 Poster: A snowHead
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Where would you guys recommend is the best resort to drive to from the UK.
We are a group of two families with 4 adults and 5 kids. All but 2 have us have been skiing before but none of us are any good. All we want is to tkae the kids away together to a nice resort in decent accommodation, not break the bank and have a laugh over the Feb half term in 2009. The dates are Feb 14 for 1 Week.
We are located in the south east so the shuttle is less than an hour. All the adults happily drive so we can share the driving. We're hoping that this will keep the cost down.
Looking on the web is mind boggling. Do we get a Chalet, Apartment, Hotel and if so which one. Our youngest will be 6 so it's not as if we will go partying all night but we would like to be able for the adults to have a beer.
Please help. I've got sooo many pages bookmarked in my explorer its a joke and I'm none the wiser!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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boff64, Driving from SE.. allow 10 (ish) hours from Calais. The roads at half term get very busy - if you must drive - thought about Easter ? The longer daylight makes the journey much easier ....
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boff64, avoid the Tarentaise traffic and go elsewhere. Traffic along to Bourg St Maurice is always horrendous.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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boff64, Look at the valleys left and right from the A40 between Geneva and Chamonix; they're probably the closest ski areas. I drove overnight the weekend before last (back last Saturday) and it's a doddle (though the family would prefer to fly)!
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boff64, It need not be a problem to drive to Tarentaise resorts just avoid Saturdays, we have a chalet in La Rosiere and lots of our clients drive, it makes sense for a family and you can use the trip as an extension of the holiday by staying in a reasonable hotel en-route. The journey from Calais takes around 10 hours, it's Autoroute until Albertville which is 58kms from La Rosiere. You can check out our chalet on www.tracksvacations.com where you'll fidn lots of infromation about the resort as well, you'll see some comments from 'Where to Ski and Snowboard' which rate the resort very highly for families. If you want any more infromation you can email us on info@tracksvacations.com
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Just to back up what David@traxvax, is saying. Yes Tarentaise traffic can be horrendous, but on a Sunday the roads are virtually deserted. Our last 8 Tarentaise holidays have been Sundfay to Sunday and we have yet to see a Jam. We did one Saturday transfer and that was an 8hr drive to Lyon from Tignes, and the last half of the journey was on clear roads.
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and we have a WINNER! . . . who had 38 minutes? 
boff64, avoid Saturdays pretty much anywhere in the Alps . . . or plan for heavy traffic and if conditions are bad delays, closures and fitting chains.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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if you want somewhere fairly snowsure with loads of appartments then Flaine may be a good bet, as others have said the roads at HT will be busy , but the are between geneva and chamonix avoides most of the single carriageway stuff and is as close as you are going to get
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Masque, Oooh a bit harsh there. I would say that La Rosiere, half term week, 2 groups of families, sunday changeover....... well it ticks all of my boxes.
HAd the question been I want to boozy holiday in Austria, then you would have a point.
boff64, I think La Rosiere would be an excellent choice. We have just got back from our 4th fabulous La ROsiere trip Add to that the value of David's chalet and the gourmet quality of food.
(that'll be the usual 5% please David 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Frosty the Snowman, no problem sir will you take in contact lens solution cases?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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boff64, welcome
A lot of it will be down to personal preference and as you say cost.
Based on personal experience, self-catering will give you more flexibility in that you can tailor meals to suit you at times to suit. Our kids are slightly younger, so often feed them then have the adults meals and drinks later!
There are plenty of chalets that you can book as a group so you are always together to share meals etc, or if you want a bit more freedom can book several smaller apartments. Very much personal choice for you and your group.
Being that close to the shuttle, I would recommend an escape after school on the Friday and drive a couple of hours in France - Reims is 2-3 hours from Calais. Getting an early start (6 at the latest) will help you miss the worst of the queues, but at that time of year you will queue.
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| Boris wrote: |
| but at that time of year you will queue. |
That's not inevitable - for some resorts, perhaps.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
| It need not be a problem to drive to Tarentaise resorts just avoid Saturdays |
just to add to the chorus, this is absolutely vital. that is an extremely busy week with French holidays, and with all UK schools on holiday that week, it will be pretty important to avoid the Saturday, whether you are flying or driving.
Agree that a catered chalet is a good bet, and a number of British companies do Sunday departures. Yes, I agree about La Rosiere too - it is likely to be less crowded than Flaine, which can be a bit of a nightmare at half term. My daughter and BF, both good skiers, were there this February and they said the lift queues were no problem, but because the lifts were so efficient they deposited huge numbers of skiers at the top and the pistes were extremely crowded and a bit scarey. Because the lower areas of the Grand Massif were suffering from lack of snow the Flaine bowl was very crowded indeed.
However, you might think about places other than France; I believe that parts of Austria, or Italy, could be a lot less crowded and there are plenty of Snowheads (not me) who know about them.
If you drive, you could also think about going to a resort off the standard Tour Operators list. As you are not looking for super expert skiing, there are loads of small resorts which might fit the bill, and with internet resort websites it isn't difficult to book accommodation. But that would be self catering accommodation, or a hotel - the "catered chalet" idea is pretty well restricted to Brits, and most of them are in France.
There's plenty of time to think about this; and quite fun to plan. Don't despair; there'll be lots of good advice around.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, are there Saturday jams up to Les Saisies?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I have no connection with any Chalet companies and therefore am not pimping in anyway shape or form but I would suggest Les Gets/Portes de Soleil. When I was there over Easter I did at times wonder whether I was in france or UK there were that many cars with UK plates. clearly this is one of the closest resorts to drive to. I would endorse ski, 's comment about Easter. I expected the lift queues to be horrendous and the pistes crowded but found quite the opposite.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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1) Leave the second the kids are out of school and stay somewhere between Reims and Dijon or drive overnight, or you will be in a moving traffic jam, including Parisians, Dutch and Belgians if you're not careful on your choice of route.
2) Samoens? La Clusaz? Grand Bornand? All closer to Calais and plenty of skiing and niceness.
3) If you head for one of these, don't take the A39 (see comments re Dutch and Belgians) keep on down the A6 to the A40 and you'll have clearer roads, for a bit anyway.
4) Get telepeage passes (www.sanef.fr) and avoid sitting in queues at every peage.
5) Go at Easter and get better daylight and emptier slopes.
My two penn'orth.
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boff64, As an add on. If all the children are under 12 (or even older and not sitting exams) then in my opinion you are deranged for not taking them out of school and making the use of cheaper holidays and quieter slopes. Going in Feb is last resor
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If you do Half term you really can't avoid driving at least part of the way on Saturdays so I agree with others re Easter ... if only because you and the kids will feel more relaxed when you get home. 6 days skiing plus a day in the car is hard work when you're all back at school/work on the Monday. We've driven skiing in france 5/6 times now, kids started at ages 4 & 6. Some resorts are so much easier to get to than others - avoid anything in the Tarentaise (IMV), anything close to Geneva is much easier (Grand Massif, Portes du Soleil) and even the southern alps (ADH/Vaujany) have been easier than 3 vallees for instance.
WRT Accommodation - We've tried small family hotel, catered chalet and self catering. With a largeish group (10+) self catering is OK but you have to be fairly organised - most restaurants can't fit you in if you just turn up without booking and shopping for food is often a low priority when you could be skiing. Lugging crates of beer up 70 steps was hell! Small family hotel was the best - kids could run around whilst we enjoyed the bar and no need for baby sitter. Catered chalet is good if you chose well but a bit pricier in general.
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Frosty the Snowman, I don't disagree, La Rosiere would definitely be one of the candidates. It would be much preferable and probably more popular if it wasn't presented by the ubiquitous 'two fingers' of spam. 
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FAQ
on top of the 12 hours to get to that point 
