The avid European skier often envisions the Swiss Alps, when dreaming about the “ideal” winter vacation. Yet not every European has such a vision, when he or she longs to ski. “French Alps” are the words that motivate many a European skier to take a winter holiday.

What travel related questions concern a European who has taken time out to ski? French Alps’ accommodations are the concern of a fair number of Europeans. The typical skier must choose between staying in a chalet or in a “gite.” A “gite” is a holiday rental, usually one located in a rural area. Once synonymous with simplicity, the modern day gite has morphed into a dwelling that can appeal to travelers with money “to burn.”

The skier that does not want to pay for a gite reserves space in a chalet. In the past, a chalet in the French Alps was either a stone or wooden building. Today, however, a dwelling constructed from prefabricated materials can be a chalet.

A skier who will be traveling with family often chooses an accommodation that caters to all the members of a familial unit. A skier that finds it impossible to leave a pet at home needs to reserve space in an accommodation that has given an “OK” to pets. Only a blind skier would never express a desire to stay in a room with a breathtaking, or at least memorable, view.

Once a skier has reserved space in a chalet or a gite, then that skier needs to check on the ground conditions at that location. Thanks to creation of the Internet, that chore has been simplified. No longer does a skier have to depend on televised weather reports. Now a skier can consult one of several websites. Web cams, owned and operated by the site owner, offer proof of excellent, satisfactory or less than desirable ground conditions.

If ground conditions appear to be excellent, then the Internet viewer can get ready to go into the mountains and ski. “French Alps’ accommodations, however, can be tricky to reach. The skier needs to check on the mode of transport that he or she will be expected to use. In the past, some skiers arrived at a chalet on horseback. In the future, there could well be skiers taking a VTOL (vertical take off and landing) vehicle into the French Alps.

A skier, who has had an especially good time during a winter vacation, might choose to return to the same spot during the summer. In that case, the summer traveler would have access to more varied means of transport. In that case, the “off season” trip could include a ride on a VTT (velo tout terrain), a French mountain bike.

Of course, no tourist can expect to replicate in the summer every aspect of a past, winter ski vacation. Even a return to the French Alps does not guarantee the enjoyment of burning embers, as might be created by a fire in a fireplace. In the summer, that aroma gives way to the waft of a fresh breeze.

MINI GALLERY. Images – “Ski French Alps”

Courchevel Trail Map

France. Courchevel. Life…
Located in the mountainous region of southwestern France, “Courchevel” takes in an area that is close to the city of Grenoble. That area includes up to 300 ski trails. Both alpine skiers and cross country skiers have experienced a thrill by skiing over one or more of those adventurous trails.

Still, any skier at Courchevel risks becoming a victim of altitude sickness. That is because this mountainous area, this region close to the Italian border, is located far above the valley floor. Skiers can descend into one of three different valleys, after leaving one of the many accommodations in Courchevel, France.

Skiers who want to stay close to the slopes can reserve space in a luxury cabin, a hotel room or a tourist complex. Some skiers, those who feel willing to stay further a field, can contact the owner of a local Bed and Breakfast. In order for such contact to insure the skier a room at a local dwelling, the skier should have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the French language.

Prices at all of the lodgings in and around Courchevel change on a regular basis. A skier can save a good bit of money by planning a ski trip during a time when hotels and similar facilities offer discounted prices. Bearing that fact in mind, a wise skier plans a stay in the Courchevel region during one of four specific times. A smart skier  plans a visit to the slopes in early December, early January, early March or early April.

By planning a trip during one of the time periods named above, a ski carrying traveler faces less chance of suffering from any type of “sticker shock.” That possibility all but eliminated, a skier could still suffer from altitude sickness. In order to derive the greatest amount of pleasure from a winter trip, a skier needs to take the following precautions.

The skier must make a point of drinking plenty of water. In the thin air of the high Alps, a skier risks becoming dehydrated. Only by drinking a generous amount of water can a skier counteract the physical effects of exertion.

The skier does not discount the intensity of the sun, while he or she is on the slopes. The heat from the sun combines with the body heat generated during an active day of skiing. As a result, a skier can soon develop either dizziness or a headache.

A skier should help his or her body adjust to the height at which it is being asked to operate. A skier should “cruise” during the first couple runs, as opposed to steaming down hill, at top speed. A skier should also take the time to supply his or her lungs with a generous amount of oxygen.

By heeding the above suggestions, a skier can better finish a full day on the slopes, and feel in tip top shape. By following the above recommendations, a skier does not have to worry about returning to his or her accommodations in the hands of an emergency crew.

Luxury chalets – images gallery. Interior and exterior.

The men and women who help to staff any one of the luxury chalets need to demonstrate a familiarity with a few specialized words. They can not express an element of misunderstanding, whenever a guest at such a chalet utters words such as “essential oils” or “microdermabrasion.”

The phrase “fireside offerings” appears in the literature available at just about all luxury chalets. The pampered guests at such chalets can expect to enjoy fireside aromatherapy after they return from a day on the slopes. The diffused fragrances used during a session of aromatherapy come from essential oils.

The adult guest at a luxurious chalet knows that he or she has access to a massage room, a steam room and a sauna. Therefore, such a guest has good reason to suspect the availability of other body healing services, services such as microdermabrasion. By taking advantage of a microdermabrasion, a skier has the ability to facilitate the healing of chapped or damaged skin.

A man who takes his family to a luxury chalet during a winter vacation does not have to forego the pleasures of an on-site spa. He can utilize the services of a live-in nanny. He can call for the services of a live in housekeeper, while he and his wife luxuriate in a hot tub.

Some have described a luxury chalet as an “anything goes wonderland.” That description certainly applies to the foods served at each top of the line chalet. In fact, guests at such a chalet enjoy the creations of a private chef. Such a chef takes full advantage of the local fare, and sees to the presence of local foods on the chalet table.

If a luxury chalet is located in the Alps, then the chef makes sure that guests taste, as well as hear the pleasures of cow bells. Many farmers have cows. A traveler in the Alps can hear those bells. At one of the region’s luxury chalets, a guest can also expect to enjoy eating fresh, churned butter.

At the conclusion of such a delectable meal, an adult often wants to relax. However, in a run-of-the-mill chalet, an adult traveling with children, often finds it difficult to achieve total relaxation. At one of the more luxurious chalets, a well fed adult can arrange with a chauffeur to have any restless children taken to a place where they can find appropriate forms of entertainment.

A male skier at a luxury chalet might also want to ask the live in chauffeur to take any females in his entourage on a shopping trip. In that way, he could achieve the freedom that so often remains elusive during a busy winter holiday.

Then, with noisy children out of the way, and a wife sent to the place where she seems most happy, a man could give in to total decadence. He could sit back and enjoy some of the wine that comes from the wine store, a wine store that is one of the typical amenities at any “chalet of your dreams.”