Drouzin le Mont holiday ski chalet rental with walking, beach/lake nearby, log fire, balcony/terrace, rural retreat, TV, DVD

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Chalet de L'Arblay (chalet)

Home description

This is a magic place! Chalet de L'Arblay is a mountain top retreat, located in the hamlet of L'Arblay at Col du Corbier. Quiet and peaceful, yet only minutes from a family-friendly ski station. Larger ski stations are all around at Morzine, Avoriax, Les Gets,Chatel and others in the vast Portes du Soleil ski domain. If you enjoy winter snow sports or walking, climbing, rafting, mountain biking or simply relaxing in the wonderful scenery of the Alps, then this is the perfect place for your holiday.

The chalet benefits from its own private south-facing terrace and outdoor space. At 1230m altitude, the views are spectacular and panoramic. It is furnished with a picnic table to enable you to eat outside in summer. You are surrounded by forests and alpine meadows. In winter, there is a log fire to cosy up in front of. With one double and one four-bedded bedroom, plus comfy sofa bed and baby equipment, the chalet is ideal for families and children of all ages!

Chalet L'Arblay (right) and its terrace	The Kitchen
The view from our terrace in winter	In the mezzanine living room

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/22104

The Rhone / French Alps / Haute-Savoie region

The French Alps border Switzerland and Italy. The region is is known as Haute-Savoie which is the north-eastern part of the department Rhone-Alpes, lying south of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) The nearest airports are at Geneva and Lyon.

Haute-Savoie boasts six natural parks and 28 nature reserves. It is an outdoor lover's paradise! Justifiably well known for skiing, climbing and walking, the region also offers many other activities, sporting, artistic, cultural and relaxing. City lovers can head to Lyon, Grenoble, Lausanne and Geneva. Evian-les-Bains is well known for its famous water. Yvoire is a beautiful medieval village. Chamonix, Mont Blanc and Annecy are all about an hour's drive.

Thonon-les-Bains is also worth a visit, with its lakeside location, marina, funicular railway, Chateau and beach. You can take a ferry to Lausanne from here, or simply wander around the shops for a flavour of an authentic and attractive French town. In summer it hosts a feast of cultural events.

Good Savoyarde cooking is a gourmet's delight - fondues, tartifelttes, raclettes, pizzas cooked over wood fires will all fill you up after a active day. There are many regional artisan produced cheeses, sausages, wines, breads and jams to sample. Fantastic fresh produce is sold locally and you will feel spoiled even if you are self-catering. Patisseries and chocolateries abound! Waistbands beware...

It is a fantastic region, you can holiday at any time of the year and have a wonderful time. We first came to the area because of family links but we would love to spend our holidays here anyway.

Drouzin le Mont area

Drouzin le Mont is a small family friendly mountain top resort. Winter or summer there is plenty to do - on the doorstep or in the vicinity. The Vallee D'Aulps organise events such as concerts, tours, children's workshops and many sporting events and festivals across the whole valley, so whatever the weather, there is always something on. You can pick up information sheets each week with a bilingual guide to events.

There is a typical French bar/restaurant which will supply you with drinks and local traditional food such as tartiflette. You can get anything from a slap-up meal to an ice-cream, takeaway meals and sandwiches. They can also provide you with rental of sheets & bikes. Fresh bread is stocked daily as well as a range of basic foodstuffs and maps. Ask nicely, and they seem to provide most things! A pizzeria & creperie is open during the ski season. There is also a tennis court.

In winter, there are 15 ski runs and a nursery slope. Classes are provided by ESF. It is a lovely, relaxed and non-pretentious place to get skiing or snowboarding. Snowshoeing is also very popular. You can hire sledges and ski equipment here too. All this 10 minutes walk from the chalet! What is more, the skiing here is very cheap compared to bigger stations, so this is a superb place to begin, but you then have the flexibility to try out a huge variety of the Portes du Soleil pistes.

In summer you can walk right out of the door of the Chalet and keep going around the mountain for the next five hours! Walkers will be richly rewarded by a huge number of local walks. One of our favourites is to walk up to a summer chalet where award-winning Abondance cheese is made. We walk up in the morning, take in the views (a sunrise, if you are keen!), sample and buy cheese then return home via the bar to pick up a fresh crusty baguette. We collapse on the terrace and feast!

Drouzin Le Mont/Col du Corbier is located at the top of a high mountain pass, between the Abondance Valley and the Vallee D'Aulps, the area known as Portes Du Soleil (the doors of the sun). It is an extremely beautiful part of the France and offers mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, alpine meadows, busy market towns, ancient abbeys and charming tiny villages.

Portes Du Soleil is the largest skiing area in the world offering 650km of mountainous terrain, climbing from 1000m to 2466m, boasting 279 slopes and 204 lifts between France and Switzerland. The skiing area is comprised of 12 linked resorts that can be accessed with a single ski pass. All levels of ski/snowboarding are catered for. Additionally, paragliding, snowmobiles, helicopter rides, hot air balloons, ice diving, sleigh riding, sledging and skating are all available within 20-30 minutes of the Chalet.

In summer the ski trails and 24 lifts are open for walkers and bikers who like to get some altitude without too much exhertion! There are 380km of signposted mountainbike paths and 9 downhill runs.

The River Dranse offers some exciting white water with grade 3-5 rapids. The rafting centre, 15 minutes away, provides qualified guides, tuition and equipment for Rafting (inflatable rafts for 6-8 people), Hydrospeed (surfing the river with a float & flippers!), Hotdogs (inflatables for 1-2 people) & Canyoning (mixing climbing & swimming).

Golfing is at Les Gets and Avoriaz.

There is plenty to do for those with children, such as the large outdoor pool complexes of Morzine or Thonon, with shady places to picnic. Seytroux offers mini golf and a riverside trail. Morzine also has a huge park which includes a mini farm, pony rides and treetop obstacle course. The Lac of Montriond has a shallow play area and mini beach for younger ones, as well as a flat circular walk. You can hire canoes here or have a pony ride. Lindarets is a village full of wild mountain goats! You can even browse in the local libraries which welcome visitors, young or old.

The region boasts many good markets where you buy fresh regional produce. Some are huge, such as at Morzine or Thonon, where you can buy almost anything!

A good supermarket and petrol station are located 10km from the Chalet. Bread, chees and other basic provisions are available locally.

There are Catholic churches throughout the Vallee. Protestant and Evangelical churches are in Thonon-les-Bains.

How to get there

Portes du Soleil is one of the closest Alpine resorts to the UK, making it an ideal holiday destination. It is very well served with transport links.

DRIVING

Driving to the Chalet is easy. There is motorway from Calais almost the whole way.You can drive in approximately ten hours. French motorways are excellent, with many places to stop for full services or just a breather. It is very different from driving in the UK! Also, roads are very well maintained in the winter and kept clear of snow.If you wish to break up the journey, there are many lovely places to stay along the way. Upon booking we can send you suggestions for your route.

www.viamichelin.com is an excellent source of maps, instructions and travel advice.

Ibis hotels are a very good chain and we have found them to be excellent if travelling with a young family. wwwibishotels.com
Novotel is also good
www.novotel.com

FERRY:

Eurotunnel - www.eurotunnel.co.uk
P&O - www.posl.com
Sea France - www.seafrance.com
Norfolk Line - norfolkline-ferries.co.uk (sailings Dover-Dunkerque, which can be quieter & cheaper than Calais, and we recommend)
DFDS Seaways provide excellent overnight crossings Newcastle - Amsterdam. Well worth it if you are coming from the North and happy to see a bit more of Europe.

AIR

We are one of the closest alpine resorts to Geneva airport. Flight times from the Gatwick are 1 hour 10 minutes. The following airlines fly to Geneva from the UK:

EasyJet - www.easyjet.com
daily flights from Luton, Gatwick, Liverpool and East Midlands

British Airways - www.ba.com
daily flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester

Swiss - www.swiss.com
daily flights from Heathrow and London City

Bmibaby - www.bmibaby.com
winter flights from East Midlands, Teesside, Manchester and Cardiff

Flybe - www.flybe.com
winter flights from Southampton

Jet2 - www.jet2.com
winter flights from Leeds-Bradford

CAR HIRE

If you hire a car from Geneva airport we will provide you with detailed directions and map for stress-free travel!
All the major car hire firms are located at Geneva Airport. You should hire from the Swiss side of the airport, as the annual Swiss road tax (vignette) is included in the price. If you need children's car seats etc. you should reserve these at the time of booking, or bring your own. We suggest:
Europcar - www.europcar.co.uk

RAIL

Although car hire will be needed in the mountains, why not (as they used to say) let the train take the strain?

Eurostar - www.eurostar.com

Raileurope - www.raileurope.co.uk

SNCF France - www.sncf.com

Rail Savers / Motorail - www.frenchmotorail.com

Please do email me if you have any questions about transport.

Activities near Drouzin le Mont

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The chalet comfortably sleeps 8 plus baby. It has been recently been completely renovated and is now comfortably furnished in the spirit of the mountains.

Downstairs foyer with comfortable seating, storage for outdoor gear/skis, wood burning stove, children’s table & chairs. Damp gear can be aired here overnight. There is a cupboard full of various board games, puzzles etc. There are also two sledges available for use.

Upstairs to mezzanine living area with large comfy sofa (which converts to a great double bed) and TV/DVD/CD player.

Master bedroom with en suite shower room, space for a cot.

Second bedroom with 2 single beds and 1 bunkbed ( so the room sleeps 4), each bed with own reading lamp.

You need to provide your own bedlinen but this can be hired locally. Each bed is equipped with a four season duvet.

Large walk-in storage room containing travel cot, high chair and baby bath, plus extra space for clothes and suitcases

Separate Shower room

Attractive full-sized kitchen/diner equipped with microwave, fridge, full size cooker, coffee machine, kettle, dishwasher, washing machine and good range of cooking utensils. Table to seat 8 people.

Electric heating included and can be adjusted in each room.

There is a final cleaning service provided so you can leave feeling relaxed.

Further details outdoors:
The Chalet has a lovely balcony-style terrace built over an old stone store dating from the days when the L’Arblay hamlet used to support 20 families who were goat farmers. The hamlet was gradually abandoned but has started to be renewed since the seventies. We are blessed with good neighbours and in summer in particular, there is a nice sense of community here.

There is a large picnic table on the terrace, which faces due south and has exceptional views of the Vallee
D'Aulps. We love star-gazing here!

There is plenty of space for children to run around and plenty of woods and tracks for them to explore. With virtually no traffic, it is very safe.

There is plenty of space for car parking. In winter the slow-plough clears the track to the Chalet.

Further details

Chalet L'Arblay is non-smoking, although you are , of course, welcome to smoke on the terrace.

Conditions

Heating and electricity are included in the price

A final cleaning service is included in the price but guests who wish to do their own cleaning are very welcome to do so, and will get a discount on booking!

Guests will be required to provide their own linen (sheets or duvet covers and pillow cases, tea towels and towels) although bed linen can be arranged in advance. (£8 for a double set and £5 for a single set.)

We also ask a security deposit of £100 to cover breakages and so on, this is refunded shortly after your holiday, should there be no problems. There is a local tourist tax of .50 euros per adult per day which is included in your rental - in return all guests receive a copy of a local tourist booklet with money-off vouchers and details of discounts available within the region.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Spring 2008	20 Apr 08	29 Jun 08	280£ 280	0-	0-	1 Week
Summer 2008	29 Jun 08	31 Aug 08	325£ 325	0-	0-	1 Week
Autumn 2008	31 Aug 08	20 Dec 08	285£ 285	0-	0-	1 Week
Christmas/New Year	20 Dec 08	4 Jan 09	550£ 550	0-	0-	1 Week
January 2009	4 Jan 09	1 Feb 09	385£ 385	0-	0-	1 Week
February 2009	1 Feb 09	8 Mar 09	650£ 650	0-	0-	1 Week
March - April 2009	8 Mar 09	26 Apr 09	390£ 390	0-	0-	1 Week
Spring 2009	26 Apr 09	28 Jun 09	290£ 290	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.

SPECIAL OFFER: At all times, except Christmas and New Year, we offer a lower rate for bookings of more than one week!

Normally our bookings run from Saturday to Saturday, but it may be possible to offer shorter or longer breaks, particularly at quieter periods. Please contact us and we'll see what is possible!

Prefered paymnet: by bank transfer to our French account

Guestbook

"We absolutely loved staying in the chalet - it was perfect! A very fine combination of adventure and comfort. The chalet is very nice and comfortable - and it is clear you put love in decorating it. This makes all the difference!" Duta Family & Friends, Oxford

"We very much enjoyed our stay with our son and his family. We hired skis in the village and had mealson our first and last nights in the hotel - good traditional French cooking. Richard skiied at Drouzin for most of the time while the others had three days at Morzine. We should like to book provisionally for next year. Again, our thanks" Mr & Mrs W. Perth

"The Chalet was very comfortable. It was a stress-free holiday! Fantastic scenery. It was nice and quiet, away from the rat race - the only sound was the peaceful dinging of the cow bells. You can totally get away from it all." Mrs CF, Buckinghamshire

"It's the picture perfect French village with a beautiful atmosphere and stunning views. The terrace was perfect for al fresco dining. The Chalet was comfortable and cosy - a really homely place. I had a relaxing and peaceful holiday - especially loved the unique melody of the cow bells! I'll definitely be back and will tell my friends about Chalet de L'Arblay. Because it was near to Morzine and Thonon you can get whatever you want out of a holiday - or just read a book and not go near anyone for a week!"
Johanna, Chester

Availability

See below for next 6 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact owner

To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/22104

Contact details for home 22104 Please mention Holiday Lettings
Name:	Hilary Lacroix
Tel:	+44 (0)1463 718265
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Contact Notes: Email or by telephone
Advertiser joined: 6 Mar 2007 This property added: 6 Mar 2007

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