What exactly is a catered chalet?

thanks for some great lengthy replies. It is very much appreciated when collating information.
I have looked into DIY and from Newcastle airport with easyjet the only place they fly into is Geneva so I would probably be looking at that, although i would travel to another airport like Leeds or Manchester if I had to. wouldnt go as far as London though.

Rose when you say all inclusive, which tour operator gives you this type of package? Also should I wait till further in the year or book now? Also we were looking at going in March. never really considered January as I was worried it might be too cold lol (well you know, colder than end Feb/March lol)

there are just so many choices and so many places. How on earth to make a decision. I cant believe when I was younger I went to Soll twice! why didnt I try anywhere else?

When people give reports of the resorts not being as pretty in france as they are in Austria, what do they mean? doe sthis mean the runs in France are boring? not as much scenery? havent got a clue what to expect.

I think the hotel option or self catering in an apartment will be the way to go for us.

I must be looking at the wrong websites as I went to one to check transfers to teh resort from Geneva and it was anything between £500 and £700 !! dont think i would like to do the eurostar or skitrain as it would mean the drive to London.

If you go to Geneva, perhaps hire a car as the only 'cheap' way to get a transfer is to get on a bus/minibus, which if you have a long transfer in my opinion is a bit of a 'mare. Try www.carrentals.co.uk - webcrawler that will trawl through loads of sites and come up with best price. If you hire from French side of the airport (it has a French and Swiss sector) make sure your car is 'winterised' - there's a fee to pay but means you will have snow tyres and additives to fuel and antifreeze etc...

And yes the choice is dazzling. Maybe get one of the ski resort guides to get an idea of what you want first; Hardy's or Where to Ski and Snowboard. They;re not perfect but will help you narrow it down...

karen72 wrote:Also should I wait till further in the year or book now?

March is generally not peak season, so there's no hurry unless you're being offered huge "early bird" discounts, or you believe Mugabenomics will devalue the pound a lot further...

...tongue in cheek, a little... :wink:

karen72 wrote:I was worried it might be too cold

Cold weather is what ski wear is for; cold weather keeps the snow fluffy, but very small kiddies don't like it.

karen72 wrote:When people give reports of the resorts not being as pretty in france as they are in Austria, what do they mean?

They mean they've only been to Paris Gard du Nord, Les Menuires and Tignes in the summer. Many of the other 400 ski resorts in France are lovely.

karen72 wrote:does this mean the runs in France are boring?

Not if you turn off your iPod, open your eyes and actually go skiing.

karen72 wrote:not as much scenery?

:lol: :lol: :lol: France shares the biggest mountain in Europe with Italy, and has plenty other amazing places to ski. Anyone who tells you France lacks scenery is an idiot. End of.

None of the above is to say that France is better than Austria - I love them both... although T-bars are almost extinct in France, which swings it for some folk... :D

karen72 wrote: I have even started making a database of the resorts I have been recommended.....how sad.!

karen

You think thats sad i have a database of about 50 resorts of places i've been to and want to go to with boxes to tick to indicate if i've visited yet or not! Thats sad! :mrgreen:

Hi Karen,
Well, if you definitely decide to fly into Geneva, why don't you make that your starting point, and look at good resorts that are easy, quick, and cheap to get to from Geneva?

I do it on that basis, only I'm looking at resorts within easy reach of the ski train. It does help to whittle down the choice.

My limited experience of French resorts is that they are more functional and modern than the Austrian ones, which are generally lower down and based around traditional villages, so they look nicer. But you don't usually get ski-in, ski-out, in Austria, like you often do in France, because they are lower.

Ally

thanks, thats some useful information there. Being cold is definitley something to take into consideration, especially with the kids. My youngest seems to feel the cold for some reason, unlike my oldest who sweats buckets!

I feel better for what you said about scenery too! I wouldnt wear an ipod because to me, skiing is when you get to the top of the lift and you are on your own (this would obviously be in school term time :wink:) and it is just silent! I love the silence, its so, cant think of the word so I will say "pretty"!lol

I have half picked La Plagne, as someone suggested it and Ihave been looking at it and it seems to have just what we want, loads of blue and green runs to the door. although it is so huge my next problem would be locating the right area. Also I think Tony had mentioned that Sauze was also a good place. at the minute I am just looking and researching. By the way only 5 have made it to my database so swskier you win the sadness stakes! :wink:

lol

thanks for the info. I am tralling through old forum messages trying to collate as much as possible and look at piste maps, having said that I read somewhere, cant remember where it was and it might possibly have been La Plagne, that the piste map was about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

Oh well, plenty time eh? lol

karen

haha thanks i am pretty sad to be fair! :lol:

sorry to butt in on your posting but came across it while I was looking for something else and thought I would chime in!

If you're after catered chalet check out www.chaletsdirect.com

they have the best range of independent chalets, and a forum where you can post details of what you are looking for and then just sit back and let the offers come in!

I would also recommend Morzine/Les Gets as in April the lift passes are reduced (under 400 euros for a family of 4)

With the euro/pound rate I personally think that catered chalets offer the best value for money at the moment!