 Poster: A snowHead
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We will be staying in Les Brevieres for a week in February and have a few questions for you good people:
Transport - I was wondering if anyone had any experience of getting to and from Tignes in the evening? I've read that Brevieres if not on the circular bus route, but are there any other buses that go there? Also, the Tignes.net site says that the Brevieres/Boisses chairlift is free for pedestrians but makes no mention of how long it stays open. Can I assume that it shuts in the afternoon along with the rest?
Accommodation - We will be staying at the Chalet Chardons - cheap & cheerful and it's got mainly good reviews on Tripadvisor. Has anyone stayed there recently? Any horror stories to tell?
Ski School - I see that there is a ESF office in Brevieres that offers a departure from the la Sache lift. We'll be looking for intermediate group lessons while we're there, is it worth going with ESF down there for the convenience? What is the general consensus regarding ESF & group lessons in Tignes?
Thanks
John
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ah, old Les Brevierres. I had one of my finest weeks skiing there.
Yeah the bus only goes to Boisses. The chair is the connection up to Boisses but sorry I don't know when it closes as we never used in the evening. But I have a feeling it doesn't run that late.
Here is an independent company in the main town that starts lessons at 11.30 giving you plenty of time to get up http://skinewgen.com/tignes/. No idea if there are any good but it's an alternative to ESF.
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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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Chalet Chardons is a British operation run by Mark Hayman is one of Britain's best paraglider pilots.
Why don't you email them with your questions. The accommodation is probably fine for the younger generation because I believe the supply small dormitory style accommodation.
Any journey from Brevieres by road to any of the other parts of the Val d'isere/Tignes area will take a little time because you have to travel back down the valley towards Bourg St Maurice to reach the main road before travelling further up the valley to the other parts of Tignes or Val d'isere. Taxis in that area are not cheap for the relatively small distances (as the crow flies) between the different parts of Tignes & Val.
The Sache lift is the main gondola lift out of Brevieres and so it makes sense joining the ski school there rather than trying to find them somewhere else up the mountain. You would find it difficult to reach Tignes Le Lac for ski lessons because you need two lifts and a very fast 1 mile ski to get there, that's assuming you know where you are going.
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I stayed at Chalet Chardons last April with my girlfriend and another friend (our age range is between 25 and 30). We all had a great time. The Chalet was quite basic, but clean. The staff were all really friendly, as were all the other guests. Also, for the cost, the food was great and the wine was okay. The skiing was good and the lift was just a short walk from the Chalet and that was near the end of the season. None of us had to get anywhere for lessons though.
To be honest, we didn't wander out of Les Brevieres in the evening. We quite enjoyed being in the main bar of the chalet in the evening and chatting with the other guests. The Underground Bar had closed for the season the day before we got there, but there were a few other quiet bars in town that we quite liked. We never really felt like we wanted to leave Les Brevieres in the evenings and it wasn't a problem for us. Although, we did take a laptop with some DVDs and watched some of those with some beers on a couple of nights.
All in all, I would highly recomend the place and we are thinking about going back late in the season again.
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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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I would second previous posters sentiment in not wanting to leave Les Brevieres in evening - it's a really nice village with good selection of bars and restaurants - there was no attraction for us to go up to Tignes in the evening (even though we could as we had our cars). In fact we did go up to Tignes le Lac once as there was a rugby match on the snow while we were there - les Froggies vs les Rosebifs - great entertainment, but back to Les Brev straight after!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sache lift closed at 4:00 and when we were there in early March the sache run wasnt open at all due to bad weather. We managed to get on the Brevieres lift to Boises just as all the lifts closed. The sache lift was already shut so we had to get a bus back to Le Lac. I wouldn't stay in Brevieres unless you fancy a less demanding ski holiday as you have to set off back fairly early and your basically stuck there.
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| jodmw wrote: |
| Ski School - I see that there is a ESF office in Brevieres that offers a departure from the la Sache lift. We'll be looking for intermediate group lessons while we're there, is it worth going with ESF down there for the convenience? What is the general consensus regarding ESF & group lessons in Tignes? |
ESF is brill 
If ESF do no have enough people to run group lessons in Breviere they will transport you up to Tignes le Lac. As you are coming in February i would suggest that you pre book your lessons otherwise there may not be any availability.
http://www.esf-tignes.org/ski-school-tignes-le-lac/index.jsp
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i stayed in chalet chardons last january. other posts have answered all your qu's about the accomm and les brevieres. But just to add, you can have a night out in tignes and get back to les brevs. The resort bus goes as far as les boisses and you can sneak down the piste to les brevs. Its highly illegal and there are signs up saying they'll take your lift pass off you if caught..but you just keep an eye out for the the piste bashers and you'll be fine. nice end to the night as well!
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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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Can I just make a quick recommendation for Vincent's bar in Brev on a Wednesday. You will be treated to the inspiring old skool soul of the one and only DJ Lindo. An evening not to be missed!
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If you're in wonderful little Tignes-les-Brévières why would you want to waste your time going to the concrete jungle of Tignes Le Lac? The beer tastes the same in both as far as I know.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Les Brev is a great little village - I can also recommend a few apres beers in Vincent's bar, which is Dutch-run and generally quite lively. Some others from our chalet had a night out in Tignes, and their accounts were that it was expensive (30euro taxi to start...) and they seemed to spend most of their time on the Tignes bus trying to find a decent bar before getting another taxi back again! Also popped our heads into the Underground, but it was late and mental in there, so we went back for a cup of tea. 
To get back from Le Lac, just make sure you're on the last Chaudannes uplift (5pm close?) and you can ski back from there. Might be worth locating it earlier on your first day though if you plan on cutting it fine - it took us a while to find. Follow the road behind the media centre in Le Lac (just to the right of the media building if you're looking at it with your back to the lake) and its just after the bridge you go under at the bottom - 5 mins) or from the other side, follow Lavachet blue all the way to the bottom.
We had a private lesson with Cécile from ESF in Brev. Good instructor, I think, though I don't have much experience to compare. We used the nursery slopes in Brev and then went up the Sache lift to continue on some of the reds in the area (though I was too busy trying to stay upright to see exactly where we were...) I remember it was steep, narrow and icy, but as the aim of the lesson was to learn how to ski steep, narrow and icy, it was entirely appropriate. 
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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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Many thanks for all the useful info and advice, I'll be booking ESF in Brevieres and probably staying down in the village in the evenings - we're hardly party animals anyway
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jodmw, Which week in Feb are you going? Mrs Lockkeeper and I + 2 kids will be in Chalet Chardons 5-12th.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Lockkeeper wrote: |
| jodmw, Which week in Feb are you going? Mrs Lockkeeper and I + 2 kids will be in Chalet Chardons 5-12th. |
We're going 26th - 5th. Picked that week to avoid the UK school holidays before realising that the French ones would still be happening! Hope you have a good time.
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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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Any one recommend any other ski schools in Tignes Le Lac or are ESF the bees knees...
Two girls in our group are absolute beginners, in their early 30ies.... (I am probably dead now) Would need English speaking group lessons.
Any advice welcome.
I know of ESF in other resorts, but not Tignes
Ski world is suggesting Evolution 2 in Tignes also...
We are going there 26th Feb through 5th March.
Thanks!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| michaelminhatkinson wrote: |
| are ESF the bees knees... |
Yes
Very forward thinking and no problems for lessons in English
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In terms of lessons then I'd thoroughly recommend The Development Centre - http://www.tdcski.com/tignes/ although possibly a little more focused on improver - expert rather than just pure beginner.
Had some clinics with them a couple of years ago and they were terrific..
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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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Evolution 2 would be my choice.
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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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Evolution 2
The Development Centre
ESF - but only if you can get Stewart Woodward or Rorie Scott.
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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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Back a couple of weeks now, we had great lessons from Ultimate Snowsports and from Evolution 2 in Tignes les Lac.
Not sure how that fits in with staying in Les Breviers but you could always ask.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Howdy folks, is it possible to get from Les Brevieres to Le Lac for 9am?
We're going to be there from 27th - 6th... didn't realise it was the French holidays either.
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| stroh80 wrote: |
| Howdy folks, is it possible to get from Les Brevieres to Le Lac for 9am? |
A few options;
1. Walk - Approx 6km about 2hours.
2. Taxi - Approx €30
3. Car - Approx 10 minutes but you will need to park underground.
4. Hopefully your accomodation will have a mini bus which will run you up to Tignes.
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Staying in Chalet Chardons from the 12th-19th March also.
stewart woodward, is that 'no chance' then, to get to Le Lac by lift/gondola by 9.00am?
And if leaving from Les Brev. How long does it take by lift and ski to get to the top of the Grand Motte?
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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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Hi Guys chances of getting from Les Brevieres to Tignes le Lac by nine are slim to say the least.
As for how long it will take you to get to the Top of the Grande Motte it really depends on the ability of the skiers you are with and the route you choose. I say this because coming up from Tignes les Brevieres means you could accidentally get on one of the slowest lifts in the world, AKA the Marais. If you chose the right route it can take as little as an hour if you are an experienced skier. For advice on Lifts/Pistes check out www.love-tignes.com, they have reviewed the majority of lifts and runs in resort and offer advice on what time to ski them and how difficult they are.
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| inchhighj wrote: |
stewart woodward, is that 'no chance' then, to get to Le Lac by lift/gondola by 9.00am? |
No chance. The first lift out of Brev dosen't open untill 9.00am. If you are staying in chalet chardon they will probably run you up to Tignes for 9.00am.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheers Stewart/Coles. Thanks for the advice.
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