Lucy Caille | Thu, Nov 10th, 2016
Winters coming . . . it’s time for a GlamperRV Ski Adventure!
As half term memories of late summer sun fade and the family radar focuses firmly on Christmas our minds here at GlamperRV HQ are thinking ahead to what the New Year has in store.
Having been introduced through a Dutch friend (huge campervan fans!) to motorhomeski.com we are hugely tempted to swap our week in an overpriced apartment in the Southern Alps for a week (or quite frankly however long we fancy), to . . . well wherever the snow conditions are best!
Yes, that is one of the many delights of having your ‘chalet on wheels’ – no need to pre-book expensive accommodation with fingers crossed there will be good snow or weather, no need to travel on the busiest day of the week when everyone else is battling the autoroute to get up to the resorts and what’s more you can stock the fridge/freezer with all your home favourites thus avoiding over-priced mountain supermarkets!
Motorhome skiing is especially advantageous on a powder day because your ‘hotel’ can be parked at the steps of the gondola, so you just roll out of bed onto the lift as it starts running.
GlamperRV is based on a German motorhome manufactured platform and hence is brilliantly set up for cold conditions. It has a double skin, insulated water tanks, a large heated garage for drying and with our unique self-sufficient mains electricity system you will be able to run most appliances without a hook up.
Virtually every ski resort in Europe has either a campsite or an ‘aire’ and the full range can be found at www.MotorhomeSki.com. The former are referred to in French as Caravaneiges and offer many facilities such as electric hook-up, heated wash-blocks and drying rooms for wet kit which are great for families however you will need to book in high season.
The aires on the other hand are generally located within the resort and close to the ski lifts and offer some of the best views in the resort. Imagine dropping the blinds in the morning to have a view of the pink sun rising over the snowy peaks!
Focusing on French ski resorts which offer the shortest drive from Calais here are a few tips based on a couple of my favourite French ski areas, Les Trois Vallees and Les Portes du Soleil:
Les Portes du Soleil
A popular resort with families and with easy access from the UK is that of Les Gets. A large car park with water and waste emptying facilities can be found at the bottom of the Mélèzes run next to the Perrières Express, a perfect location for exploring this stunning ski area.
Up the road, close to the Swiss border is the village of Chatel and the Camping l’Oustalet which is situated just 450m from the Linga Cable-car comes highly recommended. It even has its own indoor pool and sauna amongst other facilities and there are beginners slopes right on your doorstep, along with a ski school for young children “Le Village des Marmottons”.
Les Trois Vallees
Starting in the heart of Les Trois Vallees, Meribel the campsite Le Martagon in Le Raffort, just down the road from Meribel 1450 and connected via the Olympic Ski lift comes recommended.
Down the valley, on the road between Meribel and Courchevel is the pretty little village of La Tania. A short walk from the main ski lift is the Aire Parking du Saz Campsite which has an electric supply, water and WC emptying facilities.
On the other side in Les Menuires head to the aire in the Preyerand area – it has full facilities and is a short gondola ride from La Croisette.
I hope that like us you are excited by the prospect of heading to the slopes with GlamperRV and we look forward to hearing from you. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss longer winter hires.
Useful links to guides if you are planning a GlamperRV Ski adventure:
https://www.vicarious-shop.com/Motorhome-Books/
https://www.vicarious-shop.com/All-the-Aires-France-north-and-south-together.html
https://www.france-passion.com/en/
