 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| Quote: |
The Compagnie des Alpes, the largest lift operator in the Alps, says sales went up 18.3% for the October to December period 2008, when compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
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Would seem to suggest things aren't that bad surely 
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Maybe British skiers are staying away - especially from the more upmarket chalets etc - but French holidaymakers, who are more often self-catering, and not heavily into the apres-ski, have been sticking with their winter holidays? Several recent  reports suggest that big popular resorts are much quieter than usual this half-term.
This, and some other recent reports, suggest that there should be some good last minute bargains around, though ironically there could be a shortage of supply if lots of flights are pulled. Friends who came out to see us (DIY) on BMI Baby had flights cancelled/changed at the last minute and reported very empty flights.
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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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| Quote: |
Others are on a budget and steer clear of the mountain restaurants, where nowadays you will not get much change out of £80 for a simple lunch for a family of four.
"It's actually quite fun eating a bread and ham picnic out on the slopes and I don't mind missing out on the mountain restaurants, which are all over-priced anyway."
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It isn't so much about being on a budget but 14eu for an average lunch is taking the wee....
Even a decent soup and drink can be over £10 in Switzerland and that is just about ok....
I was introduced to picnicing ...courtesy of a wiley ol' snowdog  and it was great fun. As long as the weather is reasonable and you use very heavy and filling local bread, that is all you need during the day..and this from someone who cannot ski on an empty stomach.
I will be doing it more and more as I know it now works so some of these restro's have lost custom for ever...IMO.
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As the world economy goes to pots this was to be expected... As with so many other industries unfortunately...
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| Boris wrote: |
| Quote: |
The Compagnie des Alpes, the largest lift operator in the Alps, says sales went up 18.3% for the October to December period 2008, when compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
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Would seem to suggest things aren't that bad surely |
Good early season snow- some resorts opening earlier- may have something to do with that increase- especially as local skiers rather than tourists are more likely to take advantage- opportunist trips, etc. That said, last season had pretty good early snow. Also more trips during that period are likely to have been booked before the economic problems hit hard. People waiting to book trips for New Year and later in 2009 in October/November are more likely to have pulled the plug on these trips as the scale of the problem became apparent...
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I'm doing my bit for the skiing industry by taking two trips this year 
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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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I'd like to think one of the effects of this blip would be to force the restaurants and bars in the French Alps to lower their exorbitant prices. Doubt it somehow though even if supply vs demand theories dictate otherwise.
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You have to be resourceful which is true for the operators as well as guests. My son who runs 3 chalets in La Rosiere has been offering his guests meals in on the chalet staff's night off. His clients are happy they're eating well for less than the cost of restaurant meal and he also offers them a picnic lunch every day for €5.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In Val T last season, I approached the owner of a mountain restaurant (whose food was generally considered good) to discuss some sort of discount/deal to encourage large numbers of EoSBers to lunch there.
He simply waved has hand at a room where every table was packed and said I would like your guests to come but I have nowhere for them to sit so why should I lower my prices for them?
The convenience of France for UK travellers coupled with the strong pound has made it easy for them to fill beds and restaurants over the last few years. Of course not all resorts depend strongly on the UK market but those who do will need to adjust a little.
Every resort mentioned in James Cove's article is in France (except Verbier which seems to operate under the same market conditions as the Tarantaise).
However, if he were to check the snowHeads barometer of ski opinion, he'd know that interest has swung sharply toward Italy and Austria this year because of the perception that these places are cheaper in resort. This helps explain why the tour ops are having to cut prices on the French packages to shift them.
Indeed at the Birthday Bash in the Dolomites, no-one seemed averse to lunching on the mountain as U could easily do so and get change out of 10€. That'll hardly get U a plate of chips in some French eateries!
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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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| Quote: |
That'll hardly get U a plate of chips in some French eateries!
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It'll get you a plate of chips, a creme brulee and a coffee in many. Not a vitamin-packed lunch though.....
admin, given the inflexible habits of French diners, maybe you could do a deal for lunch from 12am?
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Lunch is for losers 
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You know it makes sense.
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| admin wrote: |
In Val T last season, I approached the owner of a mountain restaurant (whose food was generally considered good) to discuss some sort of discount/deal to encourage large numbers of EoSBers to lunch there.
He simply waved has hand at a room where every table was packed and said I would like your guests to come but I have nowhere for them to sit so why should I lower my prices for them?
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I watched with amusement as a couple of Brit reps/guides tried the same thing in the restaurant Eigernordwand (you know the one!) at Scheidegg just before Xmas. Same result. Value of sterling may have fallen, but price of food & staff (and restauranteur's aspirations towards a home in the sun) have not.
It used to be dead easy to get a group discount (i.e. free meal for me) in the Portes du Soleil 10 years ago. How times change.
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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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I've got really into packed lunched for the last two seasons. Chamonix's on-piste restaurants have never been its strong point anyway and I don't miss them much.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| admin, given the inflexible habits of French diners, maybe you could do a deal for lunch from 12am? |
But the lifts don't open till 08:30/09:00 and half of them aren't back from the pub yet 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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admin, lunch at 2.30 then?
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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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pam w, I think he was being sarky about the am.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Tommy4681 wrote: |
| I'd like to think one of the effects of this blip would be to force the restaurants and bars in the French Alps to lower their exorbitant prices. Doubt it somehow though even if supply vs demand theories dictate otherwise. |
Have the restaurants and bars in the French Alps really hiked their prices this year or is it just because the pound is so weak against the €? I didn't think that the prices in resort had gone up a huge amount when I was in L2A at New Year compared to what they were last season.
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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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Hurtle, 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I recall a winter where you only got 7 French Francs to the pound. We've been here before. It will pass. We'll be here again.
Our booking are thankfully not too far down although we've dropped our apartments' prices and are getting continental bookings rather than from the UK. To a point, that's a very good thing as the Europeans tend to have much more resort loyalty. We get virtually no repeat bookings from the Brits (this is common to many of our friends running similar s/c apartments in Chamonix).
I suspect a lot of the less well established catered chalet businesses will struggle to get through the winter.
Personally, I don't think Italy is necessarily any cheaper than France. Depends on where you eat. And just 'cos it's self service food (and thus to be avoided anyway) it doesn't mean it will be cheaper than the cute little full table service place.
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Hurtle, it takes a pedant
jezzy, L2A has never been expensive when compared to the big Tarrentaise resorts.
It's not so much that prices have been hiked this year alone as that they have been climbing quite quickly over the past few years. The sudden shift in currency rates last season affected the UK skier strongly. Rates are even worse overall this year and many people are being far more cautious, having noticed the hit last Winter.
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
| I recall a winter where you only got 7 French Francs to the pound. |
HAHA, I read that as French Fries..... That would be bad!
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I'm probably not in the best position to comment anyway as I had never been to the Tarentaise area before I moved here in May (well apart from a week in VDI a few years back) so I don't know how much the prices have actually increased here over the last few years. I do think the mountain restaurants are expensive in Courchevel but that's just because I am on a strict budget! If I was on holiday I would probably pay the prices and go to a cheaper resort next time or I would have gone straight for the cheaper resort knowing that the resorts here are aimed at people where money is no object.
My friend is coming out to visit in a few weeks and we will be taking packed lunches up the hill!! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| jezzy wrote: |
| Tommy4681 wrote: |
| I'd like to think one of the effects of this blip would be to force the restaurants and bars in the French Alps to lower their exorbitant prices. Doubt it somehow though even if supply vs demand theories dictate otherwise. |
Have the restaurants and bars in the French Alps really hiked their prices this year or is it just because the pound is so weak against the €? I didn't think that the prices in resort had gone up a huge amount when I was in L2A at New Year compared to what they were last season. |
Even when the pound was strong against the euro, prices in French resorts were pretty high (especially when it comes to boozing) but you're right, it'd been exacerbated by the exchange rate. The problem in ski resorts is the huge number of visitors but limited number of bars and restaurants- I guess building restrictions help keep the ratio in favour of the bar/ restaurant owners. Essentially they can fix prices high and people have little choice but to pay them. It works fine when times are good and currency rates favourable but as visitor numbers fall and people start self-catering/ self-boozing more you'd think prices would have to fall to attract people back. We prob won't see it this season but next perhaps?
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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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Pricing examples in La Plagne/France 2nd week feb, 2009:
travel along toll roads approx. 12 cents per mile
(total 1500 miles tolls @ 180 euro)
motorway fuel 1.23 euro
cheap fuel in mid-town 1.12 euro
(1500 miles return trip to alps £235)
cheap city hotel room 67 euro
4 star city hotel room 139 euro
cheap resort bottled beer in a bar 7 euro
expensive resort bottled beer in a club 10 euro
cheep omelette in a pub 7 euro
nice omelette & chips up the mountain 10 euro
entrecote steak & fries anywhere 15 euro
hot choccy / coffee 1.80 - 3 euro
frittes on their own 3 - 5 euro's
cheap bottle of wine in the shop 7.5 euro
cheap bottle of wine up the mountain 25 euro
bottle of champagne in a cheap bar 85-110 euro
(have a laugh with the bar staff to get complimentary shots, though take it steady)
= some mountainside restaurants fairly empty, some medi-busy, roche de mio restaurant always packed regardless.
underground parking in belle plagne @ 63 euros per week
outdoor parking @ 4 euro per day
new 100Ah battery on the mountain 170 euro's (fit yourself)
= always check before departure
mountainside rescue in sledge from 'Mira 9' @ 175 euro's
mountain top rescue in sledge over 400 euro's
= buy the piste pass insurance
catered chalet residence balcons...
= excellent value in all with outstanding hospitality from Kester & Emma (absolute stars, even following my two nights of over-indulgence)
= brilliant ski-out-and-in to warm locker room
= thermal spa in building @ 4 euros a dip inc sauna etc. with access to snow outdoors for a russian roll!!!
= hope the stirling improves before next winter, but doubt we'll see as much ski-able snow in one week ever again.
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| pam w wrote: |
| This, and some other recent reports, suggest that there should be some good last minute bargains around, though ironically there could be a shortage of supply if lots of flights are pulled. Friends who came out to see us (DIY) on BMI Baby had flights cancelled/changed at the last minute and reported very empty flights. |
Don't know if this is applicable to anybody else but my group booked flights with Jet2.com from Blackpool to Geneva on 7th March returning on 14th March and they've cancelled outbound and inbound flights on 14th and 21st March and offered equivalent flights from/to Manchester. Guess they weren't filling them and are now trying to get people onto the other flights out of larger airports. Quite annoying as we'd booked car hire through Holiday Autos and then had to change the details of the booking which ended up costing more money!
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You know it makes sense.
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It certainly is. Our friends had a return flight cancelled, and they were offered the previous day. It meant a day less on their holiday, but as we were driving them to Geneva, not a huge hassle. But they flew out immediately after their daughter's wedding, so had the same thing happened with the outward flight, they would not have been able to fly a day earlier. I think this is the shape of things to come. There are far too many flights, evidently. Several people we've met on easyJet flights have also commented on their emptiness.
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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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At least in Sweden they have comfy warm buildings on the mountain equipped with tables, microwaves and a shop etc just for people who take their own food up the mountian. All free to use.
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Poster: A snowHead
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A crowd of us flew from 5 UK airports on 11th January to Geneva meeting up at Val d'Isere. Everyone reported empty seats on all 5 flights. Consolidation of flights is inevitable and booking from a major airport will reduce the liklihood of flight changes. Of course, doing this will hasten the demise of using local airports.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Scarpa, I think you may find that the costs inolved in providing that service are covered by what you pay for your lift pass. You can't actually believe that a service which involves paid employees doing work is free.
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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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I wonder if next year the perception of recession will have hit euro-zone skiers more, and that changes in mountain price structure will come when there are fewer French, German and Italian skiers willing to pay them.
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