Tag: hotels

A ski holiday in Courchevel, Three Valleys, France

The Courchevel valley has a reputation for attracting an upmarket, well-heeled clientele. It is certainly favoured by the very rich – Russian oligarchs, Arab sheikhs et al – and the very famous, such as the Beckhams, Roman Abramovich and guests. Yet whilst it might be the place to see and to be seen in, it's not just the designer boutiques and Michelin stars of Courchevel 1850 that make it one of the best and most famous ski resorts in the world.

As part of the extensive Three Valleys system, Courchevel can offer easy access to some of the most varied skiing you'll find anywhere. The Courchevel valley itself provides around 150km of pistes, ranging from steep black couloirs, to broad motorway cruises, to picturesque runs through the trees. Look further afield and there are endless possibilities; touring, backcountry, high altitude glaciers, snowparks, legendary bumps and off-piste pitches - however you want to experience the mountains, it's all here in the Three Valleys.

Getting back to Courchevel itself and what is it exactly that makes it such a top resort? The resort is actually a group of villages, each with a different character and with something different to offer the visitor.

Courchevel – from top to bottom:

The highest is Courchevel 1850, a glitzy conurbation with top end restaurants, a selection of exclusive hotels, glamorous nightclubs and a "millionaire's row" of private piste-side chalets. Just above is the altiport, a high altitude airport with one of the shortest and steepest runways in the world, built to receive the private jets and helicopters of 1850's jet-set.

Courchevel 1850 is the main starting point to get to the best skiing to be found in the Courchevel valley. Just two lifts will take you up to the Saulire at 2700m, from where you can drop into the neighbouring Meribel valley, or admire the fantastic panorama below you and then head off to discover Courchevel. It is testament to the good planning of the whole Courchevel valley however, that wherever you stay getting to ski is quick and painless.

Just 200 metres lower is Courchevel 1650, less pricey but with a good range of accommodation, eateries and apres ski. 1650 has it's own smaller ski area, an off-shoot of the main valley, with a few quieter, picturesque pistes. This village has a large year-round population and many businesses are open for summer trade too, when bikers, walkers, golfers and mountain lovers come to visit.

Perched on the hillside at 1550m is, well, Courchevel 1550. This village has grown in recent years and is just one lift-ride away from 1850's main intersection, skiing back down at the end of the day is simple. The village is quieter than it's higher neighbours but there are still some good bars and restaurants, and getting to the livelier nightspots is easy with the regular free bus.

At 1300m is the traditional village of Courchevel Le Praz, which still has it's quaint villagey atmosphere and friendly feel. You can find hundred year old barns and typical Savoyard houses. The main landmark of Le Praz is the Olympic ski jump, built for the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympic Games. Despite being a traditional village, access to the ski area is again quick and easy. One lift takes you to 1850, and another route will take you up to the Col de La Loze, again another entry point into Meribel and another viewpoint for a spectacular panorama.

So much to ski!

So part of what makes Courchevel so good is the choice it has to offer. From beginner to expert there is something to flatter or challenge you in its terrain, and lots of it. You'll never get bored with the ski area.

Coupled with that is the great choice of places to stay and the type of holiday you can have. Accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets means you can splash out on something truly luxurious or keep it cheap and simple. If this has whetted your appetite take a look at our Courchevel chalets, hotels and apartments – and if you've had a holiday in Courchevel why not post up a review of the resort and let everyone know what you think!

02/02/2010
More Ways to find your Ski Holiday for this winter!

October 1st – it’s very definitely autumn now – glacier skiing is starting up again in Europe, the ski magazines are back on the shelves, there’s been a few tentative snowfalls here and there, and at CDHQ we’re experiencing that buzz in the air when we know that winter is now just weeks away.

Traditionally autumn is the time when the search for ski holidays really hots up – so in case you didn’t know, Chalets Direct offers a few ways of finding chalets, apartments, hotels – whatever type of accommodation you’re looking for.

We have the usual methods of browsing and searching. If you’re an experienced skier/boarder, you may well know which resorts you want to visit. So from the home page you can go directly to resort sections and see what’s available. The same with the search – put in your criteria and you’ll get a selection back that fits.

We also have the Solutions Room, which since it’s inception 10 years ago, has proved to be a useful tool for thousands of people – both holidaymakers and holiday providers.

The Solutions Room allows you to be very specific or very vague. You can say “Ok I only want to go to the Three Valleys, only on these dates, and only to a catered chalet”, or you can say that you’re pretty much “open to suggestions and what’s out there” ?

Once you’ve said what you’re looking for you can then wait for the offers to come back to you. It takes the pain out of looking for yourself and often throws up some suggestions that you may not have considered before – why not try St Gervais, why not try a semi-catered package, why not travel on a Sunday, why not do a ski safari?

There’s also the Promotions section on Chalets Direct, which at the moment is packed full of offers, discounts, added extras, and tempting ideas. So if you’re very open to ideas you can search the Promotions and see what’s available for the dates you want, or in the areas you prefer, and find a good offer which will help you seal the deal. Our Latest & Greatest newsletter showcases some of the special offers, and in case you missed it we had a bumper issue that went out yesterday with some great deals on accommodation, free lift passes, free transfers, free childcare and loads more!

So with all the press over the summer months about there being fewer ski holidays around for winter 2009-10, we’d like to say that ski holidays are definitely out there – it’s just knowing where to look!

01/10/2009
Ski holidays in short supply for next winter?

There have been a few reports in the UK press over the summer months about a supposed decrease in the number of ski holidays available. It's true that some large tour operators, such as Crystal, have cut back on the number of catered chalets they are offering for 2009-10. Last winter's weak pound against the euro meant that many ski holiday companies, whose revenue is in sterling and expenses in euros, were caught with too many beds to sell and rising costs. Naturally they have adopted a more cautious approach for this winter.

However this has given smaller operators a chance - with more chalets on the rental market, the opportunity to negotiate better rates has not passed them by. The economic crisis has of course caused ripples in the independent sector, but for the good smaller companies, who can be nimble and react quickly to a changing climate, it has also provided opportunites.

There may be fewer holidays on offer – but cast your net wider and you will almost certainly find what you're looking for.

Whilst the big guys are cutting back, it's a good time to try independent travel and discover the benefits that the growing number of savvy independent skiers and boarders have known all along.

So what are the benefits?

Flexibility: this is the big one. The indie ski holiday can give you all kinds of flexibility – so you don't have to travel on a Saturday, you don't have to stay for a week and you don't have to fly from Gatwick when Liverpool airport is just down your road.

If flexibility appeals to you, you can also extend the idea to resort. With some operators you can choose catered, self-catered, and part-catered options. You can have complete privacy in your chalet if you like, or you can have a full-on gourmet service every night of the week. If you want a 4 course chalet dinner with wine one night and to head out for pizza and a beer the next, this can be arranged. Powder White offer part-catered options in the Three Valleys, Val d'Isere, Verbier and St Anton for example. CGH offer self-catered apartments in France, but can recommend and book local chef services.

If you're really flexible in your holiday needs why not put in a search on the Solutions Room and see what comes back?

Personal and personalised service: With the independent chalet operator you could well be enquiring, booking and then staying with the same person, or someone who knows that person and the accommodation very well. Your relationship with them will start when you send your first email, several weeks or months beforehand. You'll have plenty of time to tell them about the gluten allergy and you'll be able to ring up the day before to find out what the snow conditions are like.

Choice: The independent ski operator can range from a husband and wife team, who have lovingly restored a 17th century alpine farmhouse and turned it into a dream holiday home, to package companies who can include flights, transfers, deals on ski hire etc. And there is a massive range of accommodation out there – from budget to luxury, from studios to big chalet style hotels. If you want hot tubs, Sky TV, wifi, ski-in ski-out – it's all out there and the choice is impressive. Alpine Elements for example, offer catered chalets to suit all kinds of budgets. Mountain Heaven have self catered apartments and catered chalets in popular resorts, but also offer holiday accommodation in less well know gems such as Grimentz and Les Sept Laux.

Specialist knowledge: Many independent companies specialise in one resort and make sure that their knowledge is passed on to their customers. Companies such as Jolly Good Alpine Adventures and Chilly Powder in Morzine, Bigfoot Travel and Fresh Traxxx in Chamonix, Ski Magic and Ski Cuisine in the Three Valleys, Ski Verbier and Peak Ski in Verbier, for example, have all been operating in the same resorts for several years, with the same characters at the helm. Their knowledge, acquired over the years of being there, and the network of contacts they have built up, means that they can iron out problems, advise on the best route to take for your one week skiers and hook you up with the best guides to explore the steeps and deeps. This kind of local knowledge can make all the difference to your holiday, perhaps showing you something which you would never have found on the beaten track.

So whether you choose to fly, drive, take the train, go budget or luxury, cater or self-cater – there is still the choice out there. It is true that your options may get more restricted the later you leave it to book but nonetheless the ski holiday is alive and well.

14/08/2009
The Ski Blog from Chalets Direct offers help and advice for booking ski or snowboard holidays in the Credit Crunch

New blog provides money-saving tips for winter holidaymakers when booking ski and snowboard breaks.

The recently launched Ski Blog from Chalets Direct aims to provide sound advice and information for people looking for ski and snowboard holidays. The blog went live in late August and has been incorporated into the Chalets Direct Interactive area, which gives holidaymakers a range of tools for searching and researching ski holiday options.

Topics that have been covered so far include Skiing in the Credit Crunch . This two-part post covers ways to save money when booking equipment, tips on prepaid currency cards and suggestions for off peak and mid-week travel. The advice is timely with many skiers and snowboarders now searching for this winter’s holidays but feeling the financial pinch. The blog also points users to the Promotions area where new offers and holiday deals are listed daily.

Another useful area of The Ski Blog deals with ski and snowboard instruction and has useful pointers for what to look for when booking ski holidays for beginners. It advises doing research and preparation beforehand to maximise the holiday experience. The What Makes a Great…ski lesson post includes input from the British Alpine Ski Schools, and draws on their research into ski teaching methodology.

According to a spokesperson for Chalets Direct:

“We hope that the Ski Blog will become a useful place for visitors to find out about skiing, snowboarding, summer holidays, things that are happening in the industry, and general advice on holidays in mountain resorts.

We want to build a resource, so that people everywhere, from novice to expert, can tap into the experience and knowledge of other skiers or boarders.”

The Ski Blog can be found by going to www.chaletsdirect.com and clicking on the link to the blog. The direct address for the Ski Blog is http://skiblog.chaletsdirect.com

22/09/2008
Chalets Direct launches Interactive Area for Skiers and Snowboarders

The leading ski website offers more ways of finding accommodation for independent travellers

September is traditionally the time when people start getting serious about booking their ski holiday. In response to this, the leading ski website Chalets Direct has grouped together a variety of services to form a new interactive area for people looking for ski and snowboard breaks. Called simply Chalets Direct Interactive, the new section provides holidaymakers with more tools to find their ski accommodation, in addition to traditional searching and browsing. Visitors can also use the interactive area to find and research holidays.

Chalets Direct Interactive includes message boards, resort reviews, a ski blog and The Solutions Room, where users can post up their holiday requirements and wait for offers to come back to them. The site also provides a Promotions area where visitors can view promotions and special offers for specific dates or resorts. The aim is to give independent skiers and snowboarders a better choice when looking for their winter holiday and to provide more ways of getting results.

Some key features of the interactive area include the Solutions Room, a unique bulletin board where people looking for holiday accommodation can say what they're looking for. Chalets Direct members can then reply to them to either match their requirements or propose alternatives. Launched in 1999, the Solutions Room has proved a useful tool for both holidaymakers and advertisers. A post made in the morning will usually have attracted several replies within a few hours, by the evening there will often be more than 20 proposals for the enquirer to choose from. Further development of the Solutions Room is currently taking place and enhanced features will be introduced later this autumn.

The Resort News and Reviews area means visitors can see what others are saying about resorts. This section is also an area to get news “as it happens” – with current bulletins about weather and snow conditions or upcoming events.

The Ski Blog, launched this summer, is a general discussion area focusing on ski industry events and news, with useful advice and hints for booking holidays in the mountains. The What Makes a great…Beginners Week post for example, gives helpful hints for first time skiers and snowboarders.

Chalets Direct Interactive also has a jobs board and Q & A area for people wanting to do a ski season or a long term let.

The interactive features can be found by clicking on the home page of www.chaletsdirect.com

09/09/2008
Chalets Direct Interactive Goes Live!

Chalets Direct has now launched our Interactive area where users can get sociable!

We have always encouraged user interaction – we created the Solutions Room in autumn 1999, and since then have added more and more areas where visitors can talk to each other, such as the Ski & Board Jobs forum and the Resort Reviews section.

So now we have decided to group all these features under one heading to make it easier for visitors to get around. Our latest addition, The Ski Blog, is also part of this area.

So what’s it all about?

Well the Solutions Room is a unique bulletin board where people looking for holiday accommodation can post up what they’re looking for. Chalets Direct members can then reply to them to either match their requirements or propose alternatives. As I write,our developers are working on further enhancements of the Solutions Room which will make it more efficient for both types of users – so watch this space.

The Resort News & Reviews section is for you to post up reviews of your favourite resorts. If you had a great time there let everyone know about it and tell us why it was so good. You can post reviews in various categories, including the resort, the ski area and summer holidays. You can also post about the weather and snow conditions, which was used extensively last winter, when snow depths were exceptional. Reviewers can also put up a photo to go with their post, so we had a great gallery of snow pictures stretching from Colorado to Bansko!

Other features in the interactive area are the Ski & Board Jobs message board and the Long Stay Q&A, so if you’re looking to spend more than a week or two in the mountains these could be interesting for you.

For jobseekers take a look at the positions on offer, or post up what you’ve got to offer an employer. And for the Long Stay Q&A, if you’re looking for accommodation or need some help you may well find an answer here.

And of course there is the Ski Blog – which we hope will provide interesting information and give you a chance to give us your feedback.

So as autumn arrives, Chalets Direct is looking forward to another great winter season!

31/08/2008