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Weekend in the Alps ~help~ pls. very confused - Macot-la-Plagne Forum - TripAdvisor
Hello fellow travel enthusiasts.
I wish to spend the weekend skiing a major sized resort in the Alps Feb20/09.
I am departing from Brussels to an airport destination to be determined by this forum.
My only commitment I need to be in Strasbourg France for Monday (work uggh).
I am an advanced snowboarder and am looking for big mountain riding.
I can fly from Brussels to wherever or take the TGV but need your help on where you would reccomend.
Les Arcs seems to come up a lot on the Forums but I get a sense it is not big on the ambiance side..thats ok its me travelling solo.
I travel quite a bit and usually stay with Hilton properties but find theres not to many in the Alps..or Im missing them.
Where are the "dont miss this resorts"?
I wish I could be more specific.
But wanted to throw that out and hear the local wisdom.
Any reccomendation on packages?
Thanks for any and all help!
Glenn.
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For weekend ski-ing I always get a flight to Geneva and work it from there.
Within about 1 hour transfer time you have -
Chamonix - my all time favourite resort but some hate it !
- great nightlife and fantastic intermediate / advanced ski-ing but not for beginners;
Flaine - purpose built, good for intermediates.
The Flying dutchman bar is worth a visit;
Or
Morzine / Avoriaz - probably ranks somewhere in between Chamonix and Flaine.
All the above are connected to Geneva by Bust transfers but I'm not sure how good these are - I tend to hire a car for about £139 for the weekend but that may not be economic with just the 1 of you.
hope that helps 1
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Hi Glenn,
Good advice above, or you can hop a train and make your way to Bourg St Maurice - local trains from Chamberry connect with the TGV, or you can get direct sleepers from Paris (and possibly elsewhere) that get in early Saturday morning.
From Bourg , you can get the funicular straight to Les Arcs, or get transfers to places like La Rossiere, Val d'Isere, Tignes, St Foy.
If you get off the train a little earlier at Moutiers or Aime, you've got La Plagne and all the 3 Valleys resorts (Meribel, Courcheval, Val Thorens etc.)
As a snowboarder (and speaking as a sometime resident) you probably can't beat Tignes.
A British paper recently voted it the best boarding resort in the world.
Again, might be low on Alpine ambience, but good vibe for serious skiers and boarders - pop into the Loop bar and start chatting to people.
Your biggest problem is probably going to be accomodation - places like the Hilton don't really exist in the Alpine stations and almost everywhere (especially in the busy February European holiday period) will cater for Saturday to Saturday week-long stays.
Perhaps try staying in Bourg (lets you try 2 different resorts), or try the tourist offices, but I can't think of anywhere personally.
Bon chance,
Matt
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Hotel telemark in La tania in 3 Valleys do short stays any night arrival.
- Definitely not a Hilton but looks ok.
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You will tend to get a prejudice here for large interlinked resorts favoured by British travel companies.
These are not necessarily the best for weekend trip.
In particular, resorts in Haute Savoie are a long, tedious transfer from most of the airports especially in February once the French school holidays get going.
6 hours to get from Geneva to Val d'Isere is common (it took our transfer 6 hours from Val to Lyons during the holidays last year).
If you are happy to take the train then there are stations at Moutiers for the Three Valleys, Aime for La Plagne and Bourg St Maurice for Les Arcs/Val/La Rosiere etc.
Les Arcs/La Plagne totally lack ambience.
Meribel is a bit better, but firmly beer swilling Brits and Ozzies which can be pretty unappealing.
Courchevel is charming and French, but probably the wrong side of the Three Valleys for the best riding.
Val Thorens - on the right side - is a concrete jungle favoured by Germans.
I would seriously consider and alternative approach for three days and head for the Oisans resorts.
These have the huge advantage of being a very short transfer from Grenoble, which can be accessed by train or air.
Les Deux Alpes, for instance, is around a 90 minute transfer, has a range of chain hotels such as Mercure with formule (plans) including half or full board, and has gone out of its way to appeal to boarders with a ski park, snow park, area with rails, curbs, kicks etc.
It certainly matches or exceeds anything Tignes has (skied there last year).
It does not have the range of skiing of Tignes say, but you are only there for a weekend and it has plenty for that amount of ti,e.
And it has very good night life with a range of great bars that make those in Val d'Isere and Meribel look decidedley sordid.
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