 Poster: A snowHead
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OK, we like VT, but before booking again we thought it might be worth seeing if there are other places to explore
Criteria
MUST be ski in/out preferrably without a long lift journey to the main ski area from the accomodation.
Can drive to it on the continent in around 10 hours (ish)
Can get accommodation for 4 included 2 sleeping areas separate from the living area (will happily take accommodation recommendations) - probably self catered, unless it is as cheap to do something different.
Has very few drag lifts (gondolas/cable cars/chairs etc. preferred)
Has a decent amount of skiing (to last a week) to fit someone of my standard - getting relatively OK on red runs - will have a crack at an easy red-y black
Can do a decent ski school for the kids
Has an easily accessible supporting town/village with decent facilities inc. supermarket!!!
Could do with being fairly high so we get decent snow
So must have many VT like attributes - have considered LDA, would welcome comments on that suggestion and any other locations that you might suggest.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megamum, La Rosiere 
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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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Les Arcs/La Plagne - enough people on here who may be able to offer accomodation !!
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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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What do you define as early? November or the week before Xmas?
Tignes/Val D'Isere would fit, usually opens last week of November IIRC?
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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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Megamum, Les Deux-Alpes or Serre Chevalier depending on you dates.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, Les Arcs might fit the bill. Specifically a two bedroom apartment at Arc 1800. In fact, I might know of one which is suitable... 
Like kitenski said, what do you consider early season?
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Sorry, I meant to imply that we were perhaps looking at Jan 2010 forwards
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| Megamum wrote: |
| Sorry, I meant to imply that we were perhaps looking at Jan 2010 forwards |
That's not early, you can pick most any resort that offers ski in/out and be in with a good chance of snow! Try narrowing it down a country first and then see where the recommendations take you?
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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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Megamum, rob@rar's place fits every one of your criteria. Highly recommended. (But the kids will need to wear their ski helmets in bed. )
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I know of a very good 3 bed apartment in Ste Foy, Ski In and Ski out it has been all of 2008/2009. Also very central to the nearby mega resorts of Tignes, Val d'Isere and Les Arcs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If the length of drive is important then try closer resorts like Les Gets or Morzine, La Clusaz+Grand Bornand etc
With Morzine you get access to Morzine Avoriaz and the Portes de soleil if you want to venture further than the resort.
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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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If you are driving early season, and are going low season (Not over New Year) you lose very little by waiting to see where the snow is good. Self catering accommodation is easy to find. If the weather forecast is for storms you can get a tree lined area. If there is no snow low down you can go high. If the snow is lousy in the Northern Alps you can go to the southern ones etc.
Places like La Plagne and Les Arcs have decent tree lined skiing and reasonably snow sure high altitude skiing though even these can suffer in poor snow years. They do come at a significant price premium to less well known French resorts and places in other countries.
LDA has plenty of skiing and is snow sure, very few trees though, and Easiski does comment that it doesn't suit all intermediates as runs are either easy orn reasonably difficult with fewer inbetween runs. I don't know how this will fit in with your skiing. The runs back to resort are certainly quite tough. If ski in ski out is important you would need to choose your accommodation carefully as a lot is not.
Must say you can save a fortune by staying slightly away form the slopes and using your car if you have one. Many (but not all) resorts have parking that is close to the lifts free and easy to access out of peak season.
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Megamum, I found an unpleasant, boozy, even menacing atmosphere in Les Deux Alpes at New Year, and hooligan skiing commonplace on the Pistes. I would advise against, although of course there are those on here who like it.
Les Arcs is a much better bet than La Plagne, and of course (ski)Mottaret or 1650 in the 3V would suit - presuming you didn't get round the entire domain during your week in VT
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You know it makes sense.
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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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red 27, I think the locals would agree that at New Year there are problems there. However I've been to LDA many times (Easter, January and March, but not New Year) and never seen any trouble.
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Poster: A snowHead
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red 27, Same here. The only ski resort I have felt threatened in 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Saas Fee may just about be do'able in 10 hrs and ticks most other boxes ?
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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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Hurtle Perhaps I should make it clear that Lizzard was not responsible for ALL the fighting... some of it was the Italians! 
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Megamum, The best ski school for kids is Prosneige in Val Thorens. The principal reason we skied there for 3 consecutive seasons. We stayed in the Oxylass which does some very cheap deals especially in January. My BIL has stayed in the Novotel/Mercure which has equally cheap deals.
Keep an eye on this site for some good deals nearer the time.
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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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| Quote: |
If you are driving early season, and are going low season (Not over New Year) you lose very little by waiting to see where the snow is good.
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strongly agree. Really no point in booking now for that sort of holiday. Our area is no good for people who aren't confident on drag lifts, as there are quite a few of them. Les Gets might be good - though they have drag lifts too, or did when I last went there, though it's a bit overrun with Brits. You might think about Flaine - compact and accessible. Don't know about ski schools. I don't know Austrian resorts but people keep telling us there is lots of very high quality self catering accommodation available and that Austria is a lot cheaper - maybe they can come up with a suggestion for you?
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red 27, I wouldn't recommend 2Alpes in New Year week to anyone - there's a nasty atmosphere and you're likely to have everything you own stolen.
For the rest of the season it's entirely different.
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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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Lizzard, you could have told me that last year before I had 7 bells kicked out of me by some Juve Ultra nutters who seemd to object to my tasteful "Heysel: 39-0" t-shirt 
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Megamum,
One thing to be aware of is that if when you have been in VT you have only skied the stuff on the VT lift pass as opposed to the 3V or Belleville valley then you willl find the majority of resorts will have a similar amount of skiing or more. Val Thorens/Orelle has a shade over 100k of piste from memory. You should find literally masses of places with equivalent sized ski areas, its about finding ones you like and preferably with decent snow.
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w,
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I don't know Austrian resorts but people keep telling us there is lots of very high quality self catering accommodation available and that Austria is a lot cheaper - maybe they can come up with a suggestion for you?
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Both statements very true but in my experience there is not much ski in ski out though. Obertauern has some and a few other places I believe but not many.
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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 would suggest in January you will probably find a last minute deal (including flights ) very cheaply. It was my first week doing Europe for myself this year (I am actually back again right now) and found it outstandingly cheap. We stayed at Stevomcd 's place in Sainte Foy and it was one of my best weeks skiing ever. He also offered us the chance to go to different local resorts 3 out of the 6 days we were there, Les Arc/La Plagne, Tignes ValD, La Rosiere (which gives you the opportunity to ski in to Italy). Iona (steves other half) is an excellent chef and makes probably the best brownies I have ever tasted. We were £400 for flights, accommodation, transfers (about £500 including lift passes). Full chalet board with unlimited wine and beer, ski in and ski out of the door.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lizzard, Exactly, as I've always said. Frosty the Snowman, that was (I assume) the moment at the Mondial when you guys had a run in with the Marseilles lads? Not representative TBH - I've never seen any other trouble apart from NY that wasn't started by the 'brits abroad' lot. 
Megamum, Paul McK's apartment as with Pollyperk's smaller one are virtually ski in ski out and would fit the bill for accommodation here. Both would probably be quiet enough with young children. There are plenty of blues and a fair number of blues that are really red .... you would be fine if you're happy with the (limited) skiing in VT itself at the end of the season. It's the intermediate skiers who want to clock off the miles on easy runs that aren't very well catered for here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes, so far I've only skied with the VT lift pass, and the end of season area available seemed sufficient for us not to ski it out. So yes, areas of a similar size + are probably what I am looking for
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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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| kitenski wrote: |
| Megamum wrote: |
| Sorry, I meant to imply that we were perhaps looking at Jan 2010 forwards |
That's not early, you can pick most any resort that offers ski in/out and be in with a good chance of snow! Try narrowing it down a country first and then see where the recommendations take you? |
The thread title does say "Early 2010", not "Early next season" 
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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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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| Megamum, The best ski school for kids is Prosneige in Val Thorens. . |
That's quite a bold statement, care to expand? We've been pleased with Magic based out of La Tania.
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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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kitenski, IMHO
We found prosneige so good across the age range from a 3 year old beginner to 10 year good skiers. It was our (3 familys) first time that the kids wanted to get to ski school. Previously in Tignes, La Tania, Courchevel Verbier it was a real effort to get them to go. The standard of 'care' was exemplary for instance one day it was snowing hard so the small children were bought in early to play indoors (and were given a hot chocolate to warm them up and a a piece of fruit all at no extra charge) the older children were out on the slopes when the snow got heavy and their instructor took them into a bar and bought them all a drink, until the worst of the storm had passed over. Offers to pay from the parents afterwards were politely refused. The instructors also genuinely remembered the children from one year to the next and almost needless to say the childrens skiing improved dramatically in such an environment.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
If you are driving early season, and are going low season (Not over New Year) you lose very little by waiting to see where the snow is good.
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strongly agree. Really no point in booking now for that sort of holiday. Our area is no good for people who aren't confident on drag lifts, as there are quite a few of them. Les Gets might be good - though they have drag lifts too, or did when I last went there, though it's a bit overrun with Brits. You might think about Flaine - compact and accessible. Don't know about ski schools. I don't know Austrian resorts but people keep telling us there is lots of very high quality self catering accommodation available and that Austria is a lot cheaper - maybe they can come up with a suggestion for you? |
I don't know from personal experience about self catering - it really isn't a sensible option (price-wise) for a solo traveller, but my experience of Austrian hotels is that they are generally significantly cheaper than similar in France.
But as T Bar says, ski in/ski out is much rarer in Austria, although certainly not unknown.
As an example, taking a very quick look close to where I stayed this year, there is this one
http://www.wilderkaiser.info/en/vermieter/appartements-erlenau.html
70m from the Harkaiser funicular, ski back to door. Doesn't quite fit the 2 bedrooms plus living area.
This one has the accommodation, but it would take a while to get to the "main" ski area
http://www.appartement-eden.at/pagesEN/willkommenEN.html
I do think the Ski Welt would be an area which would suit a low intermediate skier very well.
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
kitenski, IMHO
We found prosneige so good across the age range from a 3 year old beginner to 10 year good skiers. It was our (3 familys) first time that the kids wanted to get to ski school. Previously in Tignes, La Tania, Courchevel Verbier it was a real effort to get them to go. The standard of 'care' was exemplary for instance one day it was snowing hard so the small children were bought in early to play indoors (and were given a hot chocolate to warm them up and a a piece of fruit all at no extra charge) the older children were out on the slopes when the snow got heavy and their instructor took them into a bar and bought them all a drink, until the worst of the storm had passed over. Offers to pay from the parents afterwards were politely refused. The instructors also genuinely remembered the children from one year to the next and almost needless to say the childrens skiing improved dramatically in such an environment. |
thanks, that does sound good....(toggles over to google and types prosneige....)
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kitenski, Boredsurfing, We found the same with Prosneige - often the children came back with tales of sweets, hot chocolate drinks etc. I can't speak of year to year yet, but they certainly seemed to learn with them.
What options for ski school would we have in Les Arcs and La Rosiere please?
alex_heney, Thanks, I wasn't going to point it out myself, but I did think that the thread title was explanatory enough LOL
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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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Absolutely nothing wrong with L2A (although I'd avoid NYE in your boat for the reasons said, actually that's not true: just don't go out on NYE) but I think Helen's suggestion of Serre Che is a better one. From driving through I'd suggest Chantemerle as a base in the area: it seemed the most attractive of some pretty nice towns and is central. Also for a supermarket you're really close to Briancon which will be cheaper than any resort for food.
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FAQ
