J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Volf

Nothing's actually changed. The law has been there since 1996. This just confirms that you can be prosecuted for it, particularly if you annoy the locals enough. Pragmatism has been working well for the last 17 years or so in most resorts with most operators. In a small village, as a newcomer, it doesn't do to throw your weight about, open a competing ski school etc. They might just apply the letter of the law.

If this is for skiing, you can park your motorhome in Montgenevre, they have a 250 space site, just above the Serre Thibault lift.

The Italians like to race and carve perfectly groomed slopes, the antithesis to moguls. There is a bumps run in Sestriere under chairlift 22. That's where you'll find them. Bardonnechia has one or two if I remember rightly. There's a couple in Claviere; one beside the Sagna Longa chair; the other under the Gimont chair. Look for black railway tracks on the piste map. They are known as mille gobbe.

That's about it, I'm afraid. But on the positive side, moguls knacker your knees, so less is better.

andymol2 wrote:Not only do you get ripped off in France for drinks, they also seem to have dual pricing with "locals" paying less than Joe Public. La Plagne seemed to have some sort of voucher scheme for locals so they can rip off the visitors without upsetting the regulars.

A lot of places have seasonaire prices VS tourist prices. It's always been like that. Most ski guides and instructors get free meals in mountain restaurants in exchange for bringing them clients. They can't afford the mountain restaurant prices, especially as they have to do it every day.

Seasonaires are low paid and can't afford the 'rip off' prices so beer and coffee are often 'normal' prices.

Silk is the way to go if you like them thin.

The first people I saw wearing helmets were Scandinavian off-piste types. I bought one when I started working out here and skiing every day. I'd say it was an anglo-saxon thing; although the Italian middle-aged men (Berlusconis) who like to wear team racing ski gear also favour the visor helmet with microphone attachment.

Ski instructors here tend not to wear helmets so that they can hear better.

Yes, but what colour lenses? Orange, yellow, pink? I've heard that people with grey eyes son't like the orange or yellow lenses. Certainly the case with me. I like the world to be an ever so light hint of pink.

Skiing across border most days, I can report that Italian mountain restaurants are about 1/3 cheaper than the French ones in Montgenevre. They also have more atmosphere.

Beers in resort €2.50 for a demi
Wine is cheap. Small glass €2.50
Hot chocolates vary but €2.50 - €3.
Coke same as hot chocolate I think.

Here follows a rant:

Got royally peed-off at Ciao Pais in Sauze d'Oulx 2 days ago. When I went to pay the bill, the lady told me that they had to charge for tap water because they had to filter and purify it themselves and weren't, by law, allowed provide tap water in Italy. Pull the other one! That trick was being used La Datcha in Val D'Isere 20 years ago when I worked there. Not only that but she didn't offer me the standard ski guide discount. It's a shame because it's lovely restaurant, probably the best on Sauze / Sestriere slopes, but they won't be seeing my groups there. I managed to get the water knocked off the bill, but when I got home I realised there was a cover charge of €2 per person on the bill !!