UKC

Has anyone been? Looking at going next january with the girlfriend. We usually got to avoriaz as we love the ski in ski out part as you usually get with purpose built resorts.
Just wondering if you had any advice on going or good accomodation/ bars and restraunts you would reccomend, also what are prices like? I assume due to it being a purpose built resort, prices will be quite high.
Any info would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Matt

In reply to Flat4matt:

I've been twice to Val Thorens, always stayed in low-end accommodation. As a resort it's very similar to any other, with prices slightly more than you expect.

As a ski base it's great, offering access to all the Three Valleys - make sure you get the area pass.

In reply to Flat4matt:

I've been several times. It's an ugly, bleak, windswept, purpose built, high altitute resort, totally lacking in charm and character, which happens to be located in one of the best skiing areas in Europe.

It's the latter which has drawn me back time and time again!

In reply to Trangia: have to agree with this to an extent, it ain't a wonderfully pretty place but it is very well situated, and you can always day trip into the other 2 valleys. Decibel isn't to bad.

In reply to thommi: sodding autocorrect.... meribel.

In reply to Trangia:

What he said - ugliest resort on the planet, but great skiing and can get across all the 3-Valleys.

In reply to LastBoyScout:

One thing to bear in mind is that VT's altitude means in cops any bad weather going. But then it also guarantees the snow. Swings and roundabouts.

In reply to DaveHK: I found it too bleak. I prefer tree lines runs, and you dont find them in Val Thorens! Also, not a good resort if you are a snow boarder, as a lot of the connecting pistes are annoyingly flat and narrow.

Did a season in St Martin at the bottom of that valley. Bleak and windswept is a fair comment for VT but there should be snow, good for night life I think. Les menuires is next down the valley and might be a bit cheaper.

In reply to Flat4matt: My advice would be to stay in Meribel Mottaret (not Meribel village). One lift gives you access to the great skiing in Val Thorens, but also one lift gives you access to Courchevel.

In reply to wibb20:

I found the snowboarding to be good, if you see a flat bit, ride into as fast as you can. You'll get over it everytime.

The boardercross track is brilliant in Val Thorens

They're ment to be doing up Val Thorens, getting rid of the ugly looking buildings, not that you're there to look at the buildings you're there to ski/snowboard.

In reply to LastBoyScout:


I'm afraid La Plagne wins the ugliest ski resort by a country mile, it makes Val Thorens look like a swiss apline village by comparisson.

Val Thorens is very high and so has good points: guarenteed snow, largest linked resort in the world (four valleys, dont forget Orelle which is really good), relatively cheap compared to it's neighbours.
bad points: no tree runs so when the weather craps out you're stuffed !

If you are going in January you dont need to be so high up as there 'should' be snow at the lower and cheaper resorts.

You pay your money, you make your choice

In reply to Flat4matt: have spent 2 years going to morzine we went to VT in january. agree with peoples comments on how pretty it is but the snow was fantastic although we did have fresh powder for 2 days.

we found a cheap apartment hotel which offered 3 valley lift pass in the price so worked out about £350 each plus easyjet flight and mountain express transfer.

In reply to Flat4matt:

St Martin de Belleville is a much nicer venue and gives you the same access to Les Trois Vallees if you buy the full pass.

In reply to La Shamster:

...and as someone else said it can get very windy and very cold when the weather craps out.

In reply to Flat4matt: I remember being in VT in March and it was still very cold at night. Certainly didn't feel like wandering out. I always think Jan is the time for the lower level traditional resorts such as Kitzbuhel or St Anton, Grindelwald perhaps. Not many of those in France except perhaps Megeve. I went to StAnton by train, ski-ed the last run down to the station, had a meal at the station buffet and picked up the night train home.

In reply to Flat4matt: Tignes is the worst....big concrete apartments. Go to Val d'Isère, it's more expensive than val t but so much better. Proper farm house charm, good nightlife without going over the top, main town square with quality shopping and you have access to the espace killy.

In reply to Flat4matt: I liked VT - great snow and loads of skiing. I liked the ski in/out aspect of it. We stayed in one of the cheapo self-catering blocks which was very cheap, plus we went on the Eurostar and got an extra day's skiing in...it would have been two extra days as we went on the Friday overnight Eurostar but then promptly drank ourselves stupid all night and fell straight to sleep when we arrived...doh!

In reply to kaltik:

Tignes is good and also cheaper than Val d'Isere where all the gap yahs go.

Of course, maybe you yourself "chunder everywhere..."

In reply to Saor Alba:

I agree. Depends on why you go on a skiing holiday of course. If mainly to ski then Tignes is a much better base than Val d'Isere to ski the Espace Killy in my opinion. If you want to spend a small fortune, buy expensive clothes, and live it up in the night life, then by all means go to V d'I. I go for the skiing .
Val Thorns is good for skiing, but has its own problems as mention by others. Much prefer La Tania as a resort to get into the Three Valleys ski area.

In reply to David Peters:

no way! Have you been to Flaine?

In reply to Saor Alba: Everywhere from Whistler to a hill at the local golf course.

In reply to Flat4matt:

Thanks for the input lads! Still undecided. We go for the skiing not for the night life, that comes in june and sept :-D
We usually just get the cheapo self catering accomodation and make the most of our time out on the mountain so we are not that fussy with accomodation, so long as ive got my balcony! Nothing better than chilling out with a beer on the balcony waiting for our lass to get ready :-D
We do like the tree lined runs that avoriaz and surrounding areas have to offer and will take that into account when looking at val T.

What other european high altitude resorts offering cheap self catering are there that you rate? Wevegot all the brouchures and have looked at internet untill our eyes are square but its good to hear peoples views on different places!
Cheers
Matt

In reply to Flat4matt: Les Arcs? Stay at Arc 2000 for skiing, Arc 1800 for nightlife, Peisey-Vallandry for trees and nicer place. Can get a pass to include La Plagne too, 15 mins across on the cable car.

In reply to Flat4matt:

! Nothing better than chilling out with a beer on the balcony waiting for our lass to get ready :-D

Highly unlikely you will be doing that in VT in Jan! You could take a sleeping bag I suppose.

In reply to Flat4matt:

I enjoyed my stay there, great ski in ski out accommodation, brilliant boarder-cross track.

Great runs for all levels and abilities.

You can do it on a budget, prices aren't too bad. Loads of supermarkets to buy your own food from, if you go self catering.


http://www.valthonet.com/val-thorens/questions.html

http://www.valthonet.com/val-thorens/photos/page-3.html

In reply to Flat4matt:

Agree with a lot of the opinions here. If wide, open, bleak scenery is your thing then this is the place to go. I went over Xmas a couple of years ago. Lots of snow but absolutely freezing, expecialy when the wind comes in and you are on a lift - very unplesant. Defo wasnt the place for drinks on the balconies when I went. More like hot chocolates every couple of hours to thaw the fingers. Pricey accommodation too.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers: I should add that the skiing is some of the best in the worlds with lots of choice for all abilities.

In reply to Flat4matt: I love the 3v and all the pro's and cons of VT have already been mentioned. I like Bettex, horrible lift to Menuire but its quiet pretty and plenty of chalets. Also the skiing on that side of the mountain is some of the best in the valley.Some great tree runs off piste, as well as off piste ski in. This area also has quite a few good and reasonably priced restaurants.

One question which I may have missed the answer to above is, how good is the ski ability of the the party, because some locations may not be worth the cost if the party are not good enough to make use of it.

In reply to IMA:

Surprised no one has mentioned the dancing fanjitas on the piste in Val Thorens.

youtube.com/watch?v=3R1tdVtHYYY&