Newbie with ski/walking pass question

Hello to you all.

Me, my husband, sister and family are heading over to the three valleys for a weeks skiing. Can anyone answer this question?

The situation is, my sister and husband have four kids, the two older ones will be skiing all day with me and my husband, so no problem at all while my sister and her husband share the parenting of their two younger kids. One skis the morning and the other the afternoon, so swapping the kids over around lunchtime.

The question is, they are going to buy a full three valleys ski pass and the cheaper foot passenger only pass for the week. On the days where we will be doing a full day in Courchevel or VT it's not really that practical to come back into the bottom of Meribel to swap kids. What are the chances of the parent looking after the kids in the morning being allowed on to the gondolas in Meribel carrying skis and with two wee ones with just a foot passenger pass for the swap over of the kids and the passes at the top save the other parent having to come down into Meribel - if that makes any sense.

Many thanks all.

Sheil

Sheil,
Are you allowed to swap lift passes like that? I never thought of trying that.

Ally

AllyG

I dont know, its not as if we are cheating the system or trying to do them out of money as only one adult will be skiing and one looking after the kids, and we will have bought lift passes for both circumstances.

It may be that we do have to come down into Meribel to swap over.

Maybe someone on here will have an idea.

Cheers

S

I suppose it depends if the lift operators notice that they're using a foot pass. I don't know how the system works, because I've never seen anyone without skis (or a board) getting on a lift. If they go through the barrier just like everyone else, then I don't suppose it will matter, but I would have thought there was some way of policing the scheme, because otherwise everyone would get the cheaper foot pass if they were only going to use whichever lifts one can use with that pass.

Sorry I can't help. I will be interested to hear what the others say about it.

Ally

allyG

When my sister was pregnant two years ago, we bought the foot passenger lift, she got to use a different entry to the lifts and skipped the queue. The problem will arise I think when she tries that again with two wee ones, her ski boots on and carrying skis. Whether the lift operators will accept our reasoning behind this with the adults swapping at the top, I dont know.


S

Oh, I see, I thought they might have a way of separating foot and ski-ing passengers.

Well, I hope her French is very good (or the lift operator has very good English)! I am just doing my French homework now, for my adult French lessons, and I wouldn't like to have to explain all this in French.

If one is not allowed to swap lift passes then I suppose the answer will definitely be 'no'.

Ally

Do the lift passes not have a photo on?

Rather than doing morning and afternoon, would it not just be easier to alternate days, which would eliminate the child swapping saga, and no foot pass would be required?

Hi,
You don't get photos on the passes in 3V.
It makes sense what you explain, but you need to make it clear to the lift operator that those children can get back down safely again.

If it were me....I would email the lift pass office asking them to confirm this is OK. Then I would get it written in French -unless you speak good French of course) And I would keep it in my pocket to show the liftie....

Hope it works out. Taking kids on ski hols is hard enough without hassle.