French Alps Experience

The definitive guide to Val Thorens

Advantages: Some really good green runs for the novice boarder.
Disadvantages: Expensive

...of have never ventured to Val Thorens then this is the review for you. I went for a week over new years this year. Best new years i have ever had. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Val Thorens is boasted as being the highest ski resort in Europe at 2300 m altitude and is also the summit of the 3 Vallées, the largest ski area in the world. I stayed at Le Portillo, located towards the top end of the ...
...adult half day pass for Val Thorens slopes costs 27 Euros with a full day costing 34 Euros. Make sure that you ask for insurance with these at an additional 2.50 Euro a day. This covers you if you need to be taken off the mountain by blood wagon. Dependant on driver some of them won't touch you unless you have this or give them money before taken off the slopes. Can be a pricey ride. They have a new system now which means you don't have to show your ...

rachelreece32 31.01.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Val Thorens

Deux Alpes - once is enough

Advantages: Good for beginners, good nightlife, sunny, access to La Grave, free swimming/skating
Disadvantages: Limited skiing, not ideal resort layout, frustrating slope and lift layout at hometime

...Alpe D'Huez and Serre Chevalier, Les Deux Alpes might not be the first ski resort that springs to mind when you think of European skiing. It's a little unfair as, on an individual basis, the resort compares extremely well to just about any in France. It is the second oldest in resort in the country, after the world famous Chamonix and can boast more than 200km of runs to itself. However, while 2 Alpes may individually have a large ski-area, it lacks ...
...or Espace Killy when it comes to a linked network of slopes. Essentially, with 2 Alpes what you see is what you get. For most this won't be a problem - almost 100 different pisted slopes plus good opportunities to drop into off-piste powder fields should keep all but the most demanding skier happy for a week or two. For the very demanding skier, an area lift pass will get you access to nearby resorts - but these require a bus journey (or a helicopter ...

tomstainer 28.06.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Les Deux Alpes

Novice Skiier:Belle of the Plagne (Belle Plagne)

Advantages: beautifully scenic well maintained resort, suitable for all skiing/snowboarding levels of experience
Disadvantages: Expensive, Not suitable for those with walking difficulties

...the resort of Belle Plagne, La Plagne in the French Alps for a week which started 22nd January 2005. The tour operator for the trip was Neilson and it cost £350 for 7 days self catering in the 'Les Constellations - Themis' apartments, including return flights from Manchester to Lyon, and transfers. As this review is of the resort, I will not babble on with my comments of the tour operator or the accommodation, I will comment on my thoughts of Belle ...
...sits at 2000m within the La Plagne Resort in the French Alps. For the first three days of my trip, the snow constantly fell creating an awesome daily scenic view to my ski virgin eyes. However, with the wide areas of untouched powder snow, I am sure weathered skiiers appreciated the natural beauty of the resort also. I participated in the 6 day beginners ski school with 'ESF''. The ski school cost approx £200 including ski pass. The ski school instructor, ...

TooTrueReview 04.02.2005 · Read full review
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Review of La Plagne

Discover Meribel

Advantages: Guaranteed Snow / Amazing Ski Area/Great Apres Ski/Excellent Restaurants
Disadvantages: French School Holidays.Very crowded.

Meribel just has to be one of the best ski or snowboard resorts in the world. SKIING & SNOWBOARDING: BEGINNERS: Total Beginners do not need a lift pass for the first day or two.There is a free drag lift at the Altiport Area that not many people know about.(Catch the Free Bus from Town).The same applies to Snowboarders.In fact I know snowboarders who spent all week at the Altiport and never bought a pass at all.However it can be boring and a simple ...
...do not need the full 3 Valley pass.I would also advise Ski School.It is well worth the extra money.In Meribel there are about 10 different ski & Snowboard schools.Everybody seems to really enjoy ski school here.Far more fun than practising alone (Or letting your boyfriend/husband teach you). INTERMEDIATES: This is absolutely the place for you.It has 600km+ of fabulous pistes in all 3/4 Valleys.You can ski for a week here without ever doing the ...

snowqueen76 26.07.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Méribel

Tignes, go Skiing!

Advantages: Ski to your door, huge number of runs, great off piste, nice bars, crazy dutch party bar!
Disadvantages: No great clubs, you have to leave to come home!

I made the visit to Tignes Val claret last year (2006) and was lucky enough to be staying with friends who owned 2 apartments there so didn't have the cost of accommodation to worry about so sorry can't comment on that. I paid 30pounds each way for flight from Liverpool to Geneva and then had a bus into Tignes from there. I arrived about 4PM so quickly dropped my things off at the apartment and sorted my lift pass and rented skis etc for the week ...
...runs that come right into Tignes and that was usually because I was hungry. The area that you can ski is that large that one day I skied from Tignes to Val D'isere had lunch and headed back and nearly misses the lift back to the hill entering Tignes. This was mainly because I was having that much fun skiing that I forgot about the lift closing at 430. The off piste skiing is fantastic too and although I wouldn't class myself as a fantastic skier ...

oliridg 27.03.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Tignes