 Poster: A snowHead
|
Our last ski holiday was to Grand Bornand and we loved it - just enough skiing for the week, ski in/out apartment - close enough to go back for lunch when the weather was bad, reasonable price family lift pass.
Other places we've skied include Les Arcs, Three Vallees and Tignes - all great, but the lift passes make them expensive for a family when we won't cover the miles. We liked Samoens, but spent every day working our way over to Les Carroz and the one long lift in/out was a bit of a pain.
Looking for something similar to Grand Bornand - all of us are 'intermediate' prefering long wide reds/blues to greens and chairs to drags. Ideally somewhere with tree lined skiing as well as open pistes.
Looking for reasonable price self-catering accomodation and lift pass, not worried about nightlife, restaurants or non-skiing activities as we go to ski and don' go out in the evenings.
Self driving this year as have to go half term and we missed any chance of cheap flights because I wasn't sure if my ankle would be up to it (still not sure hence why trying to keep the cost down as we probably won't cover as many miles as normal).
Not after much am I?!
Anyone with last minute availability half-term for a family of 4 feel free to spam me.
All recommendations gratefully received.
Skimom
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Maybe take a look at somewhere like Schlick2000?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
st gervais/perhaps staying at le Bettex or how about les Saises
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Our resort preferences are similar to yours.
I think Les Saisies would be ideal in terms of ski area and see Brock suggests that too. We went there last year and booked an apartment in Le Hameau de Beaufortain with Peak Retreats. The ski area is lovely if you like blue and red run skiing. Lots of tree lined runs, several mountain restaurants, very pretty. The Hameau de Beaufortain apartments are right on the piste (blue run) but away from the village centre. We used ESF ski school which has a meeting point just below the apartments. The only drawback I'd say is that these apartments are expensive in half term and not as luxurious as some of the CGH apartments in other resorts. Pam W knows the area well but mentioned on snowheads yesterday that there aren't many cheaper apartments available at half term.
Brock's suggestion of St Gervais Le Bettex sounds good - we went there last summer and I was scanning the runs of megeve/St Gervais trying to imagine them in winter  It looked a nice ski area from what we could tell.
La Rosiere good for blue/red skiing and ski to and from door - less good for lifts and tree line skiing (there is a lovely tree lined red in La rosiere and there are a few on the La Thuile side but mostly above treeline)
Valmorel - might be cheaper. A long time since our trip there but I think it had some tree lined skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
skimom, yes, Les Saisies would be perfect for you, but it's desperately late to be looking for accommodation for half term! If you can find anything, grab it quick!
Have you driven at half term before? If not, worth scanning the advice here on Snowheads - some forward planning could save you spending too many hours sitting in traffic jams.
If I come across anything I'll let you know - maybe some last minute cancellations - it was ages ago I looked for a friend.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
We are just booking into La Norma for Easter.
Looks like it ticks all the boxes for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
have you considered Ste Foy..............only 4 lifts but a surprising number of runs off those 4 lifts and safe off piste between.
Kids under 7 ski free.........if over 7...its 112 euros and 146 euros for adults...or by the day 26 euros adults 20 for kids
Small quaint resort, good snow as many slopes have northerly aspects,.......and never queues.
if you did get bored...within 20 mins you can be in Val D, tignes, La Rosiere, Les Arcs, all of which have a reciprocal arrangement for free/cheap ski pass.
Its an easy drive too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Can't spam you as we don't have availability and we're not ski in/ski out, but the Portes du Mont Blanc area is 100km, tree-lined, very pretty etc. (it's the same region as LGB and Les Saisies). Adults € 136.50, 5-14 € 105.50, 10% reduction on family tickets. There is accommodation right by the lifts on both the Combloux/Jaillet-Megeve and La Giettaz sides but, as Pam says, it's pretty late to look for half term accommodation... trying Chalets Direct is probably a good bet at this stage though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
skimom, Have you ever skied outside of France and would that be a consideration?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've done a week in Le Grand Bornand - think I even did a review on here and loved it too. Then went on to do a week (and then a season because we liked it so much, and then another week....so far x3 ) in St Gervais. But because it accesses a very large amount of skiing the lift pass is a bit pricier - though doubt it competes with 3 valleys! You could also try Combloux/La Giettaz which is a subsection of the Mont Evasion (Perle du Mont Blanc or similar) and has roughly the same mileage as Le Grand Bornand plus a reasonable pass cost too (it's my favourite bit!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Or whatmiranda, said more quickly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Quote: |
We are just booking into La Norma for Easter.
Looks like it ticks all the boxes for you.
|
Ticks most boxes but quite a few drags I think, most of the resorts in the Maurienne valley would be good, friendly and reasonably priced with great sking and not bad for driving to. Most have a few drags though, Val Cenis has fewere and is very good, Valloire is very pleasant but not too sure how much of the accommodation sieasy on the ski in ski out front.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
La Norma has 14 lifts: 1 cable car, 7 chairs, 6 tows, 1 rope but you can access the majority of the ski area by cable/chair alone.
It has a bit of height and a better vertical drop than many of the small resorts.
I've done a fair bit of research on it but the proof will be in the eating. Will definitely be doing a full trip report in April.
Looks to be availability half term when I did a very brief check.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Thanks guys plenty to be looking into.
I have skied in Austria, Italy and the USA - not averse to going outside of France at all, in fact it would be welcome as we spend 3 weeks there every summer, but it seems to me that most of the self-catering apartment is in France..
Will look at the areas mentioned.. just been looking at Saint Sorlin D'arves... not one I'd heard of before. Piste map looks ok, anyone been?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
