 Poster: A snowHead
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After a big search for a big 14 person self-catering apartments/chalet (having left it late) we have a short list of 2: one in each of St Jervais or Serre Chevalier. We are limited to half term, and wonder which of the two resorts is best. I know it will be busy - half term and two french zones on holiday - but is one or other (hopefully not both) notoriously bad ??
Thanks for any tips/insights
Best
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TheManOnTheBus,
Have only been to Serre Che of the two in Feb and not since the lift system has been upgraded. But for what it is worth then connecting lifts coould be pretty bad but the rest was reasonable and Monetier and Briancon have never been bad though getting to Monetier and Briancon can be busy.
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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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Can't comment of Serre Che as I don't know it, but did spend the 2008/2009 season in St Gervais and was actually suprised how quiet it was at half term that year.(and the year before come to that when we first visited the place) I can't remember though how the zones/Brit weeks panned out which may have an impact. Yes, there are bottle necks around the main lifts at peak times but most of them aren't too difficult to avoid - As with many places, it's just a case of keeping off the more obvious routes from A to B. The ski area is beyond beautiful with lots of tree skiing and some nice restaurants picturesque pic nic spots. Food shopping in St Gervais is expensive but there is an Intermarche and Super U in Le Fayet which is an easy 10 minute drive - you'll pass Intermarche on your way in. Ski wise it's fairly straightforward with nothing too scary, a bit more interesting over towards St Nicolas maybe and les Contamines (one bus a day each way I think) is worth the trip as is in my view Combloux/La Giettaz which can be reached by lifts and a bit of ski bussing or of course driven to. I don't know why, but I'm not a great fan of Megeve and tbh that is probably where you'll find most of the crowds at half term anyway. We love it in St Gervais and will be back there both at Xmas and at half term.
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T Bar, Thanks for this.
Annie, And indeed for this. St G is just getting ahead ....
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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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TheManOnTheBus, I had one day at St G, the wed of halfterm last year. I got an afternoon pass, had zero queues for the first gondola, the 2nd one up was pretty busy (I think ski school afternoon classes had just started), but no more than a 10 min queue. After that I was amazed at how quiet the lifts and pistes were.
regards,
Greg
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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TheManOnTheBus, what Annie, says, re St Gervais! We skied there last year, spent our summer hols there the year before, and will ski there again this season (although not at half term). I HAVE had clients there in half term week, and they (having been used to the PdS for that week) couldn't get over how few/short any queues were, and the relatively uncrowded pistes. The supermarket Annie mentions is huge and sells anything you could possibly need (and lots you will never have any use for  )
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I haven't skied in Serre Che at half-term for some time now, but my guests have returned for 4 years in a row, and haven't complained about the queues. When I did ski there, I was surprised how much smaller the queues were to La Plagne (Bellecote).
There's a lot more uplift as many drags and small slow chairs have been replaced. Perhaps best to be on the lift before ski school starts, or wait until later and have a leisurely breakfast.
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I've done Serre che - new years week two years running, which I assume is a pretty busy week - I would not list lift queues as an issue at all. In fact the only crowd related issue i would have is the red down to villeneuve past 2pm - which can be a bit lethal.
Nice place is Serre Che
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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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My family skied Serre Chavalier/LaGrave at half term in 2007 and had no queues to speak of...mostly none or a minute or two. Sounds like you've got two great places to choose from.
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I have skied Serre Che at half term and queues are not a problem. I would also say Serre Che is an amazing resort so much so I'm going again this year. Fantastic ski area, great views, traditional but lively village (villenueve), easy access off piste. Its Brill!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks to all. Am reassured on both resorts - so will just toss a coin! 
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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 found Srre Che a lot better myself. Dmaine Evasion (St Gervais, Megeve, Rochebrune and Combloux) can be very busy for half term as it is just a hour drive from Geneva.
If you don't mind queues the lack of now can still catches you. I used to ski only locally in Chamonix. One day it was fine in Megeve. Next day back we found ourselves skiing on water. That was how I started to travel to other resorts and have never been back. Serre Che is more snow sure and Briacon is a bigger town too.
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jakemanc, shhhhhh We're trying to keep it secret... 
Been to Serre Che at Christmas/New Year and Easter and never really been caught in queues like we have been at same time in Les Arcs or Meribel/3V.
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You know it makes sense.
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Serre Che seems to be pipping it on the outside at the moment.
R
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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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Only experience in SC: Although the resort wasn't too bad queue-wise one half term, the car journey was horrendous. With two other major resorts being served by one route into the mountains before SC, the road was solid - 6 hours from Grenoble (about 80 miles IIRC). There have been improvements to the route that now by-passes one of the main bottlenecks. I still wouldn't drive there at half term without planning the timing better - one lives and learns.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Chasseur, Yikes.
| Chasseur wrote: |
| ...... without planning the timing better - one lives and learns. |
What time does that sort of traffic build up so I can indeed plan the timing better?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TheManOnTheBus, between 3 and 5pm is a bad time. Try and aim for lunchtime if possible as the Parisiens will have stopped for lunch, and leave before 9am the following weekend. But all roads to all French ski resorts will be busy.
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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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When I drove at christmas on a busy saturday we were in a traffic jam for about half an hour round Southern Grenoble hitting it at rush hour. Surprisingly after a couple of miles on the Bourg d'Oisan road it resumed some normality and this wasn't after the turn off for either Les Deux Alpes or Alpe d'Huez.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hells Bells, Christopher, Thanks, both. Will try and get there early. (Assuming, getting back to the main thrust of the thread) that it is SC which we opt for - decision time!)
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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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Serre Chevalier was no problem this year at Feb half term in terms of queues as far as I was concerned and we all had a great time.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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TheManOnTheBus, we arrived at Grenoble (totally chocker) at around midday, having driven through most of the night from the Channel. Latter trips involved leaving the UK earlier, stopping overnight en-route and then timing arrival to get to the Alps around 10am - in resort nicely before lunchtime. As I say, to be fair, the route has been improved and, once the Alpe D'Huez and LDA traffic had turned off, things did improve significantly.
SC, as I'm sure you know, is quite a large area so, once the main uplift queues have been negotiated, there's quite rapid dispersement resulting in mostly only minor lift delays elsewhere (if any at all). Have never had a problem in that regard in the 6/7 times I've been.
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TheManOnTheBus, have never been in a mega jam up the mountain but did get stuck in Saturday transfer traffic out one year at New Year. Would agree with what Christopher, said about the jams round Vizille [and know when me met Hells Bells, this summer we had similar conversation], but once you are heading up past the Bourg it does quieten down.
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Thanks for all the tips. We today committed to St Gervais - although a close call. On the basis of quality of the accomodation we found rather than it being a better resort than SC. Both sound great.
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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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Hope you have a great week.
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TheManOnTheBus, have a good week. If you ever decide to visit SC, drop me a PM, I can probably find you some good quality accommodation.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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TheManOnTheBus, sure you'll love it.
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