SKI RIVIERA |
Posted on Tuesday, 12 January 2010 |
 When you think of the French Riviera it conjures up images of sunny beaches, champagne cocktails and celebrity hangouts.
The Victorians used to come for Winter sun holidays and it is home to hundreds of ex pat communities looking for a softer climate than their own for holidays and for more permanent homes.
Skiing is not something that immediately springs to mind when you think of the Cote d'Azur and yet it is one of the most popular Winter activities amongst Riviera locals in the know.
Even the schools organise annual ski trips for their children and "Fresh Powder!" is a common call to action by local teenagers who hop on the ski bus and head for the slopes. With 11 ski resorts located within a three hour drive of Nice it is, amongst the locals, a central Winter activity.
There is incredible value to be had for holidaymakers from abroad not to mention the flexibility of staying in town. Benefit from the low season prices in locations such as Nice, Cannes and Villefranche where prices for rental apartments or villas can be as much as a third off the high season prices.
While the ski resorts hit full tilt and maximise their seasonal prices, holiday makers can act like the locals and benefit from more local prices.
Isola ski resort is just 76.1kilometres from Nice and takes just 1 hr 22mins to drive. Val d'Allos is 117km or 1 hr 57 mins, Auron is 93.6km and 1h40mins while Limone in Italy is just 99.7km and 1h48mins by car.
One of the best ways to get to the slopes is to hop on the ski bus. This is a daily bus service that runs morning and evening to take you to the slopes. Leaving from Nice the price of the bus ticket, approximately €30, also includes your ski pass for the day and you can exchange your bus ticket for the little tag that grants you access to all the lifts.
The bus is a luxury coach and plays ski videos en route to help pass the time. Leaving from near the sea front in Nice you can be back in the city by 8pm in the evening and enjoy some apres ski in one of the many bars and restaurants in the centre of Nice or Cannes.
It is not an uncommon sight to see late season skiers, resplendent in full ski gear waiting on Nice Promenade while sun worshippers catch the early spring rays in bikini's on Nice beach.
So if you choose Nice or Cannes or Villefranche as your ski accommodation you will have the benefit of choice and can choose your price range to boot. It also means that you can choose from numerous ski resorts and have a huge number of routes and slopes to ski.
Everyone knows that the locals pay a different price from regular holiday visitors and it has never been easier to live like a local and, more importantly, pay like a local. So set your mobile phone to 'Powder alerts', check out some cheap flights, get some friends together to rent a great value holiday villa and get the most out of your ski trip.
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 Recommended Holiday Rental:
Self catering holiday rental apartment
Bedrooms: 2; Sleeps: 4
Price p/n: €97.75 |
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