 Poster: A snowHead
|
| kitenski wrote: |
@Gazzza, if you fancy Italy, then La Thuile maybe worth a look? I've just got a deal with a 20 Euro per day lift pass accom at this place below, and they are doing the same deal over Easter it appears.. Never stayed there before but got the name from a search on here. Seems to have a consistently good snow record down to the village at 1500m.
https://www.hotelchaletalpina.com/ |
Thanks for this, I am keeping my eyes open for places next Easter easily reachable from Turin. This looks good for that (especially if they run that lift pass deal again)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
All well and good but #1 there is still nothing in the 6 day forecast and #2 I need some off piste.
And I think the geezer has a vested interest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Just had this pop into my email,
https://www.skiolympic.com/special-offers
We still have a few last minute offers for our loyal supporters.
31st March - Down to £495
7th April - Down to £695 (La Foret only)
14th April - Down to £595
21st April - Down to £395*
Includes flights from Manchester or Gatwick
Les Arcs/Vallandry - Chalet La Foret
La Plagne - Chalet Graciosa
Both chalets are ski in, ski out, and that means pretty much to the door !!
*accommodation only, but we'll help with booking your flights
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
You snooze, you lose.
Just book it and go.
La Plagne, Tignes, etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Check out Tignes. Co. UK they are offering a free apartment if you book 2 ski 6 day ski passes. W/c 21 April
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Whitegold wrote: |
| You snooze, you lose. |
I'm not so sure with a late Easter. There's tons of accommodation about at the moment, and waiting, whilst driving me nuts, is giving me the chance to see what options are best.
I think the thing with the obvious spring skiing places, notably Espace Killy and VT, is they are comparatively busy - they get booked up earlier because they are reliably good late season. But having done Courchevel 3 times at Easter, the slopes there are pretty empty and rarely a wait for a lift, whilst the days we've toured over to VT, we've run into queues 20 people deep and 12 people wide at the major chairs.
But if the stars align and weather and conditions are reasonably good, the less high places will have great skiing but be deserted by comparison. We did Le Corbier last Easter, and it was incredibly empty. Turned out to be one of our best ski holidays. We never waited for a single chair and often had pistes to ourselves. We were blessed with three days of fresh snow, and you could pick up easy fresh tracks on piste for the first hour or two and off the edge of the piste all day because it was so quiet.
http://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29694907_10160136565545099_3892596239811739648_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_ht=scontent-lht6-1.xx&oh=f283db8ab6c3a268a3ef025d5a16bd63&oe=5D41B00B
So there's something to be said about waiting and bagging a lower quite resort if you can and if the weather brings favour. Plus the bargains are to be had at the lower resorts (we paid about 400 quid for a 2 bed apartment on the piste last year and kids lift passes were free).
...Having said all that, the 6 day forecast for Wagrain is for 3 days of rain  http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Wagrain/6day/mid
Dumps of snow due slightly higher in Austria: http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/St-Anton/6day/mid
And 3v: https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Meribel/6day/mid
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks @kitenski for the skiolympic and La Thuile links.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Gazzza, Have a look at the snow depths in Flaine. Usually it has good snow and empty slopes in April. Much of it is north facing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
@Gazzza, I hope you'll update us the tread when you book - I can then live my non-trip this year vicariously through yours!!!! 
Daughter broke up on Friday and when picking her up from school I was bemoaning the fact we weren't heading for the tunnel!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@dunc999, shame - I saw quite a few good deals for this week which I put down the fact that most schools aren’t finishing until this coming Friday.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
@dunc999, Yes will do.
Another week on I'm still holding out debating where to go - I've never left it this late before ! I almost booked flights and car hire to Munich last week but the forecast of rain in lower resorts put me off, though there's now some snow forecast later this week at most places, even lower end.
There's some packages starting to drop to similar to DIY drive price range so weighing up some of those too but I think it will be next for a real deal to be had. Fall back position remains drive down on Friday 12th.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
In my experience better just to book it
Mrs will give you a gobby if you’re lucky
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I'm dying for some late seasons skiing but I'm back in the states so peeking at Tahoe or something similar
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@Gazzza, I'm in La thuile at the moment, mainly due to the 20 euro a day lift pass! just had a chat with the owner, she said loads of resorts in this area do it, but not all establishments push it! Worth checking as it saves a fair bit!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Booked today for Chamonix ! Woo hoo! Bargain price
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Booked today for Chamonix ! Woo hoo! Bargain price
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Oops. Double post
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@Gazzza, given the pictures I am seeing from Italy.... if i wasn’t booked I would be looking that way right now 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Yes there's been deluges ! Isn't the deep stuff over in the Dolomites ? I'm not sure Aosta had the same volumes ?
Long story short, I've now got BA flights and car hire to Grenoble booked, departing Saturday morning returning Sunday morning.
£215 per person for flight and car package (People Carrier Renault Espace sized).
So Austria is now out. Italy may be a goer, but 3v, EK, Flaine, all remain as options. Maybe the Aosta resorts. I'll either get a skiamis catered chalet type deal or a sunweb self catering in one of the nice apartments. Will make a call on where next weel 
Exciting to be booked... Well, half booked
As packages go, Alpine Elements and Nielson have pretty good packages for w/c 13. I almost booked an 5* catered chalet in La Plagne with the former but snoozed and loosed on that one and it went (bargain at 500 pp too!). I also almost booked a Nielson catered chalet hotel package to Alpe D'Huez (around £1800 for the 4 of us all in), but despite being BA flights they didn't offer the usual BA ski carriage(where you can take ski bags as your hold luggage) and wanted to sting us £45 per person each way to take ski bags, even making a big thing about not having 2 skis in a bag etc. I'm sure we'd have got away with it, but it's not the point, so I voted with my feet. Anyway if anyone hasn't got skis they have some reasonable deals at the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Gazzza, that's pretty good for flights, bags and a car, I didn't realise BA did such deals!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes I was a bit surprised when I looked some weeks back and stumbled on LGW-LYS on BA.com for under £100 person but missed it after procrastinating. Anyway earlier this week I looked again and was surprised to see they had dropped their Grenoble route, so the outbound leg is only £30 (£46 with luggage) on Sat 13th. The return on Sun 21 is 106 (£126 with luggage), being Easter Sunday, bringing it to 650 ish for the 4 of us. There was then £100 or so discount for booking it as a car and flight package, so 865 all in. We could have got it 700 if we could have fitted in a compact.
My guess is some tour ops may have had seats held on the route on the assumption they were going to sell package holidays but have now since released them, so they dropped into lower seat price brackets on BA.com. Lots of the other routes were the typical BA school holiday prices, eg. some of the Austrian routes the return leg was 300-400 pp, so yes a rare deal on BA during holiday time I think.
I can spend the weekend debating where to book accommodation now
The nice thing is most places seem to have had a top in the last few days so I think the options are open.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
One thing to note about booking BA flights is that if you book a flight and either car hire or hotel together, the pricing is differently calculated (and you deal with BA Holidays). This can result in some really surprising deals. For example, I priced three tickets to Athens from London once - and then added a car for five days. Adding the car resulted in the price going *down* by £75 - and when I got to the Avis counter at Athens they gave me a Mercedes C Class. Bargain!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@kitenski, booked BA Innsbruck from LHR on Sunday, flying back to LGW on Saturday, 9000 Avios PP, sorted the trains from Leeds for less than £50 per person return………… cheaper than parking at LHR/LGW for 6 days!!
ST Anton 4* DB&B at less han £50 pppn, get to Strolz sale Sunday, what's not to love for an end of season cheapy?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
@skimastaaah, nice deal!
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
Good deal @skimastaaah. I must admit I never thought of looking for avios reward flights, assumed they'd all be gone. Innsbruck flights for cash were expensive when I looked this week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
for anyone hedging their bets about where to go, we have had a beautiful few days here in Tyrol, but from tomorrow evening it is forecast to rain for several days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@brandegg, snow-forecast say snow in the Vorarlberg a few days next week. But they always keep changing their "forecast".
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Don't know why I looked but.... Those BA to Grenoble flights I booked last week (departing this Sat 13th, returning Easter Sunday) are £100 cheaper today, grrrr, bucking the rule that flights tend to get more expensive the close to the time. Family of 4 (2 ad, 2ch) now around £550 (with checked luggage) if anyone is looking for a bargain....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Flying out very early Easter Monday with BA Avios and back late on Friday (£30 return with Avios); train from Geneva to Saas Fee (99CHF return supersaver), budget hotel 180CHF for four nights, season lift pass still valid. Four-and-a-half days skiing at high altitude.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@Gazzza, oooooohhhhhhh........if only
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| LOTA wrote: |
| Flying out very early Easter Monday with BA Avios and back late on Friday (£30 return with Avios); train from Geneva to Saas Fee (99CHF return supersaver), budget hotel 180CHF for four nights, season lift pass still valid. Four-and-a-half days skiing at high altitude. |
I've booked flights today going to Geneva this Thursday 11th and back Tuesday 15th. After much deliberation, I'd pretty much settled on AlpyBus to Verbier but then realised I could take the train to Le Chable instead.
Then you said you were getting train to Saas Fee and I checked out the forecast for there and it's LOTS of snow for this weekend, so now investigating that. Not sure whether I should thank you at this stage or not!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@jebroni3_16, it's not a particularly quick rail/bus journey - about 3.5 hours - to Saas Fee so you would need to factor that in to your travel plans.
Also the mountain does have a tendency to close down during snowstorms so again something to take into account.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Thanks @LOTA
I did have a quick look and figured as much, but as I get into Geneva at 09:20 and my flight out isn't until 16:45, I figured I'd at least be making proper use of my two "travel" days.
I should probably keep things simple at this late stage and just do the sensible thing and stick to Verbier though... or Nendaz as I've now started looking at that instead!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
+1 @LOTA. Been in SaaS Fee couple of times and resort shut when snowing and a bit after for avi blasting. Also it is a long transfer. Lovely train ride but it is long.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the forecast for the next ten days is snow, and lots of it, especially this weekend, so I've done the safe thing and gone with Verbier, but I hope you enjoy all that fresh pow when you get there @LOTA
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Nice change of plan @Layne. Looks like light snow the next few days then clear on Saturday for the drive in and low temps. Just need a dump to line up for Sunday
Good deal for a late break @LOTA. Mind you you'll need another grand for 4 nights out in a restaruant in Saas Fee 
After much procrastination I decided to aim high and settled on Les Menuires. We've done many a year in Courchevel but each trip tend to only do around two days doing the likes of VT,LM, Masses and Valon, and with kids in tow it's usually a there-lunch-back,so be nice to spend most the week there to properly explore that end of the 3v.
Booked a 3 bedroomed apartment with pool/spa in Reberty, near Bruyeres, for £845. The kids will have the novelty of their own rooms for a change, rather than cramming into cabine bunks for a change 
Could have picked up a catered deal for 1,100 but it was down in Bettex, so went for location rather than service, plus the kids will have a pool.
Just need to find an overnight hotel near Grenoble airport for the Saturday night before the Sunday morning flight home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Gazzza wrote: |
Nice change of plan @Layne. Looks like light snow the next few days then clear on Saturday for the drive in and low temps. Just need a dump to line up for Sunday
Good deal for a late break @LOTA. Mind you you'll need another grand for 4 nights out in a restaruant in Saas Fee
After much procrastination I decided to aim high and settled on Les Menuires. We've done many a year in Courchevel but each trip tend to only do around two days doing the likes of VT,LM, Masses and Valon, and with kids in tow it's usually a there-lunch-back,so be nice to spend most the week there to properly explore that end of the 3v.
Booked a 3 bedroomed apartment with pool/spa in Reberty, near Bruyeres, for £845. The kids will have the novelty of their own rooms for a change, rather than cramming into cabine bunks for a change
Could have picked up a catered deal for 1,100 but it was down in Bettex, so went for location rather than service, plus the kids will have a pool.
Just need to find an overnight hotel near Grenoble airport for the Saturday night before the Sunday morning flight home. |
Not really! Was there for a week in March and with a little bit of shopping around you can find places that are decently priced in Saas. Avoid steak, which is nose-bleedingly expensive, and it's not too bad at all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
