Val d'Isere 12/13 - one down, one to go!!

Snapzzz wrote:

bedrock barney wrote: Too late now anyway. Decision has been made and I can get back to some pointless but crucial wibbling.

Please do not take it as if i was criticising your choice, i wasn't. Everywhere is going to be really busy so VDI will be as good as anywhere, as you pointed out.
My wifes biggest fear is crowded pistes so i am hoping to find somewhere quite for NY and then do a super resort in feb. My only hang up is paying top dollar for a resort like valmorel.

Like you, I'm not looking for resorts where there will be no queues and not busy runs back to resort. Mind you this will be mid jan and/or early March so less likely to be as busy as peak weeks, but its now become an important issue for us.
Not sure Valmorel has enough to offer me personally.

Tony_H wrote:

Not sure Valmorel has enough to offer me personally.

Time to start looking at the terrain, not just the pistes )

bandit wrote:

Tony_H wrote:

Not sure Valmorel has enough to offer me personally.

Time to start looking at the terrain, not just the pistes )

Always do. Until I get told off for leaving the pistes.

Tony_H wrote:
Not sure Valmorel has enough to offer me personally.

Me neither. I decided against it.
It looks like a nice resort but i do the most skiing in the family so i want the most out of it.
Just booked for Arc 1800, it will be busy but after copious reading the general opinion is that the lift system handles it well and where won't be busy at new year?

Stewart D has been there, said it was great. You can ask him for some tips on the area, but don't be surprised if its just info on bars and cafes )

Well done snapzzz. You've presumably skied Les Arcs before?(note your sig mentions La Plagne). We really enjoyed Les Arcs in March 2011. Have you skied the Aiguille Rouge? Watch the cable car queue though. I had to wait about 30 mins when I went up (without my better half who sees black run on a piste map and says 'no way, Jose').

Did you go DIY or TO in the end?

**Also** I think you can ski for free for one day in Espace Killy with the Paradiski pass. If you could organise some kind of cheap bus ride or similar to VDI, we could show you round the place. Probably easier said than done though.....

Barney, I've never skied Les Arcs before, I stayed la plagne side before. But I've heard good things about the whole area so I am plenty excited about going.
We chose to stay in 1800 as it seems to have the most to offer in après and also best placed for tree lined skiing, which I love.
I will definatley do the Aguile Rouge, it's well written about.

I think you are right about espace Killy, there were day trips run to Tignes from La Plagne. But if there is one thing I hate it's mountain bus journeys so I think it's unlikely to see me there. Thanks for the offer though, I'm sure before long we will end up
In the same resort.

I also wouldn't really fancy a bus trip between the two resorts.......not sure how easy it is to be honest. Bourg up to Les Arcs is a doddle though using the funicular.

We crossed over to La Plagne for one day although i thought it was quite a trek (for example, not as good as the link between VDI and Tignes). We failed to get higher enough at the end of the day and missed the Vanoise Express. Real pain!! In the end we trudged through Arc 1800 and got the free ski bus which seemed to go via Timbuktu back to Arc 1950.

The blue tree runs down to Vallandry are easy cruising - just watch the crossovers with the red runs!

The plan and edelweiss blues into Arc 1950 are nice and easy but a bit flat to be honest (hurts my knees!)

The lifts immediately above Arc 1950 and 2000 were quite busy but overall the lift system worked quite well (unlike La Plagne where we waited up to 30 mins at times - presume you were there low season last time?)

Any specific queries let me know and I may be able to help.

I need to stop thinking about skiing. Just been admonished by my better half for foruming rather than working :(