Latest posts for the topic "Brides Les Bains"

Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:26:16 GMT

Hi all,
I'm planning on skiing the 3 Valleys on March 31st and one accomodation option is in Brides Les Bains.
Can anyone tell me what its like as a ski resort and how easy it is to get up the mountain?

Thanks,

Ferg

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:29:42 GMT

Brides is a spa town right down in the bottom of the valley.
The link to 3V is a long gondola that takes about 40 minutes - you use this to get both up and DOWN from the skiing.

From this gondola you then have the usual access to 3V skiing.

So Brides adds about 1.5 hours travel to your skiing day.

At the end of March it is likely to be pretty green and warm down in the valley.

No real idea of any apres ski type stuff down there - it is a typical small french town.

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:03:51 GMT

thanks,
any idea what time the gondola stops running at in the evening time?

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:13:51 GMT

fergs wrote:thanks,
any idea what time the gondola stops running at in the evening time?

No - but I'm sure that's somewhere on the 3V website

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:15:33 GMT

Most resorts are the same 16.30 to 17.00 hrs.

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:20:15 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:Most resorts are the same 16.30 to 17.00 hrs.

But this gondola is not a skiing gondola per see.
It is purely for access from the valley floor to the base resort level where you then have to cross over to the resort level lifts to go up further to access the snow.
It's more akin to the bus really.

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:24:38 GMT

OldAndy wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:Most resorts are the same 16.30 to 17.00 hrs.

But this gondola is not a skiing gondola per see.
It is purely for access from the valley floor to the base resort level where you then have to cross over to the resort level lifts to go up further to access the snow.
It's more akin to the bus really.

Maybe search the tourist board site, which will normally link in to the lift site, if your still having problems bang the tourist board an email if failing that pick up the dog and give them a ring . :shock:

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:32:30 GMT

cheers chaps,
i value the experience and views of other skiers over tourist boards etc. they tend to be a tad biased, only singing the praises of a resort!!!

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:12:31 GMT

some friends went last year about the same time and thay
had large queues to get up and down!its very low down 800m i think.
unless you have a very very cheap deal id head higher up
maybe la tania.

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:23:18 GMT

I have a 3 Valleys piste map and it says that Olympe 1,2, and 3 that travel between Brides Les Bains and the centre of Meribel shut at 1730.

I have thought about getting a cheap holiday there myself, but I reckon all that time wasted each day travelling up and down would drive me completely mad.

And it's at 600m.

Ally

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:26:09 GMT

AllyG wrote:I have a 3 Valleys piste map and it says that Olympe 1,2, and 3 that travel between Brides Les Bains and the centre of Meribel shut at 1730.

I have thought about getting a cheap holiday there myself, but I reckon all that time wasted each day travelling up and down would drive me completely mad.

And it's at 600m.

Ally

Ditto this.

I have looked and then thought stuff that. Its cheap for a reason.

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:15:21 GMT

There are a handful of restaurants/bars and a casino and the spa the journey is 20mins from Brides to Meribel, most of the apartments were purpose built for the athletes in the 1992 olympics, not exactly sure of the opening times but it opens earlier than the main lifts in the Chaudanne
If conditions are good you could ski down to Olympic 2 which is les Allues or not quite so far which is a nice red Raffort through the trees taking you down to Olympic 3
The telecabine is as quick as the car journey !

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:24:41 GMT

I can get half board in Brides Les Bains for Euro200 cheaper than self catering in Meribel.
So i guess i'm really trying to figure out if the extra hassle of staying in Brides Les Bains is worth a saving of Euro200.

Re:Brides Les Bains

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:26:23 GMT

Some mates of mine did it; they reckoned the savings were worth it - and a 25 minute gondola ride at the beginning and end of the day was no hassle. A bit like staying in Aosta for Pila or even Engelberg, which needs a long gondola to get anywhere near the skiing.

Re:Brides Les Bains

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:40:14 GMT

anyone know what the story is with getting back down to brides les bains if one ends up doing apres ski in Meribel?

Re:Brides Les Bains

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:18:53 GMT

Can't really add much more as I agree with the others. It's a great option to stay in Brides-les-Bains but the gondola ride is quite restricting especially at the end of the day when you need to get back down. Plus, the steep walk up to the gondola station is a killer on icy roads - better to take the free bus if you see it (we never did but it exists!) We only did the journey a couple of days running but it was getting a bit boring even though we skied down to the Les Allues station.
Brides itself gets very quiet once skiers have left the central bars but we found The Restaurant l'Authentique at the Residence Cybele which is just out of the main village as you enter Brides, was really cosy and welcoming with a great menu serving local dishes and Italian.