I have always loved snow. Perhaps it is because where I live I rarely see it. A Ski holiday has always been on my bucket list of activities. It did not disappoint! It was such a great time. (reading time 5 minutes)

MORZINE

We stayed in Morzine in the French Alps. Morzine is a beautiful, picturesque town set in the Alps. It is a proper Alpine town so it is great to get a glimpse at daily life for the locals. Morzine is a very popular resort for skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing, basically anything snow related! During the Summer months Morzine transforms into an adrenaline junkies paradise with hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking. If you prefer more relaxed activities you can play golf here. The views are incredible. It will be one of the most picturesque games of golf you will ever play! Come back in Winter and you can ski on the golf course, how cool is that! Morzine is such a scenic location, it really is breathtaking! Words and images cannot convey its beauty.

HISTORY OF MORZINE

Morzine a ski town that has a rich history when it comes to skiing in fact winter sports enthusiasts have been coming here since the early 20th century. A cable car was constructed in 1934 helping with transport around the area. In 1960 Morzine local Jean Vuarnet won a gold in the Winter Olympics. Upon returning home he was given the task of constructing a state of the art, purpose built, high altitude Ski Resort, Avoriaz. As part of the construction of Avoriaz he also helped to improve with neighbouring resorts on the Swiss frontier along with links to Morzine resulting in the massive 650 km area of Portes Du Soleil.

ESF SKI SCHOOL 

I never skied before so when you don’t know how to something you have to learn how. ESF, English Speaking Ski Schools France taught me new skills and I am glad to say skiing will be a hobby for me. My lessons were from 09:15 until 11:45 and you learn quite a bit during that time frame. My advice is to Ski School first and learn the skills and technique you need to competently stop and turn. It is a lot harder than it looks! Believe me! You don’t want a bad crash because it will dent your confidence and you need confidence to be good at it. Ski School isn’t cheap so you might think it is not essential however I got a good deal since my Morzine Ski Pass, Ski Hire (skis, polls and helmet) and lessons were included in the price. Check out the ESF website for rates.

SKI GEAR AND HIRE

Ski Hire isn’t cheap and when coupled with having to buy Ski Gear the expense adds up quickly. I got a great deal with Ski School because my Ski Hire and lift pass were included. I got my Ski Jacket and Ski Gloves from TK Maxx. They are from Spyder who are a well known brand in the Ski World. The Ski Jacket was €80 and the gloves were around €20 I think. I got my Ski Pants from Trespass and they were £35 pounds. You will need some thermals to keep warm and Primark is the best place to go for them. I got my Ski Socks from Aldi who actually had a great selection in store recently. I got my outfit for around €175 which isn’t too expensive considering the prices for a single full price Ski Jacket.

SKIING

Applying the skills you learn from Ski School on the slopes in the afternoons was the best part of my time in Morzine. Actually seeing progress is great. I loved every minute of it! Skiing is great fun however it does require some skill to enjoy it for what it is which is why Ski School is so important in my opinion. I travelled to Morzine with friends who are experienced and expert skiers. The appeal of Portes du Soleil is there is a great variety of runs for experienced skiers as well as novices like me. One of my favourite moments of Skiing in Morzine was skiing from there to Les Gets and back and then Sking all the way down to the Pleney at the end of the moment. At the start of the week I wouldn’t have dreamt I could Ski down to the Pleney. A blue run all the way down. It is an exhilarating activity! There are few experiences more exciting than skiing downhill at high speed. I loved every minute of it! Sound like something you want to try?

APRES SKI

One of the best things about a Ski Holiday has got to be Aprés Ski! Rewarding yourself after an exciting day on the slopes is a must. Morzine has a lot of bars and a bustling nightlife to cater for whatever you like. If you fancy something a little quieter Morzine has a lot of options here too. There are some really nice restaurants and takeaways here too. The fact Morzine is an Alpine town with all year tourism contributes to its appeal as well. Our favourites were The Cavern Bar, Le Tremplin, Le Coup de Coeur and the Tibetan Cafe. You are guaranteed a great atmosphere in these places. Read more about the Morzine night scene on the Morznet website.

GOOD FOOD

Food and alcohol is far from cheap in a Ski Resort but at least the food is really good. There are some nice restaurant to eat at in Morzine but our favourites was Le Colibri. This restaurant is busy but has calmness about it and did I mention the food is good? Its not good, its amazing! Make you order a Vanchau as well. It is delicious!

WHAT TO DO

If you don’t like skiing you can always try snowboarding. I wanted to try it but it is hard enough to master one discipline, maybe next time. Apparently Skiing is easier to learn but harder to master whereas Snowboarding is harder to learn but easier to master. I can’t say for certain as I didn’t try Snowboarding. I think you will like skiing but if you don’t then don’t be disheartened and try snowboarding?! Who doesn’t love snow?! If you don’t like either of these then you can go snowshoeing and take in the incredible views around the Portes du Soleil. The area is absolutely stunning!

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed in a chalet, Les Berots. Part of the Chalet’s unique selling point is its location which is on the outskirts of Morzine. If you decide to walk then you will be treated to beautiful views in a peaceful atmosphere. Les Berots is ideal for groups of friends but is also suitable for families with children. It is only a 15 minute walk to Morzines shops and bars. Morzine also offers a free ski bus and there is stop 200 metres from the Chalet door. You can get the bus to Avoriaz from there as well. There is ski and boot hire available at 20% off resort prices. Check out the website Les Berots website for more details.

HOW TO GET THERE

We flew into Geneva in Switzerland and got a taxi transfer to Morzine. Transfer time to Morzine is around 1 hour 45 minutes. I suggest getting a taxi if you can however they are far from cheap so consider this when you are preparing your budget for the trip. We used Ski Lifts and I highly recommend them. Check out their website for a quote.

I hope you enjoyed this post and it has given the appetite for learning how to ski! Like what you see then follow me on Instagram, You Tube, Twitter and Facebook.

I have been Fashionable Frank and you have been Fantastic!

Until next time,

STAY STYLISH!