Allalin Hotel

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This year we decided to try Saas Fee for our family ski trip after two years of Chatel.
The drive to Saas Fee is a long one from Calais - some 590 miles!
On arrival at Saas Fee you must park in the large multi-storey at the edge of town. You must make sure that you have your visitors tax paid card (which is issued by Hotel Allalin if you are staying at the Allalin apartments) stamped at the tourist office as this will save you 30% of the weekly parking fee.
As Saas Fee is a car free resort you must leave the car in the car park and phone for an electric taxi to take you to your accommodation. This was easy as there are dedicated taxi phones at the car park with 2 or 3 digit numbers on a list for the various hotels.
The Allalin apartment (Everest) we stayed in was excellent. It had 2 large bedrooms, a spacious sitting/dining room, a separate, reasonably equipped galley kitchen (no dishwasher though!) and a good sized bathroom/loo with a full sized bath (shower over). There was always plenty of hot water.
The beds were comfortable and the heating was very efficient (we had to turn it down and it was always below zero while we were there).
Each apartment block has a ski room downstairs as well as a separate room with washing machine/tumble dryer to which guests have access.
There is also a lift.
Saas Fee itself is a pleasant village, but you do need to be aware of the fact that the Allalin apartments are some way from the Alpin Express cable car. You need to buy a weekly ticket for the electric buses that run in the morning and afternoons, but strangely enough not during the lunch period.
These cost £7.50 per person.
Ski lift passes are also expensive, but you can go online to check out the prices and to seek the best deal.
There are plenty of restaurants and hotels for meals at lunch time and in the evenings, but again, be aware that Switzerland is not cheap. Expect to pay £60.00 for four for a main course each and a round of drinks.
There are also plenty of shops, a couple of walk-able supermarkets and a very local bread shop (which we visited every morning for breakfast rolls before we skiied).
The skiing is not really suited to beginners, nor is it extensive. The runs from the very top (Allalin) down to the bottom of the Alpin express cable car are reasonably testing though, when they are all open, they say there is a full blue route down - for me certain sections were red.
The best thing about the skiing at Saas Fee is the height - at the top (Allalin - that's up two cable cars and then on the "metro" train four minute ride through the mountain) you are skiing at over 3500 meters. You expect to find snow at that height!
Did we enjoy Saas Fee?
Yes, for the Alpine village atmosphere and the height of the skiing.
No, for the limited range of skiing and the electric buses.
Yes, for the accommodation, but no for its location at the edge of town.
Would we go back?
No, but I'm quite glad that we've been.
M P Robinson - February 2006.