.
You could also consider other parts of the Three Valleys as well for example, Val Thorens, Courchevel, others will be able to advise what these places are like for non skiers, probably Meribel would be your best bet though IMO. Also I recommend looking on http://www.maddogski.com if you haven't done so already there is lots of info on there about Meribel/Three Valleys and their guides are really good, £7 each I think they are.
Also-check out www.welove2ski.com again lots of info on here too. If there is anything else you'd like to know then ask. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'd agree with others. I stayed in BlB three years ago and whilst it's a nice enough little village with a good spa, the gondola ride is a real pain, especially at the end of the day. With the last gondola being at 17:00, you really have to be in the queue around 16:30 to make sure of catching it which means you can't take the last lift up the mountain and you effectively lose 1:30 hours of skiing every day (half an hour in the morning, an hour in the afternoon). If the non skier wants to check out the spa, they could always take the gondola down one day, rather than you and the other skier taking it up the hill every day! Having said that, if you're not normally up for first lifts and out skiing until they close, it might not matter as much. I did quite like eating breakfast in the gondola every morning.
The spa is pretty much the only thing in Brides les Bains and it's meant to be some sort of health spa town so all the restaurants have a "healthy" menu as well as anything normal. You'll be sharing with lots of fat french women eating thin soups and natural yoghurt. Not exactly my idea of Apres ski!  There are a few bars and a casino IIRC but the apres ski is not on the same scale as in one of the "proper" resorts up the mountain.
It is quite a good place to go for a romantic holiday with a non-skiing partner (why I was there) but if skiing is mainly what you're there for, go higher up.
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8250006, Welcome to Snow Heads I did consider Brides les Bains a couple of years ago, as an entree to the 3 Valleys at an OK price. I rejected it when I learnt about the gondola every day. When I looked into it, it seemed as though it was around 40 minutes each way, rather than the 30 mins others advise, but either way too long for me.
There are other places in the 3 Valleys which are less expensive than Meribel or Courchevel, such as La Tania, and if the spa town is appealing to you, there are resorts in the French Pyrenees which offer these thermal waters. Much depends on your budget, when you plan to arrive (to avoid French holidays and then UK holidays, you need to do w/c 31/1 or then 2nd or 3rd week of March), what kind of skiing you need etc
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Anniepen, 8250006, yeah Anniepen you made the right choice there because the gondola journey is a good 30 minutes probably more like 35 minutes, in the cabine and that's excluding the queue up the steps in the morning to the gondola and (wasn't too bad considering even in French holiday time last year-probably about 5-10 minutes for first gondola up) and then there is the walk/faff/ski to actually get to the Chaudanne area.
If you walk (sometimes the track you can ski down from Olympe 3 can get a bit cut up from people's boots walking it instead them going round the other way and down the steps like they're meant to if on foot) and the path is quite narrow further down so less experienced skiers would find it a bit tricky meandering through the people walking down in their boots, there's not very much room in places. The queue in the evening for the last gondola down is pretty long, I packed in apres ski early about 4.15pm and got down before the queues started but even then I would still queue to get on it for 15-20 mins  , there is a very nice vin chaud shack at the bottom round the corner mind you which was lovely!! Plum spot for a good vin chaud shack! 
'Course as well as all that you've got the walk from your accomodation to the gondola station every morning too, our was just round the corner so very well located compared to some, however even so it would still take a good 5 minutes or so to walk round (up a hill) with ski boots on and carrying the skis etc. There are lockers at the bottom station to store your skis and boots for a charge and I would leave my skis in there to save carrying them but boots would not get dry in the box thing overnight, so I used to take mine back. They would have been rank leaving them in there every night for a week so that was not much good. Our group didn't try the spa but like others have said, it's better if the non skiing person jumps in the gondola one day down to BLB if they so desire to use said spa instead of the lot of you staying down there.
You may be wondering why I booked the place to start with!  It wasn't even because it was cheap for 3 Valley standards (although for the time of year it might have been I suppose-I didn't compare like for like TBH), it was a Speedbreaks holiday me and some friends went on in a big group to see what it was like, and it was that week or nothing that was offered for 3V (I would normally avoid French holidays but also I hadn't been at that time before to see for myself just how cusy it gets) so we went and thought we would give it a try, we knew that the gondola journey was so say 25 minutes-but you don't know how much ski time you actually lose with all the faffing about with the walking and queuing until you get there do you! I reckon all in all with the walking etc from the door of our accomodation say at 8.15am to actually getting to the Chaudanne where you could actually get on a lift to go ski somewhere it was about 9.15am-9.30am depending on the queue. Same coming back down so that's 2 hours a day of ski time lost at least. Never again!
Interestingly enough, I've booked my own trip this time for Jan staying in the actual Chaudanne area of Meribel itself and it's substantially less than what I paid for the Speedbreaks holiday like for like with own room ensuite and catered so it's not as if it's a difference there accomodation wise. Not as busy time of year mind you and as we all know, Jan is a cheap month to go but still...when you consider the difference in location I'm chuffed with that. You live and learn eh.
8250006, as you will see from the piste map I linked you to, there are oodles of places in the 3 Valleys you could stay in, La Tania is one like Anniepen mentions that shouldn't be as expensive as Meribel or Courchevel 1850 certainly. If you want shops and stuff and the skiing all on your doorstep though then Meribel would be a good choice certainly.
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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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Many thanks for all the suggestions and the quick replys,, will move further up the hill to Meribel. You are right, more time sking beats a lift line!
was trying to balance the need to have some "cultural" activities for the sometimes skier, the gondola down to Brides will be a good day activity.
we live in Sydney Australia, usually ski Perisher, a quick 6 hour drive so kinda used to that and lift lines etc.
Great season this year here, some of the best snow even though there wasn't lots, skied parts of Perisher that would normally avoid because it was good and easy and fun to play in the powder conditions.
looking forward to this trip, picking up daughter in Paris after her student exchange was too good an excuse to pass up. Any tips on accommodation, rentals, (won't take skis but will bring my boots!) greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Steve
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I agree that you would regret all that travel time. If you wanted to compromise and go to a real, old French village rather than a purpose built ski resort, but be right in the ski area you could consider St Martin de Belleville. It is at the bottom of the Val Thorens skiing. The lifts take you easily into the next valley for the Meribel skiing. It has three Michelin listed restaurants too (one with a star). Your partner could drive around from there if she wanted to (but you'd need to investigate parking).
By the way I was once able to ski down to Brides, but that was with very exceptional snowfalls which closed most of the mountain because of avalanche danger.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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8250006, Have sent you a pm
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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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Excellent info, thanks!
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8250006, have sent you PM
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