What do you think about self-catering ski holidays?

A snowHead

I'm dead against them - the thought of carrying shopping bags through the snow, shopping in an overpriced mountain shop with limited variety, cooking and washing up after a long day on the slopes really doesn't appeal. But I'm under pressure from a largish group of friends to go on a self-catering ski holiday - to keep costs down. What have your experiences been? Have you saved money or spent more on going out to restaurants? Was it stressful shopping, cooking and cleaning after being on the slopes? Did you get time to relax and experience the nightlife or all your free time revolve around cooking?

thanks,

Al

A snowHead

alanant, welcome to snowheads, alanant. You will find polarized opinions here. "Self catering" can be as low-budget, or as luxurious, as you want to make it. Personally, I've enjoyed both catered chalets AND self-catering. How stressful it is depends on how competent you all are, and how organised. We had one great holiday with 6 en-suite double rooms in a chalet. Each bedroom did one evening meal, and one we ate out. It was a piece of cake, really.

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

I'm with you on that, a ski holiday should be just that; a holiday. However, I've done a few SC's with mixed results. A couple of early one's were fine because they were with good mates, no-one really wanted to cook so we ate out each night (apart from one disastrous attempt to cook for ourselves, thereby proving the wisdom of eating out). The costs aren't too bad if you hunt around and don't expect too much.
Another couple of times I've gone with a large group, we had a large food/drink kitty at the start of the week and people took it in turns to cook. Couple of things made this work; the first being we had a couple of "part-time" skier and boarder who didn't ming getting the big initial shop in, and the fact that one of the apartments was large with a good kitchen. It was still a bit of a pain having to nip to the shops every now and them to pick stuff up.
If you're all keen skiers/boarders then there may be an issue deciding who does the shopping. Also apres tends to get curtailed somewhat because someone always has to "head back to lend a hand". If you're in one of the rabbit-hutch cheap as chips apartments then forget it. 2 x electric hobs and a grill does not a kitchen make.
In my experience you only save a small amount off the total cost of chalet/half board, but with a whole bunch of attendant hassle.
If it's a large enough group isn't there scope to mix it up a bit? Book it all SC, then leave it up to people to choose eating in or out. That's worked very effectively for me before.

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It's no harder than the shopping and cooking you do at home. Depending on where you are you could probably get a taxi down to a valley supermarket (ie in St Anton theres a big M-Price or something 5 mins down the road near St Jacob), but tbh most resorts have a Spar which is fine. Just whack on a huge pot of pasta or rice and have a curry, swap who cooks and washes up, simples.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Plus it might mean you can afford an extra ski holiday later in the season too!

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depends to some extent on whether you fly to a self-cater apt or drive. Driving removes the stuck up a mountain with a Huit a 8 which will need a deep pocket to shop in or whether you do the shop in the valley away from the alps before you head up the road.

Tend to find it compares to shopping at home in the main plus a few luxuries because lets face it we're on holiday Smile

Horses for courses to be honest, its what you make it and there's no reason why you can't sample as much or as little of the nightlife as you like. In some ways you can get more from a s/c than you can from a chalet in my opinion.

Oh, and its never a chore to drag bags of shopping through the snow...if it's deep and fresh, then that all i'd want to see when i arrived anyway Very Happy

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alanant, you sound like a market researcher. Have done all sorts of different holidays, we used to do apartments as we have kids, but still ate out every night. Now we have an apartment of our own, swimming pool, sauna and eat in more often,as that way we can afford to visit more, and after all, it is home too.
Catering can be arranged if you don't want to cook, and there are several wonderful restaurants nearby.

After all it is free

Not a market researcher, just want to know people's opinions on sc....which I guess is what a market researcher does except I just want to go on holiday.

alanant, done both.

S/catering can be (and we have done) chuck a load of stuff in a pot for a chilli, let it simmer, sit back and chill with a bottle of vino or 2...

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They're great. It means you eat out every night.

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I suppose a lot depends on whether the people going are capable of doing good value, fuss-free, meals at home. It can be harder in an apartment which might not be very well equipped - and if you constantly eat out, then you're not likely to save much money.

You need a decent apartment with proper cooking equipment and a sensible sized table to eat round.

Even at mountain shopping prices, a couple of packs of beers, a bottle of gin/vodka/whatever and some mixers will save you enormous amounts of money compared to going out to bars. You can also fill up on a good breakfast (porridge, eggs, etc) to cut down costs on the mountain at lunch time, even if you don't want to go back to the apartment for lunch or take out a ham roll.

If you are prepared to eat simply all week - buy ready-to-cook pizzas, bags of salads, cold meats, pasta, roast a chicken and some potatoes etc. the cooking arrangements shouldn't defeat any but the most disorganised and/or idle members of the group.

Between finishing on the slopes and going to bed you've got at least 5 hours. How could it be "stressful" in that length of time, to organise a few drinks, something to eat and wash the dishes? Puzzled

I've done lots of holidays with friends, in various ways, countries and accommodation. If they're proper friends, should be no trouble. If it's just a gang you kind of vaguely know, where one or two people might end up either doing more than their fair share or eating cr@p, a catered chalet might be a better bet.

Being a lousy cook, for me to stay in a self catered chalet would mean me either eating the French equivallent of pot noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner or paying top dollar eating out. Therefore I always go HB.

For me skiing holidays are non stop, up at 9, ski till last lift, apres ski, dinner, then out till last orders at the bar. I only go for one week at a time so I like to make the most of it, so I leave all the chores at home wink

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But each to their own and all that. If you have children and funds are tight you may have no other option

You know it makes sense.

We've done lots of group s/c holidays, usually 8-10 of us. Always found it a great holiday, not that much work, everyone pitches in, and with a group, eating and drinking round the large table in the apartment then going out for drinks later is just as sociable as eating out.

We normally eat out maybe 2-3 nights out of 7 and in for the rest.

It's really not a lot of work IMO, but I've never been able to afford the kinds of holidays where you get pampered and waited on hand and foot etc. By doing things the way we do, we get 2-3 ski trips a year instead of one.

You do need a co-operative group though. Nobody has to do more than about 15 minutes of 'work' each evening, but if one person was doing everybody's share it would take forever and be monumentally unfair.

It does save money if you do it this way though. Last year, we spent about EUR60 for a week's worth of breakfast and evening food/drink per person (and that included a lot of drinks, plus we didn't eat like paupers), which would have been less than 2 nights worth if we had been eating/drinking out all the time. It's also worth remembering that a s/c arrangement means you drink at supermarket prices as well which can save a lot of cash. Money aside though, our group just prefer doing it this way, in terms of doing things our own way, not being tied to meal times, being able to eat in/out if we fancy without feeling like we're 'wasting' the HB paid for meal, privacy in the apartment without staff, if you're peckish, grab a snack from the fridge etc. we all find it very relaxing.

Agree with pam w you need decent accommodation with proper kitchen, well-equipped for the size oif group and a table you can all fit around. Other hints would be:

- Agree in advance roughly what you will be eating, as it means supermarket shops are quick and easy rather than spending ages hanging around (usually roasting in skiwear) negotiating about what everyone wants to eat
- Get a kitty set up beforehand so you don't have to keep asking people for money
- Think about the resort in which you will be s/c, to be sure that it has suitable shops, and opening hours (esp for late Saturday and Sunday arrivals)
- Bear in mind suitability of location of apartment to shops and if you do/don't have a car. Carrying crates of beer through the snow etc. is no fun
- Agree in advance how many meals in and out you will be having, so that people can manage budgets/expectations accordingly
- It's useful bringing the odd small things from home, even if you're flying, e.g. packets of spices etc. that can be disproportionately expensive or difficult to get hold of at all in some locations
- Think about variety, nobody likes pasta every night, but really there's no need. There's pasta, chilli, curry, fajitas, some kind of bake in the oven potato dish (we do tartiflette), pizza etc. None of them beyond the wit of most people wink

and that's without using 'semi-catering' things like e.g. rotisserie chickens etc.

FWIW, I tend to think these days that our only options are s/c or HB, would avoid B&B as then you have to eat out every night and that costs more than the half board option usually.

D

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

I presume you're all aware of that program Can't cook Won't Cook? Well when I'm on a ski holiday it's a case of Can Cook, Can't be Arsed.

clarky999, I suspect you're comments are skewed because you spend vastly more time in the mountains than the rest of us and therefore have the routine down pat and have more time compared to the average 1 week a year punter.

pam w, you're bang on the money regarding the decent kithen/eating area. Unfortunately, in my experience, they are very rare.

A snowHead

A snowHead

alanant, some self catering apartment owners offer a supermaket shopping service for you. We do it in France, and certainly a snowHead apartment owner in Austria was offering it (in the Chalets and Apartments section) - I'm sure we're not the only ones.

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

alanant, I used to think there could be nothing worse than going on holiday and ending up cooking, cleaning and shopping. However last year we simply couldnt afford to go Catered and we had two fab self catering holidays. We flew so couldnt really take much with us but forward planning goes a long way. I thought of a few meal I would cook for evening meals through the week that would be simple all things considered (shopping, cleaning, cooking). I took sachets of Colemans mixes for Beef Casserole, Chicken Chasseuer and Chilli. I dont buy them at home but it just makes life easier (my sis would blend her own packs of herbs and spices before going but that's another matter). I spiced them up with some wine, fresh garlic etc and they were great. Almost one pot meals with just the addition of meat and a few veg. Brekkie was normally leftover baguette from the previous days lunch - toasted and served with president butter and Bomme Maman Apricot jam - the breakfast of kings. Lunch was either baguettes and cheese and ham or we ate out. We had a few evening meals out. One of our stays was at miranda's place and Chris (her partner/husband) took us to the supermarket in the mini bus - only one trip needed so hardly a big effort. They did provide breakfast for us aswell (fresh delivered croissants, pain au chocolat and bread)

We were converts - it was so nice to get in from skiing and (in our case) slip on our pj's. The kids didnt have to be togged up and dragged down to dinner at an hour that was too late for them TBH etc etc. We loved it. You havent got much to lose - give it a go. Going self catering again this year and very happy to be doing so.

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Personally I wouldn't do it. Anything involving housework (i.e. shopping, cooking, cleaning) doesn't fit in with my idea of a holiday at all. But I can see why it would work for families or large groups.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The foods always crap.

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I'm a fussy eater so I never purposely plan to cook on my holidays. Although I do occasionally cook for myself on an odd day or two if I don't feel like going out. I found it difficult to prepare my usual meal in kitchen not my own. I end up missing a lot of small items such as seasoning, cooking wine etc that I take for granted at home. (though I suppose if I do it more often, I might get more proficient at planning and not miss too many essential items)

But I happened to lodge in a SC apartment in EoSB and it worked out pretty well, because my flat-mates did all the shopping and cooking! Embarassed

Also quite amazing how much stuff my flatmates brough with them (some came by train). The cost turned out to be amazingly economical. So don't count on saving unless there're ready volunteer who don't mind the extra work. But if there are, you can be in for quite a surprise of savings! Some people love to cook and enjoy sharing their work with others. All the power (and gratitude) to them! Very Happy

One other thing, it also depends on the time of year too. Very early season, December say, the sun gets down at 4 o'clock, there's plenty of time to stop for a drink before going shopping AND cooking. But by March, the sun is up all day and you ski till the lift closes (or even after). Then shopping and cooking time will be at a premium and competes with apres. Though by April, the snow gets so slushy at the end of the day anyway you again tend to quit earlier, leaving more than sufficient time for dinner preparation. I do find myself doing a bit more extra cooking when skiing in spring.

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You dont have to eat pasta everynight! It depends if your having a chalet or apartments. If its apartments, every room can do whatever they want. If its a chalet, you can do pasta, curry, chiili, take away pizza. All very easy, giving you plenty of time to be socializing, everyone can share the washing up, itl take 5mins...
It does save a hell of alot of money!
You never know you might like it....

After all it is free

abc, I took little bags of salt and pepper mix (you always add both so why not mix it beforehand), stock cubes, a few dishwasher tabs, filled a little travel shampoo bottle with washing up liquid etc. Thus we didnt have to have a massive shop and buy stuff that we would only use a fraction of. Also took a bag of coffee granules (emptied out of a jar) and some tea bags.

Shimmy Alcott, Now you are use to self catering time has come to invest in your own appartment, there are some bargains around at the moment Toofy Grin

Well, what was going for around 6k/m is now 5k/m

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12 of us did a self catering trip to Val Thorens. Each of the 6 couples did an evening meal for the whole group, and we went out to a restaurant on the last night. Because we cooked for everyone else, the pressure was on to make something decent - the result being a week of great food!! Cool

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Much prefer the flexibility of self catering - eat what you like, with those you like (hopefully!) when you like .....dressed how you like. Hate with a passion the regimentation.....and all that faffing around with x changes of clothes that go with 'public' accommodation.

A typical week will be something along the lines of fajitas, sausage and mash, roast chicken or lamb and dauphinoise, poached salmon and couscous, pork and chorizo stew, lasagne or another pasta offering , and probably but not always an evening out. We don't eat puddings at home as a rule, so don't feel the need to eat one 6 days in a row on holiday (doesn't mean the odd stale french stick won't get recyled to bread and butter pud or something won'y catch our eye in the supermarket) The evening meal bit saves a lot, but the real killing is that you tend to have the wherewithall to rustle up a decent lunch to take up the mountain too.

I always triple check that there is a fullsize oven at the apt and always assume the knives will be rubbish so bring one along.

For me it's no real effort - I enjoy the planning and have a box of non perishable essentials that are regularly topped up and go automatically in the back of the car ( we do always drive) whether it's skiing, camping or the visit to grandma's.

I'd say that for us it's not so much about cost as it is about convenience and relaxation - not everyone's idea of relaxation but it does suit us.

Love them. Used to eat out most nights but since the exchange rates have deteriorated it's about 50:50.

You know it makes sense.

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

A snowHead

Some swings and roundabouts - if you stay in catered chalet you dont have access to teh kitchen so you end up spending money at lunchtime. In S/c you get to make up fersh bread baguettes .

To be honest, the good S/c trips we had were when we had a hire car, and you do a bulk shop on the way to teh chalet. .

but the best s/c holidays were when our friends in Geneva came, because they would bring all the accoutrements/sauces/spices/bits and pieces that you woudlnt buy in a supermarket just for one week.

And it really is well possible to cook on thehobs an dgrill for 8 people Smile

BUt i really do like a catered chalet myself !!!!!

A snowHead

pam w, a lot of people are not fussed about food. They just eat whatever that stuff them. So eating out at cheap places of cr@p food are no hardship.

On the other hand, those who're fussy about food either learn to cook, or just allocate a bigger budget for eating out frequently.

I like a mix of self-prepared food and eating out. I also don't find putting on a pair of slacks and a blouse any hardship at all! After a day of skiing, I actually like to walk around a bit, in something other than ski boots! So going out to eat is a good excuse for a decent walk. Very Happy

So the appeal of NOT eating out is not there for me.

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

Our eat-in/eat-out schedule depends on the presence of skint student sons. If they are with us, we are more likely to eat in, and have a couple of beers at happy hour, while dinner simmers away. On our own, we eat out more. The first night will depend on how early we leave Reims in the morning and will either be pizza out, or pasta in, if we've managed to visit a supermarket on the way. After lunch on the slopes, on the first day, I will go and do a big shop, and perhaps buy a chicken to roast for dinner, but will leave meat to be purchased in the boucherie in the village.
Meals will be Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourgignon, perhaps a Tartiflette, and we may invite friends round one evening for a curry. We only have a mini-oven, but have cooked a Christmas dinner on three occasions. (Beef Wellington, Duck, and a three bird roast).
My apartment is well-stocked with cooking oil, herbs, spices, salt and pepper. There are often stock cubes, Tetley Teabags and ground coffee too.
Breakfast will be croissants collected by JulesB and dog from the bakery (she waits inside for him if he forgets), or boiled eggs and toasted baguette. Lunch is invariably on the mountain.
We will eat out in our favourite places once each during the two weeks, and perhaps visit somewhere under new management to 'test' it out for our guests.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I really enjoy cooking so getting a curry or chilli going whilst enjoying a bottle of wine with mates and some music is a real pleasure. I wouldn't want to do it every night mind. Obviously it helps if you've got a well equipped kitchen. Ideally a big pot of curry or chilli could do more than one night too. St Anton as it happens is quite well set up with the Spa like clarky999 says. It also means you can choose when you eat which I like.

Doesn't mean I don't like catered (and have stayed in some great catered chalets).

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Self catering does not involve washing up. Most newish self catering appts have dishwashers. The only problem we have with self catering is trying to work out how to heat things in the combination microwave/ fan oven (instructions normally not available). Have had a few soggy pizzas through choosing the wrong setting.

I think self catering is ideal when you have children. You do not have to share a room with your offspring or worry about them waking others up. You can cook food they like to eat at their normal meal times not the later mealtime offered on chalet/hotel holidays.

Many self catering developments are far more luxurious than chalets. We like the MGM ones with swimming pools, spa area etc.

We take our porridge oats with us and it doesn't take much effort to make a saucepan of porridge each morning. Some one runs round to the bakery for a few croissants too. At lunchtimes we enjoy meals in mountain restaurants or come back and grab a baguette and ham/cheese etc. In the evening we eat out or just do a really easy meal - heat up meat or fish and have a tin of vege with it (vege in tins is not bad in france).
I hate the enormous late evening meals in chalets. Having paid for 5 courses you feel you have to eat them and feel too full/put on weight. We have had bad experiences with chalet hosts and fellow chalet guests.

Hotels are nice if you have the budget for a 5 star hotel for a family of 4.

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After all it is free

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My favourite after ski attire is a lightweight fleece and a pair of trackie trousers - perfect for the stretching I usually spend some time doing prior to the first G & T. I don't heat my apartment to the levels which would permit me to wear a silk blouse - though when i went up to sort out a plumbing problem in an apartment belonging to a friend, which was rented out, I was appalled at the sight of 4 girls sitting round after their showers in vest tops and shorts. The place was like a sauna; I dread to think how much electricity they were using. Our French neighbours include a sensible amount of electricity in their rental charge and if people use more, they pay at cost. That probably makes more sense.

When we stayed in catered chalets I did tend to find them too hot - especially bedrooms. I like to sleep in an unheated bedroom with the window open a bit - but we do have a very nice electric blanket. wink

The building is so well insulated it warms up quickly - we switch off heating when we go out skiing and within half an hour of being back it's plenty warm enough.

I suppose paying the electricity bills yourself makes you a bit more stingy!

So anyone coming to stay with me would probably want to wear a good thermal vest under their silk shirt. wink

Help!!

What do you think about self-catering ski holidays?

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