J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Julia Moss

I tried cross-country this year for the first time - no wonder they're all so thin and muscular, it's hard work. Enjoyable though...
I suppose people go independently for flexibility and choice. They can book with independent chalets and hotels, go when they want and for however long they want etc etc
There are also offers direct from the resort tourist offices which are worth looking at, especially for families. Look at the resort website for details where ski pass prices for next season are already available on some I've looked at over the past week or so.

If you're worried about dealing with the unexpected then my advice would be to stick with a package deal through a reputable company.

Do you have a particular destination in mind? Once you know where you intend going, you can start to compare costs. It would also be worth checking to see if there are any early booking offers for package hols.

We were in Chamrousse a couple of days and had by no means skied everywhere. We spent quite a bit of time doing runs which were so much fun we did them over and over such as the Olympic pistes which have several options as you descend. And , being there such a short time does mean we probably packed in more than if we were staying longer. If you get good snow then a week could be OK. However, as people who like to get some mileage under our skis, the prospect of a whole week without a few distractions would make us think twice.
Take a look at what other activities are on offer on http://www.chamrousse.com There's also a notable cross-country area, and the city of Grenoble to visit just 20 minutes away.
If you fancy the idea of a smaller family resort but want high mileage, why not look at some of the linked villages such as those in the Espace Diamant (Les Saisies is fairly snow-sure), or how about Valloire / Valmeinier (stay in Valloire for the village atmosphere), or maybe the huge Foret Blanche from Risoul or Vars ? You'll find independent reviews of all of these on our website.

The Balcons de Recoins are very well placed and you get easy access onto the gondola straight to the top of the station plus a few more shops and restaurants on the doorstep. Here's a self-drive package
http://skicollection.co.uk/Chamrousse/Ski-Apartments/Les-Balcons-de-Recoin.htm which seems great value. :-)

Check out the French half term dates and get in the week before they start, you'll save money on accommodation.
If you're driving over, take as many people as you can with you to share the cost - you can take up to 9 people in one vehicle for the same price on a ferry crossing.
Check out any lift pass offers online - family tickets for instance can be cheaper, and there's sometimes discounts on other things thrown in. It might also be cheaper to get the ski pass and channel crossing included in a package with a tour operator.
Finally, small things like planning your shopping carefully i.e. keep resort shopping to a minimum and visit a large supermarket in the nearest large town. You'll also get the cheapest fuel there for the journey home.
Good luck and happy hunting!

Like most spa towns, Brides les Bains has some lovely old buildings and hotels. The centre is quite modern and less interesting but the town is trying hard and looked quite jolly when we were there.

Have you thought about going further south? We have been really impressed with resorts such as La Joue de Loup, Orcières 1850 and Les Orres - lesser known but all with a good proportion of easy cruising slopes and a much better sunshine record than the northern Alps despite being high altitude.
If you need more mileage combined with the gentle slopes, think about Vars and Risoul. Vars is the better place to stay in our opinion with Risoul being a more purpose built village with package holidays aplenty.
However, our favourite this year was Les Saisies which had the best conditions during our various resort visits in January 2011 - a great family resort with lovely gentle cruises, and the opportunity for high mileage by doing the Espace Diamant circuit (though you'd need a good snow year to best appreciate this).