 Poster: A snowHead
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I've already taken the plunge and booked an apartment for the 2012 family ski trip, to St Martin de Belleville, but would appreciate comments on the area as I've never been to Trois Vallees before.
The town seems small and charming with everything fairly close. We'll be staying in an apartment next to the town draglift, so ski rental, bars and restaurants should be close at hand.
As others in the family are leisurely skiers we might only get the Les Menuires/ Val Thorens lift pass and pop over to Meribel for a day trip.
I'd really like to read others' experiences of the area, any preferred ski hire, instructor, places for the evening, mountain restaurants, even airport transfer services.
I have done a lot of homework already but there's no substitute for first hand experience and personal recommendations.
Thanks in advance.
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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 others in the family are leisurely skiers we might only get the Les Menuires/ Val Thorens lift pass and pop over to Meribel for a day trip.
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I'd recommend a 3 valleys lift pass, even for "leisurely skiers" who would comfortably manage day trips to the outer reaches of the lift system.
IMHO it would be a shame for any able skier to visit the world's biggest ski area and not sample the delights that it has to offer.
Happy to see what others think, of course 
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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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I guess that if Easter 2012 is anything like April 2011 the "town draglift" might not be a lot of use. But I'd agree that full 3 V passes are likely to be worthwhile - there's not a huge difference in cost and it's a pain to be poised up on the top somewhere wondering whether you can afford to just follow your nose.
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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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3 Valleys pass would be my vote too. If the snow isn't great then you will probably be even more glad of the full pass as it will enable you to cross over to the better groomed pistes of Courchevel and the best snow (outside of VT) on the reds off Mt Vallon. Also it will give access to leisurely, wooded, family friendly slopes on the blues and greens around the the altiport in Meribel and the blue and green down to La Tania too. Both a good day out for the leisurely skier/mixed group with the added advantage of having a fixed point to head for.
Fingers crossed for good snow in an Earlier 2012 Easter though! St Martin is a great resort with the advantage that whichever pass you get you will be able to enjoy a return to the village on Jerusalem, one of the best runs in the area if not the alps. Its a red but really wide and good fun at speed or a more leisurely pace!
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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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pam w, agreed, we had lunch next to the town draglift in April on our way up to Val Thorens , and it hadn't seen snow for a considerable time.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Don't forget to lunch at L'Ours Blanc in Les Menuires/Reberty
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The Pourquoi Pas piano bar behind the church has a nice atmosphere in the evenings.
St Martin is still very much a village, it is small and charming and one of the nicest places to stay in the 3 valleys. I don't think you will be disappointed.
However, its a bit out on a limb if you just have the Belleville valley pass as you won't be able to go over into the Meribel valley. Not only will this drive you nuts every time you're at the top of St Martin gazing at a huge area that you can't enter, but it limits your access to Les Menuires and VT to a long flat boring blue liason run that will also drive you nuts. So I would also go for the 3v's pass even though at the end of your hols you will look at the piste map and see vast areas you haven't visited!
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All very good advice, thank you. I thought the Belleville Valley pass would suffice as my nephew and especially my sister are not high mileage skiers, but it would be a shame not to check out the entire area for future lads' trips.
I've read a few recommendations for lunch on the mountain and L'Ours Blanc receives great reviews, so am looking forward to finding out for myself.
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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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I'm sure you will love St Martin, as has already been said it is a lovely, charming village, with access to some of the best skiing in the world.
You really need the 3V pass as some of the runs you will likely ski most often in the week are on the Meribel side, there are some great runs that you can access directly from the St Martin 2 chair, down towards the Tougnette chair for example.
Although St Martin it's self is very small and has only a handfull of restaurants in the village, they are all very good, especially La Bouitte, which is one of the best restaurants in the 3V. There are also some great mountain restaurants very close to St Martin. We love both of the restuarants at the top of the St Martin Gondola and Le Grand Lac, which is at the bottom of the Granges chair. The restaurant at the top of St Martin 2 also has a good reputation, though that is one we have still to try (only because we've never booked a table and it is always full!!!).
I hope the snow is better for Easter 2012 than 2011. (2011 was the worst since we've been comming to les Menuires). If not and you've got a car, you can do what we did and make the short drive up to Val Thorens, where the skiing was still great.
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I hope the snow is better for Easter 2012 than 2011.
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+1 on that. You could see the white strip of the home runs down to St Martin against all the brown stuff from La Masse pretty clearly in Mid March when we were there.
+1 on getting the full 3V pass as the snow at the top of Mottaret holds pretty good as these slopes are North facing.
We stayed in St Martin at Christmas when it was a poor snow year. We ended up driving up to park at VT each day just to get some decent skiing in. I was a pretty nervous skier in those days, but I still remember us getting over into the Meribel valley.
I would recommend La Masse high up for views and some decent quiet red runs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We always ski into St Martin de Belleville on the two trips we make annually to the 3V. Partly for the hugely enjoyable Jerusalem piste and partly for the many fantastic piste-side restaurants on the route into St Martin. Just why there are so many good ones in this one small area of the 3V I can't say, but they are all worth visiting.
St Martin is a one route in/one route out village, and the last 1km of piste can get very slushy & worn at certain times of the year, but it is possible to use it as a base for the whole Val Thorens valley. However just over the ridge you have the delights of the Meribel/Mottaret valley and the route to the Courchevel valley and it would seem a shame to vist the 3V and not see more than just one valley!
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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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JimG2009, Sorry just noticed this post looking for another....
We normally ski St Martin over Christmas, good and bad and have always managed to ski in all the main areas.
This year I took my son in Easter and had a 3 valley pass - yes we got into Motteret, which was a bonus with the poor snow conditions (NOT at all typical) everyone else was hightailing it to VT and yet we still found nice quiet runs - even Grand lac was possibly the best run on our way home.
We will make it again next easter as it was so much fun, even chalet Easter regulars commented on the conditions being the worst they had experienced so it can only be better next year.
The restaurants are good - top of St MB 1 is the Corbelles, which is nice, lovely in the sun at Easter, if you are tired from the slush at the end of the day you can catch the bubble down from St MB 1.
If you are in a car or hire car it is an easy run up to les Menuires or VT to start higher up but just as easy to ski it.
The run down into Meribelle is lovely, snow permitting.
Ski hire is best done on line, Winner are at the bottom of the bubble lift and they gave friends of ours a great deal over Christmas, but best to book on line as they are all expesive walking in through the door.
There is a nice restauraunt at the bottom of the drag lift where you are staying, we normally have a meal there at Christmas and one adjacent to the Marie, as said above the Piano bar is nice for a beer on an evening.
All the best
Noisey
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| noisey wrote: |
JimG2009, Sorry just noticed this post looking for another....
We normally ski St Martin over Christmas, good and bad and have always managed to ski in all the main areas.
This year I took my son in Easter and had a 3 valley pass - yes we got into Motteret, which was a bonus with the poor snow conditions (NOT at all typical) everyone else was hightailing it to VT and yet we still found nice quiet runs - even Grand lac was possibly the best run on our way home.
We will make it again next easter as it was so much fun, even chalet Easter regulars commented on the conditions being the worst they had experienced so it can only be better next year.
The restaurants are good - top of St MB 1 is the Corbelles, which is nice, lovely in the sun at Easter, if you are tired from the slush at the end of the day you can catch the bubble down from St MB 1.
If you are in a car or hire car it is an easy run up to les Menuires or VT to start higher up but just as easy to ski it.
The run down into Meribelle is lovely, snow permitting.
Ski hire is best done on line, Winner are at the bottom of the bubble lift and they gave friends of ours a great deal over Christmas, but best to book on line as they are all expesive walking in through the door.
There is a nice restauraunt at the bottom of the drag lift where you are staying, we normally have a meal there at Christmas and one adjacent to the Marie, as said above the Piano bar is nice for a beer on an evening.
All the best
Noisey |
Noisey, thanks for your input.
I've checked the ski hire options, you're right about booking online.
I'm working very much on the basis that last winter's poor conditions won't be repeated for a few years, as I don't normally book that late but have to this time.
Can you tell me anything about the town internet access? Is it by the day or hour or a weekly fee? Wish I could leave laptop behind but need to keep in touch with outside world.
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You know it makes sense.
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JimG2009, Jim, as we stay in a private chalet a few km outside St MB, which has its own internet access I really do not know about the towns but our old chalet owners live just at the top of the drag lift where you are and they don;t have internet issues, although that will be their own Line.
We often eat / have an end of day drink at the Dahlia resturaunt, which is at the bubble station in St Martin and I have often seen people with their lap tops on the bar, plus I have never heard anything to the contrary so I would expect their internet access to be reasonable.
The only bug bear with St MB is that I do not believe it is very beginner friendly, as the run back to St M starts nice & level but the last bit can be quite hairy for beginners, especially down through the tunnel under the road. Fine in slush & good snow conditions but when icy or hard packed snow it can be very difficult - My wife often looses confidence on that last bit and some times catches the bubble back down St MB 1 if she doesn;t feel she is up to it at the end of the day.
We heard over Easter that last season conditions were the worst for 25 to 40 years, depending on the length of time that person had been in the area, the chalets neighbour was the one who commented as the worst easter for 40 years - so I think next year would be a safe bet on being better, again I will be going back with my son & wife in 2012 after being there for Christmas.
Noisey
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