Cheaper ski in/out but still quite high?

[OhCobblers]

Looking for a much cheaper ski trip next year. Generally we go to France and we will drive but need cheaper S/C accommodation while trying to still be as central as possible.
Which resort?!

Meribel? Where do you normally go that’s expensive so people can suggesting cheaper?

When are you planning to go? Options will be more limited at Easter than, say, Feb half term, if you want a high resort for more guaranteed snow.

@reversegearin the past few years Morzine. Avoriaz. Tignes , Val D’Isere
@stringbeanwe have been February 1/2 term but looking at end of March this time. I know that’s automatically cheaper but it needs to v cheap next year but trying to keep ski in/out element

A lot of the ski in and out options are often on red routes or somewhere where the snow gets very slushy and chopped up at the end of day.

far better to save money and choose somewhere where you can get to the lifts easily by walking or ski bus.

@ThePoetsWife I’m happy with walking distance. Could you recommend anywhere? Thanks

What sort of budget? We stay in sc apartments booked through an agency in Tignes, but prices have gone up hugely in recent years. In 2023 we stayed in a 6 person apartment which included a parking space: total was £400 for a week in March, and we could ski back to the apartment. Similar accommodation is now closer to £1000 with no parking space.

How about Les Menuires? It’s not attractive but very convenient, the 3 valleys is possibly the best connected ski resort in the world, and there’s loads of purpose built accommodation convenient for the lifts.

I would look at Brides les Bains or Les Allues. Not ski in/ski out but walking distance to a ski lift that will take you to the main three valleys ski area but much cheaper. Lift passes won’t be cheap though

@stringbeanIf we can get away with less than £900 on the accommodation that would be ideal and less than £1100 on 3 ski passes!

Try Flaine - inexpensive for a large French resort, lots of ski in ski out apartments. Fairly easy to drive to as well.

They do an early bird lift pass offer which expires sometime in Nov I think.

Les Menuires also worth a look

If you stay lower it will be cheaper but not ski in ski out of course, especially in March.

@nightswimming1@minipie Will look at both thank you. Ref Les Menuires is there a bit going on there with bars/restaurants/supermarket? Or is it quiet like Tignes 1800 where you need to drive up the mountain? Thank you!

Montgenèvre - high, snow sure because north facing, and quite a bit cheaper than other similarly high French resorts. We loved it and were there last end of March/early April. Snow was great.

Have you looked at Pierre et Vacances? They have self-catering studios and are probably the cheapest accommodation you’ll find on the slopes. Not huge, but comfortable enough: we stayed in one in Tignes a couple of times (now sadly closed to be turned into luxury high-end apartments) but it was perfect for what we needed without breaking the bank. If you’re out on the slopes all day you really only need somewhere to chill in the evening and sleep. Kitchen was basic but had everything we needed including a dishwasher.

We have been technically ski in/ski out in the first week of the school Easter holidays for the last four years. For the two years we were in Val d’Isere we had to walk 600m to the beginning of where the snow cannons could reach; for the year in St Anton you could ski in with determination on the first day but by the end of the week were walking 1km to get to the piste; in Val Torrens last year it was ski out for most of the week but fairly lethal as the width of the run got narrower each day and there were increasing numbers of people on it as the other ski out options were disappearing so more people were walking to “our” run to then get down to the main pistes. Ski in was impossible for the last couple of days and for most of the week had required getting enough speed up high enough up that you could skim the slush.
We decided that, in future, at that time of year, we would save ourselves the cost of theoretical ski in/ski out and stay further out, factor that into our plans and make sure we hired our skies or a locker very close to the actual piste.

Menuires is quite a big purpose built resort, certain bits are buzzier and closer than others. Loads of bar/restaurants near the Croisette area. It’s not particularly attractive but good facilities and skiing is excellent

Reberty or Les Bruyeres areas of Les Menuires are good places to stay for ski in/out - but a little quieter. Carlines apartment building in Les Bruyeres is convenient if bijou. But a bit further from Croisette unless you have skis on.

Was just reading an article in Times on good value ski resorts and in Les Menuires they recommended the Sowell Residences as central and ski in ski out.
make sure you get 3 valleys pass if you do go, there is loads to explore

I was also going to say Flaine.

I'd second Montgenevre, we love it there at Easter. Other options might be Sainte Foy, La Thuile/ Le Rosiere, possibly Le Saisie, Flaine or surrounding villages, la Plagne and surrounds, Vars/Risoul, Pila/Aosta.

Third vote for Flaine.

could anyone recommend some good (cheap!) SC accommodation in Flaine please? A short walk to lifts ideally! And close to shops bars etc! Thank you!

Have a look at Le Centaure (it’s ski in ski out but only really possible to ski home if you can ski reds). Or Residence Aldebaran is very central, above cafes and shops right by the main lifts.