Hi everyone. Got back from Les Carroz last night. Quick summary of our experience.
Ski school: used Nouvelle Dimension. Had private lessons, 2 hours per day, family of 3 (youngster is 9). Instructor, Isabelle, was excellent. Spoke great English and was very friendly and relaxed.
Pistes: Although we parents never got off the green run :roll: I understand from other skiers that you can ski to Flaine and Samoens. There is a nursery slope in the village, but a better learners area at the top of the gondola.
Lifts: One gondola, numerous chairs, but still quite a few drags, especially for learners, and some drags had steep sections. One drag, behind our hotel, took off with a vicious lurch - I fell here twice. Queues mainly for learners who competed with ski schools for use of drags, but nothing too long as ski schools tended to come and go at different times.
Weather: we were lucky and had mostly blue skies and sunshine. Snow in village was melting fast, but still plenty at the top.
Scenery: stunning. Tree-lined pistes with mountains all around, including Mont Blanc in the distance. Village is very pretty and traditional savoyarde style.
Family-friendly: very. Mostly French families, a few Brits but virtually no other nationalities that I could detect.
Accommodation: Lots of self-catering apartments, few hotels. We stayed in one of the few hotels, half-board. Cost about 1,400 euros for the 3 of us. Friends stayed in an apartment, much cheaper, but a bit pokey.
Prices: It's a while since I went to France, so I was shocked at the prices - hot chocolate 3 or 4 Euros for a small cup. Could spend 35 Euros easily on snack lunch for the 3 of us.
That's it in a nutshell. Gotta go make dinner. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Allie
Back from Les Carroz - report
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Started by Acarr in France 14-Mar-2010 - 10 Replies
Acarr posted Mar-2010
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
AllyG
reply to 'Back from Les Carroz - report' posted Mar-2010
Thanks Allie,
I'm glad you're back, safe and sound :D
I'd like to know how much your ski lessons cost, please. And how much the apartments were, if you know.
It sounds a great place, apart from all the drag lifts.
Ally
I'm glad you're back, safe and sound :D
I'd like to know how much your ski lessons cost, please. And how much the apartments were, if you know.
It sounds a great place, apart from all the drag lifts.
Ally
Cleanlivin
reply to 'Back from Les Carroz - report' posted Mar-2010
Hi Allie
Glad you enjoyed your stay in Les Carroz, it is a gem, as a learner you may find a few drag lifts but in the main there are very few in comparison to other resorts. As you move off the learner slopes you will find the majority of lifts are chairs. Though there are a couple of long drags in Flaine.
As you say some of the apartments are pokey, you tend to get what you pay for and there are some beautiful apartments available for rent.
From Les Carroz you can ski to Samoens, Morillon, Flaine and Sixt none of the journeys are difficult so next time I'm sure you'll be able to progress from the greens.
Catherine
Glad you enjoyed your stay in Les Carroz, it is a gem, as a learner you may find a few drag lifts but in the main there are very few in comparison to other resorts. As you move off the learner slopes you will find the majority of lifts are chairs. Though there are a couple of long drags in Flaine.
As you say some of the apartments are pokey, you tend to get what you pay for and there are some beautiful apartments available for rent.
From Les Carroz you can ski to Samoens, Morillon, Flaine and Sixt none of the journeys are difficult so next time I'm sure you'll be able to progress from the greens.
Catherine
Acarr
reply to 'Back from Les Carroz - report' posted Mar-2010
Ally, the apartment was just over £400 for the week I think (if I remember correctly what our friends said). It supposedly sleeps 5 but in fact there was 1 small double bedroom, a double sofabed in the kitchen/diner/living room and a mezzanine with a single bed but the ceiling was so low that it would only suit a child. I believe that's standard for France. Someone told me it is better to calculate the number of bedrooms you need, rather than going by the number of people that the apartment supposedly sleeps. So for our family of 3, I'd want 2 bedrooms, even though an apartment that size would supposedly sleep 6! Of course, the price goes up correspondingly...
The ski lessons cost 72 Euros for 2 hours, which I believe is for up to a maximum of 4 people. You could also just have 1 hour for 36 Euros.
I forgot to say that we saved a fortune on the lift pass. There's a beginners pass which is valid for 2 return trips on the gondola per day and unlimited use of a couple of drags at the top. That cost 43Euros per day (15 E each per adult and 13 E for the child).
The drag lifts (2) on the nursery slope in the village are free, but are really only good for complete beginners.
I loved Les Carroz and would definitely go back some day.
Allie
The ski lessons cost 72 Euros for 2 hours, which I believe is for up to a maximum of 4 people. You could also just have 1 hour for 36 Euros.
I forgot to say that we saved a fortune on the lift pass. There's a beginners pass which is valid for 2 return trips on the gondola per day and unlimited use of a couple of drags at the top. That cost 43Euros per day (15 E each per adult and 13 E for the child).
The drag lifts (2) on the nursery slope in the village are free, but are really only good for complete beginners.
I loved Les Carroz and would definitely go back some day.
Allie
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity
AllyG
reply to 'Back from Les Carroz - report' posted Mar-2010
Thanks very much Allie, that was exactly what I wanted to know :thumbup:
Ian Wickham
reply to 'Back from Les Carroz - report' posted Mar-2010
I have some fantastic memories of the area glad you enjoyed it 8)
Dids1
reply to 'Back from Les Carroz - report' posted Mar-2010
As I haven't been this season - yet - I haven't got anything to report - but as I've mentioned once or twice ) we're off to Samoens on 4th April. Les Carroz is one of my favorite ski areas because of the runs in the trees. We avoid eating at the restaurant at the top of the Les Carroz gondola though, as we got stung for a fortune for some baguettes and chips a few years ago.
Glad you had a good time.
Glad you had a good time.
Karen72
reply to 'Back from Les Carroz - report' posted Mar-2010
glad you had a great time Allie, great report
Topic last updated on 15-March-2010 at 21:15