France Ski Bargains - Skiing Holidays in France » French Ski resorts

Chamonix is a French ski resort with everything to offer

Alan — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 03:14:53 +0000

Chamonix is a French ski resort consisting of a collection of small villages nestling alongside a valley in the shadows of Mont Blanc. The valley extends from Switzerland into France. The resort of Chamonix is situated on the North face of the Alps while the Italian Alps lie on the southern side. None of these ski regions are connected in any way.

To keep travelling times down it is worthwhile knowing where the various ski lifts and villages are situated before any accommodation bookings are made in Chamonix. The Chamonix Ski Buses operate all through the valley.

Close to the Swiss border, at the northern end of the valley, lies the village of Vallorcine. This village is a junction for trains arriving from Switzerland. Passengers are required to change trains at this point and board other trains that operate in the Chamonix Valley between Vallorcine and Servoz in the south.

Travel on the ski trains is free for skiers and they are very popular for all skiers commuting among the different regions. Both the trains and ski buses are regular and efficient. Most people favour the buses as they rake the skier directly to the ski lifts. The most common ski bus route is the one departing the village of Le Tour and travelling to Les Houches at the other end of the valley.

The journey takes about 60 minutes from one side of the valley to the other depending on stoppages along the way. Villages on the route are Vallorcine, Le Tour, Les Paz, Argentiere, Les Houches and finally Servoz, the most southerly village.

The villages are small, charming, rustic and authentic and facilities, including the train and ski lifts, are all close by. Most activity takes place at Charmonix Mont Blanc. Charmonix is considered an elite resort and it caters for the advanced skier.

The ski regions of Charmonix are expansive and suitable for a full days skiing. The mountains are steep and not suited to the family unless they are all advanced. Consideration should be given to choosing accommodation at a resort with more level slopes.

An ideal ski area for the family is the Domaine de Balmi ski area which has a large sheltered ski bowl. Easy skiing can be enjoyed on the many green runs and longer blue traverses. Access to the ski area is from the quaint village of La Tour.

In contrast, the exciting and tantalizing black runs at Les Grands Montets attract many experienced skiers. There is a small beginner’s area at the base of the mountain and the area is serviced by the village of Argentiere. The different skiing areas for the beginner, intermediate and advanced skier are all well publicized.

Courchevel a rival to Chamonix Chamonix should probably be at the top of the list...
La Tania a hidden ski gem La Tania is part of the world famous and huge...
The very varied ski resorts in France The resorts to ski in France are numerous. Les Menuires...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

French ski chalets

Alan — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:17:44 +0000

French ski chalets have a certain charm about them. They are often surrounded by beautiful countryside and are full of character and charm. They are also able to cater to all sorts of holiday requirements, and visitors are able to choose from catering and self-catering options. The chalets come in many different sizes so if you are going with a large group of family and friends then you can be accommodated just as easily as if you just came alone or as a couple.

Wherever you choose to go, be it Val d’Isere, Les Arcs, Tignes, Chamonix or Meribel you are sure to have great snow. In some cases this is guaranteed to be the case, Val Thorens has even gone so far as saying that if a visitor doesn’t have great snow they will get a refund. The Alps have some of the largest ski locations in the world and the variety of slopes available will suit any skill level, from beginner to expert.

The range of activities in the region is not just limited to the skiing that happens in the winter months. All year round it is possible to go hiking in the Alps or touring using skis. This will allow visitors to get to some of the less seen places in the region and enjoy some stunning vistas. The fact that the Alps have opportunities for ski and snowboard enthusiasts all year round is one of the reasons they are such a popular destination. Even in the spring some of the mountains are still covered with snow.

The Alps are a great place for a beginner to learn to ski, there are numerous schools on the slopes that have English speaking teachers. If you shop around you are sure to find one who will offer tuition at a very reasonable price.

A trip to the Alps is not all about the skiing and the region is known for its lively night life, perfect for those who want to party the night away after a day on the slopes. Visitors should choose wisely about where they want to stay and consider whether they want a party scene or not.

French ski chalets French Alps skiing is for sure to be near the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Global warming threatens French Ski slopes

Alan — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:00:31 +0000

Those who enjoy skiing may want to take note of a new environmental threat, melting snowcaps in the Alps, which may drastically reduce the amount of snow days that occur each year

According to research from the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, the Alps are now warming at a rate that is more than three times the global average which has caused snow days to fall to their lowest yearly average in the last two decades. The Institute predicts that if the melting keeps up in fifty years any ski resort that is below 1,200m will not have enough snow to stay open.

In response, many ski resorts are going green by utilizing environmentally safe equipment such as the Val Thorens resort in France which uses hydroelectric energy to power its lifts. The resort has also planted around 200,000 trees over the last two decades.

Les Arcs which is also located in France, has also taken some steps to preserve nature such as banning cars from the resort area and burying all of its power cables. Additionally, the topsoil on the slopes is replaced with Alpine grass that reduces the amount of fake snow that needs to be produced.

The French resort is also trying to entice visitors for reasons outside of skiing such as paragliding, biking, hiking, and rock climbing in an effort to increase the versatility of the resort location.

Developers are also now looking at resorts by proposing new initiatives that will help sustain the environment so that the projects have a better long term outlook.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

What do you need from a ski instructor?

Alan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:30:18 +0000

Finding a qualified ski instructor can be tough if you are new to skiing because you do not know exactly what to expect out the experience as a whole, let alone from your instructor. To help you out, here are the three qualities that you need to look for to make sure that your choice is right and the money is worth it.

First of all, you should ask to find out if the person is certified and qualified to offer you guidance. Continuous training is a must to make sure that the ski instructor is giving you the best advice possible and not just their personal preferences.

Often new equipment guidelines and safety tips come in to force, which means that you will want a teacher who is ahead of the game and able to offer you the best and up to date instruction.

Second, you should observe how they teach different levels of skiers to see how well they teach all skiers across the board. Keep in mind that just because you are a beginner today eventually you will be an advanced skier. When that time comes, it will be nice to stick with the same instructor as when you were a novice. Additionally, the ability to work with varied levels of skiers shows that they enjoy mentoring, which means they will be a better instructor overall.

Finally, you need to talk to the instructor on your own and decide if you like their personality. You will learn better if your instructor is positive and upbeat, thus these two qualities are a requirement if you want to get the most out of your lessons.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

French Ski resorts booming

Alan — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 07:09:36 +0000

The ski season last year from 2008-2009 has been great for France due to excellent ski conditions combined with cold weather that kept the snow falling.

As a result, France ski resorts saw their visits increase by about 6.6%, which partially may be due to the fact that the season set of record of 58.6m sky days. Overall the total revenue for operators of French increased over 8.9%.

However, not all ski areas saw the benefits of the increase in skiers over the season, since the ski resorts that benefited the most from the great season were locations such as Plancher Les Mines found in Franche Cornte, Metbeif in Jura, and Le Lioran in Massif Central.

Areas such as Massif Central, which only contributes to about two percent of the skiing activity in France, saw an increase of visitors by over 63% over the last season, while areas that usually attract the most skiers from Britain such as the Alps only saw an increase of about 6.6%.

There are three possible explanations for this occurrence, the recession which caused skiers and holiday goers in general to stay closer to home, the second because there was better snow in the less popular ski areas, and the third because many international resorts suffered from the foreign markets contracting.

The SNTF report showed British skiers are of major importance to resorts in France with about 21% of all skiers in visiting the country of British origin beating out all other nationalities

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.