Latest posts for the topic "where's best to out of these?"

where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 08:08:46 GMT

where's best to out of these? Am going to try the ski train but want to decide which place to go :-

Courchevel
Val d'Isere
Les Arcs
Tignes
Meribel
Val Thorens
Megeve
Les Allions
Combloux.

Am going mid Feb, not taking kids that week. Want nice altitude cafes and bars, nice apres, hate night clubs, good restaurants. Also scenic green blue (red) skiing generally

What does anyone think?

Steve

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 12:00:48 GMT

Austria.

where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 13:10:39 GMT

I'm not sure which ski train you will be using, if it's the one which serves the Tarentaise resorts, then you will have a horribly long transfer to places like Combloux and Megeve.

Some (if not all) of the high altitude resorts on your list will be heaving with folks during mid Feb, plus IMV they lack ambience.

It may be worth avoiding a country which has it's peak periods when you want to go, which means checking out when the locals are on their hols.

Of all the places on your list, probably Combloux will be the most authentic, and Megeve will be the most chic.

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 17:54:06 GMT

Hi Tony, why do you say Austria and where in Austria and can you still do it on the Eurostar from St Pancras so you don't have all the horribleness of flying with some cheap airline?

(and is there loads of snow there at the moment and through Feb etc?)

Steve

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 18:05:09 GMT

Hi Mr Bandit,

this is all beginning to sound rather complicated, I just thought the romance of the Eurostar overnight starting from St Pancras Champagne bar and was then going to organise a heli to buz us up to a nice resort where hopefully we would find a big log fire waiting for us. I really wanted to organise it all myself but maybe I should get help from an expert somewhere! do you know any good agents?

Steve

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 18:22:50 GMT

Most of the big Tour Ops can organise a private transfer for you. At the luxury end of the budget, Inghams offer a luxury ski collection. Alternatively Mark Warner or Scott Dunn may be able to help.

I'm not convinced that sitting up all night in a Eurostar seat would be my idea of a romantic start to a ski trip, but everyone is different!

BTW I'm not a Mr :D

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 18:46:10 GMT

steveeyre wrote:Hi Mr Bandit,

this is all beginning to sound rather complicated, I just thought the romance of the Eurostar overnight starting from St Pancras Champagne bar and was then going to organise a heli to buz us up to a nice resort where hopefully we would find a big log fire waiting for us. I really wanted to organise it all myself but maybe I should get help from an expert somewhere! do you know any good agents?

Steve

Bandit a Mister, I've only been away 10 days, Steve get your eyes tested there's a real women under those salapettes. :wink:

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 18:54:15 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

Bandit a Mister, I've only been away 10 days, Steve get your eyes tested there's a real women under those salapettes. :wink:

Have you been peeking at my Facebook photos ...again :wink:

Did you have a good time Ian?

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 19:09:19 GMT

So terribly sorry! just assumed Bandit was a boys name! really not used to all this chat thing and always getting told off about things!

Right, back to my trip - I just want to get to nice snow to ski on, a log fire and a very good restaurant. That's it - very old fashioned I know. I don't want to fly cattle class either so that's why I thought nice comfy overnight 1st class Eurostar - just like the old days of steam!

I don't want to go provoking avalanches or doing little jumps or spinning round 27 times in the air upside down on a snowboard thing. Just nice normal skiing about, between hot chocolate and red wine!

Now, is anyone on my wave length to advise!!

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 19:12:06 GMT

I can tell you that a Tignes/ValD heli transfer from Bourg St Maurice will cost you about Euro200-300 a head.

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 19:16:47 GMT

I'd never really considered a heli transfer - I might now though. I didnt realise it was that cheap!!!

Are you sure Ross?

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 19:20:29 GMT

Second hand info. That may be each way.. (thinking about it that is from Chambery not Bourg-my mistake).

Right, back to my trip - I just want to get to nice snow to ski on, a log fire and a very good restaurant. That's it - very old fashioned I know. I don't want to fly cattle class either so that's why I thought nice comfy overnight 1st class Eurostar - just like the old days of steam!

I don't want to go provoking avalanches or doing little jumps or spinning round 27 times in the air upside down on a snowboard thing. Just nice normal skiing about, between hot chocolate and red wine!

Now, is anyone on my wave length to advise!!

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 20:08:20 GMT

I'm not so bothered about the cost, I have my own heli here in the UK but it's too far and too stressful to fly myself especially in unknown mountain geography (might cause one of those avalanches so I'll leave that to those special people on snowboards!)

Anyway, thanks for all your help so far, I'll also try my travel agent I think!

PS. in the UK an EC120 like mine is around GBP600 per hour to hire so one would think it similar in France. Mine is 5 seats with minimum luggage so really you can only take 2 extra passengers with all their things for a week skiing (especially a girls' baggage!)

Re:where's best to out of these?

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 21:41:51 GMT

steveeyre wrote:I'm not so bothered about the cost, I have my own heli here in the UK but it's too far and too stressful to fly myself especially in unknown mountain geography (might cause one of those avalanches so I'll leave that to those special people on snowboards!)

Anyway, thanks for all your help so far, I'll also try my travel agent I think!

PS. in the UK an EC120 like mine is around GBP600 per hour to hire so one would think it similar in France. Mine is 5 seats with minimum luggage so really you can only take 2 extra passengers with all their things for a week skiing (especially a girls' baggage!)

:roll: I take less luggage than my OH I'll have you know!

Personally I would advise Val D'isere, lots of accommodation choice, nice mountain restaurants (one with bbq if it's still there), half hour from Bourg, lots of great runs to chose from.

One thing I did notice about going on the Eurostar(although going 1st class you probably won't have this problem) was that they seemed to put people without kids in one carriage and people with kids in another, so as we didn't take the kids with us we were in with all the rowdy teenagers vomiting at 3 in the morning and sleeping in the overhead luggage racks. Maybe that was just our experience.

Re:where's best to out of these?

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 10:52:25 GMT

It may be worth contacting these folks..

http://www.skisolutions.com/about/index.cfm

They have been around as an agency for many years and have an A La Carte dept which may provide you the holiday you want without the hassle of booking it all.It's an ABTA and ATOL bonded co.

I have not used their service and don't benefit from suggesting them.

Re:where's best to out of these?

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 14:38:07 GMT

Steve. You have to be a Courchavel or Verbier kind of person.
And dont be such a damned snob about flying!
You can always fly BA and pick up a private transfer, seeing as money clearly isnt an issue.
Verbier has excellent skiing, and lots of people with public school accents, and you can order champers almost anywhere darling, and you can even treat your ski bunny to some cartier over a latte in Courchavel if you want to push her buttons.
Tip top.

Re:where's best to out of these?

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 17:23:19 GMT

Tony_H wrote:And dont be such a damned snob about flying!

Says the bloke who's too posh to fly easyJet with the rest of us... :roll:

Steve - Val d'Isere is a good punt with good skiing and some top class hotels and chalets, but likely to be very busy mid-February. Verbier is great but, TBH, is horribly crowded at half-term. Megeve may be less busy but certainly has the sort of accommodation and service I think you're after.

You're unlikely to be able to avoid the half-term crowds completely but a smaller, more traditional resort will be less mobbed than the big ones.

If you're keen on going by train you might also consider Eurostar to Paris, have a night there and then TGV to Geneva (or various other destinations). Geneva will give you a huge choice of resorts, and a number of private and heli transfer operators to choose from.

I know there is an operator in The Aravis area who do bespoke chalet holidays; can't recall their name but will come back to you...

Re:where's best to out of these?

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 18:11:00 GMT

Admin wrote:

Tony_H wrote:And dont be such a damned snob about flying!

Says the bloke who's too posh to fly easyJet with the rest of us... :roll:

No thats not true. I just prefer not to use them. Its not being snobby, but I just find you get a better all round service with the likes of BA and the charter airlines from my experience. I havent actually used them for a skiing trip though, TBH.