Spacious, Well Appointed Apartment
Quietly Located With West Facing Balcony And Mountain Views
Sleeps 2/4 (1 Bedroom)
|
|
The apartment is on the top level (of three) of a 2008 renovated traditional barn comprising just 32 mixed sized apartments. Sleeping 4, in one double bedroom and 2 sofa beds in the lounge, its 35m2 space plus west facing balcony provide a most attractive, airy and comfortable base for all your holiday needs. Just 1km away, easily reached by seasonal free shuttle bus, or on foot in the summer, is the bustling village of Les Carroz, where the superb telecabine whisks you up to the 265 kilometres of ski slopes and 80 lifts that make up the Grand Massif ski area. The ski area reaches an altitude of 2500m and is linked to other well known resorts including Flaine, Samoens, Morillon and Sixt Fer A Cheval. It provides a fantastic playground for family skiers, summer hikers, VTT riders and all manner of extreme (and gentle!) sports enthusiasts alike. This winter and summer paradise is just 1 hour's drive from Geneva, bringing all that it offers within easy reach for UK guests.
|
|
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 1 October 2011 - 3 December 2011 | £195 | - | ||
| 3 December 2011 - 10 December 2011 | £265 | - | ||
| 10 December 2011 - 17 December 2011 | £295 | - | ||
| 17 December 2011 - 24 December 2011 | £395 | - | ||
| 24 December 2011 - 31 December 2011 | £415 | - | ||
| 31 December 2011 - 7 January 2012 | £485 | - | ||
| 7 January 2012 - 28 January 2012 | £295 | - | ||
| 28 January 2012 - 4 February 2012 | £385 | - | ||
| 4 February 2012 - 11 February 2012 | £455 | - | ||
| 11 February 2012 - 18 February 2012 | £485 | - | ||
| 18 February 2012 - 24 March 2012 | £395 | - | ||
| 24 March 2012 - 31 March 2012 | £295 | - | ||
| 31 March 2012 - 14 April 2012 | £395 | - | ||
| 14 April 2012 - 28 April 2012 | £225 | - | ||
| 28 April 2012 - 9 June 2012 | £195 | - |
Notes on prices
Prices are quoted per week. If you are interested in a shorter stay please email the owner. Shorter stays (of 3 or more nights) can be offered subject to availability. Longer stays (of up to 6 months) are also possible, subject to availability. I am also networked with other owners in the building so can help you to arrange multi-apartment bookings for larger parties or groups of families.
Changeover day
Changeover day is normally Saturday but is flexible, particularly in low season, and at the owners discretion. Normal exit time on day of departure is by 10am and arrivals from 4pm.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | 1 good sized double bedroom with double bed. The sofa bed in the lounge easily converts into 2 single beds which can be placed together as a double or separately as 2 singles. (You can also have one of these made up and still use the sofa as a sofa). |
| Bathrooms: | Bathroom with shower, wc, towel rail and wash basin with cupboard under. There is a large mirror and a hair dryer is provided. |
| Kitchen: | Modern kitchen area with standard sized dishwasher and fridge, microwave, 2 ring hob and single drainer sink. There is a large storage cupboard and the kitchen is well equipped for self catering and includes plenty of new crockery and tableware. |
| Utility Room: | Utility equipment is stored in a large cupboard and includes a vacuum cleaner, iron and ironing board, clothes drying rack, and a range of mops, brushes and buckets. |
| Living Rooms: | The spacious lounge / dining room includes French doors to the west facing balcony. There is a comfortable sofa (which can turn into two single beds) and a TV cabinet containing a TV, digibox and DVD player. There is a dining table and 4 chairs. |
| Other: | The apartment includes 2 large storage cupboards with hanging rails and clothes hangers. There are also hooks for outdoor clothes in the corridor area. There is a ski locker in the basement and a private parking space in the Residence's car park. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Guests need to clean the apartment and leave it tidy on departure. Linen packs (sheets, duvet covers, pillow case, towels, tea towels and bath mat)can be provided at an additional cost of £15 per single bed and £30 per double. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove fridge/freezer fridge microwave dishwasher iron/ironing board cable tv tv central heating |
| Location Type: |
Notes on accommodation
Cots and high chairs are available at an additional cost (please book in advance). Duvets and pillows are provided, but guests must either book linen packs or provide their own linen (linen packs can be provided at additional cost of £15 per person). This is a no smoking apartment.
Accessibility
The apartment is accessed via an outside single door from the front of the building, with 2 steps up to it. This is followed by 3 flights of stairs (about 8 steps per flight). There is no lift access. The ski locker is 3 flights of stairs below the entrance door. The ski locker room has its own level exit into the car park behind the building.
Outside
The property has its own, private, west facing balcony which provides a lovely spot to shelter from the morning's heat, catch the afternoon and evening sun, witness a spectacular thunder storm (!), or even watch a Les Carroz balloon taking off. Being on the 3rd level and with no-one above, it enjoys lovely mountain views and allows for a cool breeze into the apartment on hot summer nights.
Residence Athena sits in a pretty, rural location amongst its neighbouring traditional barns, many of which are converted into superb chalets, or share residential with farming and artisanal purposes. The Residence has its own communal grounds, including its car park and a tennis court - though not yet in good order for tennis it does make quite a good play area for children!
In summer you can walk or cycle from the door, with many idyllic rambling and hiking routes available.
Coast/Beach
There are many swimming and water sport options. There is a great outdoor swimming pool complex in Les Carroz village (1km walk away), plus a large indoor pool complex down at the foot of the mountain at Cluses (15 mins drive). A day out at Annecy or Geneva (both 1 hour easy drive away) gives the option of lovely lakeside beaches for swimming, water skiing, kayaking and generally messing about on the water.
Golf
There is a golf course at Flaine (Golf de Flaine – Les Carroz), which is easily accessed by car being about 20 spectacular minutes drive away. It's open mid June to mid September.
Skiing
Les Carroz ski area is open from 17 December 2011 to 15 April 2012 (or 22 April if conditions remain good). The 8-seater Kédeuze telecabine from Les Carroz takes 6 minutes to take you to the heart of the Grand Massif ski area. You can get to the Kédeuze telecabine from the apartment by free ski shuttle bus from the end of the lane (100m from the apartment). The Grand Massif ski area has 135 pistes : 14 black, 50 red, 54 blue, 17 green, with 239 snow cannons. The summit is at 2,500m and there are 80 lifts, plus 2 snowparks. There's night time skiing available, plus a plethora of ski lesson options at all levels, and also kids clubs. For complete beginners there are 3 free draglifts in the village centre. You can buy a pass for the Grand Massif, just the Massif, or just the Les Carroz ski areas, depending on how much ground you plan to cover. It is a fabulous, beautiful place, with breathtakingly steep black slopes mixed with long reds and scenic blues amongst the pine trees.
Travel
Les Carroz is one hour's drive from Geneva airport and 7.5 hours drive from Calais. There are a number of train stations in the area, including Cluses, just 15 minutes drive or taxi away. Local taxis will pick up from the airport. We have been both with (in summer) and without (in winter) a car and found both were fine. The car was handy in the summer for days out further afield, and to pop down to the Carrefour at Cluses. In winter we were on the mountain all the time so a car was not needed.
Distances
Les Carroz village centre is just 1km from Residence Athena. In the summer it's a pretty, off-road walk. There is also a seasonal free ski shuttle bus which leaves from the end of the lane (100m away). Les Carroz is in the corner of France, close to the Swiss and Italian borders. Geneva and beautiful Annecy, 'the Venice of Savoie' are both an easy hour's drive away. And Chamonix, with its fabulous skiing, glacier and mountain train, is also an hour's drive through stunning scenery away.
Further details
Les Carroz is a bustling, friendly, traditional village packed with amenities. There are tempting bakeries, several local supermarkets, an array of restaurants and bars, many outdoor clothing and equipment stores, plus a tourist centre (with internet access) and a thriving pavement cafe culture. There are also banks, a church, cinema, pharmacy, hairdresser, post office and Doctor's clinic. There is a particularly recommended restaurant just 200-300 metres walk away from the apartment.
In the winter, skiing is the thing. In the summer, the Kédeuze telecabine is open and all manner of activities are available: parapente, paraglide, hot air balloon, downhill mountain bike trails (blue and black), 200km of marked hiking footpaths in the Grand Massif (maps available from the tourist office at 6 euros). Some of these paths are very testing and for experienced hikers only, but others are perfect for children, complete with welcoming, idyllic mountain restaurants.
There is also golf, horse riding, fishing, tennis and a lovely open air swimming pool complex in Les Carroz (plus an indoor pool down in Cluses at the foot of the mountain, 15 minutes drive away). Cluses also has a number of other amenities, including the large Carrefour supermarket, and banks - and on your way down you'll probably find yourself booking an adventure trip in which you will wear wetsuits plus climbing gear, because you will see groups getting ready along the side of the road before diving off into the canyons and water falls. You'll also pass many a road cyclist pedalling up, Tour de France style. Further afield, at Geneva or Annecy (1 hour's drive) you can find pretty much anything you want in terms of shops, plus a great collection of museums, chateaux and art galleries. Chamonix has a wealth of opportunities to explore the history of alpine activity, with all its viewing options connected to Mont Blanc and the glacier of the Vallee Blanche.
Booking notes
To book, email the owner with details of your required dates. I will let you know if the apartment is available, confirm the price and send you a booking form on which you can also confirm what additional items you wish to book (e.g. high chairs, linen packs). 40% of rental fee to secure booking, full payment required 8 weeks prior to stay. Refundable deposit of £150 required with balance payment, to be refunded within two weeks of your departure (subject to satisfactory property inspection).
Guest comments
I am new to Owners Direct so have not collected any guest testimonials yet.
Owner profile
This is me.
About the owner
I am an arts education professional and lead a charity which creates all sorts of arts opportunities for young people and their teachers or group leaders. My partner, Pete, is an environmental scientist. I have always been a very keen skier and have skied in many European resorts, including leading school trips during my time as a teacher. We now have an eight year old son, and a few years ago we decided to fulfil our long term aspiration of having 'a little place' to go to in France - somewhere where we could relax, get to know the locality, speak French and, possibly most importantly, cut out the stress of choosing a destination for our all too few annual leave opportunities! On discovering Les Carroz I new it was the place for us, as it is so perfect all year round.
Why the owner chose an apartment in this location
We love the apartment being on the top (3rd) floor with its airiness and lovely views from the balcony. The hamlet in which Residence Athena sits has a peaceful, rural feel. Whilst it's so easily accessible to Les Carroz, it has its own, unique charm. Walking from the front door, either up or down the mountain, takes you through such typical Alpine local countryside, complete with all the gentle sounds and smells of the Alps, from tinkling cowbells to bubbling streams, the quiet of falling snow to the woodsmoke curling out of the fabulous neighbouring chalets on a cold winter's day. It is a place that you pine for almost as soon as you have left. And just a matter of minutes away, up amongst the ski runs, the views and atmosphere are really among the best I have ever experienced.
Unique benefits of the property
We think that the apartment offers such scope for accommodating however you choose to spend your vacation. We found it such a tranquil oasis in the hot summer, yet so easy to get out and about from, both on foot, by car or by bike, to all the local and further afield places of interest. In summer and winter alike it's also the ideal spot from which to launch yourself into the massive range of outdoor active sports and leisure pursuits available. In the winter our little hamlet was perfection itself, snow clad and welcoming, and just that little bit away from the bustle and trappings of Les Carroz's amenities. You can't ski from the door, but you do feel that you are in and amongst local people, and to us that is what makes it special.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR9559
Contact Name:
Elizabeth Hill
(UNITED KINGDOM) +44 07949034864
Send an email to owner
This form may only be used for genuine enquiries about renting this property.
Use of this form for other purposes including unsolicited commercial marketing is strictly prohibited.
Your message will be sent by email to the property owner.
Owners Direct also retains an archive copy for the property owner to refer to.
If you do not receive a reply to this email within 2 or 3 days, please try contacting the owner by telephone.
Your email address will be added to our mailing list, for receipt of occasional newsletters and holiday information.
If you do not wish to be added to this mailing list, please uncheck the box above.
Please refer to our privacy policy.
This advertiser joined Owners Direct in July 2011,
and has advertised this property with us since September 2011.
Property Ref FR9559
When contacting the owner please mention that you saw this property on Owners Direct Website.