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Supermarkets in Flaine

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi all, looking at a self-catering apartment in Flaine for January. My question, having only been there for a day, is: is there a supermarket or anything there? I've only been to Flaine for a day, and didn't see many shops, unlike Les Carroz.

Thanks,
Ben
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yes there's a couple of shops iirc.... if you're driving I believe there will be a new supermarket at La Balme so you could stock up before you start the climb.... if you're using a transfer company they might also stop for a fee.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Callai, two supermarkets, Sherpa (Flaine Forum - better, least expensive of the two) and one in Foret (can't remember what one, think Shoppi) very busy, small and pricey. P&V appts Residence la Foret have their own little store now. Moral of the story is to do what Marcellus suggests and stop on the way up. If driving I suggest Carrefour in Cluses.
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Isn't there also a Spar just up the road from Foret? I'm sure I went in three when I was there. The one in Foret (attached to the apartment blocks) is pricey and small, but it does ace rotisserie chicken & fries for groups of four or more.
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hyweljenkins wrote:
Isn't there also a Spar just up the road from Foret? I'm sure I went in three when I was there. The one in Foret (attached to the apartment blocks) is pricey and small, but it does ace rotisserie chicken & fries for groups of four or more.


There's a small one in Hameau but prepare to be exceedingly poor if you ever venture in there!!!!
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Callai - there's basically two sets of shops in Flaine - centred around Foret & Forum
In the Foret block, there's a bakers, deli & butchers + a small Spar supermarket & a pizza take away.
In Forum, its basically the same (Sherpa supermarket) plus a few more shops eg pharmacy, post office, etc.
As everyone says, its usually better to stock up on the way.
My favourite is the Carrefour in Sallanches
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Quote:

My favourite is the Carrefour in Sallanches

But that's a bit out of the way, isn't it, if you're going from Geneva (or most other places) to Flaine?
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
janner, yoiu've not found the Carrefour near Bonneville then??

Much larger, better laid out and cleaner than Sallanches.... and on the road between the GM and Geneva...
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We normally stay in Foret SC so use the Spar. We also use the Patisserie (mmm lovely) and the pizza takeaway, both near Spar. Despite me only going once a year, the pizza guy always remembers me and knows which pizza(s) we want.
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Marcellus - thanks for the information on the Carrefour in Bonneville - will have to try it at Christmas.
Going to Sallanches is a tradition based on going to Chamonix before we bought our place in Flaine.
When time is of a premium, you always just find the solution you know rather than look for something different.
I've always found it easier to bomb down the motorway and back again quickly as opposed to driving on the local roads.
Its really only a few minutes from the Flaine junction.
I also know where everything is - very sad !!!
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Check this link out http://www.carrefour.fr/magasin/trouver/?strCP=Code+postal&strLocation=cluses - number 2, is a refurbed Champion v close to the 1st Cluses exit (ie not the Flaine exit onthe autoroute) . It s about 4,000 sq feet and is great if you are just after food and groceries (ie not white goods etc). It s much quieter and quicker to shop than the massive one in Cluses or Sallanches. Its also very handy for the Mcdonalds about 200 yards away!!

if the link doesnt work just try www.carrefour.fr
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Does anyone know if the Sherpa is a decent sized, well stocked supermarket? We would not be driving so no option to stock up en route. It would be case of walking from accommodation and back.....is it like a tesco/sainsburys/asda etc? Puzzled
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Quote:

is it like a tesco/sainsburys/asda etc?

I don't know that particular Sherpa but am familiar with several shops in the chain and can confidently say it won't be like a Tesco or Asda supermarket. it will be smaller and a fair bit more expensive. But might well deliver to your accommodation, which can be very helpful and will have a decent choice of stuff if you are not too fussy about things like fresh milk (not considered an essential in France and not always in stock, IME) and willing to try some new things.

It's worth thinking about some essentials to take from home. For example, if you plan to make a curry one night, take one curry's worth of spices in a plastic bag, to save buying a whole lot. Similarly stock cubes and other seasonings, tea bags.
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As previously mentioned, the Sherpa is the larger and cheaper compared to the Spar@Foret. That said, it's about the size of Tesco / Sainsburys corner shop offerings. Sherpa don't deliver (although not 100% sure) but Spar does I think. If you are going to do some basic cooking (e.g. pasta), then you'll find what you need although be prepared to be flexible on ingredients. I wouldn't attempt anything too sophisticated unless you're bringing it with you. When we were there last year, there was a weekly market where you could purchase tapenade and the like for mixing into pasta. Some Chinese friends were thinking of returning next year with small bottles of sauces in their suitcase.
The shop at Foret which does the cooked chicken opens early at 7 ish for fresh bread / croissants.
Found eating out expensive (unsurprisingly). Our favourite on-piste place to stop was the Bissac, close to the bottom of the Grand Vans lift and at the end of fair number of pistes (Tourmaline, Serpentine, Bissac).
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
If you are driving take it with you. There is also a good sized Spar and (cheap) fuel as you approach Les Carroz.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
scorpio21, the Sherpa used to deliver, we were last there in 2012 and they had leaflets in store advertising it. It's small but does have reasonable selection of fresh meat and veg, small bakery section, and usual packaged foods, ham cheese deserts etc, certainly has enough to do a weeks SC as long as your not going for gourmet. It did have a small selection of hot food each day, but it seemed to run out quickly, you may need to pre book it in the morning if you like to look of it. Do take your basic spices, herbs and tea even as everyone else says, it will reduce your costs. + 1 for Bissac - great Tartiflette in the day, and the pizza place for the evening
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Some great tips there, thank you. Reason for asking is the concern of not being able to get fresh chicken, eggs, water and cornflakes for the whole week. My other half has an illness that restricts his eating options. We are trying to decide between Flaine and Avoriaz and assessing which has the best food shop options.... Love the look of the pistes on both, so happy with either as far as the skiing goes.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
scorpio21, There are taps for water Puzzled

Eggs and cornflakes should last a week shouldn't they? You've now got me worried about all the old eggs I eat.

There are wild chickens roaming the piste, just don't get caught poaching them.*

(*no, there aren't)

On a slightly more serious note, I find the PdS skiing more to my taste than the GM. And I think you can find better lunches (your particular constraints noted).

I suspect that the supermarkets in both (it has been generations since I shopped in Avoriaz) will be quite well stocked but expensive. Remember that they are both predominately self catering resorts and although many arrive with car loads of provisions, many don't.

If your other half's requirements are a little special however, e.g. coeliac, I would not at all count on the local shops having anything out of the very ordinary.
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Quote:

There are wild chickens roaming the piste, just don't get caught poaching them.

And the marmottes are hibernating; not that I have ever got anywhere near catching one.

I used to do a big shop in Bourg and cart it up the mountain. Now I just cannot be bothered. The small Sherpa in Arc 1600 always has enought for a different meal every night. Most of these small shops even have roast chicken if you order it in the morning. It costs a little more than shopping in the valley (3 euro for a bottle of wine as opposed to 1.65 in the intermarche is the biggest percentage difference) but the savings from shopping in the valley usually amount to little more than a couple of beers in the evening.

I am not sure of the rules in the Haute Savoie but in the Savoie you have to pay for a carrier bag if you do not have your own. I find my boot bag makes an excellent shopping bag.
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Rumour has it that one of the renowned French bottled water companies take water from around the Flaine area. We didn't have any issues with the tap variety. Not been to Avoriaz but skiing on piste in Flaine is great. My only reservations are:
- there is only 1 piste and lift (Tourmaline / Grand Vans) connecting Flaine with the rest of the Grand Masif and can be rammed and / or chopped up during peak season
- the pistes don't seem to be groomed as much as other resorts so easily deteroriating in poor weather or high traffic volume
- the Cascades run, while pretty, is fairly tedious (even more so for boarders due to flatness) skiing wise apart from the ending bits into Sixt.
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scorpio21 wrote:
Some great tips there, thank you. Reason for asking is the concern of not being able to get fresh chicken, eggs, water and cornflakes for the whole week. My other half has an illness that restricts his eating options. We are trying to decide between Flaine and Avoriaz and assessing which has the best food shop options.... Love the look of the pistes on both, so happy with either as far as the skiing goes.


If this is the major deciding factor, then head for Avoriaz. The giant difference being easy access (1 lift one bus) to Morzine wich does have a decent sized supermarket.

Both Avoriaz and Flaine themselves are crap in terms of supermarkets, but without access to a car, in Flaine you are stuck for the week interms of shopping options - unless you want to carry everything back from your shoopping in a backpack fromone of the other resorts. even then none of them have a decent sized supermarket within easy walking distance of a piste/lift.
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Tap water is entirely OK. The supermarkets are unlikely to run out of fresh chicken though prices will be considerably higher than Tesco and they might only have breast fillets. Cooked ""poulet roti" might be pretty expensive (maybe €15 or €16 for a not-very-big one). Generally chicken is more expensive in France than in the UK but often better quality.

You should be able to get eggs without a problem. If Cornflakes are absolutely essential to your OH's diet I'd take some in your baggage. They don't weigh much and it's quite possible the Sherpa won't have any, or not 100% reliably.

I don't know either area particularly well but would go for the PdS rather than Flaine.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
FYI Carrefour Sallancehes is a "Hyper", most of the others are "Market" or "Metro" and while it may be disorgonised it is cheaper than the others in the Arve valley.

If you want a large supermarket in the Arve valley (not lidl or aldi) that has lower prices you need to head to Geant Casino in Annemasse
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