The short answer: to spend Christmas or New Year in a Vosges chalet with a hot tub, book in the autumn, and as much as a year ahead if New Year's Eve matters to your group. At Chalet de la Poirie, in Dommartin-lès-Remiremont, the Christmas school holidays cost 160 € a night from Sunday to Thursday and 200 € on Friday and Saturday nights, with a three-night minimum; the nights of 25 and 26 December and from 30 December to 1 January switch to the New Year rate of 350 €. For a group of eight, a four-night Christmas stay works out at under 160 € per person, cleaning and tourist tax included.
This guide answers the questions groups ask us when they plan the holidays: which dates are still free, what the stay really costs, what the house is like in December, and what to prepare so that a winter-evening arrival goes smoothly. Every price comes from the rate table published on our practical info page, and every detail about the house from the chalet page.
When to book: the festive dates go first
For a whole house that sleeps 10, Christmas and New Year are always the first dates to fill. It is one of the few weeks in the year when extended families and groups of friends are all on holiday at once. As of 30 October 2026, the chalet's calendar already shows it fully booked from 25 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. The nights from 19 to 24 December 2026 are still free, though: enough to celebrate Christmas Eve at the chalet and leave on Christmas morning.
French school holidays at Christmas run from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027 in every region of France (official French education ministry calendar). The following winter, they run from Saturday 18 December 2027 to Monday 3 January 2028. Our availability calendar is open until the end of 2027, so now is the time to look at Christmas 2027 if your group has its heart set on New Year's Eve.
Booking early commits you less than you might think. Cancellation is free up to 14 days before arrival, 50% is refunded between 14 and 5 days before, and nothing is refunded within 5 days of arrival. Sending a request through the form commits you to nothing at all.
What Christmas and New Year cost, all fees included
The rate table has three cases over the festive period. Nights during the Christmas school holidays cost 160 € from Sunday to Thursday and 200 € on Friday and Saturday. The nights of 25 and 26 December and from 30 December to 1 January are charged at a single New Year rate of 350 €. Either way, the minimum stay is three nights.
The nightly rate is the same for 2, 3 or 4 guests, and the same extras are always added: a 100 € cleaning fee per stay, tourist tax of 1.60 € per person per night, and 30 € per night for each guest from the 5th to the 8th. The 300 € security deposit is refunded after your stay and is not included in the totals below, which are calculated without a pet (25 € per stay if you bring yours).
First example, for the dates still free this year: arrive on Monday 21 December 2026 and leave on the morning of Friday 25 December, which is four Christmas-holiday nights at 160 €.
| Guests | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 4 guests | 765.60 € | 191.40 € |
| 6 guests | 1,018.40 € | 169.73 € |
| 8 guests | 1,271.20 € | 158.90 € |
Second example, to plan Christmas 2027 using the current rate table: arrive on Thursday 23 December 2027 and leave on Sunday 26 December. Thursday night costs 160 €, Friday 24 December 200 €, and Saturday 25 December is at the New Year rate of 350 €.
| Guests | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 4 guests | 829.20 € | 207.30 € |
| 6 guests | 1,018.80 € | 169.80 € |
| 8 guests | 1,208.40 € | 151.05 € |
Third example, New Year 2027–28: arrive on Wednesday 29 December 2027 and leave on Saturday 1 January 2028. That is one Christmas-holiday night at 160 €, then the nights of 30 and 31 December at 350 €.
| Guests | Total | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 4 guests | 979.20 € | 244.80 € |
| 6 guests | 1,168.80 € | 194.80 € |
| 8 guests | 1,358.40 € | 169.80 € |
The 2027 figures use the rate table published today: we confirm the exact price when we reply to your request. For an ordinary weekend, season-by-season examples are in our article on what a weekend at the chalet really costs.
What a festive stay at the chalet looks like
In December you will often arrive after dark. Check-in is from 5 pm and self-service: the entry details are sent to you before your stay, once the booking is confirmed, and you only need to let us know if your travel times are unusual. The private, secure car park with five spaces means you can come in several cars, loaded with presents and food.
Life is shared between two floors that are always rented together. On the ground floor, rated five stars by the tourist office, the large fitted kitchen (American-style fridge, oven, mini-oven and microwave) is made for cooking the festive meal, and the dining room seats the whole table. Upstairs, the second kitchen, with oven, microwave, gas hob and fridge, takes care of breakfasts or a second team of cooks, and the living room has a TV with Canal+ and Netflix for evenings in the warm.
The wellness area does the rest. The heated outdoor hot tub sits under the pergola on the 80 m² terrace, where patio heaters keep the space pleasant even in hard frost, and the sauna cabin is on the same terrace. Upstairs, the bathroom has a steam shower and a whirlpool bath. All of it is reserved for your group alone, with no time slots. The details are on our spa and wellness page.
The pergola's patio heaters
The table for the festive dinner
New Year's Eve at the chalet: the house rule
One thing to know before booking for New Year's Eve: Chalet de la Poirie is a family home, not a party venue, and the neighbours are to be respected, especially in the evening. The chalet is perfect for a New Year's Eve at home with family or friends, with a good dinner, a soak in the hot tub and midnight on the terrace. It is not the place for a loud dance party until dawn.
The house sleeps up to 10, never more: on the ground floor, a double bedroom, one XXL bunk bed (two 90 x 200 cm berths) and a large sofa bed; upstairs, a double bedroom and a large sofa bed. Bed linen is provided for every bed, along with a baby cot and a high chair. Who sleeps where, and how to split a group of 10, is covered in our guide to renting a Vosges chalet for 10.
Snow, skiing and outings over the holidays
The Gérardmer and La Bresse-Hohneck ski areas are less than 30 kilometres away as the crow flies. By road, OpenStreetMap route planning gives about 25 km and half an hour to the Gérardmer slopes, and about 35 km and 40 minutes to the foot of the La Bresse-Hohneck slopes. Allow a little longer on snowy roads.
For the 2026–27 winter, both ski areas announce an opening on Saturday 19 December 2026: Gérardmer plans it "depending on snow conditions", and La Bresse-Hohneck shows the date on its website. Snow is never guaranteed at Christmas in these mid-altitude mountains, so check Météo-France's mountain forecast for the Vosges before you set off, and keep a few outings up your sleeve that do not depend on snow.
There are plenty. The voie verte, a traffic-free cycle and walking trail, passes 30 metres from the chalet for a walk after the big dinner, Lake Gérardmer is about 25 kilometres away, and winter is also the season of Christmas markets across the Vosges. In Remiremont, 3 kilometres away, the Tuesday market is the place to stock up on fresh produce: in 2026 it falls on 22 and 29 December. Le Karélian restaurant is 900 metres away and other restaurants are about 3 kilometres away; the list is on the area page. For more on skiing, read our guide to a ski stay near La Bresse and Gérardmer.
Your checklist before you leave
A few days before you go, this list heads off the usual surprises of a winter group stay.
- Your dates and exact number of guests: these set the price. Check the calendar, then send them through the request form.
- Your arrival time: check-in from 5 pm, check-out by 11 am. Let us know if you will arrive late.
- Your pet: pets are welcome; simply mention it when you book (25 € per stay).
- Food shopping: supermarkets are 2 kilometres away. On public holidays, check their opening hours and the bakery's before relying on them for 25 December or 1 January.
- Swimwear for the hot tub under the pergola. Bed linen is provided; bathrobes are not mentioned on our website, so bring your own or ask us.
- The car: make sure it is equipped for winter roads if you plan to drive up to the ski areas.
- The train, if you prefer: Remiremont station is 3 kilometres away.
Booked dates are shown in red on the calendar on the booking page. Pick your nights, then send your request: we reply within 24 hours with availability and the exact price. Every other practical question is answered in our FAQ.
