Belle Plagne with Espirit.....come here and tell me your experiences

[TheRealMrsJohnSimm]

DH and I went to Obergurgl last year with Espirit and loved their service but fancy France this year, particularly Belle Plagne.........altho La Rosiere is playing a close second...... Last year we went with large group which filled entire chalet and this year tis just the 4 of us (two adults, two DCs so thought chalet hotel would be the way to go (do not want to be only family who dont know entire chalet quotient). So any experience of Deux Domaines would be appreciated.

[Fivesetsofschoolfees]

I've been to Belle Plagne - 16 years ago.

We stayed in catered chalet in Montchavin - less than 1000m, at the bottom of the lift system. We were a party of seven, and they filled the last place in the chalet with a stranger - but we got on really well. Our chalet had an creche, which was why we picked it.

The ski area is very good. There are loads of trails, and plenty of places for apres-ski. They have snow machines throughout the whole area, not that I think it is needed this year.

[TheRealMrsJohnSimm]

Thanks Five.

I am pretty much novice (only 3rd year skiing) whereas DH has been skiing for 30 years plus (since age of 4). Plus we have two DCs with us. Will we find enough ski trails to fulfill all our needs? Obergurgl was great for DH and tiny DC but not great for basic ski person like moi who wants more than nursery but not v steep ice-ridden slope down to bars (allegedly blue but have done less strenuous reds in France).

[Fivesetsofschoolfees]

They have plenty of runs, for all abilities.

[Wheelybug]

No experience of Esprit but love La Plagne as a resort - great for everyone as its so vast but plenty of easier runs. La Rosiere is great too but may not be enough for your DH.

[TheRealMrsJohnSimm]

Thanks Wheelybug, As I say, am totally shte at skiing but up for a challenge. However, totally feel for my lovely DH who loves to ski but only ever gets to "potter about" on bollox slopes with the rest of us! (altho you should see the sparkle in his eyes as he takes over-excited DCs down a run ). So seems like La Plagne is prob best bet.

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

I'm going to Deux Domaines in just over a week. I'll post when I get back and let you know how it is!

I've been to Montchavin before with Esprit and I do like the area. Must admit I hadn't realised how big the chalet at Belle Plagne is until after we booked it. Am ow a bit worried that it might be too big. Only me and DH and DD going so hope they'll sit me and DH with other adults at dinner and its not "table for 2".

[TheRealMrsJohnSimm]

Thanks Stripey. Hope you have a great time.

The size of the chalet appealed to me tbh. I reckon it will be a good compromise of company if you want it but dinner a deux if not.

The thought of being in a small chalet with people I dont know and whom I may or may not get on with leaves me very uncomfortable.

[sandk]

There's a thread about Belle Plagne here, including some talk of Deux Domaines. Hope you have a fab time there!

[evieb300]

We stayed at Deux Domaines this summer with Esprit. Hotel was lovely and the childcare team were fab (not sure if they stayed for the winter season though). Food very good too!

The village is good - as someone else mentioned there are a lot of stairs so it might be a pain if you have kids in a pushchair, but otherwise fine. Excellent links between the villages by free cable car.

[TheRealMrsJohnSimm]

Thanks Sand and Evie. Evie, how long does it take to travel between the villages on the cable car? Curious because I read somewhere that Plagne Centre has the best slopes for beginners but obv need to account for travel time when coming back to collect DCs from childcare.

[evieb300]

Between Belle Plagne and Bellecote (the village below), around five minutes. Not sure about beyond that, I'm afraid, we only went the other way from BP to the glacier (which was about 30 mins from memory) but i'm not sure if that's open in the winter.

[pralinegirl]

We're going to the chalet hotel here with esprit in march - can I reassure DH he will get enough food to eat at breakfast and dinner, last year in kaprun in normal chalet he was hungry after the meal!?

[sandk]

I don't recall breakfast being a problem, IIRC there's a bit of a buffet in addition to the cooked option.

However I do recall the dinner portions being of fixed size and thinking at times that I would have enjoyed more (sorry! Not what you wanted to hear!) But you could help yourself to cheese and biscuits out in the bar area afterwards, and I think also canapes there before the meal if you got down there early enough.

[2HotCrossBunnies]

Sorry for hijack but we have booked to go to Belle Plagne with Espirit for the last week in March (same time as Pralinegirl if memory of a previous thread is correct ). I am currently 9 weeks pg and will be 20 weeks by the time we go. DH thinks it's a waste of money to go and that we should cancel - if so, I have to do it by Friday as that's our deadline for payment. We will only lose the deposit (still annoying though). I still quite fancy it but fear I am not facing reality!!! Any thoughts?

[fourkids]

2HotCrossBunnies,

depends how well you ski i think...

for me it would be a bad idea because i ski on my bottom quite a lot and sometimes on my face...but i take part in a dfferent potentially dangerous sport and didn't stop because i was pregnant...

[pralinegirl]

Congratulations!
It's more than just how you yourself ski. Last year I had two accidents after 10 clear free years, either of which could have been enough to lose a pregnancy. Neither were my fault. Others are the danger.
Also your centre of gravity is different when pregnant so your ability may be different, your joints are more at risk too.

But I'd go anyway - there's a lovely pool, sauna and hot tubs in that hotel and during the day you can relax with them probably empty! Last chance to relax for a long time.... You can sit on your balcony with a book, wander round the village, take in the scenery, chat up some ski instructors....

[2HotCrossBunnies]

Thanks for your prompt replies! Pralinegirl those were my thoughts entirely - although DH thinks I could achieve something similar somewhere hot whilst he windsurfs!! And he's of the opinion that we will never go skiing with 3 kids - still not get his head around this new one coming this summer - so why even get DS1 started.

[pralinegirl]

If you do go, try to get esprit to refund your lift pass/equipment if you pre-booked them - mention why, worth trying! We go week of 8th March, I keep looking at brochure. Our son is having dry slope lessons.

[toomanyprojects]

Hi 2HotCrossBunnies,
You are where I was in 2007! We chose Austria as I thought I could wander around St Anton and go in the pool etc - I was 5 months and just plodded around and read lots of books. Would you believe it but for the first time while skiing one of the children was poorly so I got to look after DD for a couple of days - at least no one lost out on their skiing to look after her. There was no way I would have skied - I was cleaned out in La Ros the year before and would never take the risk.

Two years on and we are about to book with DD1 (now 8), DS (6) and DD2 20 months - really looking forward to skiing again.

Have a lovely relaxing time.

[twizzler]

Hello, have been lurking wanting to post re ski school lessons for DS who is 4 and half.

Pralinegirl, have just seen that you mentioned your son is having lessons.

We have just started our son with dry slope lessons and now I am pondering (ie overthinking) about which ski group he should go in.

He has had one lesson and is going for a few more. Should he go into Spritelets beginners (which I think is age 5-7-don't even know if they will accept him as he is not yet 5) or stick with the one before that (can't remember the name). It says in the brochure "learning to put boots and skis on and having fun in the snow etc.".

I don't want him to have to go over everything he knows already/build snowmen etc. and get bored-I want him to learn to ski(and he seems to want to as well).

Sorry for hijack!

Many thanks.

[OneLieIn]

2hotcrossbunnies, esprit were totally crap when we rearranged due to an unplanned pg. They said they would honour the deposit for the same year, but nothing else. They would not change names, change location easily blah blah.

Good luck!

[OneLieIn]

Twizzler, they will ask you if he has skiied before. Spritelets should be fine for him, which is good fun.

[TheRealMrsJohnSimm]

My youngest DS did Spritelets last year as he was still 3 (by a month). They do all the putting on boots and skis stuff but they also learn how to go along a very gentle slope and to "make a pizza" (snow plough) to help stop themselves. They also do a little course for them with arches to go through and stuff to ski around so they begin to learn how to move their body (hmmmm perhaps should sign self up for Spritelets.....). I think for DS2's first ski trip, he had a great time in this class and I think it gives them a really fun foundation for learning to ski.

Without wishing to be Pushy Ski Parent () I asked if we could possibly book him into Sprite beginners this year despite only being 4 (its for 5 - 7). They say as long as they have completed a week in Spritelets they let younger kids in to the class. So you may find that if your DS has already completed some ski classes they may let him through into Sprites beginners.

[pralinegirl]

Twizzler
Make sure you know and say what he can do - eg put on/take off skis/boots, sidestep up hill, do snowplugh, do snowplough linked turns,stop under control, use lifts, etc. Can't remember how strict they are about the age thing. In spritelets he'll be with mostly complete beginners and our DS had lessons pm, when he was too tired. See if they'll let you put him in the next group up, but it depends how strict they are. I was told told ours, who is 5 would have to be able to do linked turns for sprite improvers but yours will be too young for that one, they are strict about it. But may depend on resort/instructor. Our DS learnt very little last year, just played.

[OneLieIn]

Sprite Beginners get split in larger resorts into multiple groups which helps. Sprite improvers is a massive jump up. DD was shooting down reds (heart in mouth, I stood at the top thinking I'd have to follow her)