 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@Tiefschneetaucher, i have been looking and £2500 approx for 4 for Feb half term with BA and similar for lufthansa
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@trmacc, Yes it is an easy walk - the Sheraton in at the Terminal 1 train station which is connected to the terminal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
That’s odd because I booked Lufthansa on Wednesday and for us four it would have been around £700 to Munich! Perhaps different half term week? Or different flight times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I am looking lhr to munich sat 11 - sat 18.
Please let me know of i have missed something?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
You’re right, it has gone up massively. We usually book on the day the LH flights are released and fly out Friday evening, returning Sunday. Perhaps that’s what makes the difference but I’ve never paid more than £800 to Munich. This February’s flights (bought last year) were less than £500 but that was a pandemic bargain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
@Tiefschneetaucher, this years flight prices are somewhat depressing. I am on verge of paying far more than Ii have ever done... was hoping i had missed an option.
I can get good prices if prepared to have a change. Pull of convenience and less stress pulling me to just pay huge amounts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Indirect flight via Frankfurt? Or fly to Stuttgart and catch the train from there. We did that one year. Depends on which resort you’re going to though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@NickyJ, @Tiefschneetaucher, London to Munich flights 11-18 Feb do indeed look very expensive right now, EasyJet and Lufthansa are both pretty steep. EasyJet to Innsbruck is even more silly money (cheapest is over £700!). I can't believe many people will pay that for a short-haul flight to go skiing.
I suspect prices will come down a bit, but will be higher than previous years. I often get good deals by booking after Easter.
@NickyJ, Where are you planning on skiing next year?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
I didn’t know prices could come down too, always assumed they only go up…
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Tiefschneetaucher, DYNAMIC pricing models are used by most airlines, which are driven by demand rather than just a simple set allocation. Tour operators do this too, they know demand for booking for summer is very high in certain winter/spring weeks so generally hike prices during those times. Prices then fall back as they try and fill any gaps in planes/accommodation. You can actually see this happening - if you hammer BA with multiple searches for the same route you will see the price escalating as the model sees an increase in demand for the route, even though bookings have not increased. This is even sometimes related to your individual IP address, where you will get a lower price by using a different IP address than the one you made multiple searches from.
Low-cost carriers are very smart at this, you see it every year where (like now) there are a small number of good-value seats available when flights are released, which generates the demand. Prices then sky-rocket for the following few weeks, as they know the perception is that prices will only get higher the further away from the release date you book. Prices often come down (not as low as the lead-in) to a reasonable level once that high-demand for bookings period has passed. Out of interest I chose the most expensive Gatwick to Innsbruck EasyJet flights 11-18 Feb 2023, £956 return. When you look at seat availability it is clear the aircraft is far from full, it is the booking demand model that is driving the price not seat availability.
It is complex, and takes courage, but booking too early is not always the best value!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
With Feb 2023 sucessfully booked, now wondering when is optimum time to book hire car. I would normally be doing it a year in advance but the prices are already crazy! Looking from Malpensa.
@Tiefschneetaucher, I'm signed up for alerts and email came out yesterday at 10am. @zikomo may have a point about checking again in 4 or 5 weeks once initial frenzy has died down. I'd imagine there were quite a lot of people with flights originally booked one or two years ago, who like me wanted to get their flights sorted before 30 March when free changes end
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
@trmacc, Car hire prices are indeed nuts for Feb next year! I never book car this early anyway, was just looking out of interest. £1800 for a 9 seater for the week, normally around £1000 or a little less. I will leave it for a while and see when they become more reasonable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@zikomo, interesting. I always book really far in advance, but not going to this year, will leave a few months and see if things calm down! Need to decide if we are going to La Thuile or Champoluc, but that won't affect things, will still need a car as transfer also crazy prices.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
@trmacc, Really? Looks like private transfers are c€300 each way to Champoluc or €65 pp for shared which is not unreasonable.
We prefer the flexibility of having our own transport - for example we went to Cervinia for a day from Champoluc this year as weather was so warm. And it is easier for first/last day - we often manage 8 days skiing with the ability to leave luggage etc in the van. Need a 9 seater as there are 6 of us all with own skis and boots so a lot of luggage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
@zikomo, ahh, I will have another look. Though TBH I also prefer having own transport for same reasons you give.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
@zikomo, there is an element of depends where we get flights. Hubby is keen to visit Austria again. I am certainly up for that.
I am verging on just booking Southampton to Salzburg. Stumping up the cash and paying for the nice short transfers both side and civility of it all
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@zikomo, thank you. You know both La Thuile and Champoluc don't you? Which do you prefer?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Sometimes the prices are cheaper 90 days before the flights than they are released this far ahead. I just checked LGW to GVA with a case and skis and it was £223, which is considerably more than I'd expected. Having said that, it was 23kg in the hold only and that plus the skis added up to most of the cost.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
@trmacc, As always it depends what you want! What sort of skiing are you looking for?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Mostly reds (getting too scared of falling over) but some challenges for my teenagers. Friendly resort with good variety of runs. Nice restaurants but no requirement for much night life other than a few bars. We do enjoy La Thuile and considering going there again, but Champlouc looks nice, however I did worry not challenging enough. Have found on at least one trip that La Thuile was utterly freezing and that spoilt it a bit for my younger daughter who however many layers you put her in, always feels the cold. And, as we are having a bit of a blow out and going to Val Thorens this year, budget friendly. Just interested in knowing how others have found Champoluc. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@trmacc, Monterosa does not lack challenges, when there is good snow. There are plenty of side piste options to keep the more advanced entertained. The runs are generally longer than La Thuile, but not really any challenge on-piste (although it is hard to know what someone else means by challenging!). Snow was terrible this year but my kids still found some bumps and side-piste excursions that were definitely challenging as some were near boiler-plate. Pistes were quiet.
Champoluc has good restaurants, including michelin standard at campZero which I would highly recommend. Otherwise pretty cheap to eat and drink.
BUT in half-term week the resort is a bit dominated by a certain type of Englishman from the shires, I saw quite a bit of rudeness (particularly to restaurant staff) to the extent I felt the need to apologise in Italian to show not all Brits have that attitude. You know the type, slow shouting at the stupid foreigner who has the gall to use the foreign word (printed on the menu) for food items. Also noticed quite a few blue run heroes from the same brigade, way too fast on the tails of skis and passing without skill on cat-tracks. I nearly came to blows with one moron who cut up the kid at the back of my group on a narrow path, who had to take avoiding action to prevent a collision. Moron could not admit fault and apologise as he was a "very good skier" (my kids were laughing at this after seeing him later from a chairlift). Said kid is a racer, I am an instructor, we had slowed down for another instructor in front of us with two wee kids. That should tell you a bit about the attitude. Interestingly did not see so much of this behaviour in the Gressony and Alagna parts of the domain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@zikomo, thanks, that is all good to know. We are in Scotland, so half term a week earlier meaning we might miss those certain types! Going to sit on it for a while and see what my options are accomodation wise in a few months. Getting the flights was the main thing so can now breathe (and enjoy this years holiday first!).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@trmacc, I am also in Scotland! But note half-term for lots of private English schools often overlap with our half-term week!
Overall I would recommend Champoluc for a family holiday. Once you get out of the Champoluc valley the pistes are deserted mid-week. And as I said good bars and restaurants in town, as well as a very good super market (it is a tardis, amazing what they fit in there!) with a great deli-counter if you are self-catering. We will probably look to stay in Gressony next time as kids are getting a bit more gnarly with their skiing, and that will both avoid the "certain type" and give quicker access to the more challenging off-piste routes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
