 Poster: A snowHead
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OK, here's the deal.
I am taking husband (intermediate skier happiest on red runs) and daughter (age 4 total beginner) to Les Praz (Chamonix) for a week in early Jan with my parents (non skiers).
My parents are driving to Chamonix from UK. The rest of us are flying to Geneva.
When in resort we will have my parents' car which we can use to take our daughter to Savoy for her lessons. My husband and I will then have mostly half days but one or two whole days to ski.
I suspect we will mostly stick to Flegere/Brevent (easy access from our chalet) or Les Tour as these look like nice intermediate areas. In which case 2 questions:
would we be missing out on some amazing skiing elsewhere? I am told Vallee Blanche will prob not be open in early Jan
do we really need a car or can we bus it easily from Les Praz to Le Tour and back?
Many thanks everyone!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As you know the flegere lift is on your doorstep and is linked with brevent, both great ski areas! Le tour (my fav area) is 30 min max on the bus from les praz and in Jan the buses might be crowded but not so crowded that the bus sails straight past you! If you find the buses are that busy go to flegere and get on as people get off!
The cham valley has got other amazing terrain but you couldn't do it all in a week if you tried!
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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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Hi,
You could bus it from Les Praz to Le Tour and back, but it can be a bit of a squash and bundle to say the least.
However, it would be a lot easier, and more comfortable, to take the valley train from Le Praz Station (opposite the Hotel Eden) to Vallorcine and access the Le Tour ski area via the fast gondola up from next to Vallorcine station. The valley train is FREE with a ski pass or Carte d'Hote from your accommodation provider.
Andrew
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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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snail1973, Chamexpress's train idea is a good idea if you want to get to Le Tour easily. Actually might also work for Grands Montets.
Question however, what lessons is your daughter in for (i.e. are you only planning on skiing while she's in lessons? If so, and assuming your parents don't mind, just scoot up Brevent while she's in ski school.
Plenty to keep you occupied there (and on Flegere) for a week, no problem.
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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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The valley train is FREE with a ski pass or Carte d'Hote from your accommodation provider.
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Agree with Chamexpress that the train is great, but, I think it's not on the ski pass. Not a hassle as the Carte d'Hote does cover it (as also mentioned) so you just need to make sure your chalet gives you one for your stay.
Le Praz by the way is the centre of the universe (and I am in no way biased by having a place there).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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http://www.chamonix.com/transports-dans-la-vallee,13,fr.html
This link has the bus and train timetables until mid December 2010, they will give you a rough idea of travel times between places.
http://www.chamonix.net/english/transport/bus.htm
This link gives you last winter's bus timetables in January 2010, hopefully not too different to the timetable they will soon publish for this winter.
We will be in Vallorcine, family of 4 kids and we won't have a car. We are wimps and don't fancy driving over the Forclaz pass and too lazy to change to winter tyres, German and Swiss trains are bringing us to the valley, all the kids are free to travel through Germany and Switzerland by train.
We're sticking in the main to Vallorcine/Le Tour, if we are lucky, we might take the bus/train your direction to try out Flégere/Brévent and Argentiere. Your daughter is welcome to come skiing with our 5 year old daughter.
The train station for Argentiere is a bit of a walk to les grands Montets cable car, whereas the bus stops next to the cable car.
The train station for Vallorcine is right next to Vallorcine télécabine (gondola).
The bus is the better option for le Tour télécabine, I wouldn't walk it from the nearest train station which is Montroc.
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Drive the car. Much easier.
Go to Argentiere.
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Yes you can do it without a car and it is ok, but if you are like me and lazy, have a car it is easier.
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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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Thanks everyone, that's great.
I think we will do without a car. We may be able to get my parents to take us down to Le Tour one day anyway, and if there is a reasonable amount of skiing in Flegere/Brevent that will keep us happy the rest of the time.
I am hoping my parents will look after our daughter on one or two days after her lessons finish so that we can have longer than 3 hours to ski 
Any other tips for nice things to do with a 4 yr old ?
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25m swimming pool with slide in Chamonix, open and covered ice rink, bowling alley, husky dogs, horse drawn carriage rides, indoor climbing at Les Houches?, train ride along the valley. Where we are in Vallorcine, there is an open air ice rink and pool in the residence, these 2 activities are always enough to keep our children happy, they are always so tired after skiing that they never want to go too far away, I'm sure the skiing and grandparents will keep your daughter occupied.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Rack and pinion train up to the mer de glace and the ice caves (lots of pretty lights imbeded in the ice and sculptures), whilst there the is a small nature museum (kills 30 min) and take up a picnic for a good 3 or 4 hour day out. The mer de glace is a very humbling place and worth a visit on its own, the sound of rock and ice cracking and falling to the glacier reminds you of the forces in action in the mountains!
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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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A follow-on from the last post, the Mont Blanc Unlimited (MBU) pass covers non skiing days out at Aiguille du Midi, Mer de glace train, Tramway du Mont Blanc train (that's 3 afternoons worth of excursions), might it be worth the grandparents purchasing this pass, even if they are not skiing? If you were only going to purchase the Chamomix pass which doesn't cover these areas, Les Houches or the top of Grands Montets, but the grandparents ARE buying the MBU pass, it might be worth adding your daughter to the MBU pass, so she can do these excursions with them? It's a pity for you there is no 4 adult + 1 child MBU pass, 2 adult + 1 child is sold at a discount, but the next 2 adults are sold at individual prices. The Chamonix really is great for non skiers, you will love it there I hope.
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