10 Tips for the Perfect Ski Holiday to Chatel
1. Search Google !!
All good holidays start with a little bit of research. Times have changed and research these days is far easier done on the internet. Love it or hate it, www.google.co.uk can be your best friend for helping to find resort information about Chatel, the best places to go and the latest ski deals.
2. Narrow your search
Local websites will help you to narrow your search. Highly ranked www.skichatel.co.uk or www.chaletgroupchatel.co.uk, www.skiportesdusoleil.co.uk and also www.portesdusoleil.eu have localised information on their sites, ranging from ski area info right through to good quality accommodation to rent.
3. Book an owner run Luxury Catered Ski Chalet in Chatel
If you are new to Chatel, or even a seasoned regular, one way to learn the ropes is to book yourself into a luxury catered ski chalet – typically run by a British family, there are around 20 catered chalets in the Abondance valley. Expect to pay between £399 and £1000+ per person per week depending on the time of year. Make sure the chalet has a TripAdvisor page with some client reviews, and even better has a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence!
In a catered ski chalet you get a complete 5 star service – breakfast, afternoon tea, unlimited wine with dinner, and five or six evening meals. You also get the care and expertise of the chalet owners, who normally live in the valley all year round, to guide you through the resort highlights. Pump your hosts for information as they will know all the key ski info including ski hire, ski lessons, the nursery slopes, best ski runs, areas to go to etc. as well as offering advice about the best bars and mountain restaurants in the Portes du Soleil.
4. Don’t forget the huge selection of Apartments & Hotels
If price is more of a factor in selecting your ski holiday to Chatel, some hotels and self-catered apartments can be booked to cater for all budgets. www.skichatel.co.uk allows you to submit an enquiry form to the apartments listed on the site, www.skichatel.co.uk/enquiry-form/ – submit and just wait for available properties to send you a quote.
5. Look into the range and quality of ski schools
The only way to learn to ski is to book in some lessons. Chatel caters for all abilities from beginners through to guests wanting all day ski tours around the less accessible parts of the Portes du Soleil.
Chatel has a French ski school – ESF, a selection of Independent instructors and also some private ski schools such as ESi and BASS.
Chatel’s ski instructors can be found here – www.skichatel.co.uk/skiing-in-chatel/chatel-ski-lessons/
6. Do some “Ski Fit” before you leave!!
The Portes du Soleil has an amazing 650km of marked pistes and many more off-piste routes – all accessible from Chatel. The last thing you want is to spend hundreds of pounds on a ski holiday, only to find you are too tired to explore this vast area during your holiday.
If you are serious about building your ski fitness speak to your local gym instructor for advice on core and leg strength building exercises. If you sign up for a course with www.skigoddess.co.uk you even get 6 free lessons to do at home in advance of your holiday.
7. Find some snow in the UK!
One of the best ways to speed up the holiday preparation is to visit one of Britain’s indoor real snow centres before you go, or if you aren’t close to one, try to find a dry ski slope.
A couple of examples include:
Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead – www.thesnowcentre.com
SnowDome in Tamworth – www.snowdome.co.uk
Chill Factore in Manchester – www.chillfactore.com
Skiplex in Reading, Chiswick & Basingtoke – www.skiplex.co.uk
Southampton dry ski slope – www.activenation.org.uk/leisure-centre/outdoor-sports-centre-southampton
8. YOU TUBE it!!
There is nothing better to get you in the mood for your trip than by watching videos of skiers having loads of fun, carving down the well groomed pistes or buried in powder!! If you visit www.youtube.com/user/ChatelTV you will even find Chatel’s own YouTube page stacked full of winter and summer video snippets. Explore further and you will find well produced videos by previous holidaymakers to Chatel, showing off their ski trips!!
9. Check the weather but don’t get obsessed!
www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Chatel/6day/mid is always a great reference to the weather in the valley. Caution though, as the Abondance valley has its own micro-climate and so all weather forecasts should just be a guide – stay safe folks!!
10. Ask Advice
If all else fails, we also live in Chatel and are more than happy to help with any simple questions that you may have about the area. We love planning ski holidays and helping people to have an amazing time in Chatel – that’s why we built www.skichatel.co.uk !! Drop us a line at contact@www.skichatel.co.uk
