Catered chalet, Easter, Avoriaz.

A snowHead

Morning all.

Looking ahead to Easter 2021, and have a small group (7/ Cool

and would like the idea of a catered chalet.

Any idea how much i should expect to pay?

Also, would there be any chance of getting a Thursday-Thursday booking? Thinking 1st April for a week

Failing the catered option, anyone give me a steer on prices for eating out for lunch and dinner, beers, wine, soft drinks etc.

Cheers.

A snowHead

Since Crystal stoped doing catered Chalets in Avoriaz the choice is limited, so there is not much competition.
VIP Ski is about 1900 GBP per person, but like most operators they do Saturday to Saturday.
The only person I know in Avoriaz that does Midweek-Midweek is Andy Wilson. http://www.avoriazlettings.co.uk/ , and it's cheap as chips.
If Andy doesn't have anything, there's another little network of owners who might have something, ask him if Barry or the 3 Daves can help.
(Dodgy, Dangerous or Geordie).

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@WindOfChange, great reply, cheers.

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as @WindOfChange, says, Avoriaz has very limited catered Chalet options.

Other options with quick access to Avoriaz......

Prodains is a small hamet is under Avoriaz and has a ski run down into it and a high speed gondola to get you up into Avoriaz in 5 mins.

Catered options in Prodains are.....

Prodains Hotel - https://www.hotellesprodains.com/index.php/en/ (Nice welcoming French Husband and Wife team with good quality french/Savoie food).
Hotel Les Lans - https://en.morzine-avoriaz.com/hotel-restaurant/hotel-les-lans.html Real French Hotel, proper french food, Im sure the younger members of the family are starting to take the reins. Has Crystal tour company taking the hotel certain weeks.
Chilly Powder has self catered and catered options - https://www.chillypowder.com/ Mosty Brits stay here. Independanty owned and ran, good quality food and wine. Not the cheapest but may be able to do flexible dates certain weeks.
Kinkerne Hotel with Mountain Mavericks - https://mountainmavericks.com/accommodation/winter/hotel-la-kinkerne/ Thinks its ran as a B&B by 'mostly' competent Brit staf.

Self Catered Options in Prodains with Pure Morzine. - https://www.puremorzine.com/chalets/chalet-les-forclettes French/British team offering good quality self-catered accom.

Ardent is another small hamlet with great access to the Avoriaz and has ski run into Ardent hamlet
Catered Options in Ardent are with the family ski company. - https://familyski.co.uk/chalets/chalets-in-ardent/ mostly familys and think maybe stuck Sunday to Sunday

I can also recommend a catered options of themountainlodgecompany who are good value for what they provide. However those guys are in Morzine and not Avoriaz but do provide slope runs in mini buses morning and afternoon to the telecabin that would get you up to Avoriaz. - https://themountainlodgecompany.com/

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

This Map shows you Ardent and Prodains and how they have good access to Avoriaz.

https://fr.calameo.com/read/0028278924c8451377cbe

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@@247snowman, Thanks very much. Quickly realising that it's likely to be self catered if we want to be in Avoriaz itself. No problem with this, just need the right kind of chalet/apartment.

2 of the party are not likely to ski much, if at all, but would like to be near the action to meet the others during the many drink/lunch/hot choc stops, so am I right to think that Avoriaz will suit their needs better than Morzine.

4 of the party will be fairly inexperienced teens, and I like the idea that it looks like they can have a fair bit of freedom without too much fear of getting lost if I'm not with them. Again, it seems that staying in Avoriaz is the better option?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

After all it is free

@Handy Turnip, Cheers. I think they will pretty much hang out and people watch, and have an extended lunch (hopefully in the sun), so they don't need too much going on. Maybe a swim and a spa for a change.

@SHAP,
Look at the L'Amara with Premier Pierre Vacances for smqrt Avoriaz apartment with added facilities.

Great location for getting dropped off at start of holiday and picked up at end of holiday as Avoriaz is snow covered pedestrianised affair which involves snow cat taxi other wise.

L'Amara has its own spa/ pool etc, also lovley walking route from front door to cheese farm and close to the ski school plateau and Yeti restaurant for lunch.

Can recommend George or Mark for a few private lessons to give the teenagers some coaching at Avoriaz Alpine Ski school or some weeks they run teenage camps.

Would really help them come on a bit

https://www.avoriazalpineskischool.com/teenagers

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And if they get bored in Avoriaz there's nothing to stop them walking over to the Prodains gondola, buying a return passenger ticket, and jumping on the bus to Morzine for a "day out".

Thinking of the non-skiers people watching I'd say you ideally want to be in the bottom right corner, near the Prodains gondola. That means easy access to the line of piste-side bars/restaurants between the top of the Prodains gondola and the Stad/Lac-Intrets/Tour chairs. Also reasonable access to Aquaraz.

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@Mjit, Cheers, so maybe Dromonts, or similar? Funnily enough, just waiting to hear back from an enquiry for a chalet right there.

@Handy Turnip, I shall no doubt join then on the odd afternoon that I finish skiing early.

@@247snowman, have looked at the Avoriaz Apline Ski school already - seems pretty comprehensive.

God I could kill a Changabang Mad Max burger right now Very Happy

You know it makes sense.

For me the Vallee des Ardoisiers (Prodains) would be a big NO.
It doesn't get as much sun as either Avoriaz or Morzine.
It doesn't really have a heart or soul.
It's neither one thing on another.
It's not Avoriaz, ski-in ski out mountain top chic, and it's not hustle and bustle of the Zine with nightlife shops bars etc....
That's why the chalets there are fancy-dan to attract people.
Go for something ok in a great location rather than something great in an OK location.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Had a reply from my favoured chalet, but they will only do Sunday change overs, so may need to reconsider my ideal of Thursday-Thursday.

Given that it would be self catered, can you give me a steer on typical pricing for eating out, lunch and dinner.

Nothing fancy (4 teens with us), so usual burger (Changabang already mentioned), pizza, local cuisine type places.

@WindOfChange, agreed, nice places, but pretty remote and as you say, soulless.

A snowHead

Have you looked at Hotel Dromont, they probably would do Thursday to Thursday and whilst not a "catered chalet" you could have all your meals there and if I remember correctly they do a half board option.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@marcellus, Cheers. Hadn't thought to look, but just have - nice place, just a bit pricey in my view.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The supermarkets generally have hot counters where you can pick up a beautifully cooked, steaming hot lasagne\casserole\meatballs..etc (depending on what's on the menu) - just in case you want to save a bit of money one night and eat in without having to actually cook.

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@marcellus, Also the boulangerie in the main Village is fab for lunch and very good value.

Has indoor and outdoor seating and the food is great.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Handy Turnip, useful to know, cheers.

Actually, in general, are the supermarkets well stocked and decently priced? Thinking things like snacks for the teens, maybe wine/beer for the oldies to have a few back at the accom.

Other option is to go down the hire car route and stop somewhere enroute from Geneva.... Though I'm sure it's not cost effective...

After all it is free

There is a decent Carrefour supermarket in Avoriaz that will serve you fine for a week.
I would not bother with a hire car in Avoriaz, Its pedestrianised and you would have to factor in paying for underground parking or outdoor parking which is a bit of a distance from the village.
If there is 7 of you go for a Private return transfer from Skiidy Gonzales, Ski-Lifts, Alp-Nav, etc etc

@@247snowman, pretty much as i thought. Car for 7, fuel, hassle, parking stuff, probably easier to pay for the transfer. I don't mind paying a bit of a premium (shop wise) for the location, but what i don't want is to find i can't get the basics.

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@swskier, that'll certainly be getting a visit or 2 then. Cheers.

Any other 'don't miss' places either for lunch or dinner? Water park worth a visit? Bowling?

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The main appeal of the bowling was that you could drink for another hour as it shut at 3am while the other pubs used to close at 2am.
There's a couple of dart boards, some baby-foot tables and video games as well as the 2 lanes. It's in one of the old Cinemas in Avoriaz (from the days of the Film Festival), the family who owned it until recently also own a whole bunch of Cinemas in the area.
The Place (owned by a couple of Danish lads) has live music for Apres is worth a visit.
Don't be fooled by the bar / resto called "Fantastic" - it really isn't.

Ive not done it as was always working the evenings but the organised night sledge down from Avoriaz to Prodains looked great fun.

Im guessing the teenagers would love it.

https://avoriaz.evolution2.com/en/activite/winter-activities/night-sledging/

Depending upon the Weather the fantastic cable runs in the Winter too. (Mostly a summer activity but they have started running it in the winter the last couple of years).

This is from the top of the Avoriaz sector (Top of Chaux Fleurie Chairlift) across Plaine Dranse in Chatel.

https://en.chatel.com/the-fantasticable.html

You know it makes sense.

@@247snowman, I think we'd all be up for both of those, cheers.

@WindOfChange, Thanks. Pretty sure my 3am days on a ski trip are over...

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

The Fantasticable in the winter is a bit different from the summer.
In the summer there are 2 legs: first across to a hut next to the ESF Competition Piste near Cornebois. The second leg takes you back across the valley to a little bit above the resto at the top of Pierre Longue.
The landing area of the second leg is steep and prone to avalanches, so in the winter, they only run the first leg.
This makes it cheaper than in the summer.
I paid for one one my sons to do it this winter and it was about 20 or 25 euros.
Also makes for a good race, as the person on the Fantasticable will get there first, but they then have to wait for them to send down their skis / snowboard on a separate harness. So if you set off on the snow at the same time, by the time you have gone down to PD, up Chaux de Roses and halfway down again to the landing hut, you'll get there marginally before their kit arrives Smile

A snowHead

@WindOfChange, certainly sounds like a plan for 20/25 Euros. Thanks.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Help!!

Catered chalet, Easter, Avoriaz.

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