Brides les bains. Ski resort Brides-les-Bains
The quiet picturesque town of Brides-les-Bains in France, founded in 1848, is famous for its skiing opportunities and thermal springs. It is part of the largest ski region in the Alps "Three Valleys". Its modern infrastructure was created specifically for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville: in addition to ski slopes and lifts, there are many bars, restaurants, as well as nightclubs and casinos.
Business card
Brides-les-Bains in France is located in the Savoy region and is considered to be perfect place for relaxation: here you can combine a variety of skiing, wellness thermal and spa treatments with numerous apres-ski activities. With all this, the village is located away from the noisy and fussy neighboring resorts and is much more affordable.
Trails, slopes, lifts
Brides-les-Bains in France cannot be fully called a "ski resort", since not a single track leads here and does not leave from here. However, this town is proudly called the "gateway to the Three Valleys" - the largest ski area in the world. The fact is that the Olympe high-speed lift is located here, which in 25 minutes takes tourists directly to the heart of the region - the valley (1450 m). To the west of Brides-les-Bains are and, to the east - and. The guests of the resort have easy access to all 600 km of ski slopes in the region with a height difference from 1100 to 3230 m, 220 lifts and excellent snow cover, because more than 85% of local slopes are located above the level of 1800 m.
For beginner skiers, there are several great blue-green runs in Méribel, including three isolated slopes near Plattieres station and the uncrowded, wide Blanchot run. In the Altiport area there is a long gentle slope, quite wide and beautiful, passing through the forest from the middle station of the Saulire gondola lift. To improve your skiing technique, short, simple trails in the Rond Point area will also help.
More confident skiers can ski on the red and blue pistes of Courchevel, in the snowy park of Méribel and above in Val Thorens. There are excellent opportunities for ski safari, wide and easy trails.
Professionals will be interested in the slopes on the top of Mont Vallon (Mont Vallon, 2925 m). Particularly attractive are the Combe Vallon slope, the Face Olympic slope, the simpler slopes of Georges Mauduit and Combe de Tougnete. Great opportunities for freeride lovers of untouched slopes will find on Mont de la Chambre and in the Col du Fruit area.
For snowboarders, Three Valleys offers Moonpark, halfpipe and boardercross.
In addition, from Brides-les-Bains, you can drive to the neighboring Paradiski ski area in just 10 minutes.
Springs and recovery
The resort town of Brides-les-Bains in France owes its appearance to a large source mineral water. People learned about its healing properties back in the 16th-17th centuries, the terms were used to treat all types of diseases, including to combat obesity. Today, a wide range of spa treatments that promote weight loss have been developed here.
In Brides-les-Bains, a large center Le Grand Spa des Alpes has been opened. It offers thermal springs, a swimming pool with mineral water, mud therapy, massages for every taste. Experienced professionals offer individual wellness and rejuvenation courses. In the 2018 season, the thermal center will open on 02/12/2018.
Entertainment and active recreation
Apre-ski entertainment in the resort is offered for every taste. There is a good selection of shops, boutiques, restaurants and bars, there are nightclubs, a cinema and a casino, you can ride a dog sled or snowmobile, snowshoeing, paragliding. The town regularly hosts various exhibitions, jazz and rock concerts. Twice a week, folk festivals are held at the resort: tables with refreshments and mulled wine are set up in the central square, live music is played.
The resort town of Brides-les-Bains is located in the extensive Three Valleys ski area and is perfect for winter sports enthusiasts. The town is no different and has nothing remarkable, but it has an excellent ski lift "Olympus", which in about twenty minutes can take you to the starting point of skiing in the resort of Meribel. And from there you can safely and easily reach the resort of Courchevel and Val Thorens. There are also advantages to this resort. Compared to the entire territory of the Three Valleys, it is here that you will get inexpensive accommodation and meals. According to statistics, holidays here will cost you twenty percent cheaper than in other areas, such as Meribel. The resort of Brides-les-Bains is in an excellent transport accessibility. The distance to the airport is 129 kilometers, to Lyon 170 kilometers. Six kilometers from the resort is located railroad station Moutiers, from where the train goes to Paris itself. It will only take you three or four hours to get to it.
Resort location
The resort of Brides-les-Bains is located at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level. But the ski areas are located from 600 meters to 2950 meters. There are trails with a total length of 77 kilometers. And only one-fifth of it is artificially snowed. In general, the total length of all the tracks in the "Three Valleys" is 600 kilometers, so you will have where to roam and ride. The pistes in Brides-les-Bains are serviced by 58 ski lifts. Of these, 16 are gondolas, 25 are drag lifts and 17 are chair lifts.
In Brides-les-Bains, there are more pistes, these are blue and red. Unfortunately, there are not so many blacks here. There are fan parks especially for snowboarders. And also laid 33 kilometers of flat skiing.
The winter skiing season here begins in early December and ends at the end of March. The ski pass service area also includes the Brides-les-Bains resort, as for all the Three Valleys resort. The price includes the ride on the Olympic lift. The only place where the ski pass will cost a little less is the resort of Meribel.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure in the town was specially created for Olympic Games in 1992. It has everything you need for relaxation. For example, here you will find all kinds of shops, both grocery and clothing, as well as rental shops for all the necessary equipment for skiing, restaurants, clubs, cafes and bars. You can go to the cinema or visit the casino. There are special schools on the territory where you can take lessons in skiing, as well as luge and mountaineering.
Balneological health center
In addition to skiing, Brides-les-Bains has gained popularity as a spa resort. Many tourists want to get here, no matter what part of the valley they live in. It is here that the center for the provision of health services is located. A modern sports and recreation complex, includes procedures in a thermal spring, visits to baths, a pool with mineral water. Having passed full course, you will feel a surge of strength, rejuvenation and healing. For those who have special health problems, a special course and a personal program will be compiled with the help of qualified doctors of the center. The program will include proper nutrition, gymnastics, sauna visits, healing shower and air bath procedures. You can visit several sessions of massage or hydromassage, physiotherapy and mud therapy. If you wish, you can make a special emphasis on the passage of body shaping procedures.
| 6 | 37 | 69 | 72 | 600 km | 16% | 39% | 35% | 10% | 119 km | + |
Elevation difference: 610-3230 m
Brides le Bains(Brides-les-Bains) is a special resort. Its infrastructure has been improved especially for the 1992 Winter Olympics. The resort is ideally located in relation to the Three Valleys (direct cable car Olimp will take you to the slopes of Meribel, Courchevel and Val Thorens in just 20 minutes.
Brides-les-Bains is a great combination low prices for tourist services (25% cheaper than at the resorts mentioned above) with the opportunity to ride in the Three Valleys. Brides-les-Bains is located near the city of Moutiers, from where it is convenient to get to Paris by direct TGV train.
Brides-les-Bains has gained fame as a place of rest and treatment in the mountains. It offers guests a large wellness center with thermal springs, a mineral water pool, curative mud treatments, all types of massage, including hydromassage. The resort offers special weight loss courses, treatment of diseases related to metabolism (diabetes, hypertension, etc.) and rheumatology.
Children under 5 years old and adults over 75 years old use the lifts free of charge. (The age in the tables is inclusive)
Ski-pass "Vallee de Meribel" includes the use of ski lifts resorts: Meribel, Meribel - Village, Meribel - Mottaret, Brides-les-Bains.
Ski-pass "3 Vallees" includes the use of lifts of all resorts of the 3 Valleys: Val Thorens, Orelle, Les Menuires, Saint Martin, Meribel, Meribel Village, Meribel - Mottaret, Courchevel, La Tania, Brides-les-Bains.
When buying a Ski-pass "3 Vallees" for 5 days or more, one day of skiing in the Espace Killy or Paradiski valley is free of charge.
When buying a family ski pass for 6 days or more (minimum 2 adults and 2 children under 18 years old), discounts are available.
Equipment rental(indicative prices in euros):
| 1 day adult | 1 day baby | 6 days old | 6 days baby | |
| Skis | 15-35 | 8-15 | 70-140 | 30-65 |
| Boots | 10-15 | 5-20 | 35-80 | 20-50 |
| Snowboard | 35-40 | 25-30 | 170-190 | 120-140 |
SKI SCHOOLS
There are no beginner ski areas in Brides-les-Bains, so the nearest ski school is in Méribel.
E.S.F. Meribel www.esf-meribel.com
E.S.I. - Magic In Motion www.magicinmotion.co.uk
Apres ski
In the Brides-les-Bains sports and recreation complex, you can take a course of healing and rejuvenation. In the thermal complex, qualified medical specialists will offer you a choice of a course of treatment, consisting of gymnastics, dietary nutrition, visiting a sauna, a healing shower, an air bath, a swimming pool, a Turkish bath, a jacuzzi, therapeutic massage and hydromassage, sessions of physiotherapy and mud therapy. The cost of a six-day course of treatment is about 400 euros. The thermal complex is open from mid-March.
Bars and restaurants
Brides-les-Bains has two nightclubs, Le Blue Night and le Cythere Club, which are open until 4 am. In the casino (by the way, the only one in the French Alps, except for Chamonix), you can play roulette, blackjack, sit in a bar or cabaret (open until 4 am). We advise you to visit the Altis restaurants - Val Vert or La Grillade, where you can taste delicious and inexpensive French cuisine.
// texan2004.livejournal.com
The annual French visa ended shortly after NY and at first I planned the trip at this time, counting on special offers. But the standard terms of vouchers are tied to Saturdays, and the visa ended on Thursday. As a result, I got into a tough time trouble, limited to just one week. I had to move my plans closer to spring. Immediately there was a crazy idea to put the squeeze on the French and get a five-year Schengen from them. AT new year holidays when it was raining outside the window, instead of skis, I started developing logistics for independent travel. Travel of this kind is complicated by the presence of bulky luggage in the form of equipment and remoteness, and sometimes inaccessibility of the end point of the route (mountains, snow). Therefore, the flight is desirable direct, and the transfer is convenient. All this should be as affordable as possible. Well, requests, however ...
Most convenient airport to visit the French Alps - Geneva. Everyone knows this, even the harsh Swiss border guards. Surprisingly, Aeroflot found a promotion for my dates, but cheap tickets remained only for an inconvenient time. They offered either a late flight there or an early return, which created a problem with the transfer. Namely, this is the key to the whole trip, because during the day he walks public transport. And at night, it remains to order an individual option or a taxi, which can suit groups of 3..4 people. In my case, I had to use the regular bus service from the airport to all major French resorts. As a result, I took convenient tickets for weekdays, although more expensive, but at a very reasonable price - 15tr, Geneva-back. In addition, Aeroflot offered a promotion for free transportation of a set of equipment with a total weight of up to 22 kg. I ordered a transfer on the Geneva airport website (gva.ch) for 140 euros in both directions, saving a little when ordering online.
Accommodation in the mountains is also rented mainly on Saturdays, but on booking I found a hotel that agreed to my non-standard dates in the town of Brides-les-Bains, which is part of the Three Valleys ski area. This quite budget place is located at an altitude of 600m and there is no snow there. It was originally thermal spa, but after the construction of the ski lift for the 1992 Albertville Olympics, it acquired the status of a ski lift as part of the Three Valleys. Hotel L "Hermitage (***) cost 480 euros for 8 nights in single room with breakfast, while requesting a 30% prepayment, and three weeks before the trip, the entire amount became non-refundable.
Documents for a visa were submitted through the French visa center on the street. Marxist. I downloaded the questionnaire and the list from the embassy website required documents. I attached tickets to Geneva and booking from booking, took a certificate from work and an extract from the bank, insurance. I took a picture directly in the building of the visa center for 200 rubles (6 pcs). The photo didn't turn out very well, but by all the rules. For its services, the VC took about 1200 rubles + 35 euros consular fee. I read at various travel forums that the French love modesty, so in the questionnaire I “honestly” indicated that a single entry visa was needed for the duration of the trip. I was pleasantly surprised, everything was fast, without queues, they sent an SMS when they were ready. And when I opened my passport, I could not believe my eyes - a five-year Schengen.
The flight took off from Sheremetyevo-F at 11:00. When approaching Geneva, on the left there is a gorgeous view of the Alps, headed by Mont Blanc. Under the wing glittered the mirror surface of Lake Geneva. The weather is warm and sunny. When leaving the plane, all passengers were asked to present their documents, and after that they were taken by bus to the terminal. When the turn came to the border booth, while I was thinking in what language it was customary to greet, the officer girl, without further questions, slapped a Swiss stamp, wellcome ...
First of all, I went to the yellow information desk in the arrivals hall and showed them a printout of the letter with the payment for the transfer. In response, I received tickets in both directions. They also showed me where the bus stop was and warned me that on the way back it was necessary to contact the local tourism office a couple of days in advance and announce my departure. On weekdays, regular shuttle buses run rarely, 3 times a day, and it was necessary to spend a couple of hours somewhere. I quickly got tired of wandering around the airport with skis at the ready and I fell with all my luggage into one of the cafes, especially since I had to eat something, because I still had to go to the place for more than 2 hours. Euros are accepted at the airport, but change is given in francs.
The bus stop is located opposite the exit from the airport. A small group of the same ski tourists had already gathered there. In about 15 minutes, our bus showed up. In principle, tickets can be bought here, but it would be a little more expensive and they are sold subject to availability. There are fewer passengers on weekdays, and on weekends it is better not to risk it and buy in advance. We loaded our ski cases and suitcases into the luggage compartment, and off we went...
The Swiss-French border was crossed without stopping. The weather is great, the views outside the window are amazing. Alpine lawns, villages, snowy peaks. We drove by local roads, through Annecy and along the lake of the same name. A real tour of the French hinterland. Two hours later we arrived in the city of Moutiers. This is a fairly large interchange station with a bus and railway station. They reach here high speed trains from Paris and even London. The city is connected by a local bus network to all resorts in the Three Valleys region.
I had to transfer too. This process was quite organized, all passengers were met by an employee of the bus station and showed where to go for a transfer. In fact, it remained to pull the luggage from one bus and leave it on another.
You can save money if you go in a group and order private transfer or rent a car. But even if you are few, there are also options available to save money. Firstly, you can order a transfer only to Moutiers, and buy local bus tickets at the station. You will go absolutely the same, but a little cheaper. However, in case of delays, there is no guarantee that you will be in time for last bus. Timetables and fares can be found at mobisavoie.com. Secondly, if you are traveling light, then you can get from Geneva to Moutiers by electric trains, making two or three transfers. Then again by regular bus. It will come out twice as cheap. There is a choice, but a compromise will have to be found.
Brides-les-Bains Photos
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The hotel is located in the center of Brides-les-Bains, two houses from the bus stop. By 6 pm I got to the door, where I immediately ran into a group of our tourists who helped me find the administrator. Diana, the hostess of the hotel, did not look at the documents, but immediately gave out the key to the room. In response to a surprised look, she asked me my name again and said that everything was OK, like get settled, and the papers later. The hotel is small, in a peculiar country style, with wood trim. Outdated wooden tools for field work are hung on the walls. There are not many residents, half of them are ours. Operators do not carry tourists here, you can book a room through booking.com.
So, "Three Valleys" (Les Trois Vallees) ... It is claimed that this is the largest ski area in the world. 600 km of slopes, a common ski pass, the ability to go around all corners without taking off your skis. located in French province Savoy, the administrative region of Tarentaise, next to two more major skiing regions - Paradiski and Espace Kili. So what are these three valleys? The center of the region - the Allues valley with the resort of Meribel (1450m) - is the heart of the "Three Valleys". Brides-les-Bains (600m) can also be conditionally attributed here. To the northeast is the 2nd valley - Saint-Bon, with the resorts of La Tania (1400m) and Courchevel, which, by the way, are already 5 pieces, for a different wallet. The one is Courchevel 1850. And the largest third valley is Belleville, with the resorts of Saint Martin (1450m), Le Menuire (1850m), Val Thorens (2300m). Recently, another Maurienne valley joined them with a small resort of Orel (900m). But I will not bore you with geography, the main thing is that from any named resort, which differ in altitude, climate, budget, access to the entire skiing area is opened.
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A 7-day ski pass for the entire ski area with local ski insurance was not cheap, 340 euros. But it allows you to skate one day each in the neighboring regions of Paradiski and Kili. In Brides les Bains, the box office is located near the ski lift, which is 100m from the hotel, but the road goes uphill. There are free ski shuttles, but the desire to use them did not appear. The lift operates from 8:15 to 17:30. There is almost no queue in the morning. But in the evening, closer to closing from above, people can accumulate for half an hour. The lift takes 25 minutes to the center of Meribel. All other lifts in the valleys operate from approximately 9:00 to 16:30. At each station you can take a map of slopes and lifts. The trails themselves are marked and signposted. Don't get lost.
On the tracks and stations there are constantly restaurants where you can have a bite to eat and sunbathe in sunny weather. By the way, it is recommended to dine "on the mountain", because below, until 7 pm, as a rule, everything is closed. The lower the slope, the higher the prices. Coffee starts from 3 euros, salad from 4 euros, soup from 6 euros. Breakfast at the hotel was a typical set of cold cuts, yogurt, croissants, coffee, juice, and desserts. In the evening, dinner in a restaurant with wine cost around 20..30 euros. Almost everywhere there is a menu in English, although they come across in Russian.
The weather was varied, good and sunny, with beautiful mountain views, in a day it could change to cloudy with snow and zero visibility, in general, 50 to 50. When it rains near the hotel, and it snows at the base station in Meribel, the Saulire Express high-speed cable car throws it to a height of 2700 m in two steps. A blanket lies under your feet from the clouds, covering the Alps, over which the majestic Mont Blanc rises. You can sunbathe...
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Actually skiing is striking in its diversity, the abundance of tracks. Even in high season, you can find completely empty slopes. But there are also bottlenecks, especially on the key lifts when crossing from one valley to another, and large crowds and queues accumulate there. From the freshly fallen snow and the abundance of the sun, the slopes quickly break up and by the middle of the day even the blue trails turned into impenetrable hillocks. In a week, you can only have time to roll at least once on each track. A lot depends on the weather and queues. It is also difficult to resist the desire to take photos of the surrounding beauties and just sunbathe in a sun lounger. But despite the difficulties and temptations, we managed to skate all the remote corners and as a result, somewhere on the 5th day, having checked my ski pass at the box office, I received a diploma of an expert of the Three Valleys.
It is most pleasant to ride in the Courchevel valley, let's call it that, a more familiar Russian name. Around the forest, on some slopes remote from the main lifts it is completely empty. Blue and even green runs are not at all boring here. Meribel is the center of the region. Very nice village with typical alpine chalets. There are always a lot of people on the slopes. Crowds of skiers start their journey from here in the morning and return here in the evening. And the transit route from one valley to another also passes here. The furthest slopes are located around Val Thorens. Getting there from Meribel is not easy. You need to go through several lifts until you get to the desired pass. At peak times, this can take a couple of hours. This is the highest and largest valley. It is the coldest here, only endless white expanses around. Snow is always guaranteed here. A little lower in this zone is the village of Le Menuire, through which you can return to "your" valley.
The return flight to Moscow was in the evening, which allowed us to sleep well and calmly get ready. Diana even offered a ride to Moutiers, but it was still early and I refused, saying that my bus would be in the afternoon. To this, she replied that I could stay in the room as long as necessary until the very departure, although their check-out time is 10:30.
It rained all the way to Geneva, but we arrived quickly, with a change in Moutiers for about an hour. This time, on the border of Switzerland, the border guard slowed down the bus and frayed something on the short side with the carrier. I arrived at the airport three hours before the flight, at the beginning of check-in. I handed over my things and walked around the airport. If you need to buy Swiss souvenirs, then it is better to do it in the shops of the airport itself and the railway station adjacent to it, since the duty-free zone is getting more expensive and there is less choice. Due to the time difference, I flew to Moscow in the early morning of the next day and got home along the still empty roads.
texan2004
16/01/2015 14:00
The opinion of tourists may not coincide with the opinion of the editors.
