J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by verbier_ski_bum

Got to be Megève. Lot of gentle skiing, tree-lined trails, postcard views of Mot Blanc range, pedestrian shopping area and even a horse-driven ski lift and taxis.

Never skied in Trois Vallées but I don't think it's very different. I always ski over Christmas and New Year and generally it's very busy but still better then say half-terms as there are less children. Christmas day is actually a good day to ski. Day before Christmas is more busy. New Year's week is busier than a Christmas week and families with kids in tow start pulling in. December 31st I don't bother to go up - tried once and it was manic. January 1st is probably the best day to ski. Be prepared to queue up and if you want a dinner out - reserve a table. Atmosphere is good though and I wouldn't want to spend this period anywhere but in the mountains. My office closes for 10 days so it's like a free holiday - I only use couple days of annual leave and get two weeks of skiing in a row.

You should be fine with your budget pretty much everywhere. Just plan in advance. For 1000- 1500 pounds you can rent a 2 bedroom flat in the resort to share between the 4 of you and you will still have 2500-3000 pounds to pay for the rest.

We stayed in a hostel in Chamonix a few years ago. It was outside the town but the bus stop was right next to it. I think the name was Hi Hostel. 25 euros pp/pn with breakfast and dinner included, though we stayed in a room for 4. They probably have double rooms, but you should check with them in advance and book accordingly - we made the reservation on a day of arrival. In Zermatt you can try Bahnhof Hotel. It's not a hostel (though they also have dorm-type rooms) but it's fairly cheap, they provide kitchen facilities if you want to self-cater and it's located next to the main railway station.

There is not too much optimism regarding Farinet, more like a hope. After all the building is right in the centre of the village and depending on the scale of the project may obstruct traffic... Plus it's the only real après-ski place and NYE is usually celebrated on this square. There will definitely be petitions to the commune to block the project. Farinet is a good hotel too and not too pricey at all. All in all a very strange choice for a place for a private home... Anyway, this will stay as is for one more season, but if they close après ski and move New Year celebrations away from the centre probably it's time for us to move to Chamonix. Not many people will like Verbier turning into another Gstaad.

J2SkiNews wrote: They further pointed out that those operators were typically charging double now for the week in Switzerland to a 'comparable week' in another ski nation. And they finally said they did not think it was right that they should pay their staff operating in one country double/triple what they pay them in another country, to do the same job.

Different countries have different living standards, prices etc. Since they bring their staff to a country they have to pay them according to this particular country rules. I am sure that most people in Switzerland are getting paid more then people in UK, France, USA or wherever for doing the same job, but they actually live in Switzerland while working ... I am not even sure that using the word "comparable" is correct here. I travel to many places for work while doing the same job, my expenses allowance is not the same though, but depends on a country I go to. The same as a tourist. The fact is that a "comparable" week in one country will often cost more than a week in some other country, because they are two different countries. These TO's just like easy profits, maybe because they know that their services will become redundant due to technology. Nothing is easier than arranging your own holiday. Tons of flights, tons of accommodation for any budget these days, and with Internet everything is at fingertips. It's interesting how people are willing to pay the middlemen for basically nothing while totally ignoring the fact that these middlemen don't pay their staff a fair wage.

It's still nice to have a big area accessible on the same pass, but I agree that in practical terms the whole area is hardly used by skiers staying at different parts of the 4 valleys.

So, last week Le Nouvelliste published next season's offer from Nendaz-Veysonnaz (60 francs a day, with access to Mt Fort - damn!) with a map of their area. It looks like the guy will try to go for Thyon which is now completely cut off and being the smallest area is likely to take a hit from the split more than other areas involved. How it will affect Verbier in the longer run remains to be seen. Verbier season last longer, generally Nendaz becomes unskiable by April unless the winter is exceptionally snowy.

In other developments Farinet Hotel was sold. Apparently the new owner wants to turn it into luxury residences, but hasn't secured any permits from the commune yet, so next season both Lounge and Après Ski will be open. Then we have to hope that the commune screw him like they did a few people before. Chalet that we rent belongs to an Italian guy who paid over the odds for an old house with a view to buy another three old chalets and build a big new complex in their place. The owners of these chalets refused to sell, so he applied for permit to build a chalet in place of the one he already had and was refused since any serious construction work there will block the only access road. So there is a chance that likewise Farinet will remain as it is for the foreseeable future.