What is the deal with 6-day lift/ski hire for 7 day ski packages?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Ridha, it's going to be difficult to find a conventional package in Europe which will give you what you want. The TO would be left trying to sell a Sunday night to Thursday night package, not easy. You'd have to do it yourself, and even then in some resorts at some times it would be difficult to find a reasonably priced hotel or apartment (as opposed to a B&B) which would give you other than Sat to Sat (or Sun to Sun), although it should be possible (especially if you're prepare to throw money at it). If you don't fancy DIY, I'm sure that there are TOs who will put together 'bespoke' packages, for a price.

In N.America, 10/11 day packages are readily available (Wed to Sat usually), but that doesn't make the most efficient use of your time off. In N.America, it seems easier to arrange a hol of any length through a TO (United Vacations, for example, offer that).

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Ridha, it is honestly quite easy to sort out your own flights and accommodation. There's loads of people on here who are now 'expert' at it, and will offer you loads of advice.
Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Spindrift, I have been on both package holidays and gone the independent way too and, as far as our trips to Whistler are concerned, I will book independently every time now as I get the flexibilty I want for cheaper.

As for not doubling up on transfers? For quite a number of years there was a group of us who would go on a package holiday to somewhere in Europe. We were split into 2 camps - one flew from Gatwick, the other from Manchester. We practically ALWAYS ended up on the same transfer bus and usually one lot had had to wait for the other.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

janette,

After all it is free

masmith, Verbier, for one.

You can get multi day passes from 3PM on the previous day, and they are immediately valid.

Just a note to support the buy in resort not from tour ops argument. I have never had any savings from buying from tour ops and have often found savings in resort.

Also, tour ops might originally have made skiing affordable to the masses back in the 80s, but now, it's more or less the most expensive way to go unless you have a half price last minute deal. I always price up a DIY deal and a tour op deal and have never found the tour op to be cheapest.

E.g. tour op trip to Ischgl, starts at around £500 basic for B&B accom and flights and transfers. We did a DIY last year to Ischgl and paid the same price but it included our liftpasses and privat taxi transfers.

This year, Kitzbuhel at Christmas DIY price £700 for 3* hotel including car hire and ski pass. Tour op price for the same hotel for the same week was £900.

I have numerous other examples but I won't bore you.

And I have also always had to wait at Salzburg or Innsbruck for other flights to board our bus.

Anyway, back to the piste...

Happy sliding
D

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Yer pays yer money you takes yer chance! In minor defence of the TO's (and only minor!) they do serve a purpose. I've gone through both routes, though of late have tended to DIY. If you know in plenty of time when you want to go then great, cheap flights on-line and plenty of time to search around for the best deal etc, but there have been many times where I have had 6 weeks or less acknowledgement of my leave and by that time a lot of the routes for saving money are gone. At this point you can pay the brochure price - which doesnt go up just because there are only a few places left, or, you can hold out and take a last minute deal if you arent too proud about destination. But that is It! (and just to add my experiences of coach transfers - yes you wait for another flight or you wait for the one person who has lost their bag or you wait for the Rep to get the head count right!! - four in a hire car is generally quicker and easier [ & even I can count to 4])

We buy our own lift passes in resort and have our own kit, this means that we have been able to ski on the first afternoon both with TOs (Inghams -Flaine 1.5hrs skiing) and DIY - (Valmorel 3hrs skiing). The reasons for the TO's ofering the Sat-Sat packages have been well covered. They come up with an economy of scale and flog it hard. In my experience you tend to get what you pay for. as has been said if you take the packages off the bus you will all be at the same hire shop queing for the same kit. A reasonable compromise I found when hiring was to book online direct with the shop.

PS FWIW I'm sure you'll find somewhere reaosnable in Mayrhoffen, always avoid the restaurant right on the highstreet easily placed for everything - It will be the most expensive! - Go for a wander, have an explore and have fun!! snowHead

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

pielot, we hired a car in Canada, rather than take the transfer bus. We arrived almost an hour before they did (unpacked showered and going out for dinner), and they were picked up again ages before we left.

snow reports

Just to pitch in - I have only twice managed to ski on the first afternoon when travelling with a TO. The only time I DIYed it, we didn't manage to ski on the first day. Most of it seems to depend on the ski hire shop. If you can get that sorted quickly you can sometimes manage a little skiing. Last year, we arrived in the resort (Alpe D'Huez) pretty early & were hopeful for a little sliding, but the queue in the ski hire shop was the worst I've ever seen, so no skiing.

The endless discussion as to whether you are going to manage any skiing helps the long transfer journey go by!

Helen Beaumont, if you ever go back to Whistler though, check out Whistler Taxi as we paid $205 inc taxes but plus a tip. If there's 4 of you then it works out the same price as the Perimeter coach if you factor in the Allura discount for Perimeter (i.e. about $60 each). The taxi is waiting for you as you leave the airport. Fab! And they provided a child seat for our 3 year old at no extra charge (not that you'll need one of those)

You know it makes sense.

I have travelled to the Alps to ski with tour operators flying / coach / train and self drive. The only times we have skiied on the first day on a tour op trip are when we have gone on the snow train arriving early Sat morning or have driven ourselves and let the TO book the accommodation for us. I would not go with a tour operator now unless it was a VERY good last minute deal. For me the much better access to travel and accommodation options given by the internet has removed any need for a tour op.

Things I do not miss from tour operator trips:

Being herded around like cattle by a pimply 'rep'.
Being given the hard sell on lift passes / ski hire / evening entertainment by said rep.
Waiting around at airports / bus stations for ages for no apparent reason.
Tours of all the other accommodation in a big resort like Val Despair or Courchevel before you get to yours.
Charter flights at ridiculous times and interminably long bus transfers.

For me now it is always independently arranged accommodation and train / self drive / fly and hire a car travel depending on location.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

geetee, this was Banff, but we did use a hire car in Whistler too. It wasn't really necessary though.

A snowHead

Last year we went to Alpe d'Huez with TO (Thomson) - early flight into Grenoble and short (90 min) transfer to resort, arrived by midday, on slopes by 1pm.

Another way to extend skiing time is to use the overnight snow train from Calais - did this a few times in the 90's, don't know what it's like now but back then you typically saved £20 pp on the basic flight price and arrived at resort approx 10am on Sat, then left approx 3pm following Sat, best part of 8 days sliding.

Most major tour ops used to use the snow train, not sure who does now. But be warned, the disco carriage isn't all it's cracked up to be !

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I can only offer you my experience as a Rep of 4 winters. In every resort I've worked in we have provided passes, and usually equipment and tuition, at a lower price than the resort. This may not be the case in all resorts but by making a blanket statement that you should avoid buying from tour operators, without checking the figures first, then you are providing misguided information. Also, there is nothing to stop you paying in local currency, either in cash or on a card.

I'm sorry you have had bad experiences but don't stereotype us all.

PS I have great skin

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You're all so negative, hire your skis in England and pick them up before you go from the airport. (For Gatwick see www.edge2edge.co.uk) It will cost you a little more, (£70 for skis for 12 days) and £20 for the airplane. When you arrive all you have to do it dump your stuff in the hotel, get dressed and walk to the nearest ticket office. Shouldn't be more than €20 for the afternoon and if it's more, WHO CARES! Think about being sat at your bloody desk in the office and what you would give to be able to ski for 2-3 hrs! I bet it would easily be worth £100. Do whatever you can to get out there as soon as possible and when your sat on that chairlift at 3pm, take a deep breath and just try wiping that big grin off your face, I bet you can't!

You'll need to Register first of course.

PowderHunter, I'm not sure that the tone is too negative! - But the question as to whether or not you get to ski on the first day (which has kind of developed from the topic title ..but hey!), I think has been answered in quite a level way. i.e. Dont expect too much slope time on transfer day if you use a tour op. But if you're prepared, then you might get more than you expected. Use a different hire shop - quicker, take your own kit [hired or bought] - quickest. Tour Ops serve their purpose but for the absolute gold plated experience do it yourself or go to an expensive TO/agent. Very Happy

There... happiness reigns! snowHead

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Hey guys, just checking back in as i got back from Mayrhofen this morning waaaah! But good news, i did get to ski for a good 2.5 hours the first day, which may not be alot but i think makes a great deal of difference as 1. it means the next day u don't have to ease yourself in/wait to get your ski legs, and 2. it's psychologically sooo much more satisfying to think u got 7 good days out of it, and skiied for every day - albeit for varying times - of the holiday.

We didn't wait too long at the airport - we were sitting in the coach for about 40 minutes, but that was because my boyfriend and i got our luggage literally within 5 mins (a first in itself). I don't think we were waiting for other flights though (having heard what u guys warned about that i did actually email my travel operator and say this was something i had heard, and he emailed back to deny it and say it was just our flight, and that the general aim is the coach leaving the airport within 30 minutes. So at least if we had waited unduly long and it had turned that this had been partly due to another flight, i would have had his sales pitch assurance in black and white to get some compensation muahaha). We also made good time driving to the resort. It was frustrating that our guesthouse was the last on the route in the village, and that on top of that there were some problems the others had with taxis not being at the drop-off point so the coach waited while the Inghams rep sorted that out. So yeh, all in all, probably lost 1 hour due to those problems which was annoying, but all in all by the time we got our ski hire and pass we were in the cable car by 1.45 p.m. (paid 20 euros more for the 7 day lift pass) and skiied till 4.30.

After all it is free

Ridha, Well done! You're right - it's great to ski on the first day, even if only for a couple of hours.

Help!!

What is the deal with 6-day lift/ski hire for 7 day ski packages?

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste