 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys, first post on here, please be gentle!!
We are a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 late teens, early to mid intermediate skiers.
I'm looking at driving to les gets / morzine next Feb 2022 and looking for any advise on here you may want to share on the resorts.Weve never been to France so are unsure of what we need to pay in resort for stuff
Most importantly is what can I expect to pay for a snack in the day and also what's the average price for an evening meal? Whats the price for a pint etc.
We are looking to book an apartment with Airbnb which seem quite reasonable plus the added bonus of 100% cancellation if COVID prevents travel so we expect to eat out a few times as well as cook our selves on some nights.
What are the typical prices for supermarket food compared to the UK, obviously its dearer but by how much?
Any other useful info would be appreciated cheers everyone
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome @rick34512.
I hope by February you will have a relatively sane trip! We have never worried about supermarket prices in resort, yes they are more than the big hypermarkets near cities but not by enough to send us elsewhere. A bit like the prices in a village shop in the UK compared to a big Tesco.
Food on the mountain you do need to budget for, unless you are used to eating out every day normally. We try to get away with 10-15 euros for a light lunch but that does need selecting your restaurant and dish. And with late teens lunches may end up not so light. We have occasionally rented a place that is easy to return to for lunch, so some days we can eat excellent bread and cheese quite inexpensively (that might be feasible in Les Gets but not Morzine).
Evening meals a bit more, 15-20 euros for pizza and salad and more for meat-based dishes. But look out for the prix fixe deals (table d'hote or menu touristique) giving you 2 or 3 courses for 25 euros or so. Beer about 5 euros, wine cheap by the carafe but often bottles of named wines come expensive.
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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’re driving then there is a big carrefour about 10/15 mins drive from Les gets which will have “normal” prices. That said, the little one in Les Gets isn’t extortionate. You can still pick up a reasonable bottle of wine for €5-6.
Lunch on the mountain will depend on where you go. The Yeti Café on the Les Gets side is probably the most reasonably priced, but you get what you pay for. We (3 adults, 3 teens) normally get three baguettes (they’re massive) and three portions of chips between us, as well as 6 fizzy drinks and that comes to about €50. If you want a “proper” lunch in one of the restaurants then you’re looking at €15-20 a head, which is similar in resort as well as up the mountain. Some restaurants will be a little more pricey but it depends what you want.
A coffee/hot choc is about €4 in Yeti Café (extra €1 if you want squirty cream). Vin chaud is €4.50 IIRC and a beer about €5-6 in resort and up the mountain.
All in all it seems reasonably priced, apart from coffee/hot choc.
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If you have a car then he best place to stock up on food, petrol and wine is, as @Timmycb5 writes is the Carrefour outside of Morzine on the Thonon road. Check closing times as I think it's shut on Sunday afternoons. It's changed its name over the years so it may no longer be a Carrefour but it's still a big hypermarket.
If you want a really good lunch on the mountain book a table at the Grande Ourse on the Mont Chery side, not cheap but well worth it.
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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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Hi @rick34512 if you are driving and approaching thru Taninges, a quick detour left brings you to a big "Super-U". That's probably the best shop stop.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| MikeM wrote: |
If you have a car then he best place to stock up on food, petrol and wine is, as @Timmycb5 writes is the Carrefour outside of Morzine on the Thonon road. Check closing times as I think it's shut on Sunday afternoons. It's changed its name over the years so it may no longer be a Carrefour but it's still a big hypermarket.
If you want a really good lunch on the mountain book a table at the Grande Ourse on the Mont Chery side, not cheap but well worth it. |
You just need to dice with death on the two man chair lift to get to it 
Mont Chery is worth it though. It’s where the locals ski. Lots of empty wide pistes. It’s only downside really is that it’s entire lift systems needs, ahem, updating.
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@Timmycb5, or take a left out of the main (mid) station to the chair and then ski off to the right when you get to the top then drop down to the restaurant. Or, before that take a left at the top of that chair and ski down the long fast red, chair back up and then ski down to the restaurant.... ah....happy days 
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@rick34512,
Airbnb are ok but generally quite limited in choice although more flexible. Do have a look at the resorts own reservation websites https://en.resa-morzine.com/winter for Morzine, https://booking.lesgets.com/winter for Les Gets. I believe both have sympathetic covid cancellation policies.
Cluses has a large Carrefour, a Lidl and a Grand Frais. A guaranteed way to get your holiday off to a stressy start is to try and buy food in the small village shops late Saturday afternoon when half of France is trying to do the same.
As it's February think about timing your drive, we generally have a very early ferry on the Friday to a hotel around Cluses, shop and have a meal. Early breakfast and up to Les Gets by 9:00 am ready to ski. If you don't have your own kit then at least you can get into the hire shop early without the normal crush. On the way back we checkout before 9:00 am and go skiing till about 4:00 then head to a hotel 2-3 hours away, completing the journey home on Sunday. This way we get 8 days skiing, not just the standard ski holiday 6.
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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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@Timc, is correct, time your arrival and departure. French autoroutes are diabolical during weekends at half term, particularly if the Parisians are off as well, and IIRC when we used to do this a wait of an hour at a payage was not uncommon. Coming from the Northwest we would get a Eurotunnel train late morning on a Friday and stopover in a cheap hotel in Reims (quite a few to choose from, and SHs will advise if needed). Leaving Reims at 8:00 the next day gets you ahead of the crowds and an arrival mid afternoon - time enough to settle in and hire kit before bed.
You may need to check if you need a Crit'Air sticker for the Haute Savoire region. Snow chains are cheaper to buy before you go (most second hand ones have hardly been used), and you probably won't need them but if you do they could literally save your life!
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@rick34512, The price of things varies quite a bit depending on where you go and what you order.
I'm not an expert on Morzine since it has been a long time since I've been there. I know the big Tarrentaise resorts much better. I imagine the prices will be pretty much the same in other resorts
For lunch I have found a plat de jour (a set meal usually consisting of a meat dish, sauce, veg and carbs) served by waiting staff at a table at between 12-14 € to be the best value. The local burger bar in Arc1600 does burger, chips for 13€, but this is not a favourite meal of mine. Sandwiches cost less from a kiosk.
Evening meals vary a lot depending on what you want and where. Example prices vary from 30€ for a pirrade with wine in one restaurant to over 50 for a single dish in another. When we go out for an evening meal we like to splash out a bit. So a meal of a glass of Ricard, cappacio de beuf, duck main course, coffee, brandy and wine will cost 50€+ a head.
Beer is also variable in price. I expect to pay around 3-4€ for 25cl in a bar outside of happy hour.
Supermarkets are a bit more expensive than the UK largely due to the exchange rate but meat is perhaps 20% more. Wine and beer in the supermarket is noticably cheeper.
Remember that following brexit you are not permitted to much foodstuffs with you. So you will need to buy milk etc on the way rather than take it in the car.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| MikeM wrote: |
| Coming from the Northwest we would get a Eurotunnel train late morning on a Friday and stopover in a cheap hotel in Reims (quite a few to choose from, and SHs will advise if needed). Leaving Reims at 8:00 the next day gets you ahead of the crowds and an arrival mid afternoon - time enough to settle in and hire kit before bed. |
I don’t understand that plan. Why would you be on a late morning shuttle and then overnight only 3 hours into your journey through France? Push on to somewhere around Dijon/Dole at least.
If you leave Reims at 0800 you will be stuck behind all the Parisians coming down the A5 and all the Belgians who had an early start.
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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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Wow thanks all for this advise, it's nice to be having a rough guide on spending money needed. Last few years we've been to Bulgaria which is very cheap compared to France, we enjoyed it over there but next year we do fancy a change and france fits the bill!!
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@rick34512, If you have a lift pass that also covers up in Avoriaz, there's a fantastic bakery up there called le fournil de cannelle.
Some fantastic food in there, plus they also do huge pizzas which would probably feed a family of 4 for lunch for around €15 euros.
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You know it makes sense.
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| rick34512 wrote: |
| Wow thanks all for this advise, it's nice to be having a rough guide on spending money needed. Last few years we've been to Bulgaria which is very cheap compared to France, we enjoyed it over there but next year we do fancy a change and france fits the bill!! |
which week in Feb are you planning on going? Not sure how busy Bulgaria gets, but if you’re going for Paris/England half term, you’re going to need some queue avoiding tips!
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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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@DJL, because it takes 4 hours to the tunnel then a further 2-3 hours to Reims depending on traffic, then a futher 4-5 hours to Morzine. Even more if the traffic was bad. Having done the trip more times than I can count this was always the best way to do it unless we wanted an overnight drive which wasn't much fun, or a direct drive without a stop which was long and unpleasant during half term. Once we started doing this outside of half term we'd drive the whole way without a stopover.
Edit. On checking with the other half it seems we'd leave mid morning to get a shuttle early afternoon to get us into Reims at about 5ish.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| MikeM wrote: |
@DJL, because it takes 4 hours to the tunnel then a further 2-3 hours to Reims depending on traffic, then a futher 4-5 hours to Morzine. Even more if the traffic was bad. Having done the trip more times than I can count this was always the best way to do it unless we wanted an overnight drive which wasn't much fun, or a direct drive without a stop which was long and unpleasant during half term. Once we started doing this outside of half term we'd drive the whole way without a stopover.
Edit. On checking with the other half it seems we'd leave mid morning to get a shuttle early afternoon to get us into Reims at about 5ish. |
Of course you are free to plan however you choose. My point was that you could do a bit more in France to give you a chance to be ahead of the traffic. Even pushing on to Troyes (around 4 hours from the tunnel) would make a difference. Bison Fute https://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/calendrier-bison-fute,10739.html gives a fair idea of where and when traffic will build.
You seem happy to do 4 hours U.K., 8 hours France (plus stops and tunnel faff) so real world minimum 15 hours non-half-term. Why not make life easier by going further on the Friday? At least you will be killing time in Morzine rather than in a Reims hotel.
Above based on nearly 30 years of driving out, including probably 14 half terms, close to 100 trips all told.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@DJL, I always found that the 6-7 hours to get to Reims was enough for me, UK driving was always the most tiring. The drive in France was always easy (apart from the payage stops). The return trip we would do in one go, again because the UK drive was the worst but it did mean that we weren't as knackered arriving in the UK because the French drive was so much easier. But, I take your about getting further down before stopping, we did consider it but decided we'd arrive in Morzine before we could access accomodation, so more hanging around.
I've probably done a similar amount of trips and I have to say once we were able to avoid half term it was so much easier. We'd leave at about 5:30am and get into Morzine by 7:30pm French time with a non-stop run. Much easier all round.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
@DJL, I always found that the 6-7 hours to get to Reims was enough for me, UK driving was always the most tiring.
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I think that sums up the problem - the UK part of the drive. Mind you to get to Rheims in 6-7 hours from the North West is going some. It takes me more than that from the Midlands. I allow 3 hours to get to the tunnel + an hour M25 allowance then getting across the channel takes at least another hour (more often 2) the 2:30 to get to Rheims makes the whole journey 7:30.
Talking to a friend about stop overs (I never stop on the way to Les Arcs) he reccommended Troyes as a much more beautiful townto visit than Rheims.
Incidently what is the problem with Peage stops? Once I have woken up te front seat passenger we try to collect the ticket without the wheels stopping rotating and it takes 15 seconds to pay. Refuling is a bigger hasle.
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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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Traveling from North Wales, it is 5 to 5 1/2 hours to the ferry.
One toilet stop somewhere between Oxford and Beaconsfield, depending upon desperation and how many are asleep.
Leave around 4.30 am for a midday crossing, eat on the boat; taken to stopping at Arras for the night. It`s pretty.
The Holiday Inn express is comfortable, convenient parking, there is a good seafood(mussels) restaurant nearby, and on a decent deal, you can eat more than the room cost at the breakfast buffet( if they still exist, post covid).
Troyes would be an easy reach, but by then the kids have had enough for the day.
As mentioned above, the UK is the most stressful driving, M6,M40,M25 and M20 are not much fun; even next to Brussels or Paris Periphique.
In recent years, my close calls have all been on the M40, usually around High Wycombe.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@johnE, Peage stops are generally are okay, but in half term the further south we got the busier they got, we really have been in 1 hour queues (I use the term loosely as the French don't know what they are when in a car  ), also petrol stops were really bad. I have to admit it's been many years since a half term jaunt but I don't know if they have got any better.
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@rick34512, One big tip is to start collecting Tesco Club points. I haven't paid for a tunnel crossing in years
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| MikeM wrote: |
| @johnE, Peage stops are generally are okay, but in half term the further south we got the busier they got, we really have been in 1 hour queues (I use the term loosely as the French don't know what they are when in a car ), also petrol stops were really bad. I have to admit it's been many years since a half term jaunt but I don't know if they have got any better. |
I think the bit in bold is superfluous!
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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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Guess who got a péage tag for the car, ready to drive out to Chamonix, the week the first lockdown hit.
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@Jameswp, Now that is a real bug(ger), no ski trip and still have to pay the fee! Should have gone a week earlier and got yourself trapped in Chamonix for the season
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you agreed to received some advice from a french guy:
1) Order a péage tag because it will save time (some lines at péage are dedicated to péage tags) and also because péage ticket distributors are on the "wrong" side for uk cars...
2) At February you have 2 chances on 3 to be within french mid-term holidays and if you want to not be stuck into traffic jam you better go as south as you can on fridays. Even Troyes could be too north for this. I will go to Dijon at least. Wake up very early (around 6am) and finish the road trip....
3) Even if Morzine and les Gets are good places, I will recommand to stay at Avoriaz if you are looking for ski all day long. And it will be easier to reach the swiss part of Les Portes du Soleil.
4) I found AirBNB more expensive than other place to book appartments like letting agencies. Call them directly (find them on google maps), they have more choice than AirBNB.
5) Unless you want to buy a lot of alcools, the time you will spend on the road to save a couple of GBP don't worth the time you will not have skiing. In other words, shop at the resort for food and spend 1 more day at least skiing !
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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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| Mjit wrote: |
5. Why go all the way up to Avoriaz for your cakes! I've never had any issues with the La Bonbonniere in Morzine - other than the fact it's only (a too tempting) 40m from the chalet I use  |
I wouldn't go up from morzine specifically, but if the OP is up in that area skiing, it's well worth a stop for lunch. The savory items are lovely, reasonably priced and humongous.
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| swskier wrote: |
| Mjit wrote: |
5. Why go all the way up to Avoriaz for your cakes! I've never had any issues with the La Bonbonniere in Morzine - other than the fact it's only (a too tempting) 40m from the chalet I use |
I wouldn't go up from morzine specifically, but if the OP is up in that area skiing, it's well worth a stop for lunch. The savory items are lovely, reasonably priced and humongous. |
I wasn't being too serious with that point - and will actually make a point of tracking down Le Fournil de Cannelle as on the one hand I'll be staying in Avoriaz at half term and on the other, well there's always time for another patisserie isn't there.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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@swskier, I've frequented that shop so often ... sigh...I can still remember the smell of chocolate as you enter. Maybe next year
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FAQ
