Bourg St Maurice

A snowHead

Dates - got in 7 days 11/3/12 to 17/3/12

Transport - Eurostar to Paris, TGV to BSM, back overnight by Eurostar. I liked it but wifey not so sure, especially the overnight return. We did not book in time to get the best trains - there is a direct train from St Pancras at 09:38 arriving BSM 18:51 and returning 09:48 to 16:11 which seem to me to be the best timings - both fully booked by the time we looked.

Accommodation - rabbit hutch in Les Glieres - tiny, shabby but cheap - booked through Locasun for less than £200. 5 mins fast walk to Funicular, and 4 mins to LIDL. Local agent CIS were very good, allowing to leave our bags in their office on the Saturday whilst we skiied.

Weather - Hot hot hot - 15C! Freeze/thaw/slush slush slush (you get the idea) with lots of hardpack on upper runs. To be frank - not great but we enjoyed sitting in the many sun-drenched terraces. I would love to go back in better snow conditions - some of the lower runs were slushy by lunchtime, and I never did get to Vilaroger.

Skiing - brilliant. If you have not been here it is absolutely superb for intermediates (like most of us) with many of the reds more like blues. The interconnectedness is amazing - no part of the resort is more than 2 lifts away from any other, meaning that you can move very easily around this vast area. We did not bother with a La Plagne extension despite skiing for 7 days. Keen skiers may want to, but everyone I spoke to thought that Les Arcs was better than La Plagne (but it may be different if you speak to people in La Plagne). Not a resort I would take an absolute beginner to - there are better places to learn and some of the blues would be very off-putting to newbies.

Bourg St Maurice. A real working town, connected by the Funicular with Arc 1600. Runs every 20 mins and takes about 10 to go up 800 metres verically - I thought it excellent. Town is not that touristy - best restaurants are probably on Le Grande Rue out of the ones we tried La Ruelle seemed good value and La Savoyarde a little bit pricier but with more authentic food. All the ones near the station are probably best avoided, as you would expect.

Ski Hire - we used Precision in Arc 1600, about 50 metres from the top Funicular station. I cannot recommend them highly enough - very friendly and efficent. We hired budget skis at 45 euros online - and these were much better than we were... We also hired a locker there at 40 euros for the week, which will take at least 4 sets of skis and boots. Meant that we could chill out in 1600 without having to schlepp around in boots carrying skis - also meant we did not have to take them on the funicular.

A snowHead

snowbotbeentaken, Thanks for that - its always good to hear how people have got on after they've asked advice Very Happy

You certainly chose a hot week - its several degrees colder now & snowing again snowHead

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Bourg St Maurice

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