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School Ski Trips

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
My daughter has just come home with details of her schools Ski trip to Courmayer in February 2007. All inclusive travelling by coach the cost is £600.
What is the general view of this cost?
At first I thought it was over the top because it was by coach but then it is fully inclusive so maybe the cost is OK!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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boredsurfin, School trips are always expensive, the accomodation is usually pretty basic, youth hostels etc. and the food is generally on a par. costs are high because you have to cover the cost of the teachers/parents who accompany the pupils. IMO that's a thankless task even if your costs are met.
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boredsurfin, strikes me as being quite expensive. I did an all inclusive (coach travel, full board accommodation, lift pass, ski equipment and lessons) holiday over New Year to Switzerland and it cost £440 ish per person. I imagine that the quality would have been higher than on a school trip.
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boredsurfin, you don't say how old your daughter is, but assuming she's over 12, lift pass will come in arround £120, allow another £100 for Ski and boot hire so the holiday is going to cost £380 which doesn't seem to bad but not cheap either, it really depends on what the food and accomodation is like, when I went with my 6th form college (almost 20 years ago) to France we had a pretty good time, the hotel we were in had reasonable accomodation with between 4 and 6 of us in large spacious double or triple rooms, nothing flash but they were warm and comfortable, food served at breakfast was basic and lunch was effectively rolls with cheese or ham but dinner was actually very good even including free wine by the jug on the tables.

If I were you I'd find out a bit more such as what they propose to do for lunch etc. I've seen school trips where the kids have packed lunches have real problems finding somewhere to eat them, this can be a real problem if the weather is bad or just very cold
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boredsurfin, I'd say that the cost was reasonable for a school trip. School trip providers (such as interski, PGL etc) offer 1 free staff place for every 7-10 students. Those staff places still have to be paid for, hence the cost is passed onto the kids. Kids also have to be supervised 24/7, so will be in lessons for every moment of their time on snow - generally getting 5 hours instruction a day. This is far higher than you would usually go for if you signed up to ski school as an adult.

With regard to accomodation, the hotel that we stayed in (school trip) in Saas Fee was superb. The rooms were usually for 4 people and were all en-suite. The food was basic but plentiful, and the whole experience was far better than "youth hostel" accomodation.
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Oh...there'll also be some sort of evening entertainment included as well....
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boredsurfin, we've just paid the deposit for our son to go on his school's ski trip next February to Chatel, all inclusive and travelling by coach, just like yours. The cost is £750, so I reckon your £600 is quite a bargain.
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Wow, that seems expensive to me. When I went on my school trips (admittedly about 12 years ago now) they were about £300 - £350.
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I think insurance costs have increased rather a lot in the last 12 yrs though it looks like u got a good deal. My school trip 23 years ago was about £250-300 I think.

Yes, between insurance, full-time ski school, costs of adult carers and a few extra curicular activities to while away the evenings, it starts to look like market rate although you'd think they could squeeze a flight in for that.

It could be worse: one of my nieces came home from school with news of a ski trip... £1200 Shocked
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admin, where were they sending here ? Somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere ! Shocked
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Serre Chevalier 1999 - half term week, all in for £750. Pretty good considering!
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I recall my first school trip flying from Belfast - Lyon was £550 all in. That was in 1992. So £600 doesn't sound too bad.
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It does sound pricey, but if it includes all grub, lessons and lifts, perhaps not too bad. Why do schools use coaches? It can't save much money, and flying (although fairly ghastly) is much pleasanter, and a lot safer, than coaching it.


Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much on Fri 17-06-05 15:42; edited 1 time in total
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I remember my school trips in the mid to late eighties being about £420 all in, so £600 sounds reasonable to me.
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£600 seems a lot. The last school trip I went on was mid 90's and it was just about £350 all inclusive. That was about the average but we didn't go to France, only Austria, Switz and Italy. Maybe France is more expensive?
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 Poster: A snowHead
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richmond, going by coach would probably work out considerably cheaper than flying. Most school groups will stay in accomodation that may not be right next to the lifts. You can't get all 50 kids on the one ski bus...but if you have your own coach with you, you have easy access. To hire a coach to take you to the airport, pay for flights, and then hire a coach the other end for a week would prove quite costly.
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boredsurfin, If it's Cormayeur and coach ... this is a good choice for schools. £600 all in (boots, lessons, insurance, lunches) is good too. Nice resort too. If your daughter has skied a lot, she may not get as much out of the trip as a beginner tho'
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ski raises an interesting point. My kids are pretty good skiers (anything pisted and a bit of off piste esperience, basically). They are likely to be offered school ski trips next season or th efollowing season. Will they cater for good skiers? My son in particular will go up the wall (or perhaps up The Wall) if isn't able to do challenging stuff.
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richmond, a lot will depend on the make up of the group. Generally ski classes will consist of around 10 people. If there are 9 other skiers of a similar ability then they will do challenging on-piste stuff (I would doubt that they would ever do any off piste stuff). If not, then they'll most likely end up in a group with the 9 other "best" skiers, working at the lowest common level.

The top two groups on our trip spent quite a lot of time in the snowpark. This was good because it caters for a wide ability range....the better (or braver) you are, the higher you jump!!
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ski, et al

Thanks for your comments.

My Daughter who has skied since she was 3 now 12, and has passed all the ESf ski tests she can at her age,
has been told that on the school trip she must have lessons but will probably be moved to a differnet class to her mates. Sounds fine to me! There is one other girl on the trip in a similar situation so she won't be on her own.
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Eh, when I were a lad...

'72

School trips: Train to Dover, ferry, couchette train to somewhere in Austria (perfect for school kids rolling eyes )- coach to Nauders, ski lesson 9:30 - 4:30, with 1/2hr for lunch. all in £60. I think that even included 3x dry slope lessons before we went... Oh, and you were advised to take possibly as much as £5 spending money for the week. Some people came home with change...

Same trip 3 year later £120 - I know because it was a savings plan my nan had been paying into the "man from the pru" on the doorstep. Paid out when I reached 16 and all used up on one holiday. There's Ted Heath's inflation for you, double your costs in 3 years...


2m+ wooden skis (remember I was 13 at the time, and 1st go on snow - you got your ski length by cupping your hand held full stretch above your head...), leather lace up boots, Spring loaded bindings, and tethers not brakes. Pyjamas trousers for warmth. By 'eck we were cold, (and bruised from tumbling wit skis bangin' around yer 'ead). but we were 'appy.

Tell that to young folks today...

boredsurfin, we had a guy like that (and in those days, that was POSH!!), he ended up with private 1 - on- 1 lessons at no extra cost (allegedly..) , while the rest of us were strung like string across the mountain!

Wouldn't have missed it for the world.
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JimW, Sounds bloody miserable!!

My school ski trip was my first proper "learn to ski" style trip - I succesfully lead a rebellion of the 11pm curfew, ending up in being rounded up by hotel staff and teachers in a desperate attempt to get us to the bus back to the airport at 3am, and a tearful confession to my history teacher that I was sorry for everything!! ( vodka has that effect on me, i never normally apologise!)


Ski wise- I was hooked and have organised trips every year since for family and friends. I had a fantastic time and also gave a rather spectacular french gcse oral speech about the trip - when my french teacher had resigned me to the " wasted talent" pile! So send you children on these trips and they will prosper!!


( there you go kids, i did you a massive favour- £5 notes in the post to Nadenoodlee, Reading by Thursday or i'll tell them the shocking truth!)
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
My first ski trip was with the school. JimW, memories are awfully familiar to mine Piancavallo in Italy late 70's had a great time and been hooked ever since. Many lasting memories, especially with the wrap around the leg "brakes", (come to think of it the word is applicable even if it is a hononym, Mr. Smith was wright after all these years and countless 000's spent on my education I have used the word, not a waste after all!!!!).

A great experience for anyone that has the ability to go on a school ski trip. I am sure all of our year that went have gone back again and again. Only ever seen Piancavallo in one ski brochure, I expect it is a place mainly for local Italians and school children.
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at least they are going. I worry that in another 10 years time when my son is old enough to go on a school trip then the no win no fee lawyers will have scared off the education authoritys and school trips will be confined to venturing into the playground (briefly)!!! 600 quid sounds ok to me for a fully inclusive weeks escorted skiing for under 18's - hope they all enjoy it
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Having been on many school ski trips, both as a pupil and subsequently as a member of staff (add on adult), I reckon the kids get great value for money. £ 600 - £ 750 sounds a lot but as has been said when its broken down is it really too much? All food, (which in my experince is of a good quality) ski hire, 6 day lift pass, five hours of tuition per day, supervision 24/7.

Much as I dislike it, the coach is by far the best form of transport. Airports are hard work when having to look after 40 or so kids. Kids and luggage from coach to airport, check in, flight, baggage reclaim, load up another coach. It's a nightmare. Your own coach proves invaluable when in the resort as it can ferry everyone around and if needs be to another resort if snow is a problem.

A word of warning and something which staff members are generally helpless in preventing - School ski trips are not just a teenage introduction to skiing wink
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It does seem a lot but I expect it is the going rate for school trips. I don't think the "free place" argument justifies the cost though. Most tour operators will throw in a free place for every 10 people on a group trip. Looking at Interski's website, the school trip prices are a lot more than the adult prices, bearing in mind that the adult packages are in much better hotels. I expect the extra cost is there because of all the organised evening activities and the extra reps that are needed.
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I used to go on all the school skiing trips when I was in college, from year 7 right through to 6th form. Im only 21 now so this wasn't that long ago. At first impression 600 seems quite a lot for a trip because we went to canada for a week and that cost £660, this included a night stop over in niagra so we could see the waterfall.

One thing I will say tho, I had a friend in a different school who went skiing every year, and his school holidays were consistly more expensive than mine. I guess its just that different schools pick different quality holidays and thats reflected in the price. So you can probably rest assured that your daughter would get a great holiday for that price, as mentioned above - good accomodation, food etc.

When I went to andorra in march this year, at Barcelona airport I bumped into a bunch of kids from my school (in a lower year than me). They had decided to 'go-it-alone' because the school trip was too expensive. Suppose this is a good indication that prices have gone up a lot in recent years.


Also, as mentioned above, this price will include entertainment every night and trips to exciting places nearby. So you cannot really compare the price to a holiday that you would buy from a travel agent.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
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Before I joined my secondary school (I'm in Year 10, or 4th year for the oldies!) they used to go on a ski trip, but now we hardly ever go on any school trips. This is because of the new blaim-and-claim culture, with people sueing (sp?) left right and centre for everything, school cannot afford the insurance or afford to take the risk.
It's a shame, because my school are a load of ignorant idiots who take the mick that I do lots of extreme, unusual sports. And they are Chavs. And the only skier I know there is a fostered rich b*tch, who's foster carers are managers of some high flying thing, and they have stables, pool, courts, gym ect and are getting even more stuff. And here I am buying store's own brands and not able to go on holiday next season. But that's another thing. Life aint fair, and neither is the benefit system. One of my prents is retired, the other works hard full hours, and we get virtually nothing yet there are lazy thicksh*ts who sit there on their @sses and rake in the benefits and have hols, consoles ect. It makes me sick.
Rant over!
Julia snowHead
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
crazy_skier_jules, that's ok we understand, as for attitudes, you would not believe the grief I got for saying that I enjoyed skiing when after my father died I switched from a public to a state school, no chavs in those days but the idiots were much the same, it's the typical, don't understand why you do it so you must be wrong to want to do it, stupid but there you go
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crazy_skier_jules, You can sleep on my floor! However I take no responsibility for anything, and your parents would probably sue me!
Shocked
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

A word of warning and something which staff members are generally helpless in preventing - School ski trips are not just a teenage introduction to skiing


I am seriously worried about my son taking up Snowboarding too Toofy Grin
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Frosty, be afraid, be very afraid, he could turn to the darkside Shocked
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D G Orf, where do you get those cool emocions ??
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Sounds good to me if that is all-in, including lunchtime food. so all the kids need is pocket money...!!
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'er Indoors took a bunch of kids at her school last year (Folgaria), by plane. Cost for kids, including kit hire, passes and lessons was less than £500. That included CheesyJet flights and transfers, too. It wasn't during half term, so it was off-peak. 'er Indoors went free, meaning that I had a week in La Rosiere with the lads. Oh the pain!
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No1 son,who's 13,went on the school Ski Trip last year-Saas Fee.Cost just over £600.I thought it pricey at the time,and was a bit peeved at the sudden rush of,usually absent,parent helpers.I never got a look in as I upset the organiser from the very start.I organised a group lesson discount at a snowdome,which actually worked out cheaper than the 'organisers' dry slope option.But,following the time honoured tradition of teachers never being wrong,he won the day.Ah well,at least I tried NehNeh
The trip went well.I was concerned,as my son was easily the best skier,that he would be lumped in with the beginners.In fact,because he was competent,the instructors took it in turns to go off free skiing with him(and a couple of other good skiers)and he had a ball.The dorm style suits kids(in with their mates)and the fairly basic food is also more to their taste.For any parents of competent kids I would advise do your 'homework'.If your child is the only one,you may have a problem.Given there's a few decent skiers in the group,all should be well.£600,whilst not cheap,is about the average.I would say go whilst you have the chance.The blame/claim culture will put an end to these trips in all,but the most enlightened,schools.
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When I used to go on school ski trips, the students used to naturally divide into two groups, those of us whose parents didn't ski, and those of us whose did. The ones who did were invariably better and used to go in higher groups. I was in the other group. Crying or Very sad
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
crazy_skier_jules, I think that should be 'blame-and-clame', not 'blaim-and-claim'.
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richmond, lol, I can't spell when I'm angry!
Nadenoodlee, thankyou for the offer! Anyone who wants to take me skiing is welcome!
Julia snowHead
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crazy_skier_jules, Think I'll wait till you're over 18 before I make such an offer, wouldn't want to be accused of anything improper Laughing
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