Spring ski trip


Skiing France
Thursday March 4th - Sunday March 21st, 2010;
Turin Italy; Serre Chevalier, Cité Vauban, Les Arcs/La Plagne France

To wet your appetite, click on Visual Tour and see what is in store for you

Cost: ~$2870:

Why not ski in Europe this Spring? You'll find sun, powder snow, 12 unique areas, great snow depth (even in light snow years), grand hotesl with swimming pools and gourmet, multi-course dinners along with beautiful buffet breakfasts. Experience the fun of ski-in, ski-out accomodations during two wonderful weeks of skiing and sightseeing.


Torino

Beginning in Torino (Yep the Italian spelling - webmaster is Italian ) you will be engulfed by the Italian way of life while exploring this cultural city and discovering the wonderful Italian ice cream Gelato.

After a visit to our favorite Torino espresso house, there will be museums to visit, architecture to photograph, plazas and parks along the waterways to explore. The Saturday indoor/outdoor market has delicacies of Italy artfully displayed and spread over many blocks

It is possible to depart a few days early to explore other Italian cities of Venezia, Milano or even Firenze and Roma before joining the group in Torino.

On Saturday March 6th, we will travel by bus to Cité Vauban for lunch and explore this ancient walled fortress above BrianÇon. The military architecture of the fortified Cité Vauban and Champ de Mars is quite sensational. The views from the ramparts are splendid and the main street is full of charm. There are numerous narrow, winding walkways between the two buildings to explore.


Cité Vauban

After lunch, a short ride will take us to Chantemerle where we will begin six days of skiing in Serre Chevalier, Montgenévre and Puy St. Vincent.

Serre Chevalier is a constellation of 13 authentic mountain villages in a thoroughly alpine environment. It is set at the entrance to the Ecrins National Park in the heart of the unspoiled beauty of the Oisans.

We will stay at the lovely, intimate, three-star, family-run Plein Sud Hotel with a swimming pool and steam room for your after-skiing relaxation. All rooms have balconies where you can relax in the afternoon sun and enjoy the richness of the Alps. There are 13 ski areas to sample.

On Saturday March 13th, we will travel through some of the most unique scenery for such a short distance in all of Europe. The snow-covered, broad valleys into which the glaciers fall will awe you. there will be twisting roads up and down cliffs rising to 2000 ft high. You will see waterfalls drop 1000 ft. onto large ice bases formed during the deep cold of winter. You will go through tunnels just wide enough for a bus to pass through. Some places you will feel that the valley is so narrow that you could touch both walls at the same time. Your camera will be clicking at every turn in the road.

After a lunch stop in Moutier, we will continue to Plan Peisey to ski at La Plagne and Les Arcs which are connected with the Vanoise Express that crosses a 2000 ft. deep valley. La Plagne consists of six high altitude resorts situate opposite the Mont Blanc and Beaufortain ranges. Altitudes reach up to 12,467 ft.


Peisey_Vallandry ski resort

We will stay at Plan-Peisey-Vallandry, an alpine resort area divided into five Savoyard villages situated on the sunny side of the valley. The hotel features ski-in and ski-out capability, allowing you to access all lifts. The hotel also has just added relaxing post-skiing pleasures, including a swimming pool which looks directly upon the ski slopes, a whirlpool, a sauna, a steam room and fitness area. In the ski room, you boots may be stored on boot driers.

We will leave Plan Peisey Saturday morning to spend the afternoon and evening in Annecy or Geneva. An early morning flight on Sunday returns us to Seattle the same day.

Tour limited to 16 people.

Cancellation: The refund will be made less a $100 International Outing fee plus any non-recoverable expenses. This price is based upon currency exchange rate: €1.0 Euro = $1.3 USD. Early application is necessary to obtain lower airfare and window or aisle seating preference.

For further information: Ms. Patti Polinsky
email:   meanysports@mac.com
phone:  206.525.7464

Applications are available by email. Deposit: $1000 with application. Remainder due November 1st