Beautiful ski area and excellent lifts, but the parking reception is deplorable!
The ski area: From a skiing perspective, it's flawless. The area is vast and the infrastructure (lifts/ski passes) is modern and very fast, which minimizes waiting times. It's an ideal resort for families with children or anyone who isn't very good at navigating: the layout of the slopes makes it virtually impossible to get lost or accidentally ski down the wrong side. You can enjoy the glacier in complete safety. The shopkeepers are also very friendly and welcoming.
The downside (Parking and Municipal Police): A major drawback, however, is the parking management, which spoils the stay. We arrived on Saturday in the 1800 sector (below the Meije apartments), and the parking meter was out of order. On Sunday, it was still broken (photos attached). At the end of the day, I had the unpleasant surprise of finding a parking ticket on my windshield, just like all my neighbors in the parking lot.
When I contacted the Tourist Office to find out how to pay despite the malfunction, I was redirected to the municipal police. They simply told me to go to the other end of the parking lot or use a mobile app. I find this method deeply dishonest: issuing mass parking tickets to an entire neighborhood when the station's equipment is faulty. To rectify the situation, we're also forced to pay for a full week's parking (7 days) even though we only have 5 days of vacation left.
I tried to share this experience on a local Facebook group to warn other vacationers: my post was deleted after 70 comments from people describing the same situation. Clearly, the station prefers to censor dissatisfied customers rather than repair its parking meters. It's a shame that the administration doesn't live up to the quality of the ski area.
