 Poster: A snowHead
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With the skiing trip in Jan being my first ever time self-catering, I'm looking for some advice on the prices I should expect in Val Thorens for general items from the supermarket + eating out / takeaways....
ie. how much for 4 bottles of beer from supermarket + things like a packet of pasta? plus also any suggestions on good / cheap places to eat out or get some fast food in resort????
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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good places - fast food  Not sure they go together.
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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 didnt mean that, i was after suggestions for both good AND fast food/takeawar places
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aldoyle, never really bought much in ski resort supermarkets as I don't self cater, however, prices for things like grog, chocs, biscuits are usually cheaper than the UK.
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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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aldoyle, will you be able to shop on route in a big supermarket - it would be a lot cheaper. If not, you could still perhaps pack a few things in the suitcase. Good teabags are the first essential (not available at any price in most French supermarkets), a few stock cubes, a few of the favourite things you like to have to cook with, which are quite expensive and quite low bulk. e.g. sundried tomatoes, tins of anchovies, pine nuts, tinned white crabmeat, coffee, lump of Parmesan, cashew nuts etc to have with your aperitif. If you are a fan of Marmite, take an almost finished jar, then dump it. Similarly with soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste etc. Just enough to last you the week.
If you drink spirits, take them with you - duty free (ha ha) if you're flying into Geneva.
At current exchange rates, and in a resort shop, at a guess you will find things like pasta around twice the cost of home. Possibly more. Beer isn't too bad - and FAR cheaper than buying it in the bars.
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The supermarkets are pricier than in the UK, but still affordable - a bit like spending in M&S. Eating out = expensive, i.e around 13.5Euro for a plat du jour on the mountain. Burger and chips in resort from take away around 8Euro per portion. Cooked chicken around 12 Euros IIRC. All prices approx based on my somewhat dwindling memory. We found the best plan was to smuggle in as much meat as you could - meat = v. expensive, and buy spuds, veg, bread and pasta in resort.
Hope this helps
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Don't try and buy 'foreign' goods in resort, the local stuff is much cheaper. A big bar of Dairy Milk in the Tignes supermarket at Easter was 5.39 euro.
Take any little luxuries with you if you can if flying, if driving, do it Tesco before you go. Every little helps 
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Good lunch at Chalet de la Marine (both downstairs and in the main restaurant upstairs) always does the trick. Tend to find that worth spending a few extra euros to get out of "burger city" is worth every penny.
Place near top of Moraine is good.
I'd take the advice from pam w on stocking up on staples at a good supermarket on the way. If you are coming from Geneva/Lyon, there is a good one just off the main route in Chambery.
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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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Best food on the mountain that we found was Deux Lacs resaurant.
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| Quote: |
smuggle in as much meat as you could
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no need to smuggle it. Freeze solid and keep in unopened freezer box.
Why would anyone want to buy Cadburys Dairy Milk anywhere, let alone in France. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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"Best food on the mountain that we found was Deux Lacs resaurant".
While the food upstairs in Bar de la marine is excellent it is a little pricey,no actually it's very pricey,
Chalet Deux Lacs at the top of Deux Lacs Lift is as good with much nicer staff and nearly half the cost.
Johns Scandinavian opposite the Frog and Roastbeef does a great evening meal for 29 Euro for 3 courses.
You can get a tin of ravioli in Spar for 2.95 and average the 2 nights for 16.50. as we did.
Shopping in the Spar beside Lac du Lou last week we paid 12 Euro for 26 bottles of beer.
Scapin at the top of the retour lift is good for afternoon Plat du Jour 12 Euro.
Beside it is a chip hut with snacks for a fiver.
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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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Of course another option is packed lunch. There is the odd picnic table on the mountain.
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You know it makes sense.
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Megamum, a fiver was cheap , they were 7€ at the Knife and fork.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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A what of what?!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jonm, I have a collection of strange tins and packets left behind in my apartment, Cassoulet, Instant mash, tinned chilli. No ravioli yet.
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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: |
Why would anyone want to buy Cadburys Dairy Milk anywhere, let alone in France.
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Best choccy in the world, that's why!! Hard to beat on a skiing holiday - for best results serve chilled, straight from the rucksack. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I'd much rather have Milka, not only is it cheaper, it's delicious too.
I think the point is buying the sort of stuff you'd normally buy in Morrisons/Sainsburys is going to cost silly money in the Alps. Why transport your suburban kitchen on holiday with you? It's a holiday, try something different and buy local brands. I bet the Italian supermarkets sell much nicer pesto than we have and the French supermarkets have yummy and very reasonably priced French cheese. Ditch the cornflakes and eat pain au chocolat.
Getting hungry now... 
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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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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| eat pain au chocolat. |
Reading this over breakfast before going to work and the thought of a nice Pain au Chock and Croissant
or two before hitting the mountains dosnt motivate me for cycling to work.
Never mind not long now, Feb for my trip.
Anyway with reguards to French Supermarkets (in the alps) I can only agree that they are a little expensive.
I have self catered in tignes and the Spa in central Val Claret was well stocked and did the job for us.
Our group of 4 chose to eat in most nights as it was cheaper the dinning out.
That saved more cash for the over priced drinks in Grizzlies
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Renry wrote: |
| queen bodecia wrote: |
| eat pain au chocolat. |
Reading this over breakfast before going to work and the thought of a nice Pain au Chock and Croissant
or two before hitting the mountains dosnt motivate me for cycling to work.
Never mind not long now, Feb for my trip.
Anyway with reguards to French Supermarkets (in the alps) I can only agree that they are a little expensive.
I have self catered in tignes and the Spa in central Val Claret was well stocked and did the job for us.
Our group of 4 chose to eat in most nights as it was cheaper then dinning out.
That saved more cash for the over priced drinks in Grizzlies |
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My lip balm reminds me of chairlifts 
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| Megamum wrote: |
| Of course another option is packed lunch. There is the odd picnic table on the mountain. |
A picnic on the mountain in VT in Jan is not my idea of pleasure - March or April, lovely and have done it many times - but January, Brrr!
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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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weedram, picnics are definitely not an option in January.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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no question for me of a picnic when it's cold (no matter what the month) but many resorts have a room where you can eat your packed lunch indoors in the warm. Sometimes (as in Les Contamines) with a bar where you are encouraged to buy a drink, sometimes with a coffee machine. A good idea, and essential for many groups.
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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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Another vote for Chalet Deux Lacs. Large salad - and I'm not yer usual leaf-muncher - EUR11 and filling. The clincher is they also have the friendliest staff in VT. We were told off once for helping ourselves to water - we should have called the waiter and he'd have got it for us
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Good pizzas there too if it's the one I think it is.
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You know it makes sense.
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jonm, Yes, excellent Pizzas there, it is the same place, all cooked fresh on the premises and taste like they've been in a proper oven. They do a find range of tarte's for pudding too - the stawberry one is fabulous. At busy times, it can be worth letting them know that you are coming in for lunch then they will keep a table, but they do a good job of trying to seat the ad hoc arrivals.
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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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Battlezone, SnowHeads NE curry nights are a great thing, but I still wouldn't take a frozen one with me to VT.
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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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Battlezone, ah, but I wouldn't have gone there either. I'm sure the aromas are delicious, but I would either make my own or do without.
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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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Battlezone, I've learnt from experience that French attempts at Indian cuisine are best left alone. I've got a cupboard at my apartment with lots of curry spices in 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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But why go to France and eat curry? It's like going to India and eating Chinese! Surely part of the point of being on holiday is to do things you don't normally do. Admittedly if anyone wanted to open a Raclette/Fondue restaurant/takeaway in my vicinity I would probably visit it from time to time, lol!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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queen bodecia, I agree totally, but if I want one, I cook it myself. It;s a very popular choice when I invite friends who live out there for dinner.
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Cadbury's Dairy Milk.....for best results serve chilled
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Never mind skiing vs boarding, La Rosiere vs....the world, THIS is the debate which could start a war:
Chocolate: Room temperature or fridge?
I am at a complete loss to understand why TF anyone wants to eat teeth-snapping, jaw busting, frozen chocolate! It's supposed to be room temperature ie soft. In fact, half melted, lick-it-from-the-wrapper goo is preferable to the straight from the fridge bar from Hell.....
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3mountainaddict, frozen chocolate is an abomination.
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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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| Quote: |
how much for 4 bottles of beer from supermarket + things like a packet of pasta?
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If you are driving up, and don't want to import your British kitchen cupboard with you, then IMO you'll be able to pick up stuff like beers and pasta and other staples for not ridiculous prices like Megamum, said in the big old hypermarkets outside Chambery. Things get costly if you try to eat exactly like you do at home, so it is nice to experiment and try local stuff/brands. So if it has to be Heinz beans and tomato sauce, and everything out of a packet, then you will find yourself going through many 'HOW MUCH' moments. Obviously the Sherpa or whatever the smaller supermarkets up the hill will be more expensive.
Eating out has got less attractive to us since the Euro has come to parity with the pound, but you may find if you eat out and choose set menus you will spend around 25 - 30 Euro a head for a decent 3 course without wine [though I've never been to VT so this is from experience of other resorts].
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We stopped in a Hypermarket at Abertville on the way to VT earlier this year - the second time I've dropped in there. Its a fabulous shop - a really good place to stock up on some fresh veggies for the first couple of days - fabulous veg counter in there. If you need an instant snack for the rest of your car journey their prepackaged sarnies are excellent too. You can of course stock up on a case or two of beer from there too - its probably worth leaving a hole somewhere in the car to add a couple of bags of shopping from there if you are self catering as the quality of their food was excellent, but still take some meat with you because meat anywhere seemed pricey.
I normally take packets of bacon (for breakfast), and an assortment of meats in a frozen state in a cool bag with as many frozen cool blocks as I can fit and eat them in a logical order. Say for a weeks stay - take chicken, pork, sausages, steak. Eat them in that order the sausages being an invention to store meat for longer and the steak only getting better with age. A fifth meal can be gammon steaks in vacuum packs - these will easily keep until the end of the week if you put them into the fridge when you arrive. That's probably all you need - as even when self catering its nice to treat yourself to a couple of bought meals during the week, maybe a nice cooked lunch in a mountain restaurant and all you need is sweet tea in the evening.
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FAQ
