 Poster: A snowHead
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snow ball and hells bells - We tend to travel to the alps for a week by train. I don't think we'd be that popular with fellow passengers with 40 cloves of garlic in our luggage. 
On the other hand maybe we should try it and hope to have the carriage to ourselves!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w,
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Kooky is right about the toilet rolls - something the French (much as I love 'em) have never cracked.
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so very true!
snowymum,
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Take a few fold up shopping bags for the supermarket otherwise you will have to pay per bag.
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Top tip! I do that too.
couch_of_lost_souls,
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Eating out in the 3V is a ripoff
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Not everywhere and it also depends what you order to eat and drink. English standard fare of chips and Coke/beer is almost always a rip-off.
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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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Lunch bills aren't too bad in Chalet Deux-Lacs, and the Marine.
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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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from Moutiers if at all possible
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Im guessing there is a few large hypermarkets in Moutiers? Im driving up from Grenoble and was planning to stop for supplies en route - any suggestions?
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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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I once tried to cook chilli con carne from scratch in Val d'Isere but couldn't find chilli (or cayenne which is a type of chilli) powder anywhere. Finally blagged some chillis from a restaurant. Mind you, that was 10 years ago - things may have changed.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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snowball, I actually bought some fresh chillies in a Briancon supermarket recently, they even had fresh ginger.
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tallman, There is a supermarket in Moutiers, the one I know is on the road towards Meribel, but I have seen another in centre. If your route takes you via Albertville, which I think it will, there is a huge supermarket there.
We stop there and shop for 9 of us for a week and is a lot cheaper than in resort. Similar one-pot type things as to have been suggested here. We treat ourselves mid week and have a couple of the roasted chickens from the shop in village and the next day is chickin rissotto.
With us, 3 kids and 4 grandparents the trick I have found is post skiing
a) Let the kids ahve a can of pop and a bowl of crisps
b) crisps and plenty of wine, beer, gin
c) lots of fresh bread with meal
d) choccy and more wine after
No-one moans about being hungry 
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Millie10, if you aren't into cooking, you might like something we take camping as it's easy - Waitrose sell a bacon/potato thing in a foil pack (so no need for fridge) which you just tip in a frying pan and heat up for 10 mins. It is more interesting than boiled potatoes, foolproof, the kids like it and takes up virtually no space if you take it out of its outer box. It is in the tinned fish section for some reason. We sometimes buy a cooked chicken to have with it. No effort meal, especially when camping. I usually take bacon and sausages (frozen; defrosts on the way) but I'm not totally sure you are supposed to import raw meat?
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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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It all depends, as with most things on how much cash you have to spend, people pay the prices because when compared to their income they are no big deal.
I would be wary of people who say just pop back to your apartment at lunch time, have they ever skied in the 3V's, poping back could take you a couple of hours depending on where you are. On a budget take a picnic, a bit of cash spag bog or a burger, budget not an issue decent mountain resturant, or into Courchevel for lunch.
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adie - you are right coming back to the appt to eat is not that practical when you have spent the morning skiing from val thorens to courchevel. I have been to val thorens but it was a chalet holiday pre children and I expect we ate out in mountain restaurants at lunchtime. My suggestions above were general self catering on a budget tips and not tailored to a particular resort.
We have ended up skiing back to the resort centre for lunch on recent holidays due to ski school pick up. however if you don't have the ski school tie coming back for lunch is not always going to be desirable/practical.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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There is a supermarket in Moutiers, the one I know is on the road towards Meribel, but I have seen another in centre. If your route takes you via Albertville, which I think it will, there is a huge supermarket there.
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Thanks Boris, will definitely stop on the way through - will be coming via Albertville on the autoroute.
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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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HI some good stuff above...
We drive to the alps and so can take basics with us as it saves too much tedious wandering round the shops & paying mountain prices
...you're there to ski
I didn't see anyone mention that at altitude water boils at a lower temperature so stuff can take a lot longer to cook than you expect...not a big issue just means more beer / wine consumed before serving.
have a good trip
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I didn't see anyone mention that at altitude water boils at a lower temperature
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good point. most crucial with boiled eggs, but you notice it with potatoes and pasta, too. Val T is quite high, so the difference will be marked.
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You know it makes sense.
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JonA, a good point indeed and it means that, even if you take your own teabags, all tea tastes pretty disgusting.  The bliss of my first cup of tea at home, after being in Whistler last week, was indescribable!
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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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snowymum, Chris from La Giettaz brought me back some garlic (3 pack) to the apartment...I brought the unused stuff home it was so good!! (we did leave everything else there - it wasn't a cheapskate moment). The cloves were huge and juicy and so fragrant. Not like the little shrunken dried up stuff I only seem to find over here these days. Ive recently been finding myself having to use three cloves because they are so tiny.
One night I made a beef casserole. It was diced beef, carrots, onion, garlic, mushrooms, 2 stubby bottles of lager, tin of toms, stock from a cube, herbs and seasoning. Used the leftover bread from brekkie to make awesome garlic bread (just slice the baguette in half and spread with butter mixed with a big clove of garlic and herbs then grill on the top side only). You do need to cook it for about 2 1/2 hours though, gentle heat.
As I said in the other thread I normally take colemans type sachets for chilli etc as it makes life so much easier, not a great variety of ingredients in resort shops (Miranda heard my pleas and stocked up on herbs, stock cubes etc for me  )
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've not skiied in France or Austria before, but have SC in Lapland for the last 7 years. We take EVERYTHING. Meat, chips, salad, veg, tins, the lot. Thats ok if you aren't limited by bags or weight (which I know some budget airlines are). We fed 10 of us for a week for less than £200. That included beer and 3 boxes of 3 wine!!!! So wish I was going skiing again before the season is out
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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 point. most crucial with boiled eggs, but you notice it with potatoes and pasta, too. Val T is quite high, so the difference will be marked.
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Approx 93 degrees C at 2000m!
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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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Great thread! Going SC for the first time in VT at Easter, these are just the sort of survival tips I need!
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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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| pam w wrote: |
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I didn't see anyone mention that at altitude water boils at a lower temperature
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good point. most crucial with boiled eggs, but you notice it with potatoes and pasta, too. Val T is quite high, so the difference will be marked. |
There's an Iphone app for boiling eggs.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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andyhumph, welcome to SH and thanks for the info
hope you'll stick around
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andyhumph, welcome to snowHeads
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andyhumph, welcome. quite a few people bring frozen stuff to the EoSB too
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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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| Hurtle wrote: |
pam w,
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Kooky is right about the toilet rolls - something the French (much as I love 'em) have never cracked.
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so very true!
snowymum,
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Take a few fold up shopping bags for the supermarket otherwise you will have to pay per bag.
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Top tip! I do that too.
couch_of_lost_souls,
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Eating out in the 3V is a ripoff
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Not everywhere and it also depends what you order to eat and drink. English standard fare of chips and Coke/beer is almost always a rip-off. |
Agreed - we had a couple of good reasonably priced meals, and a couple of crap uber expensive meals in VT. You can get a guide in the tourist office that gives menus and price guide for every eatery. Well worth a read
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horse is excellent value in the supermarket.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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andyhumph,
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quality frozen meals (from Cook for those of you who know it
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and excellent they are too!
If you know you are going somewhere with a decent size deep freeze you can certainly take a few meals already frozen if travelling by car. When my younger son and uni friends used to hire a big car and drive out to our chalet I would send them off with a huge frozen cottage pie for the first evening - also a great box of cheese and pickle rolls for the journey - the confessed in later years that these were always consumed by the time they had reached Guildford from Chichester.
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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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One top tip from me, don't take beef stock granules in a clear plastic bag, apparently sniffer dogs get confused and a detailed search then follows Embarassed
Or I may have been set up by some 'friends'..
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You will be now that's for sure!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Thornyhill wrote: |
| Hurtle wrote: |
couch_of_lost_souls,
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Eating out in the 3V is a ripoff
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Not everywhere and it also depends what you order to eat and drink. English standard fare of chips and Coke/beer is almost always a rip-off. |
Agreed - we had a couple of good reasonably priced meals, and a couple of crap uber expensive meals in VT. You can get a guide in the tourist office that gives menus and price guide for every eatery. Well worth a read |
What is a reasonable price e.g plat du jours ??
I was in the Serre Chevalier area in January and a plat du jour , half way up the Prorel gondola, was 10euros which consisted of beef bourguignon, dauphinoise potatoes AND a veg , like haricot verts.
In the 3V at a restaurant just up on first Pas du Lac 1 ( meribel mottaret ) they won't even give you a glass of tap water with your meal.
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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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couch_of_lost_souls, the lack of tap water may be due to their water supply arrangements rather than their stubborness or desire to rob you of more cash. It may not be fit to drink. There is a couple of places in Serre Chevalier which cannot serve it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Likewise the restaurant above Vallandry has a sign on the wall saying that water is not of drinkable quality.
Actually when we are self-catering I always buy bottled water for the kids to drink - have been a few suggestions here in the past that local water can be contaminated with snow-making chemicals leading to upset tummies.
I don't believe a link has ever been proven, but for the few € it costs to buy I'd rather not take the risk of spoiling my holiday. I stick to Tonic Water with my gin
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FAQ
) and packed them in the roofbox. When we arrived in Les Gets the meals were still completely frozen. Our evening meals were quick to do, really nice, relatively cheap (£2-4 per head) and left more budget could be spent on hot chocolate stops during the day, decent wine for the evening etc.
