 Poster: A snowHead
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Just got back from a great week in the Three Valleys - here's the skinny:
Chalet
We stayed in Chalet Eva with Ski Famille, which is our third time with the company (previous two years in Les Gets) but our first trip to their new resort. Flying into Geneva meant a transfer with Mountain Express, who were not only on time and with a very friendly driver, but got us into resort in a little over two hours - not bad at all on a Saturday!
On arrival we were met by our chalet hosts Graeme and Tamara, a couple from New Zealand who shared hosting and cooking duties and really made us feel at home straightaway. The chalet sits one row of chalets back from the Boyes piste, only twenty yards from clipping in and going on a morning, and the same distance from the excellent Igloo bar and Ferme de Reberty restaurant. The nearest SkiSet hire shop is a hundred yards away, next to a well-stocked Sherpa store - easily walked even in ski boots! There is also an independent ski shop and ski school a similar distance in the opposite direction, located next to the free bus stop that makes it easy to get into Les Menuires itself (not that there is any real need to!).
The chalet itself is extremely well-presented, with a huge picture window (with a stunning vista of the valley) dominating the living/dining room, a long table and a comfortable seating area with three large sofas surrounding a central fireplace. The only problem is that the flue blocks anyone's view of anyone else from the sofas!! There is an LCD TV with free French satellite, and a DVD player that plays data DVDs and CDs as well as shop-bought DVDs. There is also a decent free wifi internet with good speed and reception.
(click to view)
We were up in the eaves of the chalet on the third floor - the room was big enough to live in, but the low ceiling throughout even the 'flat' section (even at 5'9", my hair was brushing the roof!) meant that it felt claustrophobic at times. We saved £150 for having this room instead of the family suite on the first (dining/living) floor, but in hindsight I think I would have preferred the extra headroom!! The view, however, was spectacular - over to La Masse and the Cime de Carron.
The final touch to the chalet was a lovely hot tub and sauna room on the ground floor - perfect for soothing away those aches and pains with a plastic cup full of your favourite tipple!
Food was very good indeed - although of course it is not quite restaurant standard, it was presented with a flourish and was always interesting, with great gastropub-style bangers and mash to start with, taking in raclette, curry and the like on other nights. The kids were also spoiled with handmade fish and chicken goujons, shepherd's pie etc. The wine was free-flowing and Graeme and Tamara were great hosts and joined in with the sometimes bemusing conversations!
The week we booked had two other families, and a total of five kids all five and under - the chalet felt alive but not overcrowded, and we weren't climbing over each other to get to mealtimes, hot tub or seating, which was lovely. The childcare was, as ever, first class - with two nannies (including the rarity of a male nanny! (hi Chris!)) looking after our group of five. The nannies take the kids out bumboarding, for hot chocolates down in the village and on the 'yoghurt pot' gondolas, and the nursery next door to the chalet is spacious and full of great stuff to entertain the kids.
The whole shebang is overseen by Kirsty the resort manager, who handled everything from restaurant bookings to making sure we had ski school and ski hire sorted, and the ambiance is very much of a tight-knit team who worked hard to make sure that our holiday was as stress-free as possible.
The skiing
It's the Three Valleys. Of course it's brilliant. The position of the chalet meant that within minutes (thanks to the Sunny Express lift) one could be at the top of the valley with the option of either dropping over into Meribel, crossing over to the brilliant Val T section, or cruising the other way down the valley to St Martin. There really is something for everyone and it's entirely feasible to be at the top of any of the Vallee de Belleville's peaks well within an hour. For less experienced skiers, the Boyes piste is a wide blue run down to the Croisettes section which is full of greens.
Costs
Typical costs were as follows:
Large beer (0.5 litre): €5
Plat du Jour: €11
Tartiflette: €15
Prices were the same on the mountain as in village - and the quality of the mountain restaurants was generally very good. I would say that the Vallee de Belleville was a touch cheaper than Meribel/Motteret - and the food tended to be of a higher standard.
Conclusion
We love Reberty and given the choice would definitely return there next year over Les Gets or Meribel. The Ski Famille operation is a brilliant one and they rightly deserve their reputation as absolutely the best in their field for family skiing holidays. With the added security of being snow-sure at 2000 metres and the incredible options offered by the 3 Valleys, this truly was the best skiing holiday we've had.
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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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tizzyb, I think MrsFE will be more than happy to take on the blacks after finishing Inner Skiing 
Glad your observations of the week matched ours - it really was the best holiday!
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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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Have you ordered her a copy yet, or shall I post it to you. 
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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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tizzyb, bring it up when you come to visit
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Whenever I see the title of a thread like this I wonder if I should read as in less than 2 weeks I will be there with my family. So pleased that your report is good, so I am hoping the snow holds up or at least the sun shines every day.
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chrisb, go for it - it truly is a jewel of a resort.
You're not heading out there with Ski Famille are you?
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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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The Flying Snowplough, what were your other issues (bar the low ceiling)? Just out of interest!
FastEddie, good plan!
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tizzyb, catering - particularly for the kids - was the main gripe under the control of SF. Couldn't fault the wine though. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The Flying Snowplough, we had no problems with food. They did make a comment at one point that the menus had been changed after previous guests feedback.
On previous similar holidays with other operators (e.g. Esprit) I think that the attempted standard/complexity of meals was higher, but that meant that it was occasionally a bit hit and miss, especially in a smaller chalet without a proper chef. I think SF are aiming for a more tasty,homecooked style of food, which I think I preferred and they delivered well the week we were there. And the kids food was good too.
I particularly liked the pre-dinner G&Ts!!
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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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| tizzyb wrote: |
| The Flying Snowplough, we had no problems with food. They did make a comment at one point that the menus had been changed after previous guests feedback. |
Sounds good. It didn't help when we were there that it was the first full week for G&T (how appropriate are their initials as a couple, as Graeme did indeed mix a mean pre-dinner G&T!) as hosts in SF's first season in Reberty.
It's always something of a lottery with the chalet hosts. I don't think any amount of training can prepare you for Christmas week and a chalet of 20 to deal with! Years ago, we went on a cheapo trip with Thompsons in a chalet. We got a trained chef who was doing a "season" whilst the chalet next door had a girl fresh out of school who allegedly cooked with a blowtorch. Our guy discarded the official menu and just asked us what we wantred each day and rustled it up out of the meagre allowance Thompson gave him.
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FastEddie, yes ski famille
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You know it makes sense.
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chrisb, hope you have as good a week as we did.
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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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tizzyb, thanks. will be ready for the holiday
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Poster: A snowHead
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chrisb, believe me, if nothing else you'll feel the strange sensation known as 'relaxing' on an evening - Graeme and Tamara make a mean G&T
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FastEddie, great to hear you had a good time. Was in Reberty in the sunshine very briefly on Tuesday on a swift tour of the 3 Valleys (on skis) and the team all seemed on great form. Looks like a lot of of them want to come back and do it all over again next year too ...
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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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| Quote: |
Our guy discarded the official menu and just asked us what we wantred each day and rustled it up out of the meagre allowance Thompson gave him.
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if you're lucky enough to have someone with these skills and inclination, it's ideal. But otherwise, I agree that "tasty home-cooked" is a much better formula than inexperienced people trying to take on a formulaic "restaurant standard" approach, especially if the budget is a bit tight.
It sounds an ideal formula for families. And that warm weather, if leaving the snow a little mushy, is so much better for kids than - well, for instance, the weather right now across quite a chunk of the French Alps - blizzards, dropping temperatures, lift closures etc. Luck of the draw.
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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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| ctskifam wrote: |
| FastEddie, great to hear you had a good time. Was in Reberty in the sunshine very briefly on Tuesday on a swift tour of the 3 Valleys (on skis) and the team all seemed on great form. Looks like a lot of of them want to come back and do it all over again next year too ... |
The kids want to know if Chris and Marina will be there next year!?
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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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When this sort of holiday works well, it's the friends for the kids which make such a big difference. And they're not necessarily just other smal kids; our daughter still remembers both an older girl (around 14) who was just lovely with her when she was 6 (and was also pretty enough to beguile her big brothers....) as well as a guy staying in the chalet on his own, who was willing to go out in the cold at 5 pm to build a fantastic snowman with her, when her neglectful parents just wanted to sit with a G & T and their feet up.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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FastEddie, Hi. Did you get over to Meribel as we discussed?
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tizzyb, they're not on my confirmed list yet but I will be out in Reberty to coerce them the week after next!
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It is great reading this, I have had 2 trips to Les gets with Ski Famille, and they were great. I went to 3V earlier in the year on a boys bash, and really enjoyed it, and look forward to going back with the children with Ski Famille.
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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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well, just back and had a great time, with good food, good company and pretty lucky with the snow. Downside was that my factor 25 did not really work so I have a stupid tide mark on my neck, factor 50 next time. Kids had a good time with their Snowbow lessons, 4 hours a day was hard work at the middle of the week but they came on great. G & T still do good pre dinner drinks and we enjoyed the food, and the kids ate well too. Had not been with Ski Famille before and would now recommend them, but maybe for shorter people in the eves, the ceiling was really low - but we did know before we went.
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Glad you had a good time
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ski Famille are a great company indeed. I have also heard of another company called Powder N Shine who are in Reberty Village for those who are looking for an alternative to Ski Famille. It is a fab resort, brilliant access to the piste, and high altitude.
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FAQ
