 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking at a chalet in 1850 Courchevel next year but the reports I have read talk about eye wateringly high prices. I know people tend to exaggerate and I also know if you look hard enough you can always find something cheaper but what is the real story?
I have been to Val D, Val T and Tignes and paid 20 euro for a crappy hot dog with a soft drink up the mountain and then easily 50 euro per head in the evening for a meal but I have also found pizza joints that did great pizza's for 1o euros so I am hsappy with a mixed bag.
However the reports I have seen talk about doubling or tripling those sort of prices and then some just for basic food during the day. We are going catered so it is only lunch that will cost us but I don't fancy shelling out 150 quid at lunch time for a snack just because Roman Abramovich hangs out there especially when the kids will only pick at food during the day.
Anybody got a recent report?
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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As usual if you avoid the silly places (the altiport for example) you can eat fairly well in the town. I have recollections of a very nice small hotel/restaurant on the street through town that was as good and sensibly priced as anywhere else in the 3Vs and at least one bar that was very "ordinary" in a good way. For some reason the term "ski jump" seems to stick in my mind and plat du jour at about 15 euros.
There are very expensive places around but these can be avoided. Check the prices before you go in.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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mheadbee, 8 euros for an orange juice etc means that we always have lunch elsewhere than 1850. The ski ing is great around there so we just picnic for lunch
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johnE, Maybe you're thinking of the Tremplin, right next to the main lifts
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Having done 3 winters in Courchevel I don't think it's more expensive than Val d'Isere. There are more ridiculously prices restaurants than in most places but you can also find decent enough deals (for a ski resort).
La Tania is a good place in the Courchevel valley for cheaper options or if you are exploring the 3 Valleys than Mottaret has cheap options as well.
In 1650 you can get a Plat du Jour for around €15 at the bottom of the hill. Just make sure to check the prices before you sit down.
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we stop for a drink and lunch at the http://www.courcheneige.com/ doesn't quite break the bank from what I recall, lovely deck area with fire pit to sit outside if sunny.
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Little Martin, agreed, that's a good option, and pretty good value for that location, in that resort. Bel Air above C1650 is not bad, and I really like the Petite Auberge pizzeria in C1650 - great value and lovely pizzas. Short walk on to the main street keeps it cheaper than piste-side locations. For a sandwich and a pastry there's a good patisserie in the Forum (little shopping complex in C1850) with some seating available.
On the other hand, if you want to spend the family inheritance there's plenty of options for that as well.
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http://www.latania.co.uk Is always good for general 3Vs advice and they have devoted a page to this:
http://www.latania.co.uk/resort/vfm.html
Most expensive we went to was La Soucoupe near the top of Plantrey chairlift. It is famously expensive but the Mrs wanted to ogle some Russians (we were there 1st week jan). €100 for 2 with 1 glass of wine last year. Almost worth it for the waiter flambeeing a diamanté Bogner jacket at the next table! She got full value anyway. Even this has a panini outlet with lots of deckchairs outside if you don't want to splash the cash. Another panini outlet with a great deck is under the bel air at the top of the gondola out of 1650.
Better value was la table de mon grand pere across the road from the lift station in Le Praz. €55ish for 2, nice food and a half bottle of Gamay. Wherever recommended that has also recommended L'Arc en Ciel at the base of Saulire but I didn't try it (I copied it off the web into a note).
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mheadbee, if you are in a catered chalet with the usual "apres ski tea" with lots of baguettes and jam and cake, and can have a proper filling breakfast, you really don't need a big lunch as well, do you? Do head down to 1650 which has decent options. We used to give our kids pocket money for the week and they could decide how to spend it. It was rarely on lunch, I can tell you! Maybe a plate of chips. Take some mini chocolate and muesli bars, buy some apples in a supermarket. Courchevel is a great place to ski.
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In good weather no probs - piste side outdoor takeaway stuff is fine prices ( for skiing) it's when the weather come in and choices are limited it can get at bit 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It's not that bad, just avoid the ludicrously expensive places! There is a cafe in the main shopping centre which does cheap and very tasty snacks. We even went there on a wonderful day out on the Eosb last year.
Another place to go for is Le Bouc Blanc just above La Tania. Lovely food at reasonable prices.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Little Martin, rob@rar, +1 for both the Courchneige and the patisserie in the forum in 1850.
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If you have chalet board with unlimited wine you have most of your subsistence costs already sorted.
I hate been ripped off with poor quality & high prices. Have some money put by for a treat or two.
You can economise by skiing down to La Tania or 1650 and walk down to street level where you should find fair value & quality.
We got stranded in a blizzard when getting off the chairlift and blundered into the Soucoupe for sanctuary. We had lunch sat on fur clad seats by a roaring log fire. I had a dish of the day a pot-au-feu - a huge casserole pot with slabs of meat in it. It was gorgeous and surprising reasonably priced for the quality. We only had a small beer as even though the wine list had some fine wines some cost 1000's. I really enjoyed the experience for less than €50 each. Only spoiled by some hurrah Henry bankers who were bragging how much of your's and mine's money they had lost for their banks.
Similarly on the chalet staff night off we ate in Hotel Portetta in 1650. The inclusive price seafood night was a feast and fair value. You can pay almost as much for rubbish food. So consider checking out the price list in the better places.bought
Mind you there are plenty of places that milk the very rich, not that they care. We did a tour of the night clubs with the rep, in one place a bottle of Jack Daniels for 450 euros & then a small fortune for a pitcher of cola to go with it. A group of Russians were trying to outspend each other on champagne asking for bigger & more expensive bottles. The place was pretty seedy, I didn't have a drink.
Last year I introduced my buddy to the Sella Ronda - he thought I was talking it up - but he had to admit it was all I said, fabulous scenery, miles of pistes, great food on the mountain, 20€ for lunch with wine, 2.50 € for Caffè Latte. So you can keep the 3Vs despite its great skiing.
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You know it makes sense.
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Courcheneige is about the best value of on mountain restaurant in 1850. All good value and we'll prepared. Skiers lunch at about €29 is fab.
Le passage in the back of the forum is a great little pizza/pasta place, again good food and not stupid prices.
Bel air in 1650 is always a lunchtime treat, but if you want cheaper and the weather is good I'd say try the snack bar underneath it.
Plenty to be avoided if you are looking to not break the bank most of them already mentioned.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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ansta1, +1 for the Courcheneige.
Maybe we caught the Bel Air on a bad day, I had a pretty miserable pasta for €18.50 & an ordinary bottle of bordeaux for €29.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Lechbob, funnily enough last time we visited it wasn't up to previous visits, put it down as a one off, but perhaps not?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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mheadbee Most of the advice is pointing at the same thing. 1850 can be really expensive but the other resorts are all close by and more reasonable, although I must admit that I find all ski resorts expensive. I was quite nervous about going, earlier this year, but we had 1/2 board with wine so we only had to have lunch and it wasn't too bad. We had lunch in the chalet a few days and we found a few nice places in the other villages and had a good look round as well.
And we're going back next year.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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From what I can recall we had a small beer and a baguette at the posh piste side bar and restaurant on the left of home run into down into 1850 (I think it was the Courcheneige). It looked expensive inside but our food and beer came to €15 each from what I can recall and excellent quality too.
Could someone tell me what the going rate is for a beer in 1850 itself?
Also, how easy is it to get to 1650 by bus for an evening out?
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sun 26-10-14 23:08; edited 1 time in total
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| Quote: |
pam w
super-snowHead
Posts: 40427
Location: le Beaufortain, France or Chichester Harbour
mheadbee, if you are in a catered chalet with the usual "apres ski tea" with lots of baguettes and jam and cake, and can have a proper filling breakfast, you really don't need a big lunch as well, do you? Do head down to 1650 which has decent options. We used to give our kids pocket money for the week and they could decide how to spend it. It was rarely on lunch, I can tell you! Maybe a plate of chips. Take some mini chocolate and muesli bars, buy some apples in a supermarket. Courchevel is a great place to ski
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I am not really thinking of me. We are a family of 4, all good skiers and boarders and lunch usually consists of pizza/pasta if the kids fancy it or a baguette/panini if we dont want to sit down inside- usual stuff. Sometimes you fancy a beer or wine and an hour to let the kids and wife rest so a restaurant can be on the cards.
We are taking a family of 4 this year for their first ever ski holiday so traveling to other resorts will not be an option as the are 47, 40, 11 and 7 years of age. They will probably take lessons in the morning and knowing the wife and youngest will probably not get on great with it so will like to have a nice long lunch and then do something else in the afternoon. What I don't want is for them to be stuck with little option other than spending £200 quid at lunchtime....a sure way to put them of.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Lechbob
snowHead
Posts: 836
Location: Driggs, Idaho
If you have chalet board with unlimited wine you have most of your subsistence costs already sorted.
Similarly on the chalet staff night off we ate in Hotel Portetta in 1650.
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I stayed half board in the portetta 10 years ago. Food was great but it was so loud at night i didn't sleep all week. Every door that closed, the lift, the talking etc just echoed around the hotel.
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mheadbee, you will find that they knocked down the old Portetta in 2008 and re-built the whole thing from scratch. It is a lovely, 4 star hotel now but wouldn't choose it for a cheap evening out...
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| mheadbee wrote: |
| Quote: |
pam w
super-snowHead
Posts: 40427
Location: le Beaufortain, France or Chichester Harbour
mheadbee, if you are in a catered chalet with the usual "apres ski tea" with lots of baguettes and jam and cake, and can have a proper filling breakfast, you really don't need a big lunch as well, do you? Do head down to 1650 which has decent options. We used to give our kids pocket money for the week and they could decide how to spend it. It was rarely on lunch, I can tell you! Maybe a plate of chips. Take some mini chocolate and muesli bars, buy some apples in a supermarket. Courchevel is a great place to ski
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I am not really thinking of me. We are a family of 4, all good skiers and boarders and lunch usually consists of pizza/pasta if the kids fancy it or a baguette/panini if we dont want to sit down inside- usual stuff. Sometimes you fancy a beer or wine and an hour to let the kids and wife rest so a restaurant can be on the cards.
We are taking a family of 4 this year for their first ever ski holiday so traveling to other resorts will not be an option as the are 47, 40, 11 and 7 years of age. They will probably take lessons in the morning and knowing the wife and youngest will probably not get on great with it so will like to have a nice long lunch and then do something else in the afternoon. What I don't want is for them to be stuck with little option other than spending £200 quid at lunchtime....a sure way to put them of. |
I think I'd go somewhere else if I were you!
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| PeteMan wrote: |
| Also, how easy is it to get to 1650 by bus for an evening out? |
Very easy but the language & behavior of the British chalet staff on their day off was embarrassing. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
user
Posts: 317
Location: Cheltenham
I think I'd go somewhere else if I were you!
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That is the whole purpose of this thread...to ask the question and gain some feedback from those have been recently.
I think this one may have whooshed right over you end, but thanks for your input anyway.
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| Quote: |
mheadbee, you will find that they knocked down the old Portetta in 2008 and re-built the whole thing from scratch. It is a lovely, 4 star hotel now but wouldn't choose it for a cheap evening out...
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I will be interested to have a look inside. It was supposed to be 5 star when I stayed there, the food was but the hotel didn't really feel it so I expect it was one of those dodgy ratings.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| mheadbee wrote: |
| I will be interested to have a look inside. It was supposed to be 5 star when I stayed there, the food was but the hotel didn't really feel it so I expect it was one of those dodgy ratings. |
My friends stay there each year & they are most particular about quality & service. I must say it looked good when I visited. If you need that quality it is a good call.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 27-10-14 9:20; edited 1 time in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@mheadbee, That's interesting as 5 star hotel ratings in France only came in about 4 years ago. Before that 4 star was as high as you could get. Now they have 5 star de luxe i.e 6 stars. All comes at a price though.
Andy
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| anderoo wrote: |
@mheadbee, That's interesting as 5 star hotel ratings in France only came in about 4 years ago. Before that 4 star was as high as you could get. Now they have 5 star de luxe i.e 6 stars. All comes at a price though.
Andy |
Yeah thinkink
Annapurna or kilimandjaro
40k for a week sir, suit you sir suit you!
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You know it makes sense.
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@ansta1, sounds good to me but if you are on a tight budget €1500 pp for a week H/B @ the Portetta or the Courcheniege is tolerable.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Dia_FindTransfers wrote: |
| Just make sure to check the prices before you sit down. |
I did but foolishly said yes when asked if I would like a scrape of truffle on my mash potato. It cost me another €15.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| lechjohn wrote: |
| @ansta1, sounds good to me but if you are on a tight budget €1500 pp for a week H/B @ the Portetta or the Courcheniege is tolerable. |
we are already booked in the courcheneige for H/T week 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ansta1, lovely good call 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hotel St Louis (Crystal Holidays) is excellent value and right on the piste.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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but it's crystal.... 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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anderoo,
I'm almost certain (haven't got the photo to prove it) the Carlina (I lived in a chalet across the road) had 5 stars on it when I worked a season in 1993-4!
Back to the OP. I'm afraid that I don't have current information for you as although I've skied in 1950 a lot, I haven't been back since 2004. It has always been expensive but there have always been cheaper ways of eating. These things are relative and you still end up paying a chunk of money for a pizza.
I stopped going because I found the overall cost difficult to justify once we were a family of 4 and the transfer time is too long when I'm sneaking off for a weekend with friends. Money aside, I do think a ski-in, ski-out chalet in 1850 is just about the optimal family/mixed group skiing option in Europe.
All that said, I think a lot of the merits of 1850 (shear variety of high, shady skiing, access to the whole 3V, massive vertical, challenging runs in the trees for bad weather days, etc) would be a little irrelevant to a family of beginners. So I think you would be putting an unnecessary financial burden on your friends. Tricky. Must admit I'd be tempted to go summer just as convenient but a bit cheaper this year (Alpe d'Huez, La Plagne, maybe try to find a chalet in St Martin de Belleville if you are set on 3V).
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The more you go toward St Martin/Val Thorens Valley, the better the value. That is not to say there are no affordable places in 1850.
Noted the comments at the Bel Air, it has always been my fave on boys trips. But my Mrs did not share my opinion last year when she went for the first time. I wonder if this was because it was a pretty rubbish day, no outside, steamy inside, no view. Also it seams impossible to book a table their anymore.
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Ah - I was originally talking about the whole area including La Tania/1650, meribel. 1850 itself is pretty expensive ime, expecialy to sit inside. And with beginners, skiing on when you find somewhere too expensive (especialy when everyone is tired and it's snowing hard) isn't always an option. Plus of course breaks are more frequent. Personally I'd go somewhere else with beginners unless they have very deep pockets. Les Arcs (1600/1950), la Plagne (Belle), Montgenevre, Morzine, les Gets would all be more friendly and easier on the pocket for beginners, while having plenty to offer experienced skiers...
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@mheadbee, if the first timers are not keen to try and ski all day the ice rink at 1850 is an option for one afternoon. To get variety they could also get on the bus and go to 1650 and have a go at the green runs there and have a sense of travel. It gives a chance to find some cheaper places to eat. The buses between 1850 and 1650 are pretty frequent as well.
1850 would be a good place to learn in my opinion. The snow should be decent because of the altitude which will help them learn.
Personally learning to ski in the likely rain in Morzine would put anyone off for life. In 1850 you would be able to avoid some of the high prices. Hard to avoid the rain.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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+1 there are lots of green options which also provide lots of variety rather than just running up and down the same football field sized gentle slope.
Bellecote, jardin alpin as an example.
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| HoneyBunny wrote: |
| It's not that bad, just avoid the ludicrously expensive places! There is a cafe in the main shopping centre which does cheap and very tasty snacks. We even went there on a wonderful day out on the EoSB last year. |
Our ski instructor took us there last year. Good simple cafe food at relatively reasonable prices. No, you don't get a view but you will get a good deal.
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FAQ
