 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking to there for a week self-catering next year (10th March), just trying to find out a few specifics...
I say 'self-catering', but am thinking we'll be eating out a few times, will we need to book or just turn up? Will be 3-6 of us (not sure on numbers yet!)
What time does the ski bus run until? I've read 7:30pm and also 8pm?
Anyone know of a good english-speaking ski instructor in the area?
Is there an ESF meeting point at the bottom of the Moulin Benjamin chair or would we need to bus it to the resort center?
Can anyone recommend a transfer person/company (probs flying to Chambery)?
I have read all I can find on here (some great info and trip reports) but am just after a few more details if anyone can help me out!
Thanks in advance,
Joe 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well i've found last years timetable, the ski bus will run until 7:45pm
I spoke to a nice chap from Peak Retreats who told me that we would need to get the ski bus from the Chalets du Galibier into the resort center for the ESF meeting point.
Could still do with some more info if anyone can help?
Ta!
Joe
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi there,
I went a couple of winters ago. We went self catering but did eat out a few times. Generally we booked ahead and the restuarants did seem to be busy, so I would recommend you do book.
The ski bus does run until about 7.30ish but Valloire is fairly small. It will only be a 10 or 15 minute walk from the town centre back to the bottom of Moulin Benjamin chair after your evenings out. If you ski on the closest hill (Setaz), you shouldnt need the bus back at the end of the day, as there is a gentle, quiet blue (past a pretty church and donkey farm) all the way back.
As to ski instruction, we used ESI, who have some good english speaking instructors and reasonable class sizes. I think both ESI and ESF have their main meeting points near the Crey du Quart gondola base.
Regarding transfers, we used public transfer. Taxi from airport to Chambery town (15 minutes, €20), then train to St Micheal du Maurianne (every hour, takes 1hr) and then transfer bus to resort (€15 return, about 40 minutes). I think there are some transfers direct from Chambery but not too sure.
I hope you have a great time! It really is a great place.
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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 went with a small group a few years ago. We self-catered every night (half of us still students) so no idea about the restaurants I'm afraid. We didn't need to use the bus at all as we were staying very close to the main gondola and ski school base. We took the same DIY transfer route as carettam, of which the only tricky bit was getting a taxi from Chambery airport in time to catch the train, as the baggage took so long to come through.
We had good lessons with ESF but had instructors of varying English ability (andwe were the only English in the groups). The resort was very quiet (1st week in January) and they were sculpting lovely ice sculptures in the main street. The food prices seemed reasonable in the local supermarkets, bakeries etc and there was a library/cinema open late each evening with cheap internet. As 2nd week skiers/boarders there was plenty of easy terrain to keep us busy and some lovely long gentle blue runs with nice scenery that made us feel like we were really travelling around. If you are more advanced though I imagine it will feel small quite quickly, so you may want to explore further afield. Your ski pass does cover Valmeinier as well though and the two areas are linked by blue runs.
I loved it, really enjoyed it much much more than my first week of skiing in La Plagne. It's a real village, with a hillside full of trees, chapels, picnic benches etc. I'd like to go back now, but just for a couple of days as I think it might feel a bit smaller now!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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TangoFiver, if there are a few of you at a similar level you might do better (from the English speaking instructor point of view) booking private lessons. Even an instructor with excellent English won't speak much of it in a group lessons with just one or two Anglophones - saying everything twice would slow things down a bit. You might find that private lessons, paying extra for additional numbers as appropriate, provided better value, specifying that you want an instructor with good English.
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Thats a great help people, thank you so much!
I think there may only be one of us taking lessons, so will pass on info to her. She might be a beginner(ish) when we get there, as she's yet to decide to get lessons at Chill Factore beforehand.
Hiring a car seems to be the best comprimise at the moment, about £210 for a Berlingo-size for a week, so thats about £70 each if there's only 3 of us. (Still waiting on people to confirm so could be 5...) I'm a bit aprehensive about finding my way out of Chambery but as long as it's not Geneva I should be fine.
I keep finding snippets of info on the internet so will just keep reading up!
Joe
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| TangoFiver wrote: |
| I'm a bit aprehensive about finding my way out of Chambery... |
Just drive out of the airport, turn right and keep going. It really is that simple. The roads are small and slow to begin with but you're soon on to dual carriagway.
Take a road atlas and, if possible, a sat nav and all will be fine.
If you end up with 5 people then book an Intermediate Wagon (eg Mondeo Estate). That's usually the cheapest option. More useful info buried in this trip report:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=63581
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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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Valloire will be a good place for a week's skiing. A bit of an older town.
Chambery is the closest airport (an hour away) but somewhere like Lyon (nearer to 2 hours away) will have more flights going in. It's motorway all the way from Lyon until the last 10 miles and unless you are a complete muppet driver, it's easy. I would always be inclined to hire a car as it gives you more flexibility and you can go to some of the other resorts or even pop into the 3 Valleys from the Orelle bubble lift, but other option is to get a train to St Michel,which is in the valley, and get the bus/taxi up. I have a feeling there is a bus from Chambery and/or Lyon. Link here to the Orelle times which is just up the road and I think might be the same bus. http://www.orelle.net/PDF/reservation_navette_20102011_en.pdf.
altis, no trouble getting out of Chambery - follow signs to the town and then to Turin !!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Cycled through Valloire last Monday on the Etape de Tour, It looked a very pleasant resort.
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You know it makes sense.
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Fogliettaz, ditto. First time in the area for me and very impressed. We stayed up in Aussois, a pretty little ski village and great value - we ate a prix fixe 4 course meal with a glass of red for 15euros! Looked like a great area to explore with transport given the number of different places nearby. Posted some Etape pics here http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=77951&highlight=
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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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I went 3 years ago, nice little ski area and hardly any queing even at new year. The Armera was my fauvourite piste.
Contrary to what most will tell you I didn't rate the restaurant Chez Fred, over €20 for a duck main course which consisted of 2 slices of duck breast and about €35 for a bottle of red wine which was so cold it was dripping condensation on the bottle, I stopped them from opening it, no way I was going to pay that kind of money for a freezing cold bottle of red wine. If you want a really nice traditional French meal try Montagne Magique, run and I suspect owned by a young french couple, the set 3 course menu in the evening was very reasonable and very good, I think it may even have included wine (but if it didn't it certainly wasn't anything like €35). After the expensive disaster of Chez Fred this is where we went most evenings, tried a few others but they did not come close. This was of course quite some time ago, this may all have changed.
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Poster: A snowHead
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It was some years ago I went there in winter, though drove through the area last summer. Well worth a visit, hope you have a great holiday. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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TangoFiver, it is probably too soon to get quotes for car hire from Grenoble. Nearer the time there will probably be more options.
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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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TangoFiver, it's possible to do it by public transport (depending on time your flight arrives of course).
Taxi to Grenbole station
Train to St Michel - Valloire
Bus up the hill (altibus I think, runs regularly)
Are you sure you'll need a car much when there?
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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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TangoFiver,
You can get the train from grenoble to st michel de maurienne and then the coach from there, you have to book the coach online though. they wont let you pay there and then....unless you have some very bolshy french at your disposal
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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TangoFiver, we stayed in the Chalets du Galibier a few years back - good accommodation. If you have unanswered questions you could try asking on the www.cybervalloire.com forum. They are French but appear to speak pretty good English and are very helpful; I'm sure they'd know about ski instructors who spoke English. It is a great ski area and a lovely town with some of the friendliest people I've met so far on a skiing holiday. Another year we stayed in another apartment and they did meals delivered to the door which were very good. We had a lovely lunch one day at Les Mérégers which has a sunny terrace with a fantastic view. Definitely going back there one day.
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we will be going for a hire car as it would give us the option to go to another resort and to get some cheaper supplies from the supermarkets en route etc.
AW, thats great insiders knowledge, will have a gander at that site, many thanks!
Joe
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Well I think we're gonna try to get a private transfer. Peak retreats have gone off last years prices and at £140 each its a fair whack, but very convenient!
I might start a new thread on sourcing private transfers. . .
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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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TangoFiver, From Grenoble airport, on the dates you require, you can currently book a 5 seat estate car for under £300. Have a look at the car hire comparison site www.carrentals.co.uk, the current best offer for that size of car is with erentals. The last time I booked with them I ended up with a car from europcar.
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Taxi - train - bus - bar (with all the cash you just saved) it really is quite do-able unless you come in at some odd hour of the evening/night. I've done Valloire and Val Cenis by public transport from Chambery with no problems.
Also the bus we caught (altibus) didn't need pre-booking, we just paid at St Michel. It was January though, what JimSearle, says is maybe the case in peak weeks.
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FAQ
I really liked those Haute Maurienne resorts. Must go back, problem is I've been enticed onto a range of these awful
