Obtaining a job abroad can be scary enough without worrying about where you are going to live or what the place is going to be like.
I have created this article to hopefully help you understand what it’s like to live in a snow ski resort as living abroad for a long period of time can be very different from visiting a place for a week on holiday.
Snow ski resorts can be very fun places to live as you are skiing or snowboarding everyday and there’s apes in exclusive and fancy bars. Whilst working in a snow ski resort your company may provide you with meals, accommodation, ski equipment and lift passes which is a bonus but can also be a negative as they may take some of the costs off your wages. Living in ski resorts can be very expensive, drinks in bar and eating out can easily become very expensive and after a few nights out and a couple of drinks and lunches up the mountains, you may have spent your wages for the month.
Some advice from me would be to take food and drink with you up the mountain as many mountain restaurants have picnic eating areas-this can save you a lot of money. Also another tip would be; find the local bars, some ski resorts have seasonnaire bars which tourists may not visit, this can mean cheaper prices and you never know you may meet some fellow seasonnaires from different companies.
Ski resort towns are often filled with a large number of companies which own a group of chalets or a hotel. This means there will be a large number of new friends for you to meet and hang out with. Remember as easy as it can be to make friends, it’s pretty easy to fall out with people too and just remember that ski towns can seem small if you have to avoid people for the next 4 months.
Drink, go out and have fun but remember to stay safe, make sure you try where possible to walk home with people especially in the dark. Your accommodation may be a long walk away from the bars so be careful: keep your wits about you and remember a walk home when it’s snowing or when the ground is covered can become a lot more dangerous than it was when you made the outward journey. People get in danger most commonly when they are drunk and walking back in the snow or cold weather.
It’s easy to spend all your time skiing up and down the same runs day in and day out, but most seasonnaire lift passes allow you to ski in different resorts for the day. When and where possible, take advantage of going to different resorts and exploring different runs. In recent times many ski resorts have become connected: in some resorts you can ski in France, Italy and Switzerland in one mountain range. Different ski resorts have different things to offer:some have snow parks, and others have great off piste runs to explore and meet new people.
So remember when you are living in a snow ski resort stay safe, be smart and look out for others. Find local seasonnaire bars to save money and take a packed lunch up the mountain. Go and explore new places, make the most of your time being so close to different places, ski new runs and meet new people. Most of all have fun and make the most of the opportunity you have been given.
