Arcs 1950 advice please!

[poshme]

We are considering going to 1950 over Christmas or new year.

Has anyone been for Christmas or new year? What did you do about food? I don't really want to Attempt Christmas dinner in a kitchenette, and would want something special.

And anyone who has been to 1950, the P&V talks about breakfast and half board options, but I can't really find details about it- how does it work?

Any experiences good or bad very welcome!
TIA

I haven't been to Les Arc for Christmas but we have been skiing at Christmas and New Year.

We stayed in a hotel with half board but in a self contained appartment so we had the option of cooking. TBH, if we did it again, I probably would cook myself on Christmas Day. We went in a big group with teens and toddlers who weren't that impressed with fish on Christmas Eve as Christmas dinner (Austria). Christmas Day was just another day on the slopes for all the other guests and the Christmas spirit was already winding down. It felt like business was back to normal. Half the guests were starting to head home.

France is a bit more like British Christmas but I think it varies whether Christmas dinner is on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and the main course may or may not be turkey.

We ended up with half the party spending Christmas Day making Christmas decorations and paper chains from left over wrapping paper and the hotel sewing kit while the other half went out with the children so we could have a party in the evening with nibbles and drinks, and open presents.

I've been to Arc 1950 twice, once at new year. All the bars/restaurants were open at new year and we had a big new year's dinner with the other families we were travelling with. You need to be on the ball for booking it in advance at a time that suits you, but even being a party of 12 we always found somewhere to eat (Perce Neige is a big restaurant that has plenty of space). If your accommodation is offering half board you should take a good look at it. The same restaurant every night might be very limiting though.

If you end up cooking, there is a 8 a huit supermarket in resort and the Super U in Bourg St Maurice will apparently deliver to 1950 (it's cheaper and should be able to provide you with a greater selection of meat, alcohol, veg, etc). There is a boulangerie in resort (large queues - get there before 7.30am). Personally, we didn't cook. We got stuff for breakfast in the apartment, ate lunch in town/on the mountain and ate dinner out each night.