 Poster: A snowHead
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We leave for Kitzbühel on Saturday and already the discussions have started about where to go next season. We normally book within a couple of weeks of getting back. Two of the group (a couple of course) have expressed a desire to go to France which has thrown rather a spanner in the works as the rest of us seem to think our requirements can't be met there but it got me wondering whether the  massive might be able to confirm or deny this.
List of requirements:
• TO only (probably limited to the big four as we need flights from Newcastle, Midlands/Yorkshire and London) and must be inclusive of flights and transfers
• Half board hotel with at least two single rooms or low sole use supplements
• Reasonable sized ski area for intermediates (around 100km of pistes) with lots of nice mountain huts
• Some nightlife and not too family-orientated
• Pretty village with some atmosphere
• Prefer not ski in/out with equipment lockers at lift base stations
• Up to £1k per person including lift pass and ski carriage
We normally stick to Austria or Italy where the above requirements are relatively simple, France is somewhat unchartered territory although I have been before many years ago (school trips, as a seasonnaire and uni trips in ghastly self-catering high rise). I'm thinking Serre Chevalier might be an option although I haven't seen any hotels with single rooms advertised in TO brochures there as yet.
Any suggestions anyone or shall we tell these two to shut up and stick to plan A (which was looking like either Sestriere or Mayrhofen)?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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see you in Cham at our nice SOLE Lodge next year then.
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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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queen bodecia,
Val D'Isere (the main town) is worth a look
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In our area (which I wouldn't recommend because the nightlife is probably not up to what a young group would want, and there are no TOs, thank goodness) several of the ski hire places will hang on to your gear, for convenience. I imagine that's much the same in many other places.
Megeve would fit the bill but probably out of the price range. Many of the Megeve hotels are a bit swanky. Some seriously so. Maybe St Gervais? Much cheaper, really interesting and characterful spa town, huge amount of linked skiing.
I don't know Serre Chevalier - but there are plenty of SHs who do.
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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 think La Clusaz might be worth looking at it. The main TOs go there and there are a few hotels - Beauregard, Alpen roc and a more luxurious one has just opened I think. There are some nice restaurants too.
It is a pretty village and the ski area has runs for all abilities from what I remember. It is not far from Geneva and you can also ski at le grand bornand on the lift pass.
I don't think it is too family orientated. We went there pre children and had a good holiday.
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Have a look at Villard de Lans.
Small pretty town, about 1 hour from Grenoble Airport. About 100km intermediate pistes, very uncrowded during week, cheap lift passes, short bus transfer to pistes. Nightlife is a bit... well, limited. But it's a genuine town, not a resort, with real people who live and work there. There is also a local hockey team, which provides a great night out if you can be there when they are playing a home game.
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'[cough] La Rosiere [/cough]'
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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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Vaujany? (Linked to Alpe d'Huez.) I've been with Ski Peak and stayed in Hotel Rissiou in a non-ankle-biter week. It was nice.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Les Gets or Morzine am pretty sure meet your requirements. Also what week are you looking at as that as an impact on where you could go as you have a fixed budget.
Also have you considered sorting out your own travel and accomodation, gives you a lot more flexibility than TO.
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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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Isn't one of the milky way resorts in Italy - hopefully best of both worlds???
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You know it makes sense.
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Why not pick one the Italian resorts that has a French name (eg. most of the Aosta valley) with a flight to a French airport and explain that the hotel is run by an Italian family ?
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just out of interest, how many resorts have rentable lockers at or near a main lift out of the village? I can think of one or two places that I've been to, but is it common?
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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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rob@rar, it's very common in Austria and we used these facilities in Courmayeur and La Thuile too.
OK so not the most important of our criteria (the two single rooms are the main requirement) but it's a huge plus point.
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rob@rar, I'd definitely consider Serre Chevalier and Chamonix. I've been to Val D'Isère and have no burning desire to go back. The above suggestions of La Clusaz, St Gervais, Villard, Vaujany, Morzine/Les Gets are all worth considering if we can find the right type of accommodation through the right type of TO.
But I think the 6 versus 2 might win the argument this season given the school holidays aspect.
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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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queen bodecia, are they heated lockers? How do you stop your boots freezing overnight? Do they have boot dryers?
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rob@rar, yes usually heated lockers or in a heated room. Some are better than others. The ones in La Thuile were in a heated room which didn't dry the boots completely overnight, so not the best, but generally far better than any storage options offered by hotels and definitely more secure.
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queen bodecia, do you have to pay to rent heated lockers?
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I haven't been to Les Gets for a few years but it was extremely family oriented, IIRC. That was good for us, at the time, but I would have thought Morzine better for your group.
the French school hols finish 11 March next year - if you have to go the week before that, then I would agree it's a good excuse for not going to France. Yes, it might not be too bad, but when the whole of the rest of the Alps beckons, why would you go somewhere likely to have loads of kids?
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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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you could look into satellite villages ie La tania/La Praz for courchevel or Vaujany for Les Deux Alpes????
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| Quote: |
given the school holidays aspect
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There is no school holidays aspect! 2nd week in March will be pretty quiet whichever resort you pick. There are lots of good suggestions above.
Having said that, if nice good value hotels, pretty villages & lots of nice mountain huts are your priorities, then Austria is the place. If at some point in the future the world's best skiing becomes more important to you, maybe then you may want to go to France 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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queen bodecia, there was a thread recently about lockers near the lifts in Chantemerle in Serre Chevalier. I think one of the hire shops has lockers to rent. When I was there one of the shops let us leave our skis and boots each night FOC but we were all hiring at least skis. Just in case France doesn't get ruled out after all...
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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 hire shop in Chatel was happy to let us leave our own skis and boots there gratis. We bought them some chocolate to say thanks. Chatel is a nice place, but doesn't have TO hotels as far as I know.
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rob@rar, It was 3 E per day I think last time we were in Schladming, heated, big, probably enough space for 4 sets and touch open with your ski pass. Nice.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Tom W wrote: |
| rob@rar, It was 3 E per day I think last time we were in Schladming, heated, big, probably enough space for 4 sets and touch open with your ski pass. Nice. |
That sounds very civilised, and a reasonable cost for the convenience factor if you're a bit of a hike away from the lift.
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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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| Tom W wrote: |
| rob@rar, It was 3 E per day I think last time we were in Schladming, heated, big, probably enough space for 4 sets and touch open with your ski pass. Nice. |
We had ones like that in Kitzbuhel, at the bottom of the Hahnenkammbahn. Part of the ski shop there. And in Serfaus you don't get a locker but a check them in/out with the ski shop, using a tag.
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Poster: A snowHead
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queen bodecia, Shall we book you up then?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kitzbuhel will be a hard act to follow re. your "pretty village with some atmosphere" requirement. What about Ortisei or Cavalese ?
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, are you a major TO offering a range of local airport departures from the UK, door-to-door transfers and half board hotel with two single rooms? If so you can join the shortlist.
rob@rar, exactly as Tom W and cathy describe. This facility is generally offered by ski hire shops as part of the hire package but people with their own equipment pay a small charge to use them also. Worth every penny (or should I say cent?).
truffaut, I have already made a wishlist for next season including Sestrière, Sauze, Mayrhofen, Schladming, Saalbach and Ellmau. I would love to go back to the Dolomites at some point but the TOs only seem to fly from Gatwick and Manchester which is a dealbreaker for most of my group.
pam w, looks like our week is 10th-17th March next year, so does this mean I have to lie about French school holidays? 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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rob@rar, I'm only messing. 
Our biggest concern is finding a nice affordable hotel that can cater for our two singles. Regional flights are also a must as is a TO holiday, but other than those requirements there is some room for manoeuvre.
In fairness though, we will always go with the majority decision and the one which ticks most if not all of our boxes.
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| Quote: |
| Megeve would fit the bill but probably out of the price range. |
Simon Butler Skiing is good value for money in Megève - with 10 hours of instruction (at any level) included in the price. Maybe see you there in 2012!
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But Simon Butler skiing is a chalet rather than a hotel I think? they are keen on hotels.
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St Gervais would work on all counts except I think the tour operator and possibly the nightlife. Personally I think their absence is one of its most appealing features.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Personally I think their absence is one of its most appealing features.
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+1. May there be many delightful French resorts completely by-passed by the TOs for many years to come!!
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