 Poster: A snowHead
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Well yesterday we were all looking forward to booking St Anton for a week 22 March, but went to look today and the price has gone up on Mark Warner by £200.
So now looking at either of the above options. I understand France is a lot more expensive this year, but with Mark Warner the breakfast and evening meals are included so would just need to sort ourselves out with beer and lunch.
Anyone recommend either of the above for the week 22 March, also any tips on where is a bit cheaper to drink etc.
Also any recommendations for cheap ski/boot hire in either resort would be great. I found snowrental.net but not sure if its reliable.
Thanks again for any help you can give me.
Hotels would be Cyganski or Berangere if anyone has experience of these too.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Never been to either of the hotels but would go to val d'isere above les deux alpes every time. Snow should be just fine at that time of year as it is high and predominantly north facing. Home runs in les deux alpes could get slushy in the afternoon around then. I don't think anywhere in the world can beat the quality and variety of the on piste descents in val, wasn't good enough to do any serious off piste descents last time I was there but am lead to believe that they also are world class.
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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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Echo VDI, especially later in the season.
We are going on 1st March with VIP chalets, I can't wait!!
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| Lucylou wrote: |
Echo VDI, especially later in the season.
We are going on 1st March with VIP chalets, I can't wait!! |
Been 3 times to Val twice with VIP, you will not regret it, fantstic skiing variety, great lift system, very nice town. Just a tad expensive this year, so I'm off to a smaller resort.
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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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Yep, have to echo the comments above, it would be Val d'Isere over Les Deux Alpes every single time, Espace Killy is just a superb ski area. No experience of those hotels, but VdI gets a massive tick from me. I've been to Tignes a couple of times in late March and conditions were excellent both times.
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Having not been to both I think I'd prefer to go to L2A. less full of rupert & tabathas...
besides the time I did drive through VDI it struck me as gloomy and strung out...
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L2A .. better pistes but then again I'm not as impressed by Espace Killy as most seem to be .. and L2A is higher -- you can always gondola down even if this snow melts/disappears
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I've been to both, though I don't know either very well. I prefer the atmosphere in LDA - and it would certainly be cheaper for drinking (and lunches and everything else, probably). I generally take a gondola down in VdI anyway - I am capable of skiing down the Face (slowly and carefully!) but given that it's so often full of people who aren't but are determined not to download in a lift, and often quite icy and lumpy too, I wouldn't much enjoy it. I agree with bertie bassett about the ruperts, too - some quite obnoxious Brits on chairlifts braying into their VHF about all the black moguls they've been doing. I hear the same guys on their VHFs in the Solent in the summer, cluttering up the airwaves with chitchat about "getting the kite down and slinging the hook in the Beaulieu river for a spot of lunch, old chap". 
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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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ValDI might have a lower town but the skiing is higher, it'll certainly be cheaper to eat out there too. OTOH L2A is open longer and has more pistes. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Swirly, I think you might have those the wrong way round?
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Swirly, I think you might have those the wrong way round? |
He's only been there 3 months, you can't expect him to get the finer points right 
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| Quote: |
| . If you want social cachet, then go to Val D ... |
Is this a new euphemism for 'Grotty Guts a la Killy' ?
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You know it makes sense.
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vdi everytime - far more pistes and we really liked the town, downside is it is horribly expenisive! aj xx
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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If you want maximum hectares with loads of fantastic and varied pistes and great off piste, then Val d'Isère is the place for you. The Espace Killy lift pass includes Tignes which adds up to some 300 km of pistes. A great day out, for instance is to ski from Val d'Isere over to Tignes and down to Tignes les Brevières for lunch (taking in any run that takes your fancy on the way); after lunch it's back to Val taking in the fine run down from the Grande Motte and finishing off, if your legs can take it with the Face de Bellevarde or Epaule du Chavret back into the village. Another day, head up and over on the Leissieres Express to the glacier, run down to Le Fornet (the Forêt black can be quite challenging but there are other routes!) .... and so on and so on.
Les Deux Alpes is a fine area, which I have enjoyed skiing, but when it comes to comparisons based on skiing alone, it is certainly second to Val d'Isère.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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L2A over Espace Killy any time... Agenterre sums it up nicely...
Pricewise L2A will beat VDI, both Accomodation, skipass and in-resort.
I neither agree with the superiority of the lift system. Bellevarde and Toviere (Tignes side) were way way overcrowded, and i was there the least busy week of the season 
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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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Thanks for all your advice.
I think seeing as we're going to be ski-ing for 6 days and it's our first time ski-ing for about 3 years I reckon L2A has enough ski for us.
We obviously have all food except lunches paid for so tis just beers and lunches we need to worry about.
Anybody got any tips for cheap ski hire? I had a look on snowrental.net and Jaques Sports comes up as pretty cheap if you preorder 70ish Euros for Superioir skis and boots. Anybody got experience with Jacques sport or snowrental?
Also anybody got any tips for cheap/cheaper apres ski places and any tips for cheaper lunches?
Thanks so much for all your help so far.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
tis just beers and lunches
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and ski-passes. As you will see, the Espace Killy does tend to divide opinion on snowheads. Val D'Isere is like Marmite.  Have a great trip. If you've not had any ski lessons for a while, do think about it - easiski, as many Snowheads will affirm, is a great instructor and her prices are very reasonable. Just a few hours will make all the difference.
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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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justinj, Yes totally agree with pam w, Easiski lessons are a must.
Also recommend Ski Extreme for a great service and great skis (Easiski could probably arrange this for you too )
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hmm. Val D opens up onto a fantastic ski area. But LDA is pretty good , too - and it has La Grave over the top - oh, and easiski is always there for one's skiing MOT. I like the place because it's low-key and friendly - and the skiing can get as exciting as you want. Incidental costs are that little bit lower, too (in fact quite a lot lower if you stay and go to the bar at the Lutins). Time was when I had to keep going back to Val D for a fix, as it were. These days LDA has become an annual pilgrimage.
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Been to both areas and - in IMO and that of the majority of respondents - it's got to be Val D.
L2A is more of an "Une Alpe et une demi" - one bit of the ski area is very small and the rest is a bit linear and narrow in layout - which we found led to bottlenecks.
Happy booking!!
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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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Tignes/Val D has 300 km piste while L2A has 200km but when easiski is there the choice got to be L2A.
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For me these 2 resorts are not comparable. VDI wins hands down for me. You might spend a tad more but it would be worth it.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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mountainaddict, An alp is a high pasture - ie: the high valley that the resort is built on - not the mountain. It is Les 2 Alpes because there are 2 villages that own it: Mont de Lans and Venosc You must be like my sis-in-law who never found her way properly round the mountain - it's far more complicated than most people realise.
scrubyjoe, " a tad more" try at least half again!
Of course if people just want to 'travel' with their skiing and they want mostly english company, then Val D is going to get the vote, but for real skiing and value for money there is no comparison! I always thought Val D was the best skiing I'd experieced until I came here!
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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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mountainaddict, I am aware of the reason (as detailed by easiski) it is called Deux Alpes - but I know what you mean. That said, the 'demi' can be a great area, away from the main hoards. In the resort overall, on piste, I think there is more than enough for most skiers - particularly those confident on blacks. There are bottlenecks - but there are also ways to avoid them Off piste, the choice gets tasty; but of course, the Espace Killy is bigger.
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| easiski wrote: |
| It is Les 2 Alpes because there are 2 villages that own it: Mont de Lans and Venosc |
I think you've probably saved my life, easiski! I've been trying for days to set up the navigation system in my car to get me to LDA. Entering Les Deux Alpes as town, it showed Mont de Lans (Les Deux Alpes) but then it couldn't find the street or hotel (though strangely it showed Lutins and various other hotels - is there a Lutins in Mont de Lans too?). No doubt it's all there under Venosc - I'll try again next time I have the chance.
Thanks 
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You know it makes sense.
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espri, The Lutins is smack bang in the centre of town, but is in the commune of Mont de Lans. However - whatever you do don't use SatNav beyond Bourg d'Oisans, and preferably not beyond Grenoble. Being sent up the old road (single track, overhang, huge ditches and a big drop with a small wall) is the least of the problems people have had. there are plenty of signposts to follow, and even one at the bottom of the old road with an arrow pointing the other way .... some peeps last week saw that and believed the SatNav! Frightened themselves silly.
Really and truly LDA doesn't exist!!!
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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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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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easiski, many thanks for the tips. I'll have chains with me.
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FAQ
To my mind it isn't worth paying half as much again, but then I also seem to be in a minority!
However, if you want a lesson or two contact me soon-ish as I do get full up very early, 