 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi folks
The last few years I have sneaked in a long weekend with my two oldest kids and we have had great fun in St Gervais as my two eldest (11 and 9) and fairly decent skiers having learnt when we lived in the US. We usually stayed down in the valley and drove up every morning. My youngest (age 5) is now ready to start learning and so this is the first year we can go together as a family for a week with two adults and three kids.
What I would like is a resort that is within 2 hours of the usual airports (Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble etc), has enough skiing for the older two (blues and reds) but also some nice nursery slopes for me to teach the 5 year old. It also needs to be cheaper than St Gervais as we could not afford a week there. I know there are lots of smaller resorts but am not sure if there are any "medium" sized resorts that are cheaper as they are off the radar of most people but still big enough to have fun.
We dont need a flash place to stay or nightlife, I am happy to stay in a cheap hotel in the valley and drive up and down each day if that gives us more options.
Thanks, Rich
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Cheaper than 'staying in the valley and driving up in the morning' might be a big ask.
That said, there are all kinds of '2nd division' ski resorts in France that are very cheap by the usual standards. There's a string of them along the Maurienne valley for example. You could have a look on Snowtrex for inspiration even if you don't end up booking with them, as they specialize in the Tranmere Roverses of the ski resort league tables.
But the problem you'll encounter at some of these kinds of places might be infrastructure, especially when teaching the 5yo. While we've been teaching our young un' we've found the thing we prize the most is fast and safe uplift, and specifically magic carpets. Val T ended up being our favourite due to the two consecutive moving carpet 'tunnels' on the front de neige. Never found anywhere better to be with a skiing toddler than there.
What's your budget?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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leftleg,
You could try having a look at some of the resorts in the Marurienne valley which are generally pretty reasonably priced and reachable form Chambery Turin Grenoble or Lyon. Depending on what you mean by medium sized Termignon / Val Cenis has a decent combined area and has the skiing you describe. Valfrejus or La Norma would be other possibilities.
I stayed cheaply in Bessans one year which is actually up the valley from Val Cenis an attractive village with lots of x country and midway between Val Cenis and Bonneval.
Didn't see the above posts when I posted agree with boabski that Kappl is excellent though a little away from an airport unless you can get a flight to Innsbruck cheaply.
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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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Hi Rich,
Somewhere in the Grand Massif could be good, it is only an hour from Geneva airport and skiing is excellent. You can find a pretty cheap apartment in Flaine or Les Carroz. Les Contamines is also a good choice and is near Geneva. Try www.snowbeds.com.
If not then you could stay in or near Annecy and drive up to Le Semnoz - it is a tiny resort with a few blues and reds but your kids would enjoy it and the lift pass is very cheap. Yu also have Le Sambuy at the end of the lake with a few pistes and La Clusaz / Grand Bornand isn't far either.
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I still cant find fault in Sauze or anywhere on the milkyway* for your needs.
*except Sansicario because it's dead.
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Oh, and your 5yr old should get a free ski pass with an acompanying adult.
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Dia_FindTransfers, that's weird advice, excuse me for saying so.
Annecy isn't a cheap place to stay, and driving up to Semnoz every day will push you to the edge of mental. Do not do this unless you like deadly icy mountain roads with nothing but a couple of draglifts at the end of them.
A better plan for this part of France would be stay in St Jean de Sixt and take your pick out of Clusaz and Bornand every day, as that would only be a 4 minute dead-easy drive on a properly maintained road.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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A better plan would be to avoid France alltogether.
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| Mr Piehole wrote: |
Dia_FindTransfers, that's weird advice, excuse me for saying so.
Annecy isn't a cheap place to stay, and driving up to Semnoz every day will push you to the edge of mental. Do not do this unless you like deadly icy mountain roads with nothing but a couple of draglifts at the end of them.
A better plan for this part of France would be stay in St Jean de Sixt and take your pick out of Clusaz and Bornand every day, as that would only be a 4 minute dead-easy drive on a properly maintained road. |
I don't think the drive is that bad and you can find reasonable places in and near Annecy for a weekend - It also has a wider choice of shops and restaurants than a small village and adding the cheap lift pass to it I can't see why it wouldn't be a budget option.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'd recommend Montgenevre for the skiing as it will fit the bill perfectly. I'm not sure what your budget is, but if you pick the right time of year, you can get some very well priced self-catering accommodation. Also it's only 90 minutes from Turin airport.
Alternatively think Italy from Turin airport. Sansicario as a resort or the valley towns of Oulx or Cesana should be able to get you skiing you want within budget?
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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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Dia_FindTransfers, I've driven to Semnoz probably 20 times. Maybe you've done more, I'm not after a cock measuring contest with you. But I'm a 'decent' alpine driver, with good snow tyres on a big diesel car - just the job. I find that road pretty intimidating in poor conditions. Most of the times I've been up there it's been dense fog/cloud and after snowfall can be treacherous for many days. An extra 15 minutes in the car gets you to Clusaz on a road that is always clear. Semnoz is strictly a hill for local kids IMHO, not worth travelling to France for. If you want a tiny ski resort, with mostly drag lifts, and unreliable snow - go to Scotland. That really will be cheap, and you'll get a decent pie and a pint for yer Apres.
Staying in France's most expensive city.... hmmm. As for staying 'near' Annecy, I don't see a lot of point in doing this just for the questionable experience of skiing Le Semnoz. Stay in Thones and commute to Clusaz, maybe...
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Having to drive (or get by any other means for that matter) between your accommodation and the nursery slope with a 5 year old isn't ideal. St Gervais is not, as French resorts go, a particularly expensive one. What specific aspect of staying in St Gervais is too expensive?
When are you hoping to travel?
You can get very cheap, slopeside, apartments in a huge range of resorts, usually with good nursery slopes (though these vary and need careful study). Eating need cost you llittle more than being at home if you plan it right (e.g. by having an apartment close enough to go there and eat, and get warm). Many resorts have free lift pass for under 5s, and family passes which can save a bit more. The "big spending" is on lift passes, really (assuming that people with 3 kids, on a tight budget, are not going to go out and drink in bars).
Hotels - even in the valley - will be a heap more expensive than an apartment.
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You know it makes sense.
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Leftleg
Are you intending to go at feb half term?
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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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leftleg,
Tricky question.
Budget is a real issue. Main issue is school holidays and Feb half term in particular.
You have kids- kids like other kids.
Some ideas which I have used:
1. Don't go at Feb half term. It is much more expensive. Unless that it you go v. last minute and or are prepared to: book the time / make the promise, wait for a deal but if it doesn't come off, accept the loss (of your children's trust forever / a missed weeks skiing- humm which is worse), throw (lots of) money at it, go somehwere unspeakable like Andorra.
2. Consider Christmas/ New Year- at the very last minute- meaning booking as late as possible- meaning booking on Saturday for a Sunday flight. Possibly with a child specialist. Can get a bargain.
3. Easter- again booking v late
4. Not France.
5. Consider Austria, Andorra (yes really). Esp Andorra if you are looking for native English speaking instruction without having to sell body parts (your own or your kids- obviously you'd get far more for an un-abused liver / kidney).
6. Self-drive from UK using Tescos vouchers for the Tunnel?
7. If it must be France then an apartment?? Eat in - pasta- frozen pizza- this would be a bit grim with kids, I wouldn't do this- I'd end up suicidal.
You can have a fun week just about anywhere with 3 kids. This Feb I took my older 2 kids (10 and 7) to Arinsal for Feb half term. I was dreading it. The ski area is tiny, the link was shut due to high wind, it was freezing, the lifts were a bus ride from the hotel, people smoked in restaurants. We had a great time. Eldest child has AHBs (All His Badges) with ESF (well up to Gold Star ie he skis quite fast , parallel, bumps on piste a bit of off piste but not much really) the younger is also pretty OK. Things are what you make of. Value for money Andorra was very very good. (And at Arinsal where we went for the last day I was astonished- just a handful of lifts, but I think I could ski there everyday for the rest of my life and be happy- but I'd need a friend, transceiver, shovel and probe- oh and no kids to look after).
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Poster: A snowHead
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if considering Montgenevre remember that Claviere is alot cheaper for every thing and is litterally just across the road , good deals can be had with Crystal there too
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ed123,
Don't know why not, would agree with: does not have to be France, but not France seems a bit strange, had loads of great inexpensive holidays in France skiing with kids. As kids get a bit older France gets a bit priceier in my experiendce as there are better lift pass discounts in Austria/ Switzerland but for young kids the non mega French resorts work very well.
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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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One of the Les Sybelles resorts (St Sorlin, Le Corbier, La Toussuire, etc) or even cheaper still stay down in St Jean de Maurienne. Loads of skiing and a lot cheaper than more popular french resorts.
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Leftlag, I am not an expert on skiing with children, but I can't imagine a better resort for beginners than Cervinia in Italy. Numerous and extremely long and flat blue runs will give you and your little one plenty of room for practice. And your older children will enjoy all those wide and long red runs (all the runs there are overrated- I would classify many of the red ones as blue, but some are really fun, including one that is over 20 km long) Cervinia is a boring place for advanced skiers, but for beginners and intermediates it's absolutely perfect. And if you do get bored one day, you can always ski down the other side of the mountain to Zermatt and treat yourself to a day there. I am not sure about the price comparisons, but I believe Italy is less expensive than France, no?
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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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The things that are expensive in France are drinks and meals out in bars and restaurants. If you avoid those, I don't see why France need be any more expensive than, say, Austria. Lift passes and ski hire are very similar (assuming you avoid the priciest resorts in both countries) and lessons aren't particulary expensive, either (€80 - 110 depending on season, for a week's group lessons for kids?).
As for apartment living being equated with frozen pizzas, I suppose it depends on your culinary skills and organisational ability. How much skill does it need to produce, say, roast chicken with roast potatoes and 2 green veg or a sausage and lentil casserole with cider whilst swilling back a couple of glasses of perfectly acceptable plonk? A starter of mozzarella and tomato salad? An apple crumble? A beef in beer left to slow cook all day?
Frozen pizza would be OK for lunch one day, but there are plenty of alternatives. If driving from the UK then planning and provisioning is very easy - with a frozen casserole for the first day slowly thawing on the journey and some of the kids favourite snacks (baked beans, tinned spaghetti, or whatever).
It's not hard to find apartments with very easy access to lifts and nursery slopes, though you do need to be careful about "ski in/out" as some are not suitable for beginners (e.g. you have to ski down a blue slope to get to the lift).
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pam w, Lift passes are dearer for kids, especially older ones, in France unless you can get a family one. In France adult = 13, in others it can be as old as 20 with good reductions for teens.
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| Quote: |
In France adult = 13
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maybe in some places, but in St Gervais, Grand Massif, Espace Diamant (the only 3 I looked at) children is up to 15, with free passes for under 5s. The OP's older two kids would qualify as children just about everywhere, I think. Plus, usually, some reduction for families (e.g. 10%). In Mayrhofen, which I looked up as a random Austrian example, there is a better reduction for kids but the basic cost of the adult pass is higher. Swings and roundabouts - don't think it would make the kind of difference, at the end of the day, which would make you choose one rather than the other. I think where some French resorts would score is a wider choice of self-catering accommodation very near lifts/slopes, close enough to pop back for lunch, which would make a big difference to spending.
I've done very little skiing in Italy but I do visit Italy from time to time, because one of my sons lives there. Just got back from Genoa today, actually. Apart from the wonderful and wonderfully cheap coffee, I don't find Italy noticeably cheaper than France for eating and drinking out. Beers in bars are expensive in both. Maybe the difference is more marked in ski resorts, though as ever, the differences between "average prices" in the different countries is probably less than the difference between expensive and cheaper resorts (or restaurants) in any one of them.
If you cook for yourselves those prices are irrelevant, anyway. Italian supermarkets certainly don't seem to me to be cheaper than French ones. Slightly more expensive, I'd say, though on the whole Italians shop for food in smaller, more local, specialists shops than the huge French hypermarkets. Much more fun!
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pam w, You're right, I must be going to the wrong places. Les Deux Alpes and Alpe DHuez it's 13.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Having been all over Austria and sampled a handfull of resorts in France I would recommend Mayrhofen at Easter as a great family destination. Book late to get a bargain.
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FAQ
