Posts Tagged ‘Courchevel’
Mud free Meribel
Last time I was in Meribel was ten years ago when I left with four seasons under my belt and mud-covered snowboard boots from a very rainy season. I subsequently headed off in search of the sun-soaked powder-filled slopes of Colorado I’d heard so much about…
Two seasons later and it was time to settle down back in the UK but with a vow that one day I would go back to relive the good times I had in the Three Valleys. With the muddy memories a distant memory, I planned my trip. Surely I couldn’t have chosen a better season…
We arrived to the rumours of it being the best weeks of the season ahead with the arrival of a foot of snow followed by a forecast of a week of blue skies. After a couple of weeks of web-cam watching and hearing all the news about the poor snow conditions, I was less than enthused, however we arrived to find that what everyone had been saying all along this season, the snow was much better than we expected.
Ski & Spa – Heaven!
What could be better than a nice soothing massage, to ease away the aches and pains away after the day on the slopes? In my opinion, not much and it seems that I’m not the only one. We are receiving more and more requests for clients looking for properties where there are spa facilities.
In France, many of the new self catered residences now offer such services as well as indoor heated swimming pools and hot tubs, popular choices are the Residence Les Chalets de Jouvence in Les Carroz and Résidence L’Orée des Cimes in Peisey-Vallandry.
Relax watching the snow fall outside in Peisey-Vallandry
There are also a couple of spa towns in France, which are also ski resorts such as St Gervais and Brides Les Bains, close to the 3 Valleys. The Thermes du St Gervais Les Bains and La Grand Spa des Alpes in Brides Les Bains offer a great choice of treatments which can be booked online prior to arrival in resort.
Where to find the best corduroy
We all love untouched powder and without doubt it’s the best ski and board experiencebut the second best has to be carving big GS turns down a perfectly groomed untouched corduroy slope. The experience is like skiing on silk with a fantastic smooth feeling under your planks. Here’s a quick guide on some of the resorts that pride themselves on their groomers and their grooming;
For many years Beaver Creek has boasted about its immaculately smooth trails and it certainly isn’t an empty boast. Try “Harrier” at the top of Centennial express which is a wide tree lined blue perfect for digging two big tram lines in the slope. Watch out though as the run at the bottom turns into a blackand can often have a few moguls – could turn a bit hairy!
Perfect corduroy aka "groomers" in Beaver Creek
New BA route: London City – Chambery
British Airways have announced today the launch of a new London City – Chambery route. This is a great addition to the British Airways ski flights.
The service will operate four times a week from 18th December until the end of March 2011.
The schedule is ideally set up to give skiers and boarders the opportunity to spend a long weekend, a full week, or even longer in resort. Only a few short hours after taking off from London’s Docklands, you can be in Meribel, Courchevel, Les Arcs or La Plagne enjoying your first turns or a vin chaud during après ski.
The schedule for the route is as follows:
What’s new in Europe for 2010/11?
It may be the heart of summer but the excitement for the next ski season is building and our new 2010/11 brochure will be out in 14 days! We have some great new properties in our European program to whet the appetite, here are some details:
Chamonix is a mecca for skiers and boarders alike and it’s great to have 2 new hotels in our program that are in the centre of the town. Read the rest of this entry »
Looking for a change next season?
It can often be a habit for us winter sports fanatics to veer towards going on holiday to a well known and well advertised resort.
These big resorts, with the examples of Val d’Isère, Courchevel, St.Anton, Zermatt and Vail, are top places with excellent ski areas but some of their smaller neighboring resorts can also reveal very much hidden gems in both terrain and atmosphere. Small resorts doesn’t necessarily mean small ski area; take Les Coches or Peisey Vallandry in the Paradiski area, or St Martin de Belleville within Les 3 Vallées. Smaller resorts which do have a smaller ski area, such as Les Saisies or Chinaillon, tend to be less busy over peak times, which means less time in queues, more time on the slopes! It is also worth saying these lesser known destinations can be much friendlier on your wallet in terms of buying an après ski drink or going out for a meal and if it is quieter slopes during the peak periods you want, these may fit the bill.
Here’re a few examples of this type of resort and their main benefits along with some ideas for accommodation:
