 Poster: A snowHead
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hi everyone we are looking to go away around the 31st of december for a week and are looking to kepp cost down as much as we can, was wandering if you can help regarding lift pass prices, looking for a resort with a lower lift pass price but around 100km of piste if someone can help this would be great, we may be driving too so if resort is closer to calais this is all the better. i hope you guys can help and respond asap kind regards
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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How about Val Cenis in the Haute Maurienne - 125km of pistes and a 6 day lift pass costs €171 or 7 day €185. Or with the Haute Maurienne pass you can travel to a different resort in the Valley each day on local buses for the same price. There are a number of quite good, cheap hotels - for example Hotel Nanook. It also has loads of good offpiste - particularly if you take a guide.
It is a bit further than the Tarrentaise resorts (basically the next Valley down - you can ski to it from the back of Val d'Isere and Val Thorens) but I have driven there in a day starting extremely early from London and taking the Eurotunnel - arriving at supper time.
Also see the "article" on the lift price comparison thread.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 5-11-11 13:35; edited 1 time in total
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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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hammy1846at4, there are lots of considerations other than lift passes. What kind of holiday are you looking to do? Hotel? Self-catering? Hiring gear?
Because of the dates of Christmas and New Year some apartments will be let for different periods (e.g. Monday - Monday). You need to look at it all together - and also think about ways of avoiding the worst of the New Year traffic.
If budget is a big consideration, you will find a lot of choice, and probably some last minute deals, if you wait until the first "non holiday" week in January - different operators and accommodation agencies are using different dates.
A last minute cheap package could well be cheaper than driving.
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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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PS Don't put the same question on 2 forums.
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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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Snowball,
Why not?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| snowball wrote: |
| PS Don't put the same question on 2 forums. |
erm.......why?
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Erm....I just remember it being squashed before. OK, the slight confusion and duplication of responses doesn't seem an adequate reason so I withdraw the statement.
(I got as far as half answering the other one and then realized it was the same post I'd answered earlier in the day. But that was just my stupidity)
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would agree that less well known resorts will have lower pass prices. But they are rarely in the brochures (by definition!) so independent is the way to go. You are already driving so that's fine. However finding accommodation is harder. Cheap doesn't often come easy, at least in the world of ski-ing. And pam w is right you are looking at probably the second busiest week of the season which doesn't help, for accommodation or pass prices - a lot of resorts put these up at busy times.
I am a bit surprised more SH's haven't been on here extolling the virtues of their favourite non-mainstream resorts. Come on people!
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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: |
I am a bit surprised more SH's haven't been on here extolling the virtues of their favourite non-mainstream resorts. Come on people!
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We don't have enough information to do that effectively - and, as I said, a few euros off a lift pass isn't really the major consideration. The Espace Diamant (185km of linked pistes) is 177 for 6 days, which is cheaper than the big resorts but not enough of a saving to cancel out, say, the saving you might get by booking a last-minute bargain in a resort with a more expensive pass.
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hi thank you for the replies i agree i was hoping for more, as i am looking for help to get a ski deal that is cheap and cheerful for a nice resort that will be quieter and more free as to over crowded, have been to puy st vincent in last 3 years but the driving times are quite a lot more to there than other resorts so looking for something similar to puy but closer to calais. regarding more info there will be 4 people for sure, possible 6. many thanks hope there will be many more replies
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hammy1846at4, small ones with old lifts, by and large.
Not hugely useful I know, but it's always struck me that you don't get anywhere near the value for money from the small resorts compared to the big ones *dons hard hat and crawls into a fox hole*.
As the couple of examples above, 177 for 185km of piste. EK is ~240 for well over 300km, and 3V a similar price for ~600km.
That's only one criteria of course...
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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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hammy1846at4, ah! Now we have a bit more information. You just asked initially about low lift pass prices!
You haven't said whether you are stuck with those dates. If so, you can pretty well forget finding anywhere cheap, cheerful and uncrowded. Throughout most of the Alps that will be one of the most crowded - and expensive - weeks of the year.
Choices will be very restricted then - if you could postpone till a week later it would be far quieter and far cheaper.
If you can't change, and are looking for a self catering apartment, I wouldn't delay - there's still a few available but many of the best and/or best value places will have been booked up for some months.
then, to save funds, plan food and drink carefully and take as much as you can with you, or buy in a valley supermarket, rather than in a ski resort.
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| Quote: |
That's only one criteria of course...
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If quietness is an important criterion then at times OTHER than the main 5/6 holiday weeks, you will find far fewer crowds (indeed no crowds at all) in many smaller resorts. Over the last few years I have spent odd days skiing in the EK and the 3V where my son was working - always in low season - and always been stunned by how busy the pistes are, in comparison with what I am used to.
Every coffee, beer and snack on the mountain will also cost far more in the 3V etc than it will in a small resort. Accommodation will be more expensive too. That's why I said that lift prices aren't a major consideration - you don't save a lot on lift passes by going to a smaller resort but by the time you add up all the differences, they are significant.
I prefer somewhere a bit more "local" - not being surrounded by Brits has quite a lot to say for it.
There are certainly some slow lifts in the Espace Diamant but there's been a lot of investment (a big 6 man detachable chair opening for this December, for example) and on the whole they're good.
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You know it makes sense.
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thank you again this is all helpful info, well that is really the only time we can go, well we have to be back by the 10th of january at the latest so that is why we set our selves the dates of driving on the 30th and getting in the resort on the 31st. yeh well we did find some good accommodation deals for the bigger resorts but the lift passes are like £200 so it adds the holiday up a lot to ie £400,450 rather than if liftpass is around 120-150 then it is around £300 which is where we want to be, really our budget is for £500 max all in
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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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hammy1846at4,
There are lots of companies doing 2nd jan for a week, we have a deal to la Tania for 7 nights from the 2nd and back in time for the schools, have you looked at these dates, I know it misses out NEw year, but as already mentioned you will pay a premium for this time
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok that seams quite good for dates for us, what company was that with and what did it include? Many thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ignore France and head to Austria if you want a cheap and fun holiday.
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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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hammy1846at4, the Portes du Mont Blanc ski domain (La Giettaz, Combloux, Megeve-Jaillet) is relatively close to Calais and a 6 day pass is €134 this year. You will also find that equipment hire, private ski lessons etc. are very good value in this part of the French alps (we are in La Giettaz)... yes, even cheaper than some parts of Austria  and all the locals are really lovely and friendly.
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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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hammy1846at4, yes, that Portes du Mont Blanc pass is very good value. And the area is delightful. You will find very few lift passes costing only £120. And if you need to hire gear, costs can vary a lot - be sure to check out prices for that, too, before making a decision.
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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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snowball, shhhhh! Val Cenis, keep it our secret! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ok do you know anywhere that is good for booking accommodation in that area so i can check the prices ect out many thanks
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hammy1846at4, I will send you a PM about our place in La Giettaz. You can then also look at the tourist office sites for La Giettaz and Combloux for accommodation in those areas. And Megeve itself, of course, but it's not really the place to stay on a budget and will negate the value of skiing in an area with cheap lift passes.
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there's a website called 'peak retreats' which does self catered flats in lots of places (including val cenis). might be worth a look. We've booked with them for next year.
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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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hammy1846at4, we use snowcoach! Bogof on ski passes recently also!
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You could have a look at Aussois. Nice, snowsure ski area even if not massive but pretty adequate see http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/aussois.htm. Adult 6 day lift pass in Aussois cost £113 (£98 between 23/3-13/4) and with reduction for kid.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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You could have a look at Aussois, also in the Maurienne Valley that . Nice, snowsure ski area even if not massive but pretty adequate see http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/aussois.htm. Adult 6 day lift pass in Aussois cost £113 (£98 between 23/3-13/4) and with reduction for kid.[/quote]
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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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You could have a look at Aussois, also in the Maurienne Valley that snowball mentioned . Nice, snowsure ski area even if not massive but pretty adequate see http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/aussois.htm. Adult 6 day lift pass in Aussois cost £113 (£98 between 23/3-13/4) and with reduction for kids.
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You could have a look at Aussois, also in the Maurienne Valley that snowball mentioned . Nice, snowsure ski area even if not massive but pretty adequate see http://www.peakretreats.co.uk/ski/aussois.htm. Adult 6 day lift pass in Aussois cost £113 (£98 between 23/3-13/4) and with reduction for kids. Not surprisingly everything else (accommodation, eating out...) is pretty good value there too.
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You know it makes sense.
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| miranda wrote: |
| hammy1846at4, the Portes du Mont Blanc ski domain (La Giettaz, Combloux, Megeve-Jaillet) is relatively close to Calais and a 6 day pass is €134 this year. You will also find that equipment hire, private ski lessons etc. are very good value in this part of the French alps (we are in La Giettaz)... yes, even cheaper than some parts of Austria and all the locals are really lovely and friendly. |
Lovely ski areas but quite low altitude so often spring conditions. I've been several times and you really need a car as the ski areas on the lift pass can be quite spread out, although several are linked. Snowcoach is good as they take you to different ski areas everyday. Lifts are quite slow and prone to breaking down in some ski areas and I have found this to be a problem on a number of occasions.
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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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Have you looked at Apartments? (I sent you a PM)
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Poster: A snowHead
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150€ for the Grande Tourmalet pass, 110kms and the off-piste 'Pic du midi' (2877m), thrown in. Not as cheap as it use to be but not bad.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Jenz, I would say - as with all ski areas - there's a variation between one side and the other, so the north facing side (La Giettaz) is not prone to spring conditions until, well, spring. The south-facing Jaillet-Megeve is of course more vulnerable to high temps and therefore spring conditions though. In my experience La Giettaz, Cote 2000 and Les Contamines will have the best conditions in the Evasion pass under those circumstances.
It's a 100km ski area, where La Giettaz, Combloux and Jaillet are all lift linked... not sure why you feel the need a car to get round that? I - and our guests - do it all the time without one quite happily. If you want to ski the whole Evasion Mont Blanc area, that's a different story as of course Les Contamines is not linked and you do need to use the free shuttle cross from the Jaillet side of Megeve to the other side if you don't have chalet or personal transport. But that's a 445km area and a more expensive lift pass, which is not what the OP was after.
I don't think our place is necessarily suitable for the OP, having had a PM exchange with them, because they are looking for something very basic; however, I think the area is ideal in terms of cost, skiing and proximity to Calais.
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