 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Just want to get an idea of how much everything costs i.e beer etc
Went to chamonix the last two years and found that the drinks were expensive but ok if you hit the happy hours. Also what about food etc any ideas
cheers
John
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dr Badboon, I was in Courchevel 1650 about 4 years ago and if i remember correctly it was about 6 euro for a beer and 4.50 at happy hour but as i say that was four years ago.
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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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Dr Badboon, was in Val Thorens last season, as fastandicy said it was about 6 euros for a large beer, spirits pretty expensive as always... food wasnt too badly priced but still wouldnt call it a 'good' price
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Not sure how much everything costs (although I'd guess that if you're after an occasional table Habitat in Swiss Cottage may be a better option). But generally you're looking at €20-€30 for lunch (plat du jour + couple of beers/wine). Happy hour at Ronnies is quite good value if you get the pitchers (+ obligatory toffee vodka shots), otherwise anywhere between €6-€8 a pint. We found that drinking wine is far better value at €15-€20 for a house bottle between 4 of us.
And avoid buying anything at all in 1850, obv.
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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 was there in both January and March this year, and have been there at least twice a year for the last five.
Apart from the real upmarket places in Courcheval etc., prices for a large beer now range from 5 to 8 Euros depending on the type of bar/restaurant and whether it has live music etc. A two course lunch with wine/beer etc. at a mid-range restaurant would average out at about 35 Euros a person. It is possible to reduce costs by careful selection of dining/drinking establishments but the Three Valleys is not a cheap area, and I have found even the top resorts in Austria to be noticeably cheaper over the past few years.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Was in Courchevel 1850 in March and didn't find it any more expensive than anywhere else I've been in the alps and certainly no more expensive than drinking in Edinburgh.
In fact, there are places on mountain and at the top of the village that you could get a small beer for €2.50 along with a pasta/pizza for around €12.00.
Obviously there's places that are very very expensive, but if you look around you can get affordable food and drink easy enough.
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The courchneige is an example of that, IIRC it was about 3.5 euros for a small beer and you could have a 'skiers lunch' (2 courses) for 17 euros and 3 courses for 27. Nice location good food and not 'tremplin' prices. reasonable value can be found in courchevel if you know where to go.
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In my recent experience of 1850, wine seems to be a bit better value than beers, certainly large beers or pints. Myself and the other half paid 16euro for 2 small Hoegaardens in Chalet Pierre in January but by contrast only paid 2.5euro each for 2 small beers in Bar L'equipe. Food is a simular story, just shop around and accept the odd high price with a smile becuase you will be in an amazing area!!
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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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speedy, absolutely. The other top tip is to avoid the chips, industrial pizza and fizzy drinks rolled out and specially (over)priced for gullible tourists, and instead stick to the plat du jour where possible.
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| Dr John wrote: |
| And avoid buying anything at all in 1850, obv. |
we went to 1850 last year and found that to be a bit of a myth, no more expensive than other resorts (well, it can be as there are some top restaurants) but it needn't be.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Standee, indeed
eg avoid Le Tremplin at all costs (as is it costly). There is a very nice Pizza/Pasta Restaurant in the Forum which is pretty reasonable. I think it cost us around 70 euros for a family of 4 with deserts and drinks and the quality of food and service was really good.
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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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we were in Les Menuires last year 7.50euro for a large beer (5.50) at happy hour. we usually had one or two then just went with a bottle of house wine (or 2) for 11euro.
Generally, you can plan your night around the happy hours and it isn't too bad.
Was also amused by the local cheapo beer being Kronenbourg and the swish imported stuff being Carling!!! (1 euro extra for Carling) I would rather drink my own urine than Carling so it worked out well! 
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We must have been charged more for being snowboarders - We found prices to be around 6 - 9 euros a pint. Don't drink girly halves!!
The odd pint was 5 euros but that was the exception.
Food - 35 euros for lunch would cover you in most places. You can get a sandwich and fries for around 12 euros.
The lift pass is also expensive too!!
After 5 years or so of being ripped off, last season will be my last in Courchevel for a while. (PS I say that every year!!)
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You know it makes sense.
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| Pedantica wrote: |
| speedy, absolutely. The other top tip is to avoid the chips, industrial pizza and fizzy drinks rolled out and specially (over)priced for gullible tourists, and instead stick to the plat du jour where possible. |
Absolutely agree about avoiding the tourist-trap foods, especially on piste-side cafes and similar.
Two years ago, I paid €7 for a plate of chips, which is without doubt the most I have ever paid for chips, anywhere.
Staying in Val Thorens, I found that the bars around the place were around €5-6 for a large beer, which is expensive but manageable. Staying as part of a group of 10, we did most of our eating and evening drinking in the chalet, but the meal we did go out for weighed in at about €25 per head, with food (I think it was fondue, IIRC).
I think we adopted the approach that as a result of us having dinner in most evenings, it allowed us to not be worried about external prices, as it would be more of an occasional pint, rather than solidly eating out and drinking out 6 days of the week.
Stopped for lunch at the typical tourist-trap places in both Meribel and Courchevel, but only ordered snack-sized food (literally, foot-of-the-lift places) and these were only slightly overpriced (cheese and ham toastie = €3-4 type affair).
Don't be put off by the prices, though - it is really an excellent place to ski and Val Thorens (only one I have experience with) is very pleasant (on the whole).
For the upcoming season, it seems a 6-day lift pass for the Trois Vallées region is €241.
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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 stayed in all three valleys more than once and must say the only place I'd be completely happy about going back to is Meribel (Mottaret or main). 1850 would be a great base if it wasn't for the complete lack of any middle ground bars/restaurants. Cheap rubbish or top of the line, nothing for the moderately well off lush. Val Thorens I dislike immensely. Charmless town populated with (mostly) charmless people. The bars/restaurants take full advantage of the fact it's almost completely isolated after 5pm with prices, quality and service reflecting this.
<controversial> The large proportion of budget accommodation in VT, I think, also doesn't hep with the attitude of the workers, seeming to have a 'like it or lump it' attitude* </controversial>
*2 Lacs and a place below LM for lunch being an obvious exceptions.
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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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We've only ever stayed in catered accomm in Courchevel so only lunch and coffee/beer stops to cover. €20 will comfortably get u lunch with a beer and a coffee in endless places. We had the option of packed lunches from the chalet so we tended to alternate between a big lunch and a packed one. It's easy to get by on a few 100 euro without having to skimp too much. The area is amazing so worth the little extra but go for a chalet.
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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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Nifty1Pound50, I'm sure you are charm personified, but I was referring to the staff rather than the Billies. The exception to that is the Dutch, who make your average football terrace look like afternoon tea at the Tate Modern.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
the Dutch ... make your average football terrace look like afternoon tea
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That genuinely surprises me. Champoussin is a kind of "Netherlands-up-a-mountain", mainly because for years , the only hotel in the village was Dutch-owned and only marketed to Dutch people. Thus we have lots of Dutch neighbours and I find them very pleasant, embarrassingly good at speaking English and not at all lacking in table manners. Even their teenagers are to be preferred to most varieties. Just my experience. And no, this has absolutely nothing to do with Trois Vallees...
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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: |
no more expensive than other resorts (well, it can be as there are some top restaurants) but it needn't be.
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a very important point. There are some mountain restaurants which don't look anything special from outside but where prices, even for a hot chocolate, are eye-watering. you do need to check, and not just march in and order a round of drinks without thinking. But even the more reasonable places are pretty expensive compared to less globally-famous ski resorts, so I don't really agree that it needn't be any more expensive than other resorts. It IS more expensive, like for like, and I wouldn't like having to eat out for a week at restaurant prices anywhere in the 3 Valleys, I must admit. Last time we stayed there, in an excellent chalet in Courchevel 1650, our answer to the staff night out was to get some super charcouterie etc in the street market, a really excellent 10 euro bottle of red wine (which would have cost a fortune in a restaurant), some fresh fruit and a baguette and spend the evening by the log fire in the chalet, playing chess and pretending it was ours! Fortunately I'd read up a few notes about the 3 Valleys so was able to recognise the name of the restaurant where the other guests were going as being super-expensive, and therefore declined their very kind invitation to join them.
French resorts which are less Brit-infested are probably not much more than half the price, on average.
Maybe the 3 Valleys get some obnoxious Dutch visitors (they certainly get some obnoxious British ones IME) but the Dutch folk round here are generally charming.
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[quote="pam w"]
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I don't really agree that it needn't be any more expensive than other resorts. It IS more expensive. |
I totally agree. IMV, if you're going to ski the 3Vs, your wallet is going to take a hit, so be prepared.
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If you are self catering and in a car then shop in moutiers on the way up.the hill; really good value.
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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: |
The Dutch ... make your average football terrace look like afternoon tea
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Agreed. We've been to Val Thorens over May Day weekend in the last 2 seasons. This coincides with Dutch ski week. Last May we
arrived in the resort at 6pm one night to find:
1. We couldn't hear ourselves speak - huge speakers were set up on apartment balconies, pumping complete sh*** at mind-blowing
levels.
2. The said balconies thronged with groups of youths screaming, shouting and trying to out chant each other - with
trouser dropping antics thrown in for good measure.
3. The supermarket beer shelves being stripped by the Dutch - people carrying ridiculous quantities of drink through the
resort.
Not the best of welcomes to resort. To be honest we were gutted - we like a good time as much as the next apres-skier but
this year's rowdiness had to be seen to be believed. Also, we'd spent the 2 previous days in Tignes, which was comparatively
deserted and quiet. We still had a good time though - although some pistes were a bit crowded.
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