Forget happy hour. The key to great après ski for my kids, ages 14, 13 and 10, is not found on any cocktail menu.
This is a heated pool. No matter how things go down the slopes, the day always ends on a high when you get to swim at the end of the day. In many resorts, this comes at a high price. But not in the French town of Les Saisies.
I had never heard of this until I contacted Peak Retreats, whose formula is based on an extensive portfolio of carefully selected self-catering apartments, mostly comparable to a four-star hotel, all in the French Alps and all within a day’s drive of the English down. Channel remove goals.
Getting in your car not only lowers the price, but the overall trip isn’t much longer than the flight option. Les Saisies is less than two hours from Grenoble and although it is a purpose-built resort, it looks like a real mountain village.
Robert Hardman and his family stayed in a self-contained apartment in Les Saisies (pictured) in France – and found the ski resort to be excellent value for money
It has 50 miles of runs, mostly blue and red runs that are perfect for both beginner and intermediate skiers.
It may lack lively nightlife, but it lacks two equally annoying ski holiday hazards: lift rides and young racers. We got nothing.
We booked a three-bedroom apartment in the Amaya Residence at Peak Retreats, a chalet-style complex with an indoor pool, saunas, heated ski lockers and the (excellent) Piccard ski hire just around the corner.
“It has 80 km of slopes, mostly blue and red runs, which are perfect for both beginners and intermediate skiers,” says Robert above of Les Saisies
The residence has ski-in/ski-out access to a nursery slope that leads directly to the village (where the Signal Sports Center also has a swimming pool). With a well-equipped kitchen/dining room, we enjoyed eating out every night. There are shops and supermarkets within a five minute drive.
At 1,650m, Les Saisies (site of the 1992 Winter Olympics) is the highest of six villages in a larger 120 mile ski resort, the Espace Diamant, at just over 2,000m.
Being next to Mont Blanc, it also keeps its snow longer than most. You can also go to Les Contamines-Montjoie, as we did one day, for some more challenging summit slopes.
Les Saisies is less than two hours from Grenoble (see photo).
The kids shared a ski instructor for an hour every day – it cost the same as taking all three to ski school all morning, and they preferred it. The rest of the time we skied en famille. Les Saisies offers more than skiing, not the least of which is Mountain Twister, a sled-style roller coaster built into the mountain. One afternoon we booked rides on a fleet of snowmobiles for an exciting ride through the mountains.
The village is also home to an inventive local invention called Snooc. You snowshoe up the hill for an hour or two and “le Snooc” in a small backpack and dump the contents that fit together to become a snowmobile. Then you all race down the slope with lots of sliding, falling and laughing.
If you want to eat out, try the tartiflettes at Les Marmottes, while Chalet Mignod makes good diots (savoie cabbage) on the slopes. The best meal (and view) was at charming Patafan, a mountain paradise for skiers, climbers and walkers, who can enjoy braised veal and roast vegetables for £15.
Les Saisies may not have the celebrity status of well-known alpine resorts, but it is pleasing that it does not extort their prices either.
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James is an author and travel journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a love for exploring new cultures and discovering unique destinations, James brings his readers on a journey with him through his articles.
