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Self catered ski holidays

By Edward Ockelton

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Published: 07Sep2009
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September 2009

With the ski holiday booking season in full swing, it is clear that a number of people are looking for ways to save money in 2009/2010. One of the best ways to do this is to consider booking a self catered rather than a catered ski holiday.

The initial advantages of booking a self catered ski chalet are obvious - a self catered chalet costs less to book than a catered chalet. However, many people are put off self catered ski holidays because of the perceived "hassle factor". They imagine queuing outside French estate agencies to pick up keys, and trying to hire linen and towels in resort.

Although these scenarios do still exist, with a bit of research it is easy to book hassle free and reasonably priced self catered chalets.

There are a number of holiday companies which rent self catered ski properties, but offer a number of services which make things go a lot smoother on holiday. These are some of the main services which you need to look out for:

1) Someone to meet you in resort to give out keys.

This may sound obvious, but after a long drive down France, or a flight with the kids, it is great to be able to call someone on arrival in resort who can meet you and show you into your ski chalet. This means you don't have any problems finding the property, and when you get there you have someone who can show you around and show you how everything works. If it is your first time in a particular resort you can also use this opportunity to pick their brains about the skiing, and where to find things such as supermarkets.

2) The facility to pre-book linen and towels.

With airline baggage allowance constantly being cut, and with space at a premium when packing up a car, it is great to arrive at a property and have towels and bedding supplied. It is even better if your beds are made up for your arrival so be sure to check that this is an option when booking your holiday.

3) Welcome basket on arrival.

A lot of self catered holiday companies arrange for a small welcome pack to great you. This is usual a token selection of cleaning essentials, a bottle of wine and perhaps a little bit of snack food like croissants. However, don't underestimate how tired and thirsty you can be after a long journey and having a few things to eat drink on arrival can really make the world of difference.

4) Pre arrival supermarket shop.

Some companies will go shopping on your behalf - you email them a list and they arrange it for you. If your holiday company won't do this, check with the local supermarket. Some (like Sherpa) will offer free delivery on food shops over a certain value.

5) Ad hoc catering arrangements.

Many ski resorts now have companies who offer an ad hoc external catering service - from take away curries or pizzas to four course dinners prepared in your chalet, served and then tidied away. This means that self catered holidays can also benefit from a touch of catered luxury. Having the flexibility to mix self cooked meals with eating out, and in house catering is a great way of sampling the local produce and cuisine.

Nowadays, self catered chalets can match (if not exceed) the quality and luxury of catered chalet properties. By checking the level of service you get with your booking, a self catered ski holiday can be easy on the pocket while being as effortless as a catered chalet ski holiday.

Ed Ockelton lives in the French Alps and runs All Mountain Holidays, a website which offers skiing holidays in ski resorts worldwide, and White-Peak Holidays, a ski holiday company offering self catered ski chalets in Chatel, France.

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