 Poster: A snowHead
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Went here for the weekend in Feb 2001 and Mar 2003 and both times really couldn't see why it's so popular. Each time the snow was very poor with no high altitude options within easy distance - myself and the kids have now been invited to go with a group in March and I think I am going to have to say no.
I know it has a good rep' for families and I see it's even mentioned in the Telegraph today as a good option for kids / beginners but sureley it's summit at approx 1800m can't make it a viable destination if planning in advance and going this late. In my single days I went to the Tarrentaise / Vanoise resorts for years, we paid for this but the snow was always good and too be honest I though Les Gets was a bit pricey - anyone got any ideas for French, Cheap, High, Low Transfer? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Carroz2, welcome to snowHeads 
I'm an extremist and go to Val Thorens for the late season, because you can't go any higher. It is French, High, perhaps relatively cheap (compared to the rest of the 3 valleys) but the transfer is 3 hours!
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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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Carroz2, Welcome.
No please stay well away from the PDS in general. No idea why anyone likes it. Low, crap snow. Dreadful locals. etc etc etc. Can you please tell all your friends and maybe property prices will come back down again?
To be quite serious, I think you have probably been unreasonably unlucky or have unreasonable expectations of what snow should look like. If you want cheap high low transfer go to Chamonix but be prepared for buses, etc etc.
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I went in February 2002 and although the conditions weren't great when we got there it snowed a meter in three days. So I guess it's pot luck. If you want to ski the PDS I'd recommend staying in Avoriaz. It's not pretty but it is high.
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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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Carroz2, welcome to snowHeads. You could, of course, stay at you namesake Les.
Fairly high area with good snow record, short transfer and ski in/out if you book the right accomodation.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Went to Morzine in March this year and the snow was great when we ventured across to Les Gets, but the instructors were bemoaning the fact that it had snowed most of the winter and they wanted some bluebird days! I also know somebody that goes there regularly at New Year and always seems to get good snow.
Because of it's height, I think it's a resort you shouldn't book too far in advance, especially given the time it takes to get across to Avoriaz and the higher slopes.
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Only ever been to Les Gets in the summer and I thought it truely beautiful (would probably appreciate it even more if I were a mountain biker) it seems to be big business there. Personally, (and I know I'll get a load of verbal for this) I'd find being down in a valley pretty claustrophobic - very lucky up here (ADH), Serre Che and Avoriaz amongst many others being so high up with such fantastic open views.
Mind you - tough I think to beat Les Gets on a lovely Summer sunny day with all the window boxes out, but tough to beat ADH (unless of course somewhere in Switzerland) on a sunny day in the Winter!
Got to give ADH a 'plug'  as the Telegraph hasn't!!!
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We have been to Les Gets for last four years next year we are giving La Rosiere a go.
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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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Carroz2, welcome to snowheads, you could do worse than try La Rosiere, it's high the village is at 1850 metres, it's in the Tarentaise, south facing and very sunny but with an exceptional snow record, the skiing is interesting, it's linked to La Thuile in Italy and there are over 150 kms of piste and some great off-piste. It's better known to the French, so it's stil good value, the lift pass is probably the best value in the Alps. If you want some details go to our website www.tracksvacations.com or see our ad in snowShops, there are links from our site to ski-schools, tourist office and ski-hire shops.
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Les Carroz for you and the friends!!!!
I have to agree with marc gledhill on this one. I have a small chalet in Les Carroz in the Grand Massif, it's closer to Geneva, has fast and Direct access to Flaine which has a top station 500m higher than Les Gets and apparently the best snow record in the Alps for it's height (according to the Ski Club).
Note also that if you manage to get bored with the 250km of runs it's about 30mins from Chamonix, Megeve etc etc, 1hr and your in Italy - Courmayer.
I live in Chester and we go regularly from Liverpool flying to Geneva, we normally take about 5 - 6 hrs door to door. We used to finish skiing at 4pm on a Sunday and get home for ER (the Mrs).
PS It's £2.80 for a large beer! What more can I say. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Carroz2, does it need to be France? I have no experience of Austrai, but would have thought some SH out there would suggest somewhere? Reasonably easy transfers I believe - i.e. Kitzbuhel (?) about 2 hours by motorway from Munich?
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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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Carroz2, I think you know the answer - it's either Tignes or Val T, innit.
I've skied both very early and very late season and in my experience snow quality at those times are not a case of "pot luck"- resort height does indeed matter. To be frank, why would anyone bother with poorer quality snow (with the possiblity having to trapise each day to decent snow 1hr elsewhere from the resort your chalet is in)???? IMHO it makes sense to travel an extra 1hr at each end of the week in order to enjoy the best of what snow's left.
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Manda, but, Carroz2, did request "Low Transfer". You know I'm a general PDS fan but there isn't a great deal of high skiing less than an hour from Geneva. Is there? And if you're with TOs, isn't your average transfer a little more than 2 hours?
Who cares about transfers anyway?
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You know it makes sense.
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David Murdoch,
What, never skied Austria..??
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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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JT, sounds terrible doesn't it, but no, I haven't. Just never got round to it (never felt the need...).
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Poster: A snowHead
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I'm with Manda on this one, surely getting to the resort takes at least 6 or 7 hours, door-to-door, so whether the transfer from airport to resort is 2, 3 or 4 hours is irrelevant. It's not worth ruining a whole week's holiday to save an hour or so of transfer, no matter how much your kids hate coaches!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Plake, For a week where you have probably 2 days of travel built in, no probably not.
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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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Carroz2, Snow last season was pretty good well into March. With the terrain mainly alpine meadow you do not need as much snow to give a good covering. Yes it is not that high but can stay pretty cold for a lot of the season, and personally I like the village and have ahd a summer holiday there as well - it is an easy transfer with the kids. The snow in Flaine has a better record but PDS does it for me, Morzine in Feb for me next season.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Plake / Manda,
The problem here is the Transfer from Geneva or Lyon to Tarrentaise, Vanoise or even Ecrins resorts on a Saturday in high season if you have young children. It really can take up to 5 hrs+, when you add a few hrs in airports, flights and transfer in the UK you can be on a 12hr journey!
I have a one year old son and we took him skiing twice earlier this year when he was 7 and 8 months, this sort of journey just wouldn't have been an option for us.
One thing I would say about the high resorts is it isn’t much fun when the weather closes in for a week! This has happened to me in Tignes, ValT and Arcs2000 and when those links shut all but a few drag lifts often follow at this point you usually end up spending the mortgage money in the bar
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