One of the great benefits of renting a ski apartment over a hotel room, is you get to choose whether to eat out or eat in. And, given the high cost of skiing, doing some of the latter helps reduce the guilt of going nice places for the former.
There are a bunch of great restaurants just a short walk away, from crêpes and pizza (lots of pizza!) to classic savoyard cuisine, such as tartiflette and fondu. Some are mentioned on this website. And pop in the car and your choice is near limitless, from the fanciest McDondald you’ll ever see to the several Michelin-starred restaurants dotted around Megève.
But, in my mind, nothing beats a home-made family meal around the big table in apartment #106 Chalet le Chanteret, to the sound of Nostalgie playing on the radio, prepared in the small but perfectly formed kitchen. And it also provides an opportunity for a break from the fromage and charcuterie that dominates alpine menus, or lets your fussy eaters get some sustenance without making a scene.
Supermarkets, delis etc.
And really, you can prepare anything thanks to the abundance of produce and ingredients available nearby. Just 5 mins away, on the way into Megève, is the biggest and best supermarket in the region, the Intermarché Super. It has always been well stocked but in 2018 it was expanded further and rennovated, and joined next-door by a dedicated organic shop. The deli is bigger and there is a new prepared food section. The quality of the fresh produce is so much better than most UK supermarkets and you can find ingredients from round the world, from thai curry paste to Heinz baked-beans.
If you don’t have a car (although Intermarche is only a 20 min walk), or you’re here for just a few days or just need a top-up, there’s also a well-stocked Sherpa supermarket in the centre of the Praz, as well as a couple of great delis plus the amazing Montainarde Boulangerie/Patisserie.
Do help yourselves to any staples or spices you find in the cupboards but please make sure you replace anything you finish.
New eating place in the Espace Diamant for 2019 is the Bonnet Blanc. Taking the place of the tired old, 70s style self-service restaurant Des Crètes, the new eatery is altogether more stylish.
Revamped as a modern table service restaurant, the terrace is now somewhere you’ll want to spend your lunch time soaking in the amazing Mountain views and eating from what we found to be a high quality menu. Great service too – with everyone wearing a white bobble hat – of course. Not quite Megeve prices but it is rather more expensive than its predecessor and many of the eateries of the area.
It’s located on top of Mont Rond, above Notre Dame de Belecombe and can be reached with just the Val D’Arly Ski pass. To get there, take the Plan des Fours chair lift to highest point above Praz and take one of our favourite long runs down to the double drag lifts: Plan Dessert (one on the right is fastest). At the top, head right to the short pulley-lift and Le Bonnet Blanc will be right ahead of you.
Booking is recommended (tel: 04 79 31 83 59), especially if you want to be on the terrace in good weather during the French school hols.
Take a spin on the ice in the centre of Megève or – even in bad weather or Summertime – take to the olympic sized rink in the Palais sports centre.
As with many top ski resorts, Megève has an outdoor rink in the centre of town that’s packed with kids aprés-ski. In Megève it’ is raised in the centre of town with the neighbouring Puck bar making a great escape for parents.
But if the weather is poor or you’re looking for more space, there’s also an enormous indoor rink at the Megève sports centre. Details here>>
Our apartment with views of the mountains is housed in the beautiful Chalet Le Chanteret, in the hamlet of Praz-sur-Arly on the outskirts of France’s stylish Megève
It features 3 double bedrooms (all can be singles too) – one en-suite. It can comfortably sleep 6, or up to 8 with the addition of the living-room sofa bed.
Discover, as we have, there’s even more to do in the Alps in the Summer than in the Winter! The weather is typically sunny but fresh and never oppressive, with temperature typically in the mid-twenties C. Explore the stunning scenery and clear air on foot, bike or car. Take part in one of a multitude of sports. Relax in the Sun by one of the many village lakes. Make the weekly market an excuse to visit one of many local towns.
While it’s a world away it’s within easy reach of the UK. Praz sur Arly is set in France’s Mont Blanc valley, famed for being home to the town of Chamonix and many other Alpine resorts. By air, from the UK for example, it can be reached by a short flight of under 1h30m – to Geneva, plus a drive of less than 1h30m.
During 2021, given the situation, we tried driving all the way from London for the first time and, at about 12 hours travelling time, it’s perfectly doable. It’s really not much longer door-to-door than fly-drive plus there’s a lot less waiting, switching modes of transport and lugging bags.
The area is famed for walking, hiking, climbing and increasingly mountain biking (VTT as the French call it) – with electric bike hire making it accessible to all. There’s also paragliding and even wing-suits – for the very brave. The area’s Number One hot air ballooning operation is situated in the centre of Praz sur Arly. Mountain lifts are open in most towns and villages to take you up to explore the mountains.
At the beach in the mountains
You can visit some of the beautiful towns and villages within easy reach, such as Saint Gervais and Chamonix. Many, like Flumet, Combloux and Les Contamines feature man-made swimming lakes with beaches and watersports. The largest of them is in the nearby Sallanches valley and now Praz has it’s very own – just 10 mins walk away. Stunning Lake Annecy, with its ancient town and extensive activities, is also only 30-40 minutes away.
Watersports in the shadow of the French Alps, Lac Passy, Sallanches
The centre of Praz town is just 10 mins walk from the apartment and boasts some charming restaurants, bars and shops. Even closer is the sports area, featuring tennis, basketball, beach volleyball and petanque courts. There’s also mini golf, a climbing wall, a running track and an extensive kids playground. Plus you can take a break with a coffee or a glass of rosé in the charming Les Belles café. The new lake is just over a bridge.
And, if you long for the high-life, it is also right on your doorstep. The upmarket shopping and restaurant-lined cobbled streets of the centre of Megève are just 5-10 drive. The mountain roads above are also peppered with award winning restaurants in striking settings. The town’s sports centre features an indoor and outdoor pool, plus a skating rink, a luge ride that’s amazing fun and many other activities.
Availability is running out this Summer
The Summer season runs from to June until early September, so please check out the Bookings Calendar for availability and fill in the form to make an enquiry.
