French Alps Experience

valmeinier by coach

Advantages: lovely area, 2 extra days, good for mixed ability groups
Disadvantages: awful jerky drag lifts

I took a large group of friends [36] to Valmeinier in Jan. 2007, we traveled by coach and arrived at the hotel by 08.30, being experienced coach travelers by now [ this was our 4th holiday by coach], we knew to have our ski socks in the top of our bags so that we could go straight to the ski hire room [located in the hotel] and get our skis so we were out on the slopes by 9.30!. We have all got used to the coach journey and it has lots of benifits, ...
...going through security checks, just load your babs in a quiet car park and see it again at the hotel but the biggest plus is 2 extra days skiing and the cost. Valmeinier was very quiet in Jan. and the snow was pretty good, just got a bit icey by the end of the week. All the runs are OK but the best skiing is if you ski down to 1500 and cross the valley by chair lift to Valoire which has great skiing and really well groomed pistes but the down side ...

flyflitflo 22.10.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Valmeinier, France

The jewel in the Abondance valley

Advantages: Superb restaurants and hotels and such friendly people. Great in summer and winter
Disadvantages: Own immediate skiing area is limited but good links to Chatel and beyond

I discovered La chapelle d'Abondance about four years ago when looking for property to buy. It is located in a valley which leads up from Lac Leman to the Swiss border up in the mountains at Morgins, part of th eportes du Soleil ski area - a road which you wouldn't take unless heading that way! Most traffic is local therefore - very few lorries, excpept for local deliveries. It's attraction has to be the calmness of the place although it comes alive ...
...not yet eaten anywhere in La Chapelle or Chatel and been disappointed by quality or price) and the dishes are all superbly presented. Memories of Duck breast in honey and pain d'epice, lamb noisettes in a basil and garlic jus, Filet of fera ( a local fish form lac Leman) all accompanied by properly cooked(not overcooked) vegetable options... and the starters and desserts were equally sublime. The cost at the time was about £30 per person on half ...

averycrossman 25.09.2005 · Read full review
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Review of La Chapelle d´Abondance

Welcome in Gap

Advantages: The sun, the mountains, ...
Disadvantages: it is a little town

...French town, Gap. Gap is in the south-east of France, in the Alps. About 100km south of Grenoble and about 150km north of Marseille. So we have Mountain to the north and “la Provence” to the south. The town count about 35 000 inhabitants. It is the main town of the “departement Hautes-Alpes”. Our region is called “provence alpes côte d’azur” . The English word “gap” could be a quite good definition ...
...for tourism don’t stay in Gap but in the little villages there is all around the city, and which are more in the mountain. So if you come in Gap, please don’t look for a museum or an historic monument. The only one you will find is the house where Napoleon slept during a night… But the centre is quite pretty, the houses are painting in different colours, in a pleasant style, sometimes classic, sometimes modern. There is some shop, ...

Lounah 05.04.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Gap (hautes-Alpes)

The place to be..

Advantages: Safe, enjoyable and friendly atmosphere. Price of ski hire isnt too expensive if you go more into the town, than the shop of the resort.
Disadvantages: Prices of items and food in the resort are very expensive, but that is to be expected in any resort at high season!

Combloux is otherwise known as the 'Balcony of Mont Blanc'. This resort is to me one of my favourite resorts in Eurpoe to ski. It is situated on a range of moutains facing the Mont Blanc, which is the highest moutain in Europe. The view is superb from this area - and is very well known for it aswell. The actual Skiing slopes of Combloux have alot of variety to them. There is 3 or 4 Black slopes, which I personally have never been on. But the rst ...
...Areas such as Combloux and Cordon thrive on the Peak season. Tourism is their main base of income, so you can imagine at High season they charge entortion rates for even the smallest beverages. I once had a mars bar at a restaurant next to the slopes which cost me 8Francs (which is about 85pence). The ski resort of Combloux itself, has everything needed on site. It has a medical building which insures the public of any accidents, are seen to very ...

Christabelle 17.10.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Combloux

It's Fat

Advantages: warm welcoming, wide choice of tracks, beautiful landscape, good parties.
Disadvantages: risk of poor snow situation, the architecture is very 60s

...to polluted area, go to La Mongie.This resort got all the advantages you could imagine, apart for one thing, the risk of finding a resort poor in snow. Get informed about the snow situation and the weather if you plan to go there. But don't worry, it doesn' happen so often. Imagine a small winding road surrounded all the way long by old fir trees leading all of a sudden to a vast mountain covered with snow ( only between november and april ) . La ...
...Maybe I see you there . Ada-merci. P.S: Did you know that 'Le Tour de France' , the famous cycling race goes through La Mongie. You can ride where Indurain was cycling a few summers ago. ...

Ada-merci 23.05.2001 · Read full review
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Review of La Mongie