 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everybody;
I am about to book for an Ucpa Hotel from one of France pists; Les arcs, Argentere, Les 2 alpes, Flaine, La plagne, Saint sorlin, Tignes, because these are have discount for the age group of 18-25 and I am 23.
I haven't been in europe for skiing so I have no idea about the pists. I really need your advices.
What I am looking for is, firtly; quality and enough snow for professionals(I am 13 years skier and joined some competitions), if it is possible with the first option if it would be have a forest then it would be very nice for both day and night view 
Anything you want to add or say about these pists would be a pleasure for me.
Thanks
Halim
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hwwwest, Piste is the prepared trail on which you ski - those are resorts
all of those are great areas, I suspect you'll have a great tiem in any of them - I would gowith Les 2 Alpes folowing the recommendation of Lizzard on your other post
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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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2Alpes - high resort with a glacier and guaranteed snow, biggest nightlife of the resorts you've listed, big terrain park, access to good off piste including La Grave. Six-day pass lets you ski in Alpe d'Huez and Serre Chevalier as well at no extra cost. Two UCPAs, both within 10 minutes walk of the lifts, though the Venosc one is probably slightly better placed for getting straight into the main system.
No doubt other people will be along with opinions in a minute.
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I would probably avoid St Sorlin D'Arves. It's a nice resort but there isn't much challenging skiing there. The night life is also pretty quiet.
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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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Les Arcs would be suitable. A good range of different terrain, so lots piste skiing ranging from very easy to very tough. The resort has high altitude skiing as well as plenty of runs through the trees if the weather is bad. The UCPA hotel in Les Arcs is very conveniently located on the piste just above the centre of Arc 1600.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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hwwwest, '2Alpes' refers to a village and a lift-served mountain area with about 250km of groomed runs or pistes. La Plagne is another such area, as is Les Arcs
This might help:
resort = a village or villages with associated lift-served mountain area and ski runs
piste = a marked and maintained run
Sometimes resorts are linked together by a lift running from one to the other. Eg you can get from La Plagne to Les Arcs on a telecabine lift. The Three Valleys is an area where three different resorts are linked and you can ski from one to another.
I get the impression that ski areas in Turkey are quite small - you are going to be AMAZED by how much skiing there is here! 
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There's almost no tree skiing in Les 2 Alpes so if the weather closes in it can be pretty grim and if really bad 90% of the lifts will be closed. Tignes can be similar in this respect, of your list, however, these two resorts have the best nightlife. When are you planning to go, this would probably be the most influential choice in deciding, if early season I'd suggest Les Arcs, if later Les 2 Alpes.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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hwwwest, yes, but I think the resort villages are a bit bigger here, so not everywhere can be two minutes from the lift. I'd say the UCPA Venosc is under five minutes from the nearest one, in fact.
UCPA can offer discounts and cheap prices because it is partly government-funded in order to encourage young people into outdoor sports. I'd say it's ideal for you - plenty of like-minded and similar-aged people to ski and socialise with. Mainly French, but other nationalities too. And all-inclusive, as you say.
Because you're going early in the season, I would choose Tignes or 2Alpes - they both have glaciers so you are guaranteed snow even if we don't have much snowfall between now and then. Neither really has any trees, but you've seen plenty of them in Turkey already.
Both resorts have a lively nightlife (2Alpes a bit more so) and a lot of young English-speakers - I don't know if you speak French, but your English seems pretty good. Of the two, Tignes is way more expensive for everything - eating, drinking, going out etc.
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You know it makes sense.
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Oh my goodness, arc 1600 means that the base level of les arcs ??? 
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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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| hwwwest wrote: |
| Oh my goodness, arc 1600 means that the base level of les arcs ??? |
Yes, Arc 1600 is approximately 1600m altitude. There are other villages which make up the Les Arcs ski area, ranging from 1200m to 2000m altitude.
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Poster: A snowHead
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hwwwest, don't know Argentiere really. It's part of the Chamonix area, so plenty of good skiing but I believe tha area is not well linked by lifts, so you end up having the get the bus from one part to another.
Arc 1600 will be fine - huge ski area linked to La Plagne. I don't know how lively it is in the evening though.
I would just book whatever best fits your school dates and your budget. If you've only ever skied in Turkey up to now, anywhere in France will be completely different and you'll have a fantastic time.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lizzard and the others thank you very much for infos and yes I have only skied in turkey up to now so I am really curious and exciting about it, I think I will book in one hour then I will share with you
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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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I couldn't book, I stuck between UCPA les arcs 1600-Argentiene-La Plagne even I want go Les 2 Alpes but they don't have an option for december. Does anybody know how far they from slopes???
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hwwwest, the one in Arc 1600 says it's in the forest and next to the pistes. The resort is purpose-built, so none of it will be miles from the lifts.
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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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| Quote: |
I venture to miss some days for the optimal holiday I mean (price+place) because this will be my first Alp ski holiday
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Yes, you should do that - you might not have the opportunity to ski in Europe again for a long time. You will probably find that some of the UCPA centres are already full because New Year is a very popular time. so you need to decide quickly and make a booking. I wouldn't worry about the distance from the slopes - that's not going to be a problem. Les Arcs or La Plagne would be fine, if Les Deux Alpes is full - there'll be plenty of other people in the UCPA centre to make your own party in the evening.
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hwwwest, I'd go to les Arcs if I was you.
I'm going to the UCPA centre there in March.
Can I ask how your travelling from Turkey to France? This may have an impact upon where you stay.
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Is there a cabin or lift from Argentiere to Chamonix pists ??
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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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hwwwest, no, there is a bus service between the various resorts in the chamonix valley, but it's not the kind of place where you can roam the whole domain - you choose one area to ski at for the day.
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hwwwest, in the big areas like Les Arcs and La Plagne you can go for miles and miles using just lifts and pistes - but Chamonix is very different, with separate areas, each with their own character. It's difficult to compare the two. As I said above, you might find that there is a very limited choice of places which actually have space for that week. I'm sure you'd have a good time, whichever centre you choose.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hwwwest, Mulhouse is quite a long way from the alps. 
Your nearest resorts to Grenoble are Alpe d'Huez (though no UCPA there), 2Alpes and Serre Chevalier - regular bus service to all three. Les Arcs is further away - train from Grenoble to Bourg St Maurice and then I assume you can get up to resort via the funicular. Chamonix is absolutely miles away, don't even think about it.
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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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I can solve the transportation problem via trains but now still thinking about the dates, and really wonder about is there still an empty place for me in UCPA 
I am trying to change my flight dates from 21 to 18 dec to catch the 20 dec ucpa programs. However I am thinking about to buy interrail 10 days (5days use) ticket to travel easy but if anybody knows how can I reach the otels(La Plagne or Flaine) from Mulhouse and by how much money by return? By the way, which city is the nearest city to these mountains?
thanks
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hwwwest, nearest airports are Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon or Chambery, but I see that EasyJet don't go there from Istanbul. Boo!
However, a one-way train ticket from Mulhouse to Grenoble costs about 50€ and the trip takes about six hours. The train from Grenoble to Bourg St Maurice costs 23€ one way and takes between two and four hours depending on how many stops/changes it makes. A bit of a trek, but not impossible. See the SNCF's site here: http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
If you're getting the train down from Mulhouse, I think you should look at 2Alpes again because getting there from Grenoble will be much cheaper, quicker and easier than getting up to Les Arcs. There's a bus service from the railway station direct to the resort with no changes, takes an hour and 45 minutes.
Alternatively, I'd suggest you look at flying from Istanbul to London and then London to one of the airports near resort, but if you already have your ticket, that's not very helpful.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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hwwwest, I hope you have a great time. Please tell us how it goes - we don't have many Turkish skiers on snowheads and it will be good to hear your impressions of skiing in France. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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hwwwest, is any news about skiing the mediterenain coast in Turkey?
I've heard that high altitude gondola has been built not far from Anatlya..
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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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pam w, I hope, it will be the best ski holiday ever for me ofcourse
cbr7, It is written that people didn't want Tahtali to be constructed as a ski resort because they believe that it will effect nature negatively but the goverment blow some TNT on the top of the mountain and now it is written on another site that there is a skiing area since 2007 but actually it would be not very good because Antalya is famous with its summer and natural beauty not only Antalya all coast's of turkey is totally worth to see so they can not do so much investmet for winter turism, our problem is money about the winter because we have really huge mountains not like Alps maybe but suitable for skiing but investment is necessary. Now one ski center is under construction and it will be the biggest one in Turkey and it will be at my hometown which name is Erzincan, it is a city at the east part of Turkey.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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hwwwest, I've been trying to persuade my friends to try a ski trip in Iran.. but for understandable reasons things have fallen though this year. I am keen to try new areas and make friends with the local folk... if you fancy attempting to create a ski week in your country I may be interested. Please feel free to PM me on the subject. Have plenty of fun on your trip anyhow.
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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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hwwwest, my cousin's been for skiing in Palandoken.
that's why I've gathered some information!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Scarpa, I will try to arrange a trip on this year as well but it depends my classes so could you ask me around 5th January about it from my mail h.sertbas@gmail.com
cbr7, It is saying that Palandoken's snow is one of the best in the world but I haven't been there. It is located in one of the coldest city in Turkey, Erzurum.
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hwwwest, have a brilliant time! If you organise ski trips for groups, maybe you could consider hiring a coach from Turkey next time - easier than all the flights and trains. We get lots of coach groups from eastern Europe here.
Advice: book well in advance, especially for a big group. Peak times in the alps are Christmas/New Year, Easter and most of February, and these get very busy, so accommodation places are sold early.
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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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hwwwest, consider it, seriously. I've never seen a coach here from Turkey - if you've already organised groups of 45+ you can clearly get together enough for a full coach, and there are probably more skiers over there who'd love to ski the Alps. You'd be the first to do it.
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| hwwwest wrote: |
Scarpa, I will try to arrange a trip on this year as well but it depends my classes so could you ask me around 5th January about it from my mail h.sertbas@gmail.com
cbr7, It is saying that Palandoken's snow is one of the best in the world but I haven't been there. It is located in one of the coldest city in Turkey, Erzurum. |
Thanks for the offer... but it will probably be the 2011 season as I already have all my trips arranged now for this winter. I'll save your email address as I am keen to get to new areas.
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FAQ
But don't expect so many pist 
