When booking a skiing or snow boarding chalet holiday, the decision to go self catered or fully catered is one of the first choices you need to make. There are many benefits to either course of action, but which one to choose? In this article we aim to help you decide when choosing between a catered and self catered ski chalet.
One of the biggest considerations when opting for a catered of self catered ski chalet is the cost. On the face of it a catered chalet may seem significantly more expensive in some cases, but this is not always true once costs have been broken down.
By choosing a self catering holiday your accommodation will of course be cheaper. However there are other costs which need to be factored in before you have a true picture of what your holiday will cost. Consider the cost of food and drink for your party, not just at dinner, but throughout the day. Many catered chalets will offer a hearty breakfast, afternoon tea, and a two or three course evening meal. Ski chalet hosts are used to dealing with people with a range of dietary requirements, and are usually quite creative with their menu options. To provide an array of dining options three times a day will cost a considerable amount when added to the cost of your self catering accommodation, plus beverages, and can equate to or exceed the price of a catered chalet.
Another important factor when making your catering decision is time. How much of your holiday to you plan to spend cooking, cleaning, and washing? Catered chalet holidays allow you more time to spend on your holiday, and less on house keeping. They can be especially beneficial when travelling in a group or as a family as your chalet hosts will tale care of much of the cooking, cleaning and housekeeping, leaving you free to ski, relax, and enjoy yourself.
Catered chalet hosts can also be enormously helpful when you need advice about the local area. They will know the best bars, shops, boutiques, and babysitters, as well as having a keen knowledge of the best places to ski and snowboard in the local area. They will know the best places to get your ski equipment and boots, and will often have deals with local shops for their guests, and often will even collect you from the airport. A self catering package will require more research and an element of luck in finding the right services and entertainment whilst you are on holiday.
Many holiday makers choose self catering ski chalets to cut costs, but add the cost of food, beverages, plus your time and you may be surprised at the small difference in price. There are benefits to both styles of skiing holiday and both should be researched thoroughly. The wide range of catered and self catering accommodation available in ski chalets means a little research can go along way when making this important decision and getting the most from your ski holiday.
Great article.
ReplyDeleteI can not agree more about the advice that you get from a well established catered ski chalet host. Even more so from a small independent company where the owner does that catering.
We are based in Chamonix, France where the cost of buying food in the local shops is nearly 3 times the price of buying food "down the valley" which would take up half a day for a round trip. That is a lot to take out of a precious ski holiday.
Last additional point is the opportunity to meet and ski with like minded people of a similar standard. At the catered chalet in Chamonix we get a lot of repeat clients, some of whom have become friends, they have a lot of local information and tips to pass on to first time skiers and snowboarders to Chamonix.
Once again, a well informed case for seeking a good catered chalet.