Latest posts for the topic "Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?"

Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 21:34:33 GMT

Anyone got any advice - I have narrowed my choice for a catered chalet for 2 families (7 people incl 3 kids (10-12 years) down to Morzine or Val Thorens.
Can't chose between them - Can anyone give us any thoughts or even recommend a good place to go for intermediate / beginner skiers (9-16 Feb).

Advice will be most welcome
Cheers
Andy

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 22:08:47 GMT

Hi Andy. I've been to VT a few times, and it's a great place to get good snow and a variety of challenges, but it's also a bit exposed and bleak. Have you thought about Meribel or Mottaret next door? It's a great base and so much of the 3 valleys can be hit really easily. Good luck in your final choice!

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:40:00 GMT

Morzine, it's a proper town, not a concrete dormitory carbuncle plonked in the alpine landscape -)

Beginners will have a much nicer time on the gentle tree lined runs above Morzine.

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:01:42 GMT

We have been to both, if you like skiing in the trees and looking at a pretty town then Morzine.
We were in Morzine early Jan this year and the snow was great. Lots of blue and red runs so ideal

VT is a bit more big country and open views and long ski runs. More choice of runs.

Both are great places for different reasons.

Have fun choosing :D

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:38:21 GMT

I have skied in Morzine and VT loads, I've actually done a season in Val Thorens.

Val Thorens is great as the snow is guaranteed, however February can be brutally cold and high winds can cause problems. There are also some dangerous inter-sections which can get very busy in half-term.

I personally would choose Morzine for a family holiday, maybe stay near the Prodains are and head up to Avoriaz first thing. Morzine also has a more family-friendly atmosphere in my opinion..

I would avoid Meribel in half-term to be honest (any other time it's great!) - it is in the middle of the 3 Valleys so you get traffic from both Courchevel and VT and the queues can be awful...

Hope this helps...

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:23:17 GMT

If you offered me the choice of those 2, I'd take Morzine

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:22:23 GMT

The one gremlin with Morzine is that the Portes du Soleil is relatively low and prone to getting wet & pudding like in the later part of the season compared to the 3V

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:14:40 GMT

andymol2 wrote:The one gremlin with Morzine is that the Portes du Soleil is relatively low and prone to getting wet & pudding like in the later part of the season compared to the 3V

Won't be a problem for the OP as they are going in Feb :D

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:57:53 GMT

bandit wrote:

andymol2 wrote:The one gremlin with Morzine is that the Portes du Soleil is relatively low and prone to getting wet & pudding like in the later part of the season compared to the 3V

Won't be a problem for the OP as they are going in Feb :D

Hmmm. I've skied in 21c in Feb

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 17:23:02 GMT

its a no brainer for me, Morzine hands down.

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:30:22 GMT

I've been to the 3 Valleys several times and there's nowhere else to match it (not even the EK where I'm off this year again).

I'd take on baord the point about it being less than prettty - but it's a lot better than people give it credit for with a real effort to makwe it more "sympa" and it's never been as bad as Les Menuires or Stalag Luft Tignes.

For pure skiing then it's unbeatable - lack of trees can make it cold but then winters have become so unpredictable that that could be said of anywhere.

My only caution would be to echo the point that someone made about some of the intersections being very busy - my wife got seriously hurt at the bottom of the resort and the run down to Town from the Club Med area is carnage at 4pm

I can't comment on Morzine as I've never been but have heard many good things (though some of the interconnectuion is meant to be less slick than 3V etc)

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:37:40 GMT

The runs around Morzine can get clogged although that is more around Ardent and the top of the Ardent bubble.

Morzine is a reasonable Town and much nicer than its neighbour Arvoriaz which is a concrete dump that seems to expand remorslessly.

For me the skiing in the 3V is better but I've never been there at half term.

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:20:18 GMT

I'd echo the comments regarding VT in feb. could be really cold for kids. Morzine is ok, but in my opinion better skiing base in Chatel for the PDS area. Good choice of private catered chalets too. I skied for a day in Morzine in early March and although its relatively pretty, it seems to be more geared up as a party town and the traffic fumes were over bearing.

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 23:10:32 GMT

Thanks all to everyone who commented. Really helpful sound advice - first time I have used a web forum for advice. the weight of opinion appears to be for VT - - The other family going have strongly opted for Val Thorens. So VT it is - don't want to fall out before we get there!
I will look out for the pitfalls at VT, admire the concrete and wrap my kids up well !!

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:32:25 GMT

AndyDavidson wrote:Thanks all to everyone who commented. Really helpful sound advice - first time I have used a web forum for advice. the weight of opinion appears to be for VT - - The other family going have strongly opted for Val Thorens. So VT it is - don't want to fall out before we get there!
I will look out for the pitfalls at VT, admire the concrete and wrap my kids up well !!

You'll not regret it - great resort

Loads of threads on here about good runs, bars, restaurants etc in Both VT and the 3V in general

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:10:11 GMT

Tony_H wrote:

bandit wrote:

andymol2 wrote:The one gremlin with Morzine is that the Portes du Soleil is relatively low and prone to getting wet & pudding like in the later part of the season compared to the 3V

Won't be a problem for the OP as they are going in Feb :D

Hmmm. I've skied in 21c in Feb

Yep the same thing happened to us in Soldeu many years ago one day it reached 72, more chance of sunstroke than breaking a leg 8)

Re:Family Skiing holiday - Morzine or Val Thorens?

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:07:23 GMT

Hi,

One word of waring about VT. It is high enough for a touch of the old altitude sickness. I skied across from Courcheval a few years ago and had a sudden attack of dizziness/sickness/randomness. Might have been ok if I was staying there and was aclimitised..do n;t know. I'm not a particularly nesh type usually, so worth thinking about!

Shipjack