What's it like to live in the alps?

A snowHead

Hi Folks,

Great thread. We have been 'investigating' this for ages. Been out 2 weeks ago to look at the Portes du Soleil region (france) in the summer. Learn more about the surrounding villages and viewing 10+ properties of different types. Was great to get the low-down from the english agents there.

Seems many people do the catered chalet thing but only for a few years. It is very demanding as is effectively 7 days per week if you consider all the shopping/cleaning/hand-over day. They dont get to ski much at all then have to make any profit (after tax) last the rest of the year. If you have young family then there is little time for then or homework whilst you have 10+ strangers in the house.

The French tax system (2014) is now so punitive that people are discouraged from earning a penny above the threshold and all people are talking about is tax tax tax. In addition you need to be very careful about your pension and welfare expectations. You cannot just take your UK pension with you as you are leaving UK from tax point of view. When EU folks arrive in UK they have automatic rights to welfare system - not so in France. Thats why all the immigrants arriving in Calais (already in EU) are trying to get into the UK.

The best bet for anyone wanting to move it to 'try it on first'. You can rent a ski chalet for year or manage one on behalf of a management company. Then all your questions are answered.

We stayed in Morzine for a week mid Sept. It was completely dead! Some of the restaurants werent open or operating at restricted hours. So many chalets in the valley and majority empty. Normally the entire valley is full of lights from chalet windows - darkness !!

Certainly an eye-opener. For us that does not matter. The place was just as beautiful as in winter and easier to explore all the little villages outside the resort as no snow. We are not deterred. For us the plan is to get a family home outside of the main resorts - as much as 30km and commute from say Geneva.

I found the estate agents in the area very helpful. In short you can't research everything in advance. you have to go there to learn the real 'sp' on the ground. everyone has a story. Try before you buy.................

Couple of years away i think.

M

A snowHead

And your point is?

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

under a new name, bit of a porky whiff about the place?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Quite

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Under a new name : I am suggesting a way to help ensure success is to try 'before you buy'. To experience the area in all seasons - to really give it a chance before making the full commitment. Learn all the pros and cons for yourself in a year.

You'll need to Register first of course.

mhemph01, my apologies if (as you have replied, I suspect you didn't intend) you weren't spamming.

So, welcome to Snowheads! Not all of them are as prickly nor frosty as I.

You did sound like a spambot though!! And for a first post...

such an internet cynic, me.

Anyhoo, are you seriously looking to get into the chalet game? As you will hopefully have gathered there are a number of SHs who have successfully done so. Also some, like me, who have moved into the general alpine area (in my case about 9 years ago) for a multitude of reasons.

If you ask a question, you will certainly get some opinions...

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

and the thread was dragged up from 2010 which always arouses suspicion.

After all it is free

Hells Bells, indeed. Mind you, you have spurred me to go and drag up some very spurious old threads to see whether I can make myself sound like a spambot. See if you can identify them wink

Or if you dont like what you read you can simply ignore it ??????????????????

WTF......

End of my time on this forum

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Hells Bells : you think i was spamming / advertising ? Is that the complaint?

you have a weblink on your signature.

snow reports

mhemph01, (I thought you'd gone?) Come back, come back, calm down, yes, your post did rather look like an automated spam attack.

Although it didn't mention kitchens, thankfully. There have been quite enough of those.

Welcome, welcome, join the fold.

Talk snow.

Wow, really interesting reading this thread from the beginning. I hadn't joined snowHeads at the time but would have been totally of the opinion that Lizzard was offering… I lived in Paris for a year or so and, after London and New York, I found it too small… no way would I live in a tiny rural community in the French Alps...

You know it makes sense.

And mhemph01, yes we are allowed weblinks in our signatures, but not in our posts if the business we are linking to is associated with us. If you notice, I haven't spammed anyone.

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

This is what you agreed to on the registration page regarding commercial interests.

A snowHead

and if we are wrong about your post, we do apologise.

A snowHead

Hells Bells :

I see. So you have paid to advertise 40,328 times? Thats what a mega-snowhead is - a paid member?

Didnt realise. I have advertised nothing.

I am here to learn and share without promoting my own wares.

I was sharing my experiences in earlier thread for benefit of others - i removed the link after i realised what the fuss was. I have no personal connection to the company whatsoever.

M

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

The owner of a well known bar in the 3vs is a builder in the summer, he did a great job on our kitchen.

The other thing to bear in mind is that many of the higher altitude resorts really are resorts and are empty with zero employment, other than building outside winter and july/august.

I go to our apartment in Val Thorens sometimes in May and October and walking in the evening is quite weird when there is only one or two lights on in the whole village and absolutely everything is boarded up.

Personally, I would find the mountains claustrophobic all year round.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Actually, I don't think the resurrection of an old thread is a bad thing at all. Much better than starting a new one with no effort to find what relevant discussion might have taken place in the past.

Very interesting nostalgic snippets that miranda has picked out. How time flies.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

mhemph01, as I said above, if you weren't advertising I apologise. Now let's move on shall we?

You'll need to Register first of course.

Hells Bells : It is clear that i wasnt. You are including conditional statements. An apology contains the word 'sorry'

I have requested my account be terminated

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

This thread smells of troll.

After all it is free

mhemph01, that's twice you've flounced off...

Really?

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anyone that huffy was never going to last very long on here, bye mhemph01eo,

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

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mehumpy1, might have been a better name.

I did three seasons for a tour operator (one summer and two winters) and it was mostly great. I was a chalet host, had a disastrous stint as a delivery guy and waited tables in the summer. In general I would say it helps to be young to get the most out of it. Once you get more responsibilities in life it becomes harder to make it feasible to live and work in the Alps.

You know it makes sense.

I live in Leysin, Switzerland with my family. It is a very small ski resort, but also gives easy access to a number of other resorts. I work down the mountain, in Vevey. It takes me 35 minutes door to door and after London is a very easy drive. We love it.

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

A snowHead

A snowHead

Been reading all through this thread, something my wife and I have talked about lots, anyone know if there is an area of engineering along any of the Alps main Cities?

Dan

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

mhemph01,

You need to Login to know who's really who.

DanMcDan, What kind of engineering ?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

DanMcDan, lots of engineering work in Munich, with the German & Austrian alps within 1-2 hours drive. Also Zürich is good, although ludicrously expensive.

You'll need to Register first of course.

DanMcDan, Switzerland generally full of engineering.

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

Has anyone ever done a double flounceo within 20 posts? That's quite impressive tbh.

After all it is free

Steilhang, has the flouncer gone then?

DanMcDan, +1 for what Steilhang says about Munich - I've been working in the engineering field most of the time since I moved out here full time. Oberbayern is a good base and there is loads of opportunities for good engineers. We've just taken on a couple of project engineers and need some process ones as well as people with experience of production engineering. My company is right next door to the DLR (The German Space Agency) on the west side of Munich on an industrial park devoted to medical devices engineering.

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Currently doing R+D for a Toolmaking company, including 3D Modelling and 3/5 Axis CAM programming and machining. Might have to start looking at this a bit more seriously now Smile

Dan

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What's it like to live in the alps?

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