Where To Stay
Finding cheap accommodation is dependant on a number of factors:-
a) Are you travelling alone, with a partner(s),
or in a larger party?
b) Do you want to stay in a Hotel, Guest House,
Apartment or Chalet?
c) What board arrangements do you require?
Self Catering, B&B, Half or Full Board?
d) How luxurious or basic does the accommodation
have to be?
e) How close to skiing do you have to be?
Are you travelling alone, with a partner(s), or in a larger party?
Obviously, if you are travelling solo it will work out more expensive for accomodation than if you were part of a large party. Some hotels and guest houses do provide individual rooms without charging extra for single occupancy, but these are rare; even more rare in ski resorts.
Do you want to stay in a Hotel, Guest House, Apartment or Chalet?
The cheapest way to acquire accomodation for a ski trip is, like anything else in life, buy in bulk. In other words be part of a large party that rents a complete self catering chalet or house for the duration. There are numerous websites that advertise skiing accommodation in different countries.
Interhome.co.uk. is the best that we have found so far.
For season 2007/08 they had apartments for four in:- Puy St. Vincent for as little as £397 in peak season down to £207 in low season.
La Clusaz for as little as £539 (peak) down to £213.
Tignes for as little as £582 (peak) down to £218.
Chamonix for as little as £610 (peak) down to £350.
Alpe d'Huez for as little as £772 (peak) down to £363.
If your party is larger, they have apartments for 8 in:-Les Bottieres for as little as £818 in peak season down to £303 in low season.
Cauterets for as little as £961 (peak) down to £255.
Val Thorens for as little as £1062 (peak) down to £348.
Vars for as little as £1065 (peak) down to £423.
Les Menuires for as little as £1164 (peak) down to £442.
There are more than 250 other French properties on their site and they have large numbers in other ski countries too!!
They personally inspect all properties and are ABTA bonded. We highly reccommend this Company.
Others Companies advertising accommodation are:-
'Ski Horizon' are currently offering:-
An apartment for 4 at £81 each in Risoul for 13th Dec 08
A Studio for 4 at £167 each in La Plagne for 10th Jan 09 (price inc. Lift Pass)
An apartment for 4 at £167 each in St. Francois for 3rd Jan 09 (price inc. Lift Pass)
An apartment for 6 at £155 each in St. Sorlin for 21st Mar 09 (price inc. Lift Pass)
The Companies below will soon be checked out for 08/09 season - but this is what was on offer last season:-
'Chez Nous' which last season had a 20 berth chalet available in Morzine from £1950 per week,and a chalet in Samoens with 5 apts sleeping 4 to 6 from £340 per apt/week
'alpsaccommodation' has a 14 berth luxury chalet available in Samoens from £1200 per wk.
'french country cottages' had a 8 berth chalet available in Thones from £281 per wk. (but it is an 8 mile drive to skiing).
'maeva.com' advertised a 4 bed apt in Chantemerle (Serre Chevalier) from £225 per week.
With less than 4 people in your party, it is then, generally, more economical to book into a guest house or cheap hotel.There are a limited number of apartments that can compete with their prices, but they tend to be further away from the slopes.
For more information on rentals go to the 'Accomodation' section of this site
What board arrangements do you require? S/C, B&B, Half or Full Board?
Obviously, it is cheaper to book your accomodation as self catering, but by the time you have bought all the food for the week and then gone to all the bother of cooking, it is sometimes more economical to have chosen Half Board or Full Board.
If, however, you don't mind having to cook after a strenuous day's skiing, then don't forget the prices in ski resorts are generally higher for everything than you would pay down in the valleys. So buy your food from a supermarket on the journey to your resort rather than once there.
If you choose one of the other board options, you may as well (if the price is right) go Full Board.
Choosing Bed & Breakfast means that you still have two other meals a day to provide and once you are out on the mountain enjoying the skiing (and hopefully the sunshine) you will be reluctant to come back to the village, and so will end up buying lunch at an expensive mountain restaurant. Then after the days skiing you will still have to prepare the evening meal (This, by the end of the week, invariably ends up being taken in one of the villages restaurants or cafe's - again more expense).
Half Board is almost the same as above, lunch on the mountain, but return in the evening to a cooked meal.
Full Board means every meal taken care of. In the vast majority of cases this doesn't mean having to return to your residence for lunch, normally a packed lunch is provided, and surprisingly many resorts provide places to eat these on the mountain rather than (the British way) forcing you to eat their food at their prices.
So, for me, the options would be:- save a lot of money by buying your week's food before arriving at your accomodation or going full board - no half measures!
How luxurious or basic does the accomodation have to be?
If you require luxury accomodation, then why are you reading this site?
However, there's basic and unbelievably basic.
When booking cheap accomodation check on room dimensions and bed types.
This is easily done on websites or in brochures, but be wary if these details are unavailable.
There is a tendency, for owners of ski apartments (and some hotels) to squeeze as many beds into as small a space as possible. Therefore bunk beds are quite commonly used.
Most party animals or genuine ski freaks don't mind this as they only want a place to crash out after their exertions, but some people want a good rest at the end of the day. So, sleeping on the top bunk in a bed made for a midget might be unbearable!
Also you need to check on showers and cooking facilities.
How close to skiing do you have to be?
By choosing your accomodation a good drive or ski bus ride, away from the ski lifts you can greatly reduce your costs.
Even more so, if you book into a cheap basic tourist hotel in the valley, and drive up the mountain each day. (The cheapest 'basic' French hotel is Formule 1 and they have rooms in Albertville, Gap, Grenoble for 3 people from 28 to 31 Euros a night [approx. £7 each]. They are basic BUT CLEAN with excellent showers!- see their website
For more information on rentals check out the 'Accomodation' section on the top menu bar of this site.
Your comments would be appreciated, good or bad, on any resorts, accomodation or skiing in general. It is intended at the end of the season to award two prizes to contributors - one for the best contribution and one randomly chosen contribution. The value of the prizes will be announced later and obviously depends on the success of this site.