 Poster: A snowHead
|
Returning to La Plagne after many years on Sunday 18th January. Thought I had it all figured out, flying into Geneva then hiring a car to avoid the worst of the changeover traffic etc.
Then remembered that supermarkets will be closed on a Sunday!
Has anyone any experience of a decent place to get most of what we need somewhere along the rout. We land at 11:15am so it would be super tight to expect to be in a shop before they all seem to shut around 12:30 / 1pm.
What is the supermarket like at Geneva airport (it is open all day)? Or smaller, local / express type supermarkets?
Ideally we'd like to buy the bulk of what we need for our week's meal plan before heading up the mountain. Don't mind doing a bit of shopping in Belle Plagne but would rather save some money if possible! Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Also search "Migros Geneva" as that stays open until 22:00hr and seems a bigger shop.
Migros, similar to our general UK food stores for cost generally.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Just busk it first night and assign Monday evening to driving down to Bourg for a big shop.
I wouldn't want to do a week's shop in CH. Probably makes buying everything in the local Sherpa look cheap.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Just busk it first night and assign Monday evening to driving down to Bourg for a big shop. |
Or to the E.Leclerc in Aime.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Leclerc doesn't open Sunday it seems, at all.
Migros is a value chain (fresh meat is not cheap though) in Switzerland, not bad in my experience. Probably the best available on a Sunday and not going out of the way to get there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks all. Current plan is to try Migros and get what we need (either the airport one or once we are on the road) but there seems to be a couple of 'express' type shops on our route down where we can stop again and top up. Definitely thinking about vats of pasta / rice etc for our meals so will plan sensibly to avoid anything too expensive! Appreciate your advice!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Good luck with the shopping. But the difference between a Swiss Migros and the shops in resort will surely not be big enough to sacrifice a whole precious evening of your holiday to grocery shopping? Just think how much each day is costing you! And with a bit of thought you can maybe take some basics - spices, stock cubes, etc to make some meals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
We get in pretty early so happy to stop on the drive. Definitely not driving down the mountain during the holiday one evening. Much rather be sipping a beer / nursing my knee injuries!
So a balance of being organised and saving some money but not being overly precious about it. Going to belle Plagne as I skied there every year as a kid / teenager and it's my 40th this year so heading back for a bit of nostalgia!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Serre Chevalier last winter, one of the supermarkets opened all day on the Sunday throughout the ski season, but there were no staff working on the checkouts, you had to use the scan and pack tills. Might be worth keeping an eye on opening hours once the season starts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I'm with @Origen, that Migros at Geneva airport can be very convenient but isn't cheaper than the average resort supermarket. And it doesn't stay open that late though you should be OK around midday. Whereas in resort the shop is likely to be open until at least 8 every day, and probably well stocked (it is a long while since I have stayed in one of the central La Plagne resorts so can't advise specifically).
Our experience is that French resort supermarkets are not the cheapest, but the prices aren't ridiculous. And they carry a vastly greater range of stock than the equivalent UK village shop.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Biscuits9, the Belle Plagne spar is the best supermarket in La Plagne. Open until 7.30pm every day. There is also an excellent bakery.
You will have all you need in the resort.
A bit more expensive than down in the valley, but not worth the time and the fuel to go there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
And it doesn't stay open that late
|
Migros off Airport but in Geneva is 22:00hr closing time though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
the Carrefour in Moutiers ( which you have to pass ) is open 8:30-12:30...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| DaveD wrote: |
| the Carrefour in Moutiers ( which you have to pass ) is open 8:30-12:30... |
As are all the Intermarche supermarkets including the hyper one in Albertville. The OP can't get to any of them before 12:30.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Biscuits9 wrote: |
| flying into Geneva then hiring a car to avoid the worst of the changeover traffic etc. |
As you probably Sunday is not changeover day, that would be Saturday - so should be no traffic problems whatsoever.
| Biscuits9 wrote: |
| Definitely not driving down the mountain during the holiday one evening. |
Good call, using the resort supermarket isn't the biggest problem in the world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| ski3 wrote: |
Migros is a value chain (fresh meat is not cheap though) in Switzerland, not bad in my experience. Probably the best available on a Sunday and not going out of the way to get there. |
No, Migros is not a "value chain". That would be their subsidiary Denner, often to be found right next door, largely because Migros does not sell alcohol. Along with Co-Op, it's one of the two standard mass supermarkets found throughout the country, perhaps analogous to Tesco and Sainsbury in the UK. Prices for everything there will be perhaps up to 25% more expensive than France at current exchange rates, so beware. Meat is expensive at any Swiss shop, of course.
I say "of course" because they have high tariffs on meat imports to protect their farmers' livelihood. Which is good news for us, because it's those same farmers that do most towards keeping the mountain environment usable, most of the open ski areas being high alpine pasture that benefits hugely in its stability and avalanche safety from being kept cropped by cattle and sheep. OTOH I do buy most of my meat in France, so...
As for Sunday opening, I'm guessing you must have found one at the airport or a rail station, as it's only shops with links to travel or tourism that are allowed to open on Sundays. As such both the small shops in the village here do in fact open on Sundays. But so also does the French Intermarché over in Abondance (Chatel, really), just the mornings out of season but all day through the season(s). 9Similar opening times are true for some of the shops around Morzine, I believe.
So it's worth checking any individual shops around Moutiers or Aime, not just based on their current opening times. I'm not familiar enough with any of them to recommend, but I'd guess there's a pretty good chance that you may find one that opens all day on Sundays.
Has anyone yet mentioned the Sherpa in Plagne Centre? I've used them in other places a few times - indeed there's one in Chatel - and they're not particularly expensive, so should be perfectly adequate for the first couple of days t least. Open every day until 1930, AFAICT.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Quote: |
ski3 wrote:
Migros is a value chain (fresh meat is not cheap though) in Switzerland, not bad in my experience. Probably the best available on a Sunday and not going out of the way to get there.
No, it's not a "value chain". Along with Co-Op, it's a standard mass supermarket, perhaps analogous to Tesco and Sainsbury in the UK.
|
They are value chain in UK, Tesco & Sainsbury, Asda, Morisson etc .... there's only one real mid tier in Waitrose 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Are you sure it's not just worth buying everything in resort and not fussing around on the journey? Carrefour in Tignes for example flips over to all day opening including Sunday in December.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
They are value chain in UK, Tesco & Sainsbury, Asda, Morisson etc .... there's only one real mid tier in Waitrose
|
Eh? I would have cited Aldi and Lidl as "value chains", though I'd not use that terminology.
Booths is very similar to Waitrose. Though overall the sector is very competitive, because it has to be - margins are small.
Migros at the airport (the only one I've been in) is certainly expensive. I hardly ever bought anything in there though I went into the airport quite frequently, dropping off and picking up friends and relatives. I sometimes went in and wandered round rather disconsolately and ended up wandering out again having bought very little (and it's not easy to cart any amount of stuff to your car!)
Supermarkets in French resorts are fine - and incomparably cheaper than eating in hotels and restaurants, for sure. A huge valley supermarket will be a bit cheaper but you must factor in the opportunity cost of the time it takes you to do a big shop, especially if you have to drive there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Generally found Serpas etc to be very good in resort, on the odd occasion they have been very low on fresh stuff due to snow impacted delivery, but still enough tinned/packet stuff to make meals.
Given the circumstances I'd pay the marginally higher prices in resort as well
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Origen wrote: |
| Quote: |
They are value chain in UK, Tesco & Sainsbury, Asda, Morisson etc .... there's only one real mid tier in Waitrose
|
Eh? I would have cited Aldi and Lidl as "value chains", though I'd not use that terminology.
|
Yes, those two here as well, plus Denner as mentioned and Otto's, a rather odd shop that sells low-end furniture as well, but is the only place I can reliably find a couple of things, including pappardelle (really the only pasta I actively like) and HP Sauce. But yeah, Migros and Coop are certainly a cut above.
| Origen wrote: |
Migros at the airport (the only one I've been in) is certainly expensive. |
The airport/motorway services/railway station branches are all the same price as the standard supermarkets, although with a more limited range, as you'd expect, just from being a smaller shop.
| Origen wrote: |
Supermarkets in French resorts are fine - and incomparably cheaper than eating in hotels and restaurants, for sure. A huge valley supermarket will be a bit cheaper but you must factor in the opportunity cost of the time it takes you to do a big shop, especially if you have to drive there. |
The problem I find with French resort shops is that you're always having to plan your menus around what they have, with things like fresh meat and fish being very limited, and the vegetable section often likewise, which is always a problem for me because there's only a very few vegetables that I actually like, and they're the ones least likely to be found. It's fine if you want turnips/swedes of various colours, leaks, cabbage and twenty varieties of bitter salad leaves, but parsnips and mange-touts are rare, so I end up compromising with stuff I wouldn't normally have bothered with in the UK, like fennel (bulbs) and sweet potato, which are OK ish. And lots of broccoli, likewise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If I have a car with me I always do the bulk of my grocery shopping down the valley, typically the SuperU in Bourg Saint Maurice, rather than the mini grocery stores in Les Arcs. Prices are a bit cheaper, but the main reason for heading down the hill is the much, much wider range that's available, especially fresh goods. It's not a major time commitment, less than 30 minutes to the supermarket, and as we rarely eat out in the evenings I like having the option to buy nice things for dinner.
| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| The problem I find with French resort shops is that you're always having to plan your menus around what they have, with things like fresh meat and fish being very limited, and the vegetable section often likewise, ... |
Exactly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
The real advantage of the big hypermarkets is the massive range of stuff they have rather than their price. I'll be driving down to Bourg st Maurice to stock up before Christmas simply because I know the village shop may, or probably may not, have only a single variety of fish veras the SuperU which will have a dozen plus half a dozen types of seafood. I'm looking forward to getting some bulots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I do agree that the selection of veg in resort shops is often not great - but I'd have the same complaint about restaurants. Hard sometimes to get much other than salad leaves. In Les Saisies, just a small resort, there is a terrific, very high quality, butchers but it is expensive!
When my son did high-end cooking in Val d'Isere he said he could get everything - if his clients wanted lobster, they got lobster! And paid for it at cost.
The lack of much variety of fish and meat is also true in small local shops in towns and villages throughout the UK.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@rob@rar, yep even from Vallandry we’ve done Super U and Intersport and been back drinking wine n balcony by 6. Off the slopes at 4 rattle down and back.
It’s easily doable, but if you don’t want to lose skiing and/or drinking time then resort Sherpa is the trade off
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Boris wrote: |
| It’s easily doable, but if you don’t want to lose skiing and/or drinking time then resort Sherpa is the trade off |
Sure, and when I don't have a car with me the resort minimarts suffice. But the SuperU in Bourg is open until 7.30pm, so there's plenty of opportunity to ski until last lift, do a quick grocery run and still have a big chunk of the evening to enjoy, just once during the week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, technically it's only 30 minutes to the Lecrec in Aime but on a dark middle of January evening it wouldn't be a barrel of laughs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@Layne, I wouldn’t do it in a snow storm but I’ve done Vallandry to Bourg many times and it’s pretty easy. Loads of people go up and down every day, instructors resort staff etc.
But it’s personal choice
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I'm not saying that driving down to a valley supermarket is any great chore or challenge. I did it for years. But it's not the way I'd choose to spend one of my six evenings on a precious week's ski holiday! I love that time after skiing when you can sit around drinking lots of cup of tea and eating baguette and jam, then having a shower and morphing into preparing the evening meal, glass of wine in hand. But then I generally heartily dislike shopping of almost any sort! Especially with people who dither around pondering the different yogurts available or can't decide which of the plum tomatoes are the best value.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Some of the French supermarkets now do a delivery service. Have a look and see if you can get a delivery on Monday evening from one of them, and pick up essentials in a mini-market on the way for breakfast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@Hells Bells, The problem I`ve always had with that is that I don`t have a french debit/credit card, and on the one occasion I tried it in Switzerland they did not mind that my cards were British but would not accept the order with a British mobile phone number! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@CaravanSkier,good point, although I think my 'trial' last season worked for me. I'll report back as I'm thinking about doing one for the next visit, as we're arriving on a Sunday and want to ski on Monday morning. We usually get a few days worth in Nuits-St-George when we stop for lunch, but it depends on our progress whether we will be there in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@Hells Bells, It would be good to have an update.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@Origen, fair enough, I quite like the trip and enjoy mooching around French supermarkets generally. Plus in Bourg I will go and find something I “need” in the large Intersport 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
I think the world is divided into those for whom shopping is a positive pleasure and those for whom it is an inescapable chore. We are in different categories, @Boris! And when I do have to go shopping, I like to do it alone and fast.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Boris, the trouble with that is that you end up with things you want rather than things you need. But I must confess the magnetic pull of the intersport on my wallet is very powerful and I have to confess over the last year I have bought all my clothing there (with the exception of a couple pairs of pants that is) including at least one t shirt I didn’t even need.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
