Brilliant snow in 2007/8 means early bookers get the pick of the bunch for 2008/9!

After an excellent ski season in 2007/8 particularly with large dumps of the white stuff late on in the season, many skiers are already booking their 2008/9 holiday!

Easter is looking a popular time to go with the excellent snow record last season influencing this. Of course with most schools in the UK having the same half term week next February many places have already been booked, especially catered chalets. So if you are stuck to school holidays then Easter or Xmas/New Year do look like good options next year.

Contact us now for uptodate availability in all the resorts we offer. Don't forget if you don't see what you want on our website do still contact us as we have an ever-increasing database of accommodation from good value self catering apartments to luxury catered chalets in most of the resorts in the Alps.

Snow ???

Dozens of websites provide those vital pre skiing reports and forecasts but the worthwhile sites are not so common.
Our top two are:

Snow Forecast, up to date precise forecasting and resort snow reports. To check out their site click here.

Ski Club of GB, their historical reports are brilliant, Liz's top tips are great for finding the best snow at a glance. To check out their site click here.

Resort Reviews

The Snow Co team have recently visited Ischgl, Klosters, Les Menuires, Zermatt, La Rosiere, Vallandry, Val Thorens, Meribel, Val d'Isere, Tignes and Courchevel 1550.

Our personal recommendations include:

Chalet d'Ambrumenil in Courchevel 1550. If you require first class hospitality in a warm and welcoming chalet just 30 metres from the slope this chalet is hard to fault. To find out more about this property, click here.
The Three Valleys remain on the number one spot for The Snow Co. "Nobody does it better!"

La Rosiere/La Thuile. We stayed in some really great value self catered apartments in the Les Eucherts area of La Rosiere. This really is an excellent resort for famillies wanting good value, great variety of skiing and easy access to the ski lifts and facilities for children and what a treat to be able to ski from France into Italy! Les Eucherts is a satellite village of La Rosiere linked by road or by a delightful footpath through pine trees - only a scenic 20 minutes walk. Les Eucherts offers a range of accommodation from self catering apartments to lovely catered chalets including Chalet Matsuzaka, The Penthouse and Chalet Papillon. There is a small selection of bars and restaurants - our favourite was L'Ancolie for beautiful traditional alpine cuisine in rustic surroundings. For a good value family meal then La Grange is hard to beat. Also for the children and teenagers there is the newly built indoor ice-rink and bowling alley.

Vallandry/Peisey Nancroix - If you are wanting a high mileage resort, door step skiing and a nice village atmosphere then take a look at Vallandry/Peisey Nancroix now part of the Paradiski region linking Les Arcs and La Plagne. Vallandry/Peisey Nancroix is in the middle of this vast ski area but they retain a small village ambience with a good variety of accommodation and restaurants/bars. We have stayed in the Chalets de Bellecote and L'Oree des Cimes, both offering excellent self catered accommodation with skiing back to the door.

Val d'Isere - this resort needs no introduction. The Snow Co "girls" had a fabulous week last year staying at Chalet Cherrier right in the centre of the resort and just a couple of minutes from the main pistes and lifts. The chalet was perfect, the food brilliant and the snow, for late April, was wonderful. This chalet books up quickly so let us know when you want to go and how many and we will send you full info and a good price so that you can sample some of the same! It can accommodate groups of up to 19 guests.

More resort reviews to follow shortly..

Please send us your news about where you have been, where you have stayed, eaten or skied.

Which is the best hotel, chalet or apartment you have stayed in? Tell us all about it, they deserve it!

To search for your ideal ski property click here

Where is the best or worst place you have been to?

Please send us your resort reports


Where is the best food - off mountain?

Meribel Les Allues, a truly fantastic restaurant, La Tsaretta, tel: 0479 08 61 00, they will come and pick you up in a taxi, take you to the restaurant, and bring you back after the meal, thus avoiding drink/driving problems and they make no chharge for the transport. It is very reasonably priced and for the four of us, with two bottles of the most expensive wine, the bill was €210 inc tip. Typically the starters are 6-9€, main course 15-19€ and desserts 6€. There is a smallish selection of wine but at very reasonable prices. The food was really superb and the atmosphere is lovely. The restaurant is on the first and second floor of an old property in Les Allues, with a bar and pizza operation on the ground floor. R Reeves, Feb 2007

Try "Au Briska" in Avoriaz for delicious food, excellent service and a menu that varies slightly from the norm. We strongly recommend their meat dishes, but especially the duck with peaches. This, as with their other meat dishes is served on a wooden board! Au Briska can be found in the Place Centrale (Main street). Tel: 04 50 74 09 40

The Snow Co suggests that for variety you should try Aspen, nobody cooks better than the French (in our opinion) but for service and choice we have yet to find better than in Aspen. It's also considerably cheaper than eating out in many French resorts. If you ever go there don't miss Little Annies and Mother Lode, they're superb.

or on mountain?

Following Alistair Scotts advice The Snow Co went out to Zermatt to sample his favourite mountain restaurants in Zermatt. As usual he was right!!
Fluhalp on the Sunnega mountain really does provide fantastic food, their Rosti and salads are delicious. An Irish band plays over lunch and will entertain you for as long as you can hang onto your table! If you stand up it may disappear!
Zum See near Furi close to the bottom of the Klein Matterhorn mountain was their other reason for visiting Zermatt. They were not disappointed, it's worth going to Zermatt just to have lunch here. The setting is amongst small Mazot huts, in the sun and out of the wind. "We both had Pasta followed by Apple Strudel, as recommended by Mr Scott, yet again he was right - it was simply delicious!!"

Anthea from New Zealand says that the most delicious meal she has ever eaten at a mountain restaurant was at Les Airelles somewhere just above Vaujany and Oz (Alpe D'Huez)!