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Ski and snowboarding

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Original poster

How exactly does it work, in a chalet?

11 replies

PatientGriselda · 18/01/2011 15:11

An embarrassingly basic question, I know...

How big are they? Do you book the whole thing, and therefore only go if you have an enormous crowd of family or friends to fill it? Or do you book a room in one and then just live alongside other people who have booked for the same time? If the latter, then what is it like, generally?

Thanks.

OP posts:

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 18/01/2011 16:09

Have booked numerous times in shared chalets. As DH cannot ski due to injury I go 'alone' with the Dc so enjoy the chance to eat good food, chat to other adults over dinner that I couldn't do in a hotel, have always so far lucked in with the other guests, friendly people, good conversation - met people I wouldn't have got to know otherwise. Always a gamble, obviously, but not yet ever had a problem, always found it added a bonus social dimension to the holiday.

Hullygully · 18/01/2011 16:10

Be careful, a lot of chalets are swinging chalets these days. I have had several friends of whom more was expected than they wished to give.

expectingagain · 18/01/2011 17:52

We've had a couple of chalet holidays, some have been great and others not so. I'd recommend when you book you check if there's a mix of groups in the chalet. You probably don't want to be in a chalet where it's one big group who know each other and you're taking the one room they couldn't fill and try to book a room that has it's own bathroom or en-suite. You can get chalets that are any size from tiny ones to ones taking about 20-30 people. Coming back to tea and cake after skiing is one of my favourite bits.

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 18/01/2011 18:28

Agree with EA - the first time I booked a mixed chalet I came on MN anxious i'd end up the extra family in a large group braying from Putney a la mark Warner - as it happens, one of the families was from Putney but they were nice... On a recent thread OlliPolly mentioned that she also had been in a chalet where all others were in one party - definitely worth checking....

orienteerer · 18/01/2011 19:59

We did 2 mixed chalet holidays before DS, both were fine, neither had a single group for the other half of the booking. Chalet company should disclose age/sex breakdown of other guests before booking if you ask.

olliepolly · 18/01/2011 20:20

Mrs G quite right we found ourselves in the middle of a big smoking,drinking much younger crowd we had nothing in common with.We are a family of five.
However we got on with it and enjoyed our skiing as a family and as ever loved being in the alps.
Will check more carefully next time,have no issue with the company ski beat who I thought were good.

deste · 19/01/2011 17:20

We are in a chalet at the moment (St Foy). It is a chalet for 10 but there are only four of us in it, we can do what we want and have been told to help ourselves to anything in the fridge if we want it. I think it is better than staying in a hotel. Make sure it is ski in ski out.

ajandjjmum · 19/01/2011 17:24

Any recommendations?

DH and DS love to ski, DD and I are not so keen, but ski in, ski out might make me feel a little different.

Like the idea of a chalet - we've always stayed in hotels before.

Just wondering?

And definitely no swinging

tulpe · 19/01/2011 19:15

Hully are you serious?? OMFG.

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 19/01/2011 20:25

Not encountered this - maybe as a holiday 'single parent' I don't qualify...

jade80 · 19/01/2011 20:29

I ran a chalet so have some experience of this! Generally a combination of what you suggest, either a family, or a couple of families who know each other, but sometimes people who've never met before. The outcome of the last one can be umm... varied?! Chalets come in all sorts of sizes, from 4 upwards usually, the biggest in the place I worked was around 20 people, I think. You just book what you want really, if you fancy pot luck on who you stay with then go for a place that allows part bookings, if you want it all to yourself then find one just the right size!

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