 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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abc, I noticed when I lived in America for a time that most people kept in cold enough in summer, and hot enough in winter, to wear the same clothes indoors all year round. when I took my baby in a US flight from Florida, where it was hot as Hades on the ground, the air-con was so fierce that we all had to strip off some clothes to try to keep her warm enough!
I guess that's just a cultural difference. Me, I really enjoy seasons. Very light, cotton and linen clothes in summer (I have lived in the Caribbean and the South Pacific in houses with no air-con) nice warm sweaters and fleeces in winter.
Anyway, back to the thread - if you like your environment warmer, or cooler, than the next bloke, you can have it the way you like in self-catering accommodation. 
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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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A typical week will be something along the lines of fajitas, sausage and mash, roast chicken or lamb and dauphinoise, poached salmon and couscous, pork and chorizo stew, lasagne or another pasta offering , and probably but not always an evening out.
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did you used to work in a chalet by any chance?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
abc, I noticed when I lived in America for a time that most people kept in cold enough in summer, and hot enough in winter, to wear the same clothes indoors all year round.
I guess that's just a cultural difference. |
I think it's more of a habit due to the relatively low energy cost in the states.
As heating cost goes up, people pay more attention to sealing the leaky windows and doors in their houses in order NOT to lower the thermostat. I certainly plead guilty to that behavior.
I grow up in the subtropics. In the 45-50 degree winter with no heating, it's rather uncomfortable not being able to take off the sweater for 4 months in a stretch! So I prefer to not wear too much indoors even in winter. It's a bit of an over-compensation behavior of mine, I'm afraid.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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i guess it depends what type of group you go with
i have done it years ago with a group of 6 blokes, and all meals were eaten out except breaky so it wasn't too bad
last 2 trips have just been me and daughter who is a picky eater, we have eaten out most of the time, but having the kitchen facility was good for quick sandwich lunches. Also as we were not looking for night life we could watch a dvd to end our night in comfort on a settee
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To summarise:
SC will work if;
The accommodation hase something resembling decent kitchen and dining facilities
You're with good enough friends to make stuck in one place all and every evening bearable
There are people willing to curtail skiing and apres in order to do the shopping
There are people willing to curtail skiing and apres in order to do the cooking
There are people with the ability and inclination to cook something other than pasta and curries
There are no fussy eaters
There is a decent supermarket in resort
You bring half the ingredients with you
You have someone in attendance with Eisenhower level planning capabilities
You have a car (not essential, but highly desirable)
For myself, stated without prejudice and a completely open mind, I'm off to the restaurant...
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Tue 30-11-10 13:23; edited 3 times in total
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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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I've only ever had a good experience with self catering. Ski all day and relax with your drink of choice back at the chalet whilst the women cook dinner.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Blimey.
miranda, the post was in the spirit of an facetious and (hopefully) amusing summary of various peoples posts, not a degree dissertation to be dissected and minutely examined.
On the other hand, if I had SC accommodation to flog I'd probably say the same things as you.
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You know it makes sense.
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Dr John, I'm sorry I annoyed you - I wasn't trying to flog my accommodation to you and my post was meant in precisely the same spirit as yours!
As for the minute examination - yes, that's the first time I've tried it... can't believe some people manage to do that with the majority of posts they respond to. 
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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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miranda, don't worry, only joshing (and being a little mischievous)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Food is the key imho. Yes you can eat out but that can be expensive, with the fallen pound. Especially for a family. Its not so bad if you are only paying for yourself (and OH maybe). If you dont intend to eat in, its almost certainly cheaper to buy catering in a package.
But a lot of hotel meals are a bit, er, sparse. There used to be stories of UK holidaymakers getting a more limited menu than others, because they (or their operators) have screwed the hotel down on price. I dont know if these stories are just a mountain myth.
I have found chalets are better generally.
Buying food in resort is always expensive. If you are driving, stock up in the valley. A friend of mine likes to freeze a load of stuff (mince, chicken, bacon etc) at home and puts it in the boot with the spare wheel (well wrapped of course!) He says it stays frozen or at least chilled until he gets there. I dont condone this of course 
There is a point here though - if you dont patronise the shops in the resort, they may not be there next year.
S/C is the way for me, with kids, but it doesnt suit everyone. If you intend to spend the max time on slope and in the bar (happy days!) it will be a bind and you will end up with rubbish food as a result!
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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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If you intend to spend the max time on slope and in the bar...
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... then surely you wouldn't have any time for eating at all (it is cheating, after all), so it doesn't matter what you go for (other than the cost and the wasted food)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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alanant Self catering for me means, basic brekkie (toast, eggs, tea) or go out for brekkie and then cafe on the mountain and finally a decent restaurant in town. So yes, I love it 
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 30-11-10 23:04; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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viv,  I actually never realised people had that mentality until we had a group of guests last year who were all work colleagues. They'd dumped their stuff and hit the slopes straight away, so we unpacked their kitchen stuff for them and I did notice they had an extraordinary amount of chocolate with them. It turns out that they were eating the bread and pastries we delivered to them in the mornings and then just heading out with dozens of chocolate bars in their pockets and did not stop skiing once, for the entire day. I did feel sorry for the 1 guest in the party who confided they were the only one who wanted to stop for lunch or a coffee and kept being called a cheat for suggesting it!
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Hi we,ve had some amazing self catering ski hols where we mostly ate out at night one night in maybe, took turns to do brekkie with our group usually 8-10. We even had xmas dinner twice in self catered apt, make sure it has an oven. But... having said that, have to say last three seasons we have done catered chalet and found (though may seem expensive) if you factor in dinner out every night if s/c then works out much of a muchness. Really depends on your budget, if you can afford to eat out at a restaraunt every night you can afford catered. If on a shoestring then s/c pizza pasta at home good option. My husband and I had second ski hol one season on a shoestring brought packet soup with us and bought some italian sausage and bread each night, boring and glad to get home for real food again but worth it for second week in beautiful meribel. Enjoy whatever you decide.
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snowmam, Been there, done that. Well put.
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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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We go self catering as taking ski-knackered children out is just not relaxing - last chrimbo we got our butcher to vacuum pack batches of meat and froze them and then took pretty much all of the food with us (and a slow cooker!) Food went on in the morning and we ate like lords in the evening and had very tired kids in bed and we relaxed nice and early. Compared to going out and not having kids back in apartment until after 8 and all too knackered to get to bed quickly... self-catering def the easy option!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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alanant, I think self catering is fine. I guess if you don't want to do the cook/clean/shop bit then you generously offer to take everyone out/buy pizzas the night it is your turn.
You never know, you might like it.
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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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Done both, would think twice about h/b again. The first time we stayed in a chalet was brilliant, the second was poor - substandard accommodation, awful food, and a large group of very cliquey fellow guests. If we did it again we'd have to go considerably upmarket, I think.
If you're self-catering it does help if you have a car and a suitably located supermarket at the bottom of the mountain (a la Val D/Les Arcs) - we hardly needed to do any more shopping after the big one at the beginning of the week. I wouldn't choose an apartment without a properly equipped kitchen and a dishwasher, either.
Overall, we preferred the flexibility and freedom that came with self-catering. You don't have to eat in, after all.
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There used to be stories of UK holidaymakers getting a more limited menu than others, because they (or their operators) have screwed the hotel down on price. I dont know if these stories are just a mountain myth.
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No they're not. The worst holiday food we've had, by a long chalk, was when Inghams failed to deliver promised catered chalet. We had (good) breakfast in the chalet but evening meals in the adjoining hotel. A crowded table in the corner and dire, dire, food. And pretty rubbish snow, too - excellent instruction saved the day.
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You know it makes sense.
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I mainly SC due to budget restraints but I do enjoy it too. As others have said it doesnt have to be a big mission!
*I normally go with a group of friends, so the company is always good and everyone is happy to muck in.
*We set up a kitty, work out a rough idea of meals and then head to the shops on the first evening in resort to get most of the food - so no cutting into ski time, just first night drinkies.
* Usually end up eating in 5 nights and out 2 nights, and take-out pizza/rotisserie chicken are always cheat options!
* Breakfasts are usually fresh bread + pastries. We take it in turns to wander downstairs to collect it from the apartment reception (as it seems many places have a bakery delivery service)
* Those that want to will make up sandwiches and load up with chocolate bars for lunch, while others are happy to eat out at mountain restaurants.
* Everyone takes a turn at cooking in the evening, something simple like curry/pasta/sausage + mash/chilli, takes about 30 minutes to prepare, while chatting with friends, drinking wine and everyone taking it in turns to have shower and get changed after skiing/apres (cook gets to shower first!).
* Everyone helps clear away the table and load the dishwasher...press go. Drink more wine.
* There may be a time when we need to pick up a few odd things but a 10 minute detour to the Spar from the apres bar and then home is hardly that taxing.
Positives:
If you do cook, it is a good money saver
Get to eat tasty local meats and cheeses
Enjoy munching on fresh bread/pastries every morning
Cooking time fits in with 'shower' time, so does not cut into apres or skiing time
More informal than a hotel or chalet, can walk around in your PJs if you like (+ more privacy)
Freedom to chose what time you eat
You only have to cook once in a week, so most of your meals are cooked for you just like catered/hotel
Negatives
There is some initial faff with sorting out kitty money, what to buy/cook and the weeks shopping trip on first afternoon/evening
Some people might not like/too lazy/cannot cook, so others might get miffed at these people not pulling their weight
There may be cooking + alcohol related dinner disasters?
Your apartment could be the size of a shoebox with no cooker, only 1 pan and no knives - so be a bit picky about which SC apartment you book!
It is not for everyone but it is not as terrible as many people fear either.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Planning is the key to self catering. I take the needed amounts of the following with me:-
Salt. Black pepper (peppered steak)
chicken + beef oxo.
Cornflour
Italian seasoning
Blackened Cajun seasoning. Fantastic on pork or fish or sausages or any meat come to that.
Curry powder
sachet of coconut butter
Coffee
Chocolate powder (chocolate sauce)
We can make some pretty tasty meals with the above seasonings and various meats and desserts, washed down with pastis before and good wine. Certainly would not be able to afford to eat out like this regularly.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I don't want to feel like I'm on holiday when I go skiing, I want to feel it's home-away-from-home. Much prefer self-catering
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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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Micheal b do you sow them in your knickers like Gillian Mckeith in "i'm a celebrity"????
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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When my ski group were all younger and poorer it used to be SC every time. Now we normally end up in catered chalets. I miss the SC days. The trouble with posh chalets and nice meals every night is that it can be a major effort getting people to venture out for a drink when they're full of food and there's still some red to polish off.
Mind you I was never allowed anywhere near the kitchen during the evening in the self catering days. Instead, my job was to get up early to raid the boulangerie and getting the coffee machine going.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hey, I saw them first !Hells Bells,
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MarjMJ, he could spend a few weeks, you're there just before us.
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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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FAQ
and like many things, it doesn't count when you're on holiday 
