 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everyone. Hope you can help. I was looking for some guidance on choosing a resort for new year. We are a family of five , 3 boys aged 12,10,7 and have spent three fabulous years at puy st Vincent with snowbizz who I can't recommend highly enough. However, we feel we would like a change but wouldn't rule out going back.
We have managed to secure flights to Grenoble on 28th dec and hired a car but where to go?
I think the main priorities are def ski in ski out, good english ski school and not necessary child are but other activities going on perhaps in the evening. They were used to a kids club at night in puy which was a welcome break for us for a couple of hours! And self catering works well for us....
The resorts I have been looking at are, avoriaz, belle plagne ( la plagne), les arcs and flain. Just getting a bit bamozzled!! Any thoughts would be very welcome or even just to narrow down resorts!
Many thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anyone???
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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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winniewoo, having flights already secured to Grenoble, you would be better off looking at places in the areas near by otherwise you are going to be driving quite a long distances unnecessarily. Most of the resorts you have listed are better served by the more northerly airports, especially Flaine and Avoriaz.
There are plenty of choices in the Grenoble area or closer than the ones you have listed. Les Deux Alpes and Alpe D'Heuz are not too far away from the airport. There are also some excellent resorts in the Vercors area such as Villard de Lans. Chamrousse is also fairly near and offers ski in ski out at fairly good value for money, as does Orcières Merlette.
Are you looking to use a TO for accommodation only or are you looking at organising everything yourselves? I've used the Centre Leo Legrange set-up before now with groups of school age children and seen families staying in the accommodation as well. Very well organised and a varied children's programme if somewhat French!
These may help you focus down on closer areas:
http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Grenoble.html - I think some of the timings here though are optimistic to say the least, especially in peak season. and the New Year week most definitely is peak season!
http://www.mountainpassions.com/winter_ski/winter_activities/best_resorts_near_grenoble.html
http://www.chaletrentalsdirect.com/Ski-Resorts-Near-Grenoble-Airport.php
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Well,
I wouldn't come up to Avoiraz or Flaine, that's just too far from Grenoble when there are so many good places closer to Grenoble.
If you google "ski resorts close to Grenoble" you will land on some TO sites, with lists of resorts within 60 minutes, 90 minutes, etc.
You don't state if you want catered or self catered or a hotel, or ???
But I'd start there, and say a bit what kind of accommodation and what kind of skiing you're looking for.
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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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winniewoo, I suspect that if you are looking for the kind of "wrap round" service, especially evening child care/club that you enjoyed with Snowbizz you might be disappointed and in some self catering venues you might feel a bit isolated. You might also find it difficult to get "English speaking ski school" in some of the smaller resorts (if by that you mean groups with only British kids in) though your kids would probably be fine in a group with children of other nationalities as long as the instructor was able to speak some English to them; they are all presumably pretty competent by now.
La Plagne is not actually that much further from Grenoble airport than Les Deux Alpes (12 minutes normally) according to google maps), but yes, the roads will be very busy.
Serre Chevalier is also feasible, but further - though people regularly drive as far to get to the Tarentaise resorts from Geneva.
Chamrousse sounds good though, and easier to get to than most of the others mentioned. At New Year I'd put a premium on a short road journey!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If I was you I would go Alpe D'Huez.
Personally we stay in the satellite village of Oz-en-Oisans but it sounds you like you would prefer the main town where there is more going on. Also there will be more ski school options there.
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Hi..thanks v much for all the replies...I think I was getting in a bit of a fix..starting to DIY the whole trip! Of course, it makes sense to think of the travel times and the fact the roads won't be busy. We all starting skiing just 3 years ago..boys are fairly competent so is husband and I am happy pottering away on the blues and reds. The kids have had the freedom to ski themselves or at least way ahead with puy being a small area and leading back to the same resort point.
I will have a look at the resorts mentioned. Was going to do it DIY but really a little clueless so will look at other TO's. Self catering works for us.
Thanks again to you all. Great advice
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winniewoo,
I don't get it. If you've booked your flight, you booked a car, buying lift passes and renting equipment is pretty straight forward, the only thing you need in an apartment... this may take some time research where you want to be, but then your set.
If you say what your budget it is, folks on here can guide a bit better to where to start looking. It can be daunting, so many resorts, so many options, a bit overwhelming. It sounds like something a bit smaller suites you better?
I do DIY only... it's really not that big of a deal, especially if you want self catering, you're 75% there.
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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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winniewoo, as you have already booked flights and hired a car, then you have effectively decided on a DIY holiday, as HeidiAmsterdam says. You also seem to have decided on self-catering so going to British TOs really makes no sense at all - if you rent an apartment direct you pay one straightforward price for the week, instead of all those additions and subtractions and supplements. Your only problem is how to narrow down the range of choice of resort.
You are accustomed to a small resort so Chamrousse would be a good place to start - close to Grenoble and a lot less expensive than some of the big places mentioned. If you do a search there are quite a few reports about Chamrousse and some of the SHs who have been there (not I) will no doubt be very happy to answer specific questions.
Although British TOs don't make sense for you there are a number of French outfits which do an "inclusive" deal with an apartment, passes and ski hire - there are a number of possibilities but this is just one
http://package.ski-express.com/sejour-ski-tout-compris/chamrousse/sta-45.html
You will find similar deals in a whole range of resorts. Well worth exploring.
But as you will see from that site, their prices/booking only go up to end August. French places and operators will not be getting their details for next season for some time yet, so you have plenty of time.
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winniewoo, Erna Low offer accommodation in Chamrousse if you want to book in UK and you can book early with them. (Sorry can't provide link at the mo but looks promising)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks again. You're right! Just need to get a resort decided. I am looking at Chamrousse and Alphe d heux and will go ahead and look at the options suggested. Apartment budget price is probably around £1400. lessons and ski hire and yes...should be sorted. Will have a look today and no doubt be back with a few questions. Thanks again..
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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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I have not been to Chamrousse so take my comments with a pinch of salt but it is the type of place I would avoid booking miles ahead early season.
It has relatively low altitude slopes compared with the surrounding resorts and has a small ski area. The scgb historical snow reports (which are supplied by the tourist office) indicate low snow depths early season (Much lower than PSV). Without the wealth of large resorts I do not know how good the artificial snow is likely to be.
In a good start to the season I am sure you would have a great time in a warm/ dry start I suspect the skiing could be very limited indeed, personally in the area I would be more inclined to go for Serre Che / Les2Alpes/ Alpe d'huez. Probably more expensive but also a lot less likely to dissapoint. My personal favourite is Serre Che which is actually fairly close to PSV and you can ski a day there on the lift pass and with a car you can always visit if nostalgic.
There are a limited number of ski in ski out places in serre che though so you need to apply early to book if this is important.
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Thanks again..really helpful. Ruled out chamrousse anyhow with apartments etc and of course I need to think of the early season snow. I have a feeling we may end up back at PSV!
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You know it makes sense.
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winniewoo, PSV is hard to beat with your family etc, and you know it....however Montgenevre is worth researching, along with Vars which I cycled through yesterday and was impressed at the size of of it, compared to PSV and Risoul.
Obviously Serre Che has loads to offer too.
As people have already said Chamrousse, is a bit of a gamble, along with other resorts, such as Sept Laux, Prapotel.
I think after PSV you'd find Deux Alpes and Alpe D'Huez so so different.
The more I think about it Montgenevre is a good option, same distance as PSV from Grenoble if not a tad closer, plus you have Italy as well - and in a car you can still do Serre as well as driving up to Sestrieere...........
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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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Thanks for your post. I haven't had much of a chance the last couple to research! I think everything I kept finding wasn't hitting the plus's that PSV hold whether that was ski lessons not on doorstep or at wrong time, ski in ski out, village close by and safe and small enough for kids to feel independent walking around. I think because the last couple of times we have been its been term time and therefore geared for the younger children. If we went this year it will be busier.
I had narrowed it down to alph deuz, serr chev... Even looking at les arcs/le plagne but they seem vast and with kids zooming way ahead if us... It's maybe a step too big?
I will have a look at montgeneve too... Any other thoughts are greatly appreciated. Main priorities are: close to grenoble( ish!), snow sure, ski in ski out, apartment in village, good ski school and a bit going on in evenings, maybe pool would be good option! Thing is I keep thinking I would like to see psv in a busy week, sure for us it would be different..... Decisions decisions...
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Poster: A snowHead
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We had a great holiday in PSV with Snow Bizz 5 yrs ago. I love the Snow Bizz childcare and convenience of the accommodation for the slopes. That aside one year in PSV was enough for us.
We have been to a number of resorts since PSV but not all of them are anywhere near Grenoble. From Grenoble I'd recommend either Montgenevre or Val Cenis. Val Cenis offers at least twice as much skiing as PSV and has a range of skiing above and below the treeline. We have recently returned from Chalets de Flambeau apartments which are at the foot of the piste and are a good deal more luxurious than the Mona lisa ones in PSV. There is a lovely pool in the residence which our children enjoyed. The ski school meeting point was right by the apartments. At the end of the day we saw children riding in mini ringos over a jump and into an inflatable. Elsewhere in the resort you can go bowling and I think ice skating.
Montgenevre is our favourite resort. It has two very good ski schools and the skiing is great for families. There is a bowl high up in the resort called the Gondrans with a red run, couple of blues and a green..the runs all go back towards a mountain cafe so it is easy to keep track of the children. The apartments we stayed in had a pool. There is the Monty Express - a rollercoaster ride. You can go snowshoe walking to a tent somewhere but we never got round to doing 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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Thanks again. Can you help with location of ski school and apartments? Been trying to figure it out on the phone but not easy! Is chalet hameau airilles near apeak ski school... I believe it's ski in ski out... Can you ski down to village? Same question for chalet doriles... Any closer to village?
Many thanks
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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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Winniewoo
Both Chalet des Dolines and Le Hameau des Airelles are in the new area of Montgenevre called hameau de L'obelisque. There is an ESF meeting point there between the two residences but I don't think there is an Apeak meeting point there. When we stayed in that area we took the bus 5 mins to the centre of the resort for Apeak lessons. If you use ESF you can use the meeting point by the residences or the one in the centre of the resort. You can access the slopes easily from both residences but you need to ski down to the tremplin lift, take it up and ski down to get to the front de neige /Apeak meeting point, and the lifts do not open early enough to do this for ski school drop off. Therefore depending which ski school/meeting point you use you might need to do the bus first thing in the morning but could ski back to the residence later on. The buses pass by very frequently at ski school time so don't be put off by this.
The area where both sets of apartments are is lovely. There is a nice supermarket and you can easily walk to the restaurants in the evening. Both residences have pools.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks so much..great help..I was going round in circles!
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