There is nothing like a bit of snow to sooth the soul
Having spent the first week of 2023 in the beautiful Alps I can now safely say there is no better way to start the year. 5 hours of fresh air, exercise, coffees, des petites bières and
great fun is definitely the recipe to sooth the soul. Val d’lsère is one of Frances highest ski resorts in Europe, which worked out well for us as some of the lower resorts had no snow. It is linked to neighbouring Tignes ski resort and has over marked piste runs and unlimted off- pisted skiing.
We booked this fab trip with The Travel Suite, www.travelsuite.ie, and to say no stone was left unturned is an understatement. They booked our flights direct into Lyon with Aer Lingus, which is only about 2 hours; a night in Lyon; transfers to our outstanding hotel in Val d’Isère, La Mourra, skis, passes, and restaurants for the week. We all came back completely refreshed, happy and ready to take on 2023.
Val d’Isère is such a beautiful village 3 hours drive from Lyon and Geneva airports. There are great shops, restaurants and bars throughout, and a lovely relaxed air to the place. La Mourra hotel is a 5 minute walk from the centre and is one of the most beautiful places I have ever stayed in in France. The rooms are extremely sizable (which is unusual in French hotels), the décor incredible, the service outstanding and the facilities next to none. The swimming pool, saunas and spa are all there which is a lovely treat post 5 hours on the
slopes. The breakfast buffet was excellent, room service top notch and the Japanese restaurant out of this world. It is a 5 star hotel and worth every star and more. There are only 3 floors in this hotel, with 1, 2 and 3 bedroom suites. The 3 bed suite has your own fire place. They also have 5 luxury chalets with butler service, a private pool, all cleverly
adjoined to each other. This property is a sister property of the prestigious Hotel Blizzard another 5 star property in the village.
You are spoilt for choice as far as skiing is concerned in Val d’Isère as there are umpteen routes to choose from. The closest gondola for us was La Solaise which took us up to the Madeleine, Glacier and Datcha chair lifts leaving you with plenty of red, blue and green runs to have fun on. You can take a chair lift over the mountains, called the Leissières, leaving you on the slopes of Le Fournet, which is a complete “WOW’ moment. The Olympique gondola which is also very close to the centre of town brings you to another range of incredible ski runs including Fontaine, Borsat, and Marmottes. But more importantly it brought us to our last day lunch restaurant, La Fruitière, which was just the icing on the cake for our holiday. The music, the vibe, the food all amazing and feeling a good 20 years younger leaving the slopes that day.
Even though La Mourra, our hotel, had 5 catered chalets, we opted for one of their 8 hotel rooms as we wanted to eat out most nights. We booked all our restaurants in advance and were delighted with all our choices. If you are a meat eater 1789 was out of this world, the côte de boeuf cooked in the fireplace in front of you. Le Garage was a super night out, casual burgers, pizzas, salads, music and very cool. The Blizzard, which is a sister hotel of La Mourra, and in the heart of town was outstanding, albeit a little pricey.
My top things of my trip to Val d’Isère include;
1. Our Hotel room; spacious, incredible bathroom, balcony, bed and sitting room – the décor was amazing
2. Dinner in 1789; nothing like the service, the family atmosphere, and food being cooked in front of your eyes. www.restaurant-valisere-1789.fr The 1789 is a welcoming little restaurant that has built its reputation on the quality of its chargrilled meats. In the middle of the restaurant the famous T-bone steak sizzles on the imposing open fire, meat lovers will appreciate the delicious, tender cuts. 3. Skiing from the top of the Olympique Gondola into Val d’Isère with the family on a red run and finishing it up with a crepe and petite bière in town.
4. Lunch in La Fruitière; what an experience and treat on our last day in town. +33479060717 www.lafoliedouce.com. La Frutière is located at the top of the La Daille Gondola. You can ski straight to the door before dining inside or outside. If you visit on a sunny day, sit outside as the atmosphere from the party venue is a
wonderful experience with live entertainment and dancing on the tables. Great fun. 5. Another favourite place for dinner was Le Garage. www.restaurant-valdisere.fr +33608113727. This friendly, relaxed atmosphere has made Le Garage one of Val d’lsère’s most lively spots. Le Garage is casual, fun place to meet any time of the d ay for pizza, or home-made dish, or a skilfully made cocktail.
6. The service we got from The Travel Suite from beginning to end top class. A good sign of a good holiday is when you call your travel agent on return,
www.thetravelsuite.ie. Thank you.
