To never go skiing in France again

[YellowTulips]

Just got back home from a weeks skiing. The food (so much for French cuisine) was awful - routine evening bill was over 120 Euros for 2 adults and 2 children. The menu was the same in EVERY restaurant. I am not a fussy eater, nor is my family but how much fondue, steak or duck can you consume? Came home and had beans on toast - lovely .

The service was awful. Waiting 30/40 mins to get a hot chocolate/coffee.

The bloody pushing and shoving by the ski lifts by the French nationals was awful (the kids getting knocked over and nearly trampled in the scrum).

I appreciate being able to afford to go skiing is a lovely thing. Been to Austria, Italy, the US and Canada Is my experience of France the norm? Was a total shocker for me. Is this the norm?

[TamerB]

It was probably due to half term.
I have had half board or self catered or had a catered chalet so it hasn't been a problem.

[Parrish]

We're just back from Morzine. Food was terrible. Really bad. Asked for veggie burger and got an egg in a roll with lettuce! Funny except for price. And 10 euros for 2 plain crepes! 4 euros for can of fizzy drink!

And only exorbitant 5 hour passes available, even when you have little kids and know you only be up there for an hour and a half.

And why do they hate the skiers so much? We are forced to spend a fortune in their town and the locals seem to resent it.

Didn't seem that busy though for half term. Maybe they are throttling their golden egg laying goose!

[Eastpoint]

Austria is the solution, much friendlier, pretty ski areas, not as expensive & no surliness. The transfer times are much shorter. I don't understand why so many Brits go to French resorts unless they are driving.

[BorcestshireBlue]

I last skied in France in 2006 and haven't been back since, it was an horrendous experience.

We ski in Italy now, no queues, friendly people, decent food, quiet slopes. I would rather not ski at all than go to France!

I would like to get back to Canada one year though...

[meditrina]

'I hope they drop the fine system'

It's been around since 2003, and I doubt it'll be abolished now.

French half-terms aren't over btw. Only zone C last week, B this one coming and A the one after that.

[dyslexicdespot]

Try Finland next time, or Norway.

[bragmatic]

We go through family ski company and stay in a chalet inclusive of breakfast and dinner. Love it.

[NigellasDealer]

Try Poland or the Czech republic next time.
120euro for dinner? you are having a laugh!

[MaryWestmacott]

hunter - can you not just add in the cost of the fines with your holiday costs? I think from next year, there's rumours the holiday companies will be factoring in the fines and the differences between term time and school holidays will be even bigger.

Personally, I think adding a couple of extra hundred quid to the holiday price might be worth it, although find the Norway suggestion interesting, might have to investigate next year. (annoyingly this shuld have been the year we could go in term time, DS is 4, old enough to ski, starts school in September, but then we had DC2 and I didn't want to leave a small baby with strange carers, so it would not much of a holiday for me. Next year, we might just risk the fines...

[Quinteszilla]

Finland is also good. Try Levi. We loved if there, and it was not over crowded. The food was good, polite people at the ski lifts, excellent slope to hospital by snowmobile if you had a bad fall off pisting (ds1). Cheap and good quality wine, aqua park, northern lights.....

Only one drawback. In February it will be cold, easily sub zero degrees , like minus 8/10. But nothing good clothing can't deal with!.

[HunterWellies]

I think it's more the fact that they have recently started really frowning on you for taking term-time holidays, rather than the money. But yes, the fine is still less than the difference in price and besides, I don't think I'd want to go in February at all as it's too busy on the slopes.

If it came to it, I am a qualified teacher, I might just say I'm educating off-site for the week!

Austria sounds good.

[winklewoman]

I agree that a catered chalet is the way to go in France and even though you have to eat out on "chalet girls' night off", one expensive meal is not so bad. I am sure that the new crackdown on English children's time off school has exacerbated the queuing problem, which was always bad at half term anyway.

[CerealMom]

Annie' erm what iz veg, veggee, veg-eeeee-tarian. Non. Have a sloppy omelette.



Could be worse, in Rhonda (Spain) they picked the meat off my salad I front of me and gave it back.

So where is decent for sking as a veggie?

[BeckAndCall]

France in half term is a nightmare. We've switched to the first week of the Easter hols, but that's easier for us as our school hols are not main school hols.

Les Arcs is our favourite place to ski - sorry it didn't suit you!- but you are a captive audience and its expensive with the exchange rate not on our side. Worst year for the rate, we were at about 1:1.05 in the only shop in the village (1950). Was v expensive.

Suggestions we've really enjoyed - claviere and bardonecchia in Italy - really family oriented and cheap and quick food. dH always skis in Neustift in Austria but I don't like the bus transfer every morning - not good with young kids - that's something I like to avoid first thing - carrying their skis and waiting in line.....but the ski lifts are very efficient and none of that French scrum which we obviously all hate.....

[MistyB]

I think last week was possibly the busiest week of the year as lots of areas in Europe had half term and I have to say, Morzine was pretty busy, I couldnt believe the number of people in some places. I am glad you found some quiet runs though.

The fast French skiers are possibly those also on their one ski week of the year so perhaps not the people who ski every week. The queues were pretty hideous. I completely agree that the price of food is extortionate!! There are some better places to eat than others, some worse. It is a challenge to provide a huge amount of food quickly, when the majority of the time, the rate of footfall is a lot slower.

[verytellytubby]

I'm having a lovely time in the Serre Chevalier. Food has been lovely although we haven't eaten out much as staying with friends and we'd rather cook at night. Vin chaud is $2.60 on the slopes Queues aren't bad. Sunny.

[SoldeInvierno]

3 veggies- we go to Austria every year during half term. Never had a problem with food or excesive queues. In fact, never had a problem with anything at all.

[horseycoursey]

Austria is much nicer, cleaner, often better value, better organised lifts and much more friendly. In 25 years of skiing I only went to France once and hated it for the reasons you mention. Haven't been for a couple of years as dc is too young :-(

[RudolphtheRedknowsraindear]

I've skied in Canada: Banff/Lake Louise, which was wonderful: just DH & myself. I do remember it being a bit of a scrum to get on the bus though.

With 2 DCs, we've done Les Arcs, self catering in Bourg St Maurice twice.
We've not had any problems there. The funicular to the slopes did get packed, so we tended to drive to Arc 2000 & use the chair lift right next to the car park. Also, the food & drinks we bought on the slopes was fine; sitting outside with a pizza & spiced apple punch, tres jolie!

We've not been for 3 years though as I now have mobility problems following an accident, (not skiing!) I have done a 1 hour indoor session with DSUK using outriggers, so never say never.

I'm so jealous hearing your skiing stories, you lucky lot! Please don't tell me that it was the best snow & weather ever!

[Theonlyoneiknow]

Those who have been to Finland, was it a package deal or DIY? Any further info would be great. Tempted for spring as i read they are snow sure until late in the season

[maitaimojito]

I've skied in France twice (Tignes) as well as Austria twice and Italy once.

I found the food better in France than Austria but its hard to beat Italy for food. Both Austrians and Italians are much more friendly and welcoming than the French, and food was cheaper. I have only been in one lift queue in Tignes where people were pushing in - I thought this was worse in Austria but it could have been the time of year.

We have started snowboarding over the last couple of years and now the emphasis for us is on how good a resort is for this (few flats and t bar lifts).

We also feel spoilt by the sheer size of Tignes - you don't get through it all in a week. The food in the hotel was also very good, although limited choice so probably wouldn't suit vegetarians or fussy eaters. A bit hit and miss ( and expensive) in the lunchtime restaurants but I think this is standard in ski resorts.

We also decided to drive there to get an extra two (quiet) days on the slopes which is another huge positive for France.

If we could move the Italian hospitality and food to the French resorts we'd be onto a winner!

[GraduallyGoingInsane]

I love France, we go regularly in the summer and I love nothing more than a weekend soirée to Paris...

...but I won't ski there. I hate the ESF, I think they are light years behind other ski schools, particularly when dealing with kids and teenagers. I think the pistes are overcrowded and tend to bottleneck at the busy points. I accept everywhere has bottlenecks but the French seem worse at it. The food is not as good - which considering I've had some of the best meals of my life in France baffles me.

I much prefer Switzerland, where we go most often. I've skied in Austria and Italy too, both very good, Italy particularly for good and cheap food. Pre DC I skied in the USA which was faultless in terms of service but felt a bit odd, I missed ze strange schnitzels and ze vooden huts.

[ikeaismylocal]

Sweden is a nice place to go on familiy ski holidays, the Swedes are extremely good at queuing and kids under 7 ski for free.

Our favorite area is vemdalen, but Åre and sälen have more advanced slopes.

[rallytog1]

Must be awful having to choose between steak and duck every night

[Anniegoestotown]

CerealMom I was offered omelette everyday for 2 weeks and I am not that keen on eggs.

We actually do not go on holiday to Europe at all. Much prefer America, no language barrier, and being tee total veggies we were eating out for $25 for our evening meal.