This is written for the European skier whom is thinking of having their first holiday in Mont-Tremblant.
If you have not been to Mont Tremblant in Quebec for a ski holiday before then you could be tempted into a package holiday where your accommodation choice will be made for you and your transfer from Montreal airport is organized.
Last year my family and I went a very well know U.K. based ski operator to Mont Tremblant. The flights were with Thomas Cooke and were adequate, Gatwick to Montreal is long enough with two children but not unbearable. We wanted to go to Canada as we had a lucky escape two years ago when it failed to snow in the French Alps and only just managed some snow the night of our arrival. Not wanting to spend our ski-holiday money and watch muddy mountains with European queues for the top lifts we thought Quebec would be great. We were right! Snow up to your eyeballs!
The transfer from the airport took place after clearing Customs. We had to wait for another flight to arrive before we were headed into a freezing cold mid-sized bus in uncomfortable seats with our luggage on our laps.
We were dropped off at our hotel, lugged our suitcases across the snow and queued up to be given room keys and do the check-in procedure when we really wanted to eat. We got our double room for 2 adults and 2 children and we were surprised how small it was. For 10 days we lived on each other’s laps eating out each night.
At the end of the holiday, the tour rep whom we hadn’t seen at all for the whole stay, picked us up in the same bus and took us back to the airport about 4 hrs before our flight took off.
Mont Tremblant is a fabulous destination to visit and the skiing is utterly brilliant.
Having done it once, I have learnt how to make the whole experience far more rewarding and less stressful. If you book your flights you can get some excellent prices from www.canadianaffair.com but book ahead.
Then as car hire is relatively cheap in Canada just book a medium sized car from the airport for a week. The roads are straight, the snow is not a problem as the cars have snow tires and unlike the Alps you are not navigating hair-pin bends with sheer drops either side. If you book our condo then having the car means you can drive right into Versant Soleil and park the car in the dry, well lit basement car park of Étoile du Matin and climb a short staircase to your front door in the warm and dry.
To me having a hire car means:-
· virtually an extra day’s skiing
· hire cost saved by being able to substitute 2 or 3 meals out with some home cooking for a family of 4 (especially useful at lunch time).
· comfort going to and from the airport and on your own schedule
· a chance to see some of the region in the event you do not want to ski every single hour
Importantly, having a car also means you can get to the supermarket and not be committed to eating within the Resort every night. Quebec is the home to fantastic cuisine and no trip is complete without exploring.
As to why you would stay in a resort centre hotel for the prices they charge, I am not sure? You should try Tremblant VIP Lodging. They had great prices and an excellent choice of accommodation. Stay in Domaine de la Foret and you can enjoy some privacy as well as great views of the mountain and enjoy real “ski in - ski out” accommodation without scrambling up and down the village centre.
No comments:
Post a Comment