 Poster: A snowHead
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I am tasked with organising our annual long weekend (4 nights) trip for 8 lads (mid to late 30s) for 2013. We have settled on middle of January and have to fly into Geneva. It's a real mixed ability group and I'm looking for a resort which can offer, within reason, something for all abilities. We are looking for something with a bit of nightlife, but nothing more than a few busyish bars. In the last 2 years we have gone to Morzine and Courmayeur, which both worked out well. Ideally we want a shortish transfer, but are prepared to do longer for the right resort. A couple of suggestions I have come up with are La Clusaz and Les Carroz, which both seem to fit the bill with the probable exception of the nightlife. Does anyone have any other suggestions, or experience of either La Clusaz or Les Carroz as a lads weekend venue. Would appreciate any information. 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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iain1975, Verbier or Chamonix
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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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Good suggestions from Markymark29, I'd go with Chamonix above Verbier - shorter transfer time and maybe a little cheaper given it's Euro rather than CHF. It'll definitely have all you need for a long weekend.
I havne't been to Les Carroz, but La Clusaz would probably be a little quiet (decent selection of pistes though).
Portes du Soleil might be worth a look too? Short transfers and Morzine/Les Gets or Avoriaz would tick all the boxes. I personally prefer Avoriaz (love the tree runs especially) but others prefer Morzine.
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There is some nightlife in La Clusaz with at least 1 venue having a live band on a couple of nights per week and 2 nightclubs. If you were happy with the American Bar and Bar Roma in Courmayeur then you'll probably be OK. The skiing is excellent and the trip to Grand Bornand is also worth making. Our group is a bit older than yours so we tend to need less late night entertainment than we used to (zzzzz).
Stayed in the Hotel Alpen Roc on B&B. The hotel is OK and has a sauna and small pool but its main benefit is that it is very flexible on dates (we went Thursday night to Monday night). Being so close to Geneva we arrived late on Thursday having done a days work and catching the last plane out of LHR. Then we skied all day Monday catching the last plane back from GVA. 4 days skiing - 2 days leave 
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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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La Clusaz is good for a weekend both in terms of skiing and nightlife. By mixed ability are there any beginners or nervous inters? If so Chamonix may not be the best place for them.
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Hi Iain,
If you've skied Courmayeur in the past, there's the resort of Pila which is not much further down the Aosta Valley. The skiing here is great for all abilities, plenty of challenges for the more experienced and a nice progression for the beginners. The ski area is served from the town of Aosta below which has plenty in terms of nightlife.
It takes about an hour and a half to reach from Geneva.
Hope this helps.
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What do you class as shortish transfer?
You can do Geneva-Meribel in less than two hours, Geneva - Tignes in about 2.30
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iain1975, Les carroz does not really have that much nightlife, skiing is good however!
There is 1 night club, club 74...never been so no idea what its like, or if it still is open
http://www.club74.fr/
and a few bars, Carpe Diem and le Marlow being the most popular
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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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iain1975, I'm guessing you are going for a couple of hire cars and if you're doing 4 nights with early morning flight out and a late evening flight back, why not stretch as far as Val d'Isere or Tignes. A longer transfer (around 3hrs) but I don't think it'll eat in to skiing time too much and there's plenty of it plus great nightlife.
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Can't go wrong with Verbier. Pretty scenery, fanstastic skiing, great apres scene and nightlife. Chamonix is awesome and closest to Geneva but a bit disjointed for a long weekend. Many areas that will suit different levels but meeting for lunch won't be an option. You will need to split in the morning and then see each other in town after a day skiing to make sure everyone will make the most of their day.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Been to La Clusaz and Les Carroz.
Les Carroz has the couple of busyish bars, especially at the weekends, that you asked for. I am sure a group of eight can make enough noise on your own.
La Clusaz is probably on a par or maybe a bit better for bars.
As carroz, says there is club74 although i havent been there either in several trips.
Neither of them are as good as Morzine for partying.
Better ski area at Les Carroz but La Clusaz is a hidden gem for 3/4 days.
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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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SkiHolidayQuotes, Pila an hour and a half from Geneva? We count an hour and a half just to get to the Italian side of the tunnel!
iain1975, had a good few years when we did lads pre-weekends late November and would go to Tignes, purely to find pr- main season snow. Worked well. New motorway section to Annecy will reduce transfer times a little I'd expect.
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Many thanks for all the suggestions. I'd thought about Chamonix, but our group is a real mix of abilities including one real beginner and I wasn't sure the resort would suit such a wide range of people. We would happily do a transfer down to the 3 valleys or Espace Killy, but I've found it hard to get short-term accomodation in January for anything other than some of the satellite resorts. Would love to hear of any recommendations for long weekend accomodation in places like Meribel, Val Thorens, Tignes, etc. Our preference is for B&B in a hotel, but could be flexible for the right resort. Thanks again.
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You know it makes sense.
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iain1975, I still believe Cham represents the best option for you for a 4 day trip, 1.5 hours max from GVA and the ski area represents terrain for all abilities, Le Tour is a great area for newbies/ intermediates, and theres also plenty for the big-lads, Brevent/ Argentiere/ Grand Montets etc. There's so much going on in town, bars etc you'll be super impressed and its got an excellent bus service, loads of b&b accom.
I've done many long weekends to Val/ Tignes etc, and its not a practical proposition IMO, depents on flight times but dont underestimate the transfer time, you may limit yourself to 2-2.5 days skiing vs 4 in Cham if you arent very organised. Also busy bars in Tignes in January are going to be few and far between (maybe Alpaca) and Val you'll pay hansomely for accomodation if you can find it for weekend trip........I never have unless you are prepared to stay down the valley, but then there's no bars to go to. 3V same re accom. How about Les Arcs, I've never done the train from GVA to Bourg St Maurice and up on the teleperique but this may be an option? Cant help with accom ideas there but many on here probably will.
I know you said must be Geneva, suggest you consider a change of destination via Munich and hit Kitzbuhel (avoid Hahnenkamm weekend, unless you are very wealthy, but the bars will be busy!) or many of the local Austrian resorts within 2-2.5 hours from MUC are great for lads long weekends. That'd be my shout anyway, hope its helpful.
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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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| Quote: |
I've found it hard to get short-term accomodation in January for anything other than some of the satellite resorts.
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We offer short breaks in our catered chalets in Paradiski if that helps? As an example, and 4 nights during the 13th - 20th Jan including accom, catering each night, complimentary bar etc would be around £400 each.
Details via the tag line below . . .
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Poster: A snowHead
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iain1975, I'm now wondering Cham as well. Unless you have properly hard core skiers CMB have done a pretty good job of adding a decent mix of slopes into most of the sectors. La Balme probably struggles most for advanced skiers but there is a newly marked bumps section which has a rather nice gradient.
Cham town will be lively, it always is in season. Some of the smaller hotels definitely do weekend bookings. And the transfer is about as quick and easy as you can get.
Biggest issue in my mind is the general appalling rubbish of the contracted out SERAC restaurants. But you can usually avoid them with a bit of planning.
And on a crap weather big lunch day you probably want to head to les Houches for tree lines and there are some excellent lunches to be had there.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| iain1975 wrote: |
| Many thanks for all the suggestions. I'd thought about Chamonix, but our group is a real mix of abilities including one real beginner and I wasn't sure the resort would suit such a wide range. |
I've taken some mixed ability groups to Chamonix and they've loved it. Le Tour and Les Houches are the obvious options for beginners but even Grands Montets was popular with a second week skier. The authenticity, scenery, atmosphere of Cham is hard to match. Lift/bus queues can be a problem but not in Jan.
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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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BobinCH, +1
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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and surely the whole point of a lads trip is to spend a bit of time skiing together, somewhere not too difficult for the weaker skiers? After all, you can drink together much more cheaply at home. Chamonix is very easy to reach. A "real beginner" won't be able to ski with the rest, wherever you go.
I'd agree with under a new name that Pila is more than 1.5 hours from Geneva airport. That doesn't give you much leeway for crawling up that approach road behind a string of HGVs and then queuing to get into the tunnel, obeying the speed limit all the way through, then decamping at Aosta to get up to Pila by lift! And the tunnel is expensive.
Depends on the purpose of the holiday, really. If it's to have fun together in a new environment, with any amount of entertainment, with as little time as possible spent "on the road" Chamonix has to be up 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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If its apres ski it has to be Verbier, Chamonix has plenty of bars and resturants but the French just dont let go.
There is all levels of skiing to enjoy and challange a gang of skids there too.
Its an hour and a half from Geneva, check the train times, you can get a special return ticket from airports to hotels in Swiss
And of course its all as cheap as chips!
Anton@verbierTouristOffice.ch
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If its apres ski it has to be Verbier, Chamonix has plenty of bars and resturants but the French just dont let go.
There is all levels of skiing to enjoy and challange a gang of skids there too.
Its an hour and a half from Geneva, check the train times, you can get a special return ticket from airports to hotels in Swiss
And of course its all as cheap as chips!
Anton@verbierTouristOffice.ch
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DrLawn, Errr, which part of Verbier are you talking about that's 1hr 30 from the airport?
I'd be counting 2hrs40 with a few changes if I was believing the SBB timetable...
And no-one has ever described Verbier as cheap! 
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Lets get back to the original requirements.
Short transfer from GVA, some nightlife i.e. a few busyish bars and they are only there for 4 nights.
We have got them going to rocking areas 3 hours away with massive areas of all terrain skiing in tres expensive resorts.
Sticking with the Grand Massif for alternatives to Les Carroz can anyone give them an idea how lively Morillon or Samoens would be?
Never stayed in either myself.
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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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ianbradders, pretty darn quiet. Although Morillon did have a Led Zeppelin tribute band play one night in April. They were quite good.
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Got to agree with [b]under a new name: let's just say that Samoen/Morillon are at the opposite end of the apres ski spectrum from resorts like St Anton for example. Samoen is a very picturesque village but I doubt if its nightlife is what a group of 30 something blokes are looking for.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cham is awesome go to Chambre Neuf and tell me they dont know how to do apres here! - If you need any help arranging I live in Chamonix and have quite a few contacts who run chalets here... Just PM me.
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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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| fandango123 wrote: |
| Cham is awesome go to Chambre Neuf and tell me they dont know how to do apres here! - If you need any help arranging I live in Chamonix and have quite a few contacts who run chalets here... Just PM me. |
Chambre Neuf is brill but after 9pm ish Chamonix is rubbish for a night out.
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halfhand, Uh?
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