|
CROCUS 1 APARTMENT Taking bookings for 2010! |
John and Carol Pearce invite you to rent their apartment for your holidays. It is on the ground floor of the chalet in the picture – one of four apartments in the building. It looks out to the South and the West and has its own little garden and terrace.
La Clusaz is an attractive traditional village, located at the foot of the Aravis range of mountains in the Haute Savoie (Northern Alps), about 1¼ hours south-east of Geneva, and about 30 mins. east of Annecy. It is a good ski resort, and is also excellent for walking, climbing and cycling, either locally or in the Mont Blanc range (one hour’s drive away). There are wonderful views from the apartment and its garden, over the mountains and the valley, so a ‘lazy’ holiday is a delight too. The apartment is about 5 mins drive from La Clusaz town centre with its many facilities (see below).
The Apartment is not big but will sleep 6, (plus 2 more bed places if you use the convertible sofa). We suggest that 4 adults would be comfortable or 2 adults and up to 4 children.
There is one double bedroom with a wardrobe; a small bedroom with 4 bunk beds (with drawers underneath); a bathroom and separate toilet; and a lounge/dining room with a kitchen area. In winter, there is under-floor heating to give background warmth, and electric radiators to keep the place snug. Electricity is included in the price.
We have upgraded the kitchen; it has a fridge with small freezer compartment, a dishwasher, ceramic hob, and a combined microwave/oven. All the pots, pans, plates, glasses and cutlery you will need are there. Elsewhere in the building there is a ski locker and a garage for your use.
There is a television (French stations only) plus a shelf of books, and there is some garden furniture so you can sit or eat outside in the garden/terrace area when weather permits.
The Region: La Clusaz is a traditional Savoyard town with a jolly market (Mondays am) and all the shops you need or might like to browse through. The supermarkets (both Marché-U) are more than adequate, and there is a big Carrefour near Thônes (15 mins away) and an Intermarché on the Thônes road (10 mins).
There are many restaurants in the town, serving local traditional Savoyard dishes e.g. Tartiflette, Fondue, Brasérade and Raclette, using the local cheeses such as Reblochon. There are others on the ski slopes or further up the valley. All those that we’ve tried have been excellent. Nearest to the apartment is La Ferme on the main road – for which you need a hearty appetite! For posh, try La Scierie in the upper part of town.
The ski lifts go straight out of the town, and the apartment is close enough to the main slope to walk there and back. The ski bus stops at the bottom of our road, which is useful if you want to go further afield, e.g. to Grand Bornand. If you are interested in the skiing, go on-line www.laclusaz.com where the ski map and conditions (and facilities/activities for children) are to be found.
During the rest of the year there are many paths, cycle tracks, and climbs of almost every standard, which would give you a great holiday, however active you want to be. The alpine flowers in summer make walking a real pleasure. There are serious climbs in the Aravis range, and three Via ferratas within easy reach.
There are maps in the apartment; the most useful are: Michelin La Clusaz 3430 ET and Michelin Megeve 3531 OT both at 1:25,000.
There are plenty of activities in the town, including a winter skating rink, a summer ‘luge’, a heated swimming pool, horseriding, tennis, a cinema and children’s sports.
We shall be interested to know of successful activities and outings that you have particularly enjoyed during your holiday. To set the ball rolling we can recommend:
- The cable car to the top of Beauregard – for stunning panoramas and excellent walking/skiing.
- Driving up the Col des Aravis, parking at the summit then walking along the tracks that go off the road at right angles – for panoramas of the whole Mont Blanc range.
- Grand Bornand is attractive, then go over the Colombiere pass to the abbey of Chartreuse de Reposoir.
- Drive to the Lac des Confins – about 8 minutes above the town – for walking, climbing, sledging, cross-country skiing and great views, especially if you walk (easy) up to the top of Le Danay.
- Drive down to Thônes and enjoy its colonnaded market place, its museums, its go-karting track and its ‘Parc d’Aventures’.
- Go to Annecy (via Chateau Menthon Saint Bernard) and enjoy the old town, the lake and some quality shopping.
Getting there:
By car: Motorways take you to Annecy, about 7½ -8 driving hours from Calais. So it is possible to get there in one day from the London area, if you have two drivers.
NB there is now a new motorway direct from Geneva and Annecy.
By train: We have not done this yet, but the TGV goes to Annecy (via Lille or Paris). From there a bus or hired car would take about 30 – 50 minutes to La Clusaz. There is also a bus option (bus company Crolard) between La Clusaz and Annecy
By air via Geneva This is the quickest and cheapest option – if you book early with the no frills airlines. At the time of writing there are flights from Luton, Stansted, Gatwick, Bristol, Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham, Durham, E Midlands, Southampton, Exeter, Heathrow and London City airports. Please note: some of these routes operate only in the skiing season.
From Geneva, you need to hire a car at the airport (Swiss side is easiest) and drive for just over an hour.
Rental Conditions.
During the peak weeks (especially Christmas/New Year, February, and July/early August) the apartment is rented out by the local agent, ‘locAtherac’ on a fully commercial basis. We can put you in touch with them if you wish, or you can contact them through http://www.atherac-laclusaz.com/ This is a more expensive option for you, but for this money, the apartment is cleaned, and linen provided.
For the remaining 40 or so weeks, we rent it out privately when we are not using it ourselves. This is much cheaper for you, but will require you to provide linen etc., and to do the cleaning before you leave. The change-over day is usually Saturday, but we can be flexible if no-one is there before or after you.
If you are booking through us you will need to take your own sheets and pillow-cases (or sleeping bags). Also bath towels/ tea towels/ hand towels. There are plenty of blankets, but no duvets.
There is no washing machine, but there is a drying rack and an iron, and there’s a laundrette in town.
For friends, we ask for a contribution of £60 per adult per week and half that for children. This covers our costs – local taxes, utilities and the various maintenance charges we have to meet. The easiest way to pay us is by Sterling cheque mailed to Victoria Lodge, 20 Victoria Place, Budleigh Salterton, Devon EX9 6JP.
Once you’ve decided to go, we will provide more detailed information about how to get there, and what needs to be done on arrival and departure. We’ll send you a set of keys. You’ll also find useful information inside the apartment.
If you want to know more, either telephone us on +44 (0)1395 443813
or email: johncarolpearce@hotmail.com or carolgpearce@yahoo.co.uk