France v Austria

We fly from Newcastle every year

You're right that choice is down this year - and is now pretty much Crystal only. In the past I've always preferred Inghams to Crystal but, for no reason I can see, this year to fly from Newcastle you can only go to Switzerland with Inghams (despite it being the same Geneva flight that they've always used to get me to French resorts....)

I've skiied in both countries and enjoy them both - as others have said its not a competition between them

I totally dispute the oft trotted out complaint that France is "expensive, especially in the mega resorts". I've done the EK and 3V numerous times for similar prices to what people quote elsewhere and so, in piste miles per pound, I believe I win overall

As pointed out though the real exception to this rule is at lunch - the French do like a big,posh lunch with a big, posh price to match. This can make your holiday much more expensive than Austria if you're a big lunch eater. Personally I don't, I ski by day, not eat, so a sandwich from the chalet sat by the piste side does me and is the same price anywhere!

I've NEVER paid 7 euro a pint anywhere (including on the Champs Elysees) and flatly wouldn't. We drink in the second tier bars (I'm not a Dicks Tea Bar target market) right after skiing at 3-4 euro a beer usually (better yet if there's a happy hour) and then free wine in the chalet. We (well my wife) speak fluent French so quickly find out where to go to eat great food at sensible prices on the chalet staff night off.

So you can go to France at 3 star prices as long as you don't want to eat in Michelin starred restaurants and/or drink in the equivalent of the Ritz cocktail bar

If you'd like a more specific chat with a fellow Geordie snow sporter than drop me a PM and I'll give you my number

I think that you have had some very sensible replies-yes, France/Austria, it's all down to personal choice. Both countries (obviously) have loads to offer in all respects. However, to try and answer your question specifically about France and its prices I would suggest taking a look at La Rosiere. This is a smallish friendly resort but is linked to La Thuile in Italy by connecting lifts. Prices, especially lift passes, tend to be far cheaper than say, Courcheval and Val D'isere (budget for £200 plus per week against about £150 in La Rosiere) and this does carry on into prices for food, drink and accommodation. We stayed there about three years ago and I think that Crystal may go there but we stayed with Ski Beat in a chalet. I have been skiing for over 30 years and the only other French resort I have visited that might fit your budget, although it was about 8 or 9 years ago, would be Montgenevre (also linked with Italy)look it up!

Whilst fundamentally different in culture a ski resort is aski resort and i enjoy Austria and France in equal measure.Both have pros and cons,France probably has the greater number of high altitude resorts therefore being more snow sure.But what Austria lacks in the number of its high resorts by far makes up for it in the 'chocolate box village' category having some of the most beautiful scenery in the Alps.I often hear people criticise the food in Austria,WHAT!As a food and wine fanatic(with qualifications to match)I have eaten in michelin starred restaurants all over the world in the last twenty years or so and can say that Austrian cuisine is bloody lovely and well suited to the mountains,so each to there own but for me it's a draw and I tend to alternate between the two countries, last season in Obergurgl and Maria Alm in Austria,next season the Dolomites in Italy and then Les Arcs in France of course.
Anyone going to the ski show in Manchester?

I don't go to the mountains to drink beer. That's not to say we don't go out for a beer after skiing, beer prices don't come into the equation when choosing the resort. There's usually a happy hour and I while I have seen beer at 8 euros, the usual is around 3-4.5 euros even in the mega resorts.
I'd rather drink the free chalet wine, than eurofizz beer in any case.
I find the larger the resort, the more choice there is, you just need to know where the value for money bars and restaurants are.

Echoing previous comments, I'm not convinced that Val d'Isere is "expensive". I've just done a cost breakdown for some pals of ours who we are looking to ski with next year. Our upcoming holiday (over Christmas week) is as follows (per person)

Flights (Easyjet Stansted to Geneva) - £88
Airport parking - £12
Transfer (private pick up and drop off) - £125
Accommodation (catered chalet) - £669
Ski pass - £170 (as part of family pass for 4)
Ski hire (premium kit) - £90
Lunch/couple of beers per day - £150
TOTAL - £1,300 pp

This is in a top star rated chalet with max 100m walk to the base area around the Solaise/Olympique lifts. If you picked a low season week and a cheaper bus transfer this would reduce the weekly cost to £1,100pp. Seems pretty good value to me.

Dont have this years 3v numbers on me but here's an excerpt from a post on this very subject that I made this time last year:

"3rd week Jan (so out of school hols) to VDI
Ski in / out accomodation (and that's not subjective - been there and done it)
Chalet board including tea/cakes, cocktails and aperitifs before dinner, choice of two whites and two reds, brekkie and (perhaps crucially) help yourself to leftover bread/meat/cheese/fruit etc for a packed lunch (like other posters I'm not a big lunch eater in the mountains)
Private transfers to/from Geneva
BOGOF on ski hire
BOGOHP on FULL AREA lift pass
Free Ski Guiding (if the test case in Meribel doesn't scupper that)

Booked early as we knew what we wanted, booked for 8 so got a deal

BUT

paid £750 pp from Inghams"

Anyone who tells me that is expensive is on another planet!

Totally agree, there are loads of deals out there, particularly for groups.

I took a group of 32 to Meribel-Mottaret in 3V last January.

With all the group discounts, two for one list passes etc this cost £720 pp and included:

Flights (choice of Gatwick or Manchester)
Transfers
Half-Board chalet
Free chalet wine (decent quality)
Full 3V lift pass
Local Tourist Tax

Ski and boot hire £105 extra, skis only £74 extra (most of our group have their own equipment)
Eurostar plus two extra days ski pass £100 extra

All booked through Skiworld who were superb.

This year we're doing St Anton in Jan for £615pp and La Plagne in March for £700pp

Different countries both of which have differing resorts.

If I had to pick one over the other probably Austria - they tend to take themselves less seriously and seem to go out to enjoy themselves which makes the atmosphere in the resorts quite fun.
The French are more reserved and as I've got older I am getting less tolerant of being patronized by zitty oiks who don't understand the concept of service and thinks it's OK to imply that the customer is (because he's English) automatically ignorant about food and wine and that he (spotty oik) is automatically more sophisticated because he's French. When in reality the customer is actually being terse with him for continuing his personal conversation before getting off his a**e to serve his customers and is never going to be overjoyed by paying £18 for a canteen grade spag bol.

Please note this is not generalization that can be applied to the French in general but to to far to many young waiters. (And some ski instructors who forget that their job is to help weaker skiers to ski better and thus to enjoy skiing)