 Poster: A snowHead
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We're looking to venture back to France for the first time in 5 years, and Brides les Bains is looking as if it's ticking all the boxes at the moment. I was wondering if any one could clear up a few points before I book.
1. What are the pro / cons of being based here? Lift access/ queues in the morning?
2. Is it possible to ski back from Meribel at the days end, or is gondola a better option to get back due to piste being hammered/ too much traffic/ bottlenecks?
3. Is the local lift pass area Meribel & Brides les Bains, and is there enough to keep us interested for a week. My wife is intermediate, but usually only does about 3- 4 days skiing, where as I'm an advanced intermediate who'll hit first lift until 2-3pm each day, all week. I was half thinking of two local prebooked passes through the TO and doing a days exploring on my tod with an area day pass. Is this a good idea or should I just get 2 area passes? 
4. What are in resort prices like compared to the Dolomites or say Kitzbuhel? The reason we stopped going to France was the last trip to Alpes d'Huez, where the prices, for us were frankly unaffordable.
any feed back's greatly appreciated!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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RWDLYN, there's been quite a bit on here re Brides. Try searching and if you can't find anything using the search facility, just Google 'Brides les Bains snowHeads' and several threads will come up. I can't specifically answer your question since, although I've been there, it was only as an overnight, en route stop. Nice little place.
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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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I'm going on Saturday to Brides les Bains - will let you know how I get on.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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RWDLYN,
1/ pro- cheap beer and accommodation , no real queues early on , a good 25 min to get sorted on gondola ride up ,
Cons- 30 min ride up can be a drag , and you have to make the download by 5:00 latest so no real chance for après up in meribel .
2/ no , although there is a red down to the mid station , buts its only a cat track really
3/ get the full 3 valleys lift pass , and see it all , you can get a deal (tribe pass ) if you can buy 3 passes of the same type
4/ price in bride are cheap as chips , and on the mountain there Re loads of cheap options as well as dear ones
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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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I had my first ever skiing trip in Meribel and Mottaret and had 7 days of beautiful sunshine and great snow and a fantastic week.
Would stay in Brides very time, unless I won the lottery and could afford one of the really luxury chalets. Mottaret is very quiet in the evening. Meribel (personally) grates unless you are young / loud
Brides is France and has French people in the French bars and restaurants (although not many of them), which isn't anywhere near as bad as it sounds now that vie typed it
Very good bakery and a REALLY GOOD wine shop
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We own a 56m2 2 bed ski apartment in Brides les Bains so please pm me if you might be interested. I know an owner with a studio in the same residence if you are looking for something smaller.
I agree with all of the above comments. If money was no object, staying higher up the mountain for ski in / out is great - but our budget didn't stretch to Courcheval 1850. Your pay far less to stay in Brides for accomodation, ski hire, food etc but you get to ski the same pistes as those that paid 2 or 3 times the price.
It is a small, pretty savoyarde French town rather than a faceless resort. In the winter there is a mix of English, French and Russians. In the Spring and summer it is mainly French as they come for the 'slimming cures' of the spa waters.
Access to Meribel is via the Olympic gondola which takes about 20 mins so you need to factor that into your day. This is covered in either a Meribel pass or the 3 vallees pass. The gondola opens at 8.30am so if you get their early you are in Meribel for when the ski lifts open. there are nice views on the journey up so a pleasant way to start your morning. As with any lift queues it gets busy at peak season ( Paris school holidays in Feb).
As we have young children, we tend to drive up to Meribel as otherwise i get to carry 2 pairs of skis and my husband gets 3 pairs !
You can either drive to Le Raffort and join the Olympic gondola there - it is a free car park and it is possible to ski back to La Raffort via a red run.
Or you can drive upto Meribel but free parking is more limited. There are a number of underground carparks that you can pay for and some you can buy a weekly pass for. All the information is on the merinet.com website.
We find parking at Meribel almot as good as ski in /out but overall we have paid much less by staying in Brides.
You can buy either a Meribel valley pass or a 3 valley pass. The tribu pass is slightly cheaper if there are 3 adults or more buying together. Or you can get a family pass ( 2 adults and 2 or more children) - the adults pay the same price as the children.
The 3 Vallees in a great resort - 650km of piste. If that isn't enough then Champney de vanoise is only about a 20 minute drive from Brides and from there you can access La Plagne ( for the last couple of seasons a 6 day or more 3 vallee pass inculdes a day in either La Plagne or Tignes).
Hope that helps. We love Brides-les-bains which is why we bought there ( and because we couldn't afford to buy in Courcheval or Meribel!).
You can find information on my apartment on homelidays.co.uk property 598522. Our website is under construction www.meribelbrides.com
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I have not stayed in Brides as the thought of getting the gondola up and down everyday has put me off. I have stayed at La Tania though which I believe is a cheaper part of the 3 valleys.
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Don't do it.
The gondola journey up the hill will ruin the holiday.
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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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I've stayed there and it's fine (but I'm a tight git!).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quimpo wrote: |
Don't do it.
The gondola journey up the hill will ruin the holiday. |
Stayed in Brides on a boy's trip last Jan. Fantastic time had by all. 
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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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| Quote: |
Don't do it.
The gondola journey up the hill will ruin the holiday
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 What a daft thing to say. There are many fine ski resorts where everyone gets to (and from) the slopes either on a gondola or on a bus.
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or sometimes both. 
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You know it makes sense.
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I wouldn't fancy staying in Brides, simply because the last gondola leaves just as the bars around the Chaudanne in Meribel are livening up with apres-ski, and the live bands are starting. Meribel's apres scene is (for France at least) excellent; straight from the slopes there are often at least 2 or 3 bars with live music on, and when I'm on holiday that's exactly what I look for straight after skiing. Last gondola around 5 and there's really not much going on down in Brides in comparison.
Of course, if the apres-scene isn't for you and you just prioritise really good skiing along with keeping the costs down, then its a decent choice.
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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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Reasons not to go to Brides Les Bains:
1. It's rubbish.
Reasons to go to Brides Les Bains:
2. A decent kebab shop.
I would argue that the pros do not outweight the cons.
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Poster: A snowHead
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RWDLYN, I looked into BlB a few years back but ended up finding a very similarly priced deal in La Tania, which is now probably my favourite place to date in the 3V. Staying low is a big advantage in terms of stretching your day out. You don't get the same panic around 345pm as you do if you are staying in say Val Thorens. I'm sure BlB is fine if you can stomach the inconvenience of the gondola - only you know the answer to that!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you want a wild apres ski scene then I agree that Brides is maybe not for you. If you are looking for some good bars to have an apres ski drink and meal without re-mortgaging your house, then it is a great place to stay to ski the 3 vallees. It is also easier to get from BLB to Meribel than from some places in Les Allues. If you fancy a day in Les Arcs then you can be at Champney de vanoise in 20 mins by car from BLB and in past seasons a day in Les Arcs has been covered on a 6 day ski pass.
I like La Tania too - and would also choose that over Les Allues.
If you really want a night out in Meribel, then there is a free bus that runs berween BLB and Meribel one night a week. And reportedly, a curry house in Les Allues that will take you back to Brides as part of the deal of eating there ( I haven't tried it - just been told that by another owner!).
Don't mock it unless you have tried it. BLB is not ski in/out and so will not suit everyone but it is a great base to access the 3 vallees for a reasonable price. Everything from a baguette or beer to ski hire is cheaper than any where else we have found in the 3 Vallees - the gondola works well and at start of season closes at 5pm but as the days get longer it is 5.30pm. As mentioned before, if you have a car then you can park at La Raffort for free and ski back to the car.
Many Austrian resorts need a gondola to access the mountain.
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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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Stayed in BLB for a short trip a couple of years ago, the town itself is quite nice with a couple of nice bars, resturants and a casino.
There is 1 lift from the top of the town that drops you (25 minutes later) next to the ice rink in Meribel. It's then a 5 minute walk over to the main lifts, from here the world is your oyster.
The last lift home is 5pm from memory, this to me is the major draw back of BLB.
Personally, whilst I quite liked the town itself I would price up La Tania as this offers you genuine ski in/out convenience and is reasonably priced.... or bite the bullet, remortgage the house and stay in Meribel or Courchevel
If you do opt for BLB just be prepared / accept the limitations and you will have a good time.
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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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| Quote: |
| Don't do it. The gondola journey up the hill will ruin the holiday |
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| Reasons not to go to Brides Les Bains: It's rubbish |
It's always good to hear some objective reviews of a resort Quimpo - which, unfortunately, is not the case on this occasion.
On numerous 3 Vallees visits I've stayed up the mountain in all 3 valleys and stayed twice in Brides les Bains. My last visit to Brides was two years ago for a week. As rjb correctly says:
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| If you do opt for BLB just be prepared / accept the limitations and you will have a good time. |
We quite enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of BLB - and particularly enjoy the cheap (by 3 Vallees standards) food and drink .
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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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| mountainaddict wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Don't do it. The gondola journey up the hill will ruin the holiday |
| Quote: |
| Reasons not to go to Brides Les Bains: It's rubbish |
It's always good to hear some objective reviews of a resort Quimpo - which, unfortunately, is not the case on this occasion.
On numerous 3 Vallees visits I've stayed up the mountain in all 3 valleys and stayed twice in Brides les Bains. My last visit to Brides was two years ago for a week. As rjb correctly says:
| Quote: |
| If you do opt for BLB just be prepared / accept the limitations and you will have a good time. |
We quite enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of BLB - and particularly enjoy the cheap (by 3 Vallees standards) food and drink . |
I actually enjoyed it overall, for the 3 days we were there it was fine.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I stayed in Brides last March and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The lift pass office opened at 8.15 which helped on the first morning. The queue can look quite long sometimes so I would advise getting there reasonably early. The bubbles are six person, but because they are quite small some people do not fill all the seats. I timed the travel time, that is from when you are actually seated in the bubble to arriving in Meribel at 25 minutes.
When I was there I am sure that the last download was at 5.30. Perhaps it was later at the time I was there.
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As this post was started quite a while back it would be interesting to know if RWDLYN, did go there in the end and what the verdict was! The Peak Retreats clients certainly enjoy it and considering how much you save against staying in Meribel they don't seem to mind the 30 mins gondola ride and the scenery is certainly more appealing than a journey down the Piccadilly line...
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