The Ski Solutions Guide to Chalet Ski Holidays.
Chalet ski holidays are perfect for groups or families who want to be catered for but don’t want the more formal setting of a hotel.
Chalets ski holidays are very popular in France and all the major operators run chalets in the big resorts including Tignes, Val d’Isere, Meribel, Courchevel, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Les Deux Alpes and Alpe d’Huez. In Switzerland, Verbier and Zermatt are the main resorts for chalets and in Austria, Lech and St Anton are the best resorts . Chalets in Italy aren’t so common and there is a small program in US and Canada.
How does a chalet ski holiday work?
Most catered chalet holidays are run by British Tour Operators. There will usually be a chalet host who cooks the meals and keeps the chalet clean and tidy and if it’s a bigger chalet then there may be a team to look after you. Most staff are young and British and out to enjoy a season in the snow. Food quality does vary depending on the operator and luxury level of the chalet. Some chalets employ chefs to ensure you get top notch cuisine.
Basic chalet ski holidays will include meals on 6 nights, afternoon tea with cakes, wine with the evening meal and a hearty breakfast. The chalet staff usually have one day off so that you can enjoy an evening meal out.
Luxury chalet ski holidays will include added extras like aperitifs and canapes, Free Wifi, bath robes or superior wines. They may even have outdoor jacuzzis.
Group Chalet Holidays
A chalet holiday is the perfect choice for a group ski holiday. If you can take over a whole chalet then you can have the whole place to yourselves.
Family Ski Chalets
There are a number of different operators that specialise in family ski holidays and most offer either chalets or chalet hotels. Other operators are happy to take children during school holidays but if it’s not the school holidays then you will need to fill the whole chalet.
Singles
If you are planning to go skiing on your own but are sociable and want to meet other like minded skiers then one option is to book a single room in a larger chalet hotel (rare but possible). You can then enjoy mealtimes with other guests and hopefully find some like minded skiers to spend the day on the slopes with.