 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
We are looking at booking a Ski holiday for a week around the 23rd of March, possibly looking at France any advice would be greatly appreciated; good resorts, with a little night life and nice restaurants? even open to any suggestions of other countries/resorts?
Any hints, tip and advice welcome, Thanks, Georgie 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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georgieporgie15, welcome to snowheads  That's a very broad brief - there are hundreds of resorts answering to that description. Give us a bit more details about where you've been before, what sort of skiing you like, what kind of accommodation you are looking for, size of your budget, whether you want to go with a tour operator or arrange your own holiday, etc etc
then you will get more relevant suggestions.
Good week to choose, by the way. You should have lots of choice and if budget is tight could maybe wait for a last minute deal?
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In many places there's a better chance of good snow in the second half of March than at Christmas. When you say "rent a chalet" do you mean a catered chalet? There are plenty of choices of catered chalet, the majority in France but some in other countries, mostly Italy and Austria. Or do you mean self-catering?
You'll need to get a good ski school for the girls - that will make a huge difference, not least to your freedom to go off and have a bit of a faster ski without them.
Does your budget include ski pass and hire of equipment? If so, then it's extremely tight. But if that's just for the package (flights and accommodation) it should be doable, especially if you wait for a last minute deal - which, given that you are flexible about destination, might be the best idea.
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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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Thanks for the advice. A lot of people suggest leaving it til last minute. What is you opinion of Tignes?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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What is you opinion of Tignes?
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I've skied there a few times but I don't know it well. It's very high, which is good for the snow, but I find it a bit bleak, above the treeline, and the architecture is not very inspiring, to put it mildly. I'm not well placed to comment on the apres.
There are some very good ski schools there.
It's quite expensive for eating and drinking - what is your overall budget for everything, including eating and drinking?
It's a pretty hardcore ski resort - the "girls" might like something a bit prettier and more friendly? Some trees and pretty chalets. 
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TOO EARLTY IN THE SEASON FOR ALL THOSE CAPITALS....... 
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any advice on the chamonix area? found a beautiful chalet but need advice on the area
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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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georgieporgie15, in general France isn't the place to go for nightlife and restaurants. Exceptions would be Val D'Iser or Chamonix. But neither of those would work great for novices. Ischgl in Austria may work well for you. But it's a pricey. No point in booking so far in advance in your situ tbh. Just wait until a week before and find a deal.
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georgieporgie15,
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any advice on the chamonix area? found a beautiful chalet but need advice on the area
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The chances of enjoying any ski area are pretty high and chamonix is a great place. There is though afairly big drawback with the group you are describing in that the skiing in chamonix is spread out among seversl different areas that do not really link together and you have to get transport between them If you have one group doing lessons in ne areas and the other wanting to ski in another area meeting up after lessons is not very convenient so you are unlikely to get hte best out of it.
Must say if you can fly out of a mainstream airport the idea of booking late is good. You can often pick up much cheaper deals and if there is a major hot spell in March which happens every few years you can avoid the resorts that suffer, generally March is a pretty good time to ski most areas though.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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**** DO YOU WORK AS A RECRUITMENT ADVISOR BUY ANY CHANCE *****
Please less it with the asterisks. It's so cheap.
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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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in general France isn't the place to go for nightlife and restaurants
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 in most smaller French resorts there's certainly not much rowdy late night drinking to Europop, if that's the kind of nightlife you enjoy, but to suggest that France isn't the place to go for restaurants is a bit sweeping. Some French resorts (Megeve being one outstanding example) have superb Michelin-starred restaurants (at high prices, naturally) and even small places will generally have at least one good one, as well as the places serving up all the usual combinations of meat and cheese which can cloy quite quickly. Even tiny Notre dame de Bellecombe has La Ferme de Victorine
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1378928-d3577042-Reviews-La_Ferme_de_Victorine-Notre_Dame_de_Bellecombe_Savoie_Rhone_Alpes.html
I could point you to 3 or 4 good places in my area where you'll find a delicious "plat du jour" (e.g. a casserole of wild boar, with a myrtille sauce, with polenta and a mound of green salad) for around 12 euros, served in an attractive and welcoming setting, with a jug of house wine for a few euros.
If you want the traditional "tartiflette", "braserade" or "fondue", then you can find them all over, though evening prices tend to be higher.
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If your thinking of taking a chalet holiday then don't worry too much about restaurants in resort as you'll only be eating out once. In my experience of skiing holidays (30 years) chalet is the way to go. That time of year go for a higher French resort. That way you'll just about guarantee good snow with some beautiful sunshine (hopefully) with not too much crowds. The only French big resort I didn't get on with, in fact I hated it was La Plagne, but that's just down to personal preference i suppose. Particularly enjoyed Les Arcs for a mixed group but chalet accommodation is a little limited. Val Thorens is great that time of year and plenty of night life but not particularly pretty. If you do choose VT, try the tobbogan run, its amazing. As I said, in my opinion go for a higher resort, and wait until a week before and get a late booking bargain. Have a great time.
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FAQ
2 girls both novices really been on two ski holidays before but not been for a long time, I've done both skiing and boarding (prefer boarding i think) and the other is a skier! The lads are quite advanced 1 skier(blades) and the other a boarder! Between us we've been quite a few places inc. Les Gets (France) Boravets(Bulgaria) Sauzi D'oulx(Italy) Livigno(Italy).
