Self Drive Holiday: Closest Resort(s) to UK for Intermediate Skier

A snowHead

Title sums it up.

Got a mate who wants the convenience of having a car in resort and the opportunity to drive to other resorts nearby.

Looking for a week at the end of January.

Lower intermediate skier who would like plenty of greens, blues and gentle reds, the wider the piste the better.

Please could you suggest resorts that fit the criteria.

Thanks in advance

A snowHead

Hi,

With a car you could base yourself either in a resort or down in a valley town and then go wherever you like on a daily basis. From the UK its easy to drive to the french alps to places like the Portes du Soleil, Grand Massif and the Mont Blanc regions or if u wanted further south to the 3 valleys and Tarantaise resorts.

If you are looking for simple, rewarding skiing then I guess you could pick almost any resort in Jan, conditions are usually excellent even at lower levels with the slightly shorter days and what should be cooler, snowier weather.

There are some great easy skiing in St Gervais, Megeve, Praz Sur Arly, Les Saisies and accommodation is easy to come by either booking in the UK or i'd imagine even just turning up in the resort and booking thorugh a local agency.

Sure you'll get loads of other suggestions from those who know the Pds/grand massif resorts better than me.

Don't forget the get the car looked over before you go and either fit winter tyres or get some chains and know how to fit them before you need them.....nothing worse than learning in heavy snow on the side of a wet/slushy road in the dark Blush

CHeers,
David

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Mike Pow, closest skiing to the UK is in the Jura, but most of the resorts are small, the closest reasonably sized resort is Chatel, only just over 500 miles by the most direct route. PdS should fit your pal's criteria in every way.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Agree with David@traxvax, but you could also look at Flaine and St Gervais which would give you Megeve and Les Contamines and Les Houche. You could even go up the valley to Chamonix for a dare

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Skinutter gave a good run down of the possibilities. His offer of resorts lies between the trunk road Chamonix to Albertville. The latter is the entry point to the huge 1600km skiing paradise of Tarentaise.

I agree Porte Du Soleil is probably the easiest to get to if not the closest with size guaranteed to satisfy every UK skier. The large cruising areas can be found in the French side like Les Gets/Morzine/Avoriaz. Swiss side tends to be smaller and with lots of drag lifts. Flaine (part of the Grand Massif) is at the similar distance, especially approaching from Le Caroz side off the motorway junction at Cluses. The Chanmonix Valley is although slightly further, by another 25 to 25 miles, also has easy going runs (Les Houches and Le Tour) even though the valley is more famous for the difficult blacks (Brevent, La Flegere and Grand Montet) and the Vallee Blanc. One can of course venture to Courmayeour at the Italian side of the Mont Blanc tunnel.

Been doing self-drive exclusively myeslf since taking up skiing since 1999. The Porte du Soleil and Grand Massif alone will take two weeks just to go round them.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Thanks all.

Any thoughts on St. Sorlin d'Arves and La Clusaz?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Mike Pow, La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand can be added to JT, 's list of ski areas available from the Autoroute Blanche between Geneva and Chamonix. They both fit the criteria you mentioned in the base posting.

My personal preference would be to base myself at Les Carroz it's an easy drive and gives you a nice Savoie town with easy access to the Grand Massif ski area.

CP

After all it is free

Salanche is the big Savoie town at the flat ground before going up the Chamonix Valley or cross over to Tarantaise. It is also the next exit, from Geneva, after Cluses which people would get off for both Grand Massif and French side of PDS. La Clusaz and Le Grand Bonard however are on the opposite side of the motorway to Grand Massif (Flaine/La Carroz/Morilon/Sameon have 265km pistes) and PDS (600km pistes). The two together (130km pistes) are probably less than Les Gets alone off the PDS circuit. Megeve/St. Gervais/Rochebrune area have 300Km pistes.

Skiers don't need a large area to enjoy themselves but intermediates can benefit from more choices of finding suitable slopes to progress to the next stage.

Roads to Alpine skiing resorts are pretty narrow and have a lot of bends. In this respect French side PDS, La Clusaz/Grand Bonard and the deeper part of Grand Massif would not be a good choice to travel (all about 30 to 45 minutes from the main road).

Megeve/St. Gervais/Rochebrune, Les Contamines, Praz Sur Arly and Les Saisies hoever can be accessed directly from the main road (penalty is huge parking problem say after 10am and low altitude).

CP's advice of basing at Les Carroz is an optimal solution as you can access Flaine/La Carroz/Morilon/Sameon directly and still able to travel a short distance to other places (all the resorts of Les Gets/Morzine/Avoriaz, Chamonix Valley, Megeve/St. Gervais/Rochebrune and La Clusaz/Grand Bonard are within an hour drive)

My advice to skiers who bother to drive is to use the car to avoid the crowd and hunt down places with the best snow condition.

Mike Pow, I'm driving to St Sorlin D'Arves for half term week in February. It certainly fits the bill in being good for intermediates with loads of greens and blues, some reds and virtually no blacks. It's also significantly cheaper than some of the more popular areas. It's near enough 600 miles from Calais though.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Just had a thought that maybe a base at the small town/ski area of Combloux which is just before Megeve on the route up from the autoroute could be a good shout too. It's not very far to the Princess lift which takes you up to the main Megeve access point without driving into the town and is easy access back onto the autoroute.

CP

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

There is lots of self catering accom, and at least one Hotel on the main road at the bottom of the Princesse lift.

snow reports

snowbunny, There wasn't much there when we used to go for the day - but that was 15 years ago!! Has it been built up that much?

Good grief I am getting old rolling eyes

CP

CP, There are lots of independent chalet style buildings which are all apartments. They now spread along the main road into Megeve from the Princesse lift which is brand new. there is now a McDonalds rolling eyes

Last time I was there, we walked to the Princesse, tons of fresh snow and empty slopes Very Happy

And

You know it makes sense.

snowbunny, Briancon has a McDonalds (never been in though), but there were rumours it would close soon.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Helen Beaumont, The one in Chamonix seems to do a brisk trade, providing sustenance of sorts, to knuckledraggers and wannabe radical types wink

Help!!

Self Drive Holiday: Closest Resort(s) to UK for Intermediate Skier

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Resort Reviews and Trip Reports