Self Catering | Chalets | Hotel based holidays

A snowHead

Over the many years I've mainly opted for either self catering or Hotel based skiing holidays. Although I've rented chalets they weren't catered ones. I've heard mixed views on Chalet based holidays some good and some dreadfull. In fact most stories from those similar to myself have been fairly negative about Chalet holidays.

I also heard that we Brits are the only ones who "do Chalet holidays". Anyone have any thoughts on this? Is the Chalet holiday only really viable for a group who fill the Chalet? How do things work when you have two groups who don't know each other? What do those of you who are skiing either alone or just a few of you opt for, chalets, hotels or self catering? How about families travelling alone do you go to a large chalet where you don't know the other guests or is this a recipe for disaster?

A snowHead

My tally is...

Chalet: once as part of a small group of rookies (but not exclusive use), 5 times as a single traveller.
Hotel: single traveller once, and twice with my brother.

In the chalet, every time (apart from the 1st where we were rookies), I've been a single in a mixed chalet. Most times there's always been one or two others of my level who are also singles in similar situation, and keen for someone to ski with. Twice I've been a single filling the last room with the other occupants all knowing each other (once was a group, once was 3 groups that had been in the chalet before in the same week). Even in those weeks where I was an "outsider" there was a sufficient mix of standards that I was accepted into their group, and skiied with them for somedays. Probably helped by the chalet owners and/or staff joining the group on a few occasions, plus dining round a single table.

Chalet can be a great way to meet other skiers in a similar situation, particularly if trvelling alone, but if they are a totally different level or have other priorities, then you just don't ski with them... just like if you were at a hotel sharing a halfboard dining table.

edit: the chalet has been a private one every time, with owners and staff living in (apartment below), and not a tour-op run chalet.

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

It's a bit of a lottery, obviously. We did quite a lot of catered chalets, mostly at the cheaper end of the spectrum, and always enjoyed them. The other guests were interesting, friendly and well behaved and the chalets were good value for money. You need to do some careful research about the kind of company it is (the smaller ones like Ski Olympic seem to be a better bet than Inghams etc) and you can ask the booking staff about the other people in the chalet. It pays to be fairly tolerant, and genuinely interested in other people. We met people like, for example, a Herefordshire beef farmer and a couple who were both paramedics driving emergency ambulances - and much enjoyed their company. There was always someone to ski with - and a big plus for our kids was that they didn't always have to ski with us! We came across some individuals travelling alone and they seemed to have no problem fitting in and enjoying themselves. People who don't like meeting and mixing with strangers, or who are very intolerant of people different from themselves, are obviously not going to enjoy chalets - and if they do go to a chalet, they are not going to bring much joy to their fellow guests! Neither will people who like to get pissed every night and crash around at 2 am. I guess we were just lucky. Our kids did go out in the evenings with some of the other guests, but they were generally sober enough to come in quietly. My son has spent much of the last two seasons cooking in some of the most expensive chalets in Val D'Isere. From what he said about some of his guests I think I'd rather stick to the likes of Ski Olympic.

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johnnyh, each to their own on this one - when our kids were born we stayed in a few catered chalets for the ease of it, very nice to have everything done for you but on the other hand you lose IMHO a lot of flexibility.

We now book a smaller chalet with family and friends and its great as we can all eat what we want when we want.

Biggest problem with many chalets is of course who you're going to end up with - it would ruin your holiday if you ended up with people you just did not get on with. We book a chalet but fill it ourselves with family and friends.

If its just us, book an apartment.

Like I said each to their own - many people like to have meals cooked for them on holiday and like to meet new people

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Once stayed in the worst chalet I have ever head about in Montgenevre so bad 3 people waked out on the first night (just as well as we couldn't all have sat dwn to eat otherwise Razz

) however everyone wass in twos or small groups, and the team spirit was great - we ate together, drank together and skied together and had a great week - in fact the best week of social skiing I have had.

Another season stayed in an upmarket chalet unknowling the only part of the chalet not in the same group, who chose to ignore us totally - still had a good week, but not the same.

To me it is not the chalet itself, but the company - which is why I now try and arrange my own groups.

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Some good thoughts here. It seems that a larger group holiday would do well in a decent Chalet, preferably filling it. I think this confirms what I've thought/done myself, in that if it's us as a family self catering apartment is probably going to suit us best. A larger bunch of us (two families or more perhaps) might do well to look at the Chalet options in future.

While I consider myself tolerant and sociable, I'm probably, realistically, not going to get on with everyone every time. Therefore Chalet holiday's may have to have their risk mitigated by filling them with *known ski-buddies* rather than finding out on the first night that your holiday is going to be dominated by some other group/individual.

After all it is free

If you look at the history of chalet holidays they started as a cheap way to go skiing. Outfits like Small World and Erna Low made the running - not huge, multinational travel companies.

Before the internet, last minute ski travel bookings, for chalets at any rate, were dominated by The Sunday Times adverts. So if you were price-conscious or snow-conscious you watched the snow reports and adverts in that newspaper. About a fortnight beforehand the discounts started to appear. If you were fortunate enough to live in London most of the small companies involved were based in Fulham or Earls Court so you could easily collect the tickets. Most chalet packages left from Gatwick too. A lot of telephoning was involved though. People who planned in advance had already acquired a set of brochures from most of the main players so it was easier to check what was being offered.

As to the holidays themselves, they were usually fine, though obviously it helps if you are not paying brochure price. Small companies are more involved and are on hand to see that everything goes to plan. Chalet girl was usually a posh bird who had done a Cordon Bleu course, or claimed she had. Food was usually good and the novelty of free wine meant less people moaned about the quality. Bathroom facilities were not as good in those days though. Running out of hot water was not unusual.

The other thing to consider is that a lot of resorts are difficult to visit if you want hotel accommodation. So it is either self-cater or chalet.

Things changed when the big operators moved into the chalet market. Bladon Lines and Supertravel used to be considered large companies, as opposed to the likes of Crystal. Ski World did itself no favours when their holidays featured in a TV documentary series.

As for myself, I got older and decided I was entitled to a bit more comfort. So I now look to hotels wherever possible. I have been in chalets recently but only because I had to visit a chalet resort.

johnnyh, It is interesting. We tend to find in our chalet that when we have a mixed group of people it normally ends up being a really fun and sociable week as when people book a chalet that they are not soley occupying with their own group of friends/family they come looking to socialise and meet new people. We also find that as hosts running a chalet you can get more involved in the dynamic of the group when they are a mix of people that don't know each other which can be really nice. I also love listening to the dinner conversation evolve on the first night in the chalet when people haven't met before - it is always the night that we get through the most bottles of wine!!

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