Beer

Hello,
I'll be off skiing in January with 3 others and we are all fairly heavy beer
drinkers.
I've always found prices of food to be pretty similar but beer can vary from
less than a couple of quid in Andorra to six quid in Alpes Duez. Now this
can mount up to a considerable amount if you start drinking when you get off
the slopes.
I'm not after great night life as I've been there, done that and always
regret it the next day, but just reasonable prices. I also want a fairly
large ski area and something more challanging than Andorra. I'm off to
Portes du Soleil soon and have no idea of the prices there but won't want to
go there again in January. Last time I went to Italy (Sauze D'Oulx) I was
too young to drink so have no idea on cost but vaguely remember the skiing
not to be that challanging or there to be a big ski area.

So basically I want a few suggestions of resorts to go to with cheap beer
and a big ski area.

Thank you.

--
David )
http://kitemap.co.uk/stack
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"David Brown )" wrote in message
...

So basically I want a few suggestions of resorts to go to with cheap beer
and a big ski area.

Don't ask for much, do you? LOL!! The problem is, you have to remember that
ski resorts trade mostly on tourists. Yes, we ski, but we're on holiday
which makes us tourists and money spenders. So prices get inflated as a
result.

Big ski areas know this and know their own appeal to us spare cash spending
holiday makers. Consequently, cheap beer isn't too easy to find... in bars.

The big ski areas are in France. Places like the 3 Vallees (Meribel,
Courchevel, Val Thorens, et al) have one lift pass for a stupid amount of
skiing. I think the 3 Vallees has increased from 650km on one pass by adding
St Martin de Belleville (am I right??). And unlike some other big areas, you
can ski from one side to the other. But beer isn't cheep in the bars. Good
fun, though.

If you want cheap beer, though, buy it in the shops. If good nightlife isn't
what your interested in, then a trip to the local supermarche will sort you
out in beer for a really good price. We used to get drunk in the hotel rooms
before going to the pubs. Get ratted on the cheap beer from the shops, and
top ourselves up with the odd expensive pint in the pubs. Worked for us...
not one of us had a single sober night and we all had change out of £200
spends for the week.

If it were me, it'd be Meribel or Val Thorens on the ski train from Dover
with an 8-day 3 Vallees lift pass and a decent shopping trip for beer on the
first morning there. Sorted!! )

Mmm, drinking beer in a hotel appartment is not my idea of fun. I'm not
after bargain bars, just something closer to 'normal' prices. In fact, as
Soldeu and Pasa de la Casa are now linked I'd be happy to go there again
even though not very challanging, as we have one total newbie and the
lessons there are great. I just wanted at least somewhere else to consider.
It's just in the past I have ended up spending more on beer than the price
of the whole holiday including lift passes and lessons ( .
I went to Valoir in February and the bar we spent most of the time in was a
lovely quaint, and very French, little bar that was very reasonable and
within a couple of days the manager was buying us a beer for every couple we
bought. It's just the skiing made even Andorra seem extreme.

--
David )
http://kitemap.co.uk/stack

i worked in the Ski Lodge , La Tania (www.publeskilodge.com) for 8 seasons
and the prices in there are pretty reasonable , esp at happy hour , plus its
a great little resort in the Three Valleys .

Nic & Karen.
Quality Ski Apartments in France
www.accommodationinthealps.co.uk
UK 0870 136 4311 Fax (national call in the UK)
Call us direct in France on 0033 (0) 4 7908 2376
CLICK HERE FOR OUR SPECIAL DEALS :
http://www.accommodationinthealps.co.uk/special.htm
"David Brown )" wrote in message
...
Mmm, drinking beer in a hotel appartment is not my idea of fun. I'm not
after bargain bars, just something closer to 'normal' prices. In fact, as
Soldeu and Pasa de la Casa are now linked I'd be happy to go there again
even though not very challanging, as we have one total newbie and the
lessons there are great. I just wanted at least somewhere else to
consider.
It's just in the past I have ended up spending more on beer than the price
of the whole holiday including lift passes and lessons ( .
I went to Valoir in February and the bar we spent most of the time in was
a
lovely quaint, and very French, little bar that was very reasonable and
within a couple of days the manager was buying us a beer for every couple
we
bought. It's just the skiing made even Andorra seem extreme.

--
David )
http://kitemap.co.uk/stack

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 00:47:41 -0000, "David Brown \)"
wrote:

Mmm, drinking beer in a hotel appartment is not my idea of fun. I'm not
after bargain bars, just something closer to 'normal' prices.

You have to be aware of what 'normal' prices are in the rest of France
(or other Alpine countries, for that matter). £1.50 is pretty much the
cheapest you'll find a 'demi pression'(250ml) in any French bar, with
Switzerland probably starting at around £2.00.

I like a beer or five myself, but I tend to alleviate the prices
somewhat by only ever drinking halves and sticking to wine with, and
sometimes before, dinner.

In fact, as
Soldeu and Pasa de la Casa are now linked I'd be happy to go there again
even though not very challanging,

Well I'm repping there for three weeks and I can guarantee I'll find
stuff one might consider 'challenging' :-)) I hope.

It's just in the past I have ended up spending more on beer than the price
of the whole holiday including lift passes and lessons ( .

Drink less then!

I went to Valoir in February and the bar we spent most of the time in was a
lovely quaint, and very French, little bar that was very reasonable and
within a couple of days the manager was buying us a beer for every couple we
bought. It's just the skiing made even Andorra seem extreme.

Valloire, I presume? Went there one some years back - in fact, like
most places, there can be some decent skiing there; we were lucky
enough to have fresh, though heavy, powder when I was there, and there
were at least a couple of interesting runs.

I wonder whether you're only talking about marked pistes? In my book,
not in any way a measure of how 'extreme' a resort is.

--
Ace (bruce dot rogers at roche dot com)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

"Ace" wrote in message
news
You have to be aware of what 'normal' prices are in the rest of France
(or other Alpine countries, for that matter). £1.50 is pretty much the
cheapest you'll find a 'demi pression'(250ml) in any French bar,

£1.50/£3 would be just fine and dandy )

In fact, as
Soldeu and Pasa de la Casa are now linked I'd be happy to go there again
even though not very challanging,

Well I'm repping there for three weeks and I can guarantee I'll find
stuff one might consider 'challenging' :-)) I hope.

Well, when in Soldeu a couple of years ago we were doing both on and off
piste. The week we got there they had the deepest powder they had had for
eight years, the conditions were fantastic. One of the instructors there
gave us a few pretty good routes but we never ventured over to Pas de la
Casa, which is meant to be better. Still one of the most enjoyable skiing
holidays I've had just coz of the amount of snow.

Valloire, I presume? Went there one some years back - in fact, like
most places, there can be some decent skiing there; we were lucky
enough to have fresh, though heavy, powder when I was there, and there
were at least a couple of interesting runs.
I wonder whether you're only talking about marked pistes? In my book,
not in any way a measure of how 'extreme' a resort is.

Well yes, I have to admit, in Valloire I stuck to on piste coz I went with a
beginner so took the opertunity to try boarding. The snow was pooh and
basically I should have stuck to skiing. Still I got put into the second to
top group in my lessons (having had a few on a dry slope prior to going) and
by the end of the week we had tried every black that was open on the
Valloire side but never ventured over to the ValMeinier side.

I assume, when in Andorra, you are repping for skiclub.co.uk? When are you
going over there?

--
David Brown )
http://kitemap.co.uk/stack

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 10:05:55 -0000, "David Brown \)"
wrote:


I assume, when in Andorra, you are repping for skiclub.co.uk? When are you
going over there?

Three weeks from Dec 20th. It's all listed on the site.

--
Ace (bruce dot rogers at roche dot com)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

On Fri 28 Nov '03 at 10:14 Ace wrote:

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 10:05:55 -0000, "David Brown \)"
wrote:


I assume, when in Andorra, you are repping for skiclub.co.uk? When are you
going over there?

Three weeks from Dec 20th. It's all listed on the site.


ooh, I'll be there that last week.

maybe I should join the skiclub after all (or drop some hints to my nearest
and dearest...).




Alun.

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 11:16:31 +0000, Alun Evans
wrote:



On Fri 28 Nov '03 at 10:14 Ace wrote:

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 10:05:55 -0000, "David Brown \)"
wrote:


I assume, when in Andorra, you are repping for skiclub.co.uk? When are you
going over there?

Three weeks from Dec 20th. It's all listed on the site.


ooh, I'll be there that last week.

maybe I should join the skiclub after all (or drop some hints to my nearest
and dearest...).

If you're going to do so, I duggest you wait until you're in the
resort and I'll sign you up. That way you'll get two years' membership
for the price of one.

--
Ace (bruce dot rogers at roche dot com)
Ski Club of Great Britain - http://www.skiclub.co.uk
All opinions expressed are personal and in no way represent those of the Ski Club.

David Brown ) wrote:

So basically I want a few suggestions of resorts to go to with cheap beer
and a big ski area.

Can't offer you a resort with cheap beer, but where ever you do go make
sure you figure out the happy hour(s) of the bars. It varies a lot of
course, in some places the bars have different happy hours so you can do
a bit of a pub crawl and get the cheap drinks moving on when the happy
hour ends, some resorts seem to just have one happy hour across the
board, so you just need to find a pub and line them up. Quite a few bars
have 2 happy hours, one in early evening to tempt the punters in off the
slopes and one later on to get them in after dinner. IIRC some clubs
even have happy hours very late on, presumably to tempt you into "one
for the road" before you head home.

If you are prepared to accept expensive beer then I would recommend Val
d'Isere or St Anton for the pubs and bars as well as fantastic skiing.