 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Brightside, I don't know Chamonix that well but we found Le Tour a good spot with my brother in law, who is pretty nervous. A bit of a hike up the valley though!
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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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1 - basschamonix.com are very good for a bit of private tuition I think. Le tour is the obvious place, or Les houches, but a nice progression is to get confidence on the greens at Flegere (la trappe) and then work your way over to Brevent on a nice series of blues. NB you can't get BACK to flegere without doing a big red, so maybe go down from Brevent. Nice for a sunny day, or if it's windy at le tour. Courmayeur is a great place for improvers as well, and nice for grandparents to browse in while you ski.
Off the slopes
http://www.chaletlaforet.com/chamonix/offtheslopes.html
and this is more for older kids but there's some stuff at the bottom that might be handy
http://www.chaletlaforet.com/winter/familyactivities.html
reading this I can see I need to update it a bit actually.
Flat walks on the valley floor are nice - make sure they have shoes that have good grips though. Footworks sell these things to grip onto normal shoes which are very good - like little studs. Snowshoeing is a lovely day out if they are active. You can hire child carriers from Snell if you don't have them. Tobogganing area is in the field by the ski de fond foyer. Biggest hit with our parents was the helicopter ride around mont blanc which is expensive but well worth the money - they were grinning ear to ear when they got out. Maybe a good treat to thank them 
chamonix-helico.fr i think
hope this helps!
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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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oh if you are by the train station and going to le tour, get the train to vallorcine and cross to le tour - much better
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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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We are doing the same for the second time, scince the first my dad, sister and nephew have all learnt to ski.
After arriving on the Sat we plan to go to Planards on the Sunday (Day pass is less than £15 and it's in the town so good incase of any accidents or arguments), it has a green, blue and red run and is a cracking little place to get the confidence up and for the grandparents to watch for free (even got my dad having his 1st ever go at the age of 65! Don't even consider Savoy, it's busy and very little to prepare you for the upper slopes!
Then as has been suggested the greens up Flegere and blues up Le Tour are all quite mellow.
For a good day out jump on the rack and pinnion train to montevers, the sea of ice and the ice caves. It's all included in your train ticket as well as the nature museum (a shed with stuffed animals!) Plenty of history and architecture for the old ones and lot's of mystical magic for the young ones. A great day out, take a picnic! It is still the most talked about day from our trip, something for everyone!
If you are going to have a couple of days off skiing then you are better off buying daypasses or even 4 hour passes if you need to be back for 'family time'! If you have a laptop you can charge your passes up via the internet the night before to miss the ques!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Le Tour, at the end of the valley... past Argentiere... is really good for gentle cruising... but you need a car.
I rented a car once from geneva airport and it was only £120 for the week. Actually cheaper than the cost of transfers, and having transport in Cham is better than relying on the ski bus to et around.
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it was only £120 for the week.
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a lot more now, quite apart from the exchange rate hit. But with grandparents and a 10 month old I'd most definitely want a car in Chamonix.
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I agree. Means they can do day trips out to Annecy, for instance, too.
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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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Great stuff - thanks folks.
As it'll be the last week in January, I'm not planning to get a hire car - I'm thinking that the buses/trains should be fine & relatively quiet.
Nice tip to get the train along to Vallorcine for Le Tour - is it possible to get the train the other way to Les Houches? Also, there appears to be a bus to Courmayeur - does anyone have any experience of this & is it 'worth the hassle'?
Nice place firebug, must remember for future trips 
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Les Houches, as you said, would also be a good area, though slightly lower - especially in bad weather since the runs go through trees. But it is on a different lift pass.
By the way, Chamonix is a bad place for good skiers to go with near beginners since the skiing for different standards is in different areas which are far apart.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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is it possible to get the train the other way to Les Houches?
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You can get a train to Les Houches but it will be a bit of a hike (and uphill I think!) from station to bottom of lifts as the station is a bit outside of the village. Slopes down through the trees at Les Houches are nice and a good choice if the snow cover is good.
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