 Poster: A snowHead
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I am seriously considering a DIY boarding trip to South America this summer, so thanks for all the above info.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| snobunni wrote: |
| stanton, i've looked at flights, best fare (air canada - heathrow/toronto/santiago) i've had is £800!!!!!!! But on talking to a friend in the industry apparently this is good!!!!! I could save about £50 if i went with Iberian via Madrid but apparently what you save in fare isnt worth what you lose in service/comfort. So i shall be booking Air Canada as soon as next pay day comes around lol |
Not sure if I want to go via Canada that is a bit of a diversion!! When I take of from Amsterdam or London I want to be flying South not West 
I would imagine fares to be high this year because of the fuel crisis.
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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?
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SA airlines include
LAN
TAM
Aerolineas Argentinas
Voegol
They may prove a source of cheaper flights
There are all the other usual suspects but they are coming in at megga bucks....
Anybody got any more local airlines that fly in and out
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Not local but European
Iberia
Swiss
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| snobunni wrote: |
| stanton, i've looked at flights, best fare (air canada - heathrow/toronto/santiago) i've had is £800!!!!!!! But on talking to a friend in the industry apparently this is good!!!!! I could save about £50 if i went with Iberian via Madrid but apparently what you save in fare isnt worth what you lose in service/comfort. So i shall be booking Air Canada as soon as next pay day comes around lol |
Snobunni,
I don't want to appear rude but you must be several beers short of a six pack if you want to fly to Santiago via Toronto, just to save fifty quid. You will lose much more in time, due to being in the air for longer and airport transfer times. Compare the actual overall journey times and then see it the saving is worth it.
As for service and comfort, all airlines are just as bad as each other when you sit down the back in cattle class.
Most European airlines fly down here (BA, Iberia, Lufthansa, Air France, Alitalia, KLM), some daily, others less frequently. US airlines also come in from Miami and New York.
I'd get the shortest, most direct flight, which would be via Europe. They all get here early in the morning, and you can transfer quickly to a flight to Santiago, or somewhere in Argentina.
Having said don't go via Toronto, occasionally I have to fly back here from work on BA via Miami when the more direct flight is full. It takes about six to eight hours longer, mainly due to the transit time in the US.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm not sure who mentioned it (I think it might have been el hen), but someone was saying on the way back from Val T that the company that owns/runs Portillo ski resort have just set up a beach resort, and are offerring a free beach add on for anyone skiing this year. Maybe worth a thought as it's a bit far to go for a couple of weeks.
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| Skier from Argentina wrote: |
| snobunni wrote: |
| stanton, i've looked at flights, best fare (air canada - heathrow/toronto/santiago) i've had is £800!!!!!!! But on talking to a friend in the industry apparently this is good!!!!! I could save about £50 if i went with Iberian via Madrid but apparently what you save in fare isnt worth what you lose in service/comfort. So i shall be booking Air Canada as soon as next pay day comes around lol |
Snobunni,
I don't want to appear rude but you must be several beers short of a six pack if you want to fly to Santiago via Toronto, just to save fifty quid. You will lose much more in time, due to being in the air for longer and airport transfer times. Compare the actual overall journey times and then see it the saving is worth it.
As for service and comfort, all airlines are just as bad as each other when you sit down the back in cattle class.
Most European airlines fly down here (BA, Iberia, Lufthansa, Air France, Alitalia, KLM), some daily, others less frequently. US airlines also come in from Miami and New York.
I'd get the shortest, most direct flight, which would be via Europe. They all get here early in the morning, and you can transfer quickly to a flight to Santiago, or somewhere in Argentina.
Having said don't go via Toronto, occasionally I have to fly back here from work on BA via Miami when the more direct flight is full. It takes about six to eight hours longer, mainly due to the transit time in the US. |
Agree
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You can get cheaper than this.
You can get to Santiago for around US$800 r/t from New York.
UK to NY for less than 400 quid.
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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.
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I'm just going on the advise of the organiser who has to get the whole party into santiago to catch our internal connection there lol to be honest i'd rather travel with others on the trip than on my own even if the flight is longer, whats a few hours when i'm away from the office for 3weeks skiing in the middle of summer lol
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rayscoops, We're looking at going next Summer ( 2009) ..... going to put an intinerary / costs together over the next few weeks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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.
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
You can get cheaper than this.
You can get to Santiago for around US$800 r/t from New York.
UK to NY for less than 400 quid. |
No, not in the summer. You can't, not in July/August. Maybe September is possible though.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| abc wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
You can get cheaper than this.
You can get to Santiago for around US$800 r/t from New York.
UK to NY for less than 400 quid. |
No, not in the summer. You can't, not in July/August. Maybe September is possible though. |
I beg to differ.
Done it many times.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just to give everyone an accurate idea of the cost of skiing here, the following is a breakdown of the cost of a ski holiday in Argentina for 20 days, including Bariloche (Cerro Catedral) for 7 days skiing, 7 nights accommodation; and San Martín de Los Andes (Cerro Chapelco) for 11 days skiing, 12 nights accommodation. Two days will be used up traveling.
Please note that these are the actual prices, in US dollars, that we have either paid or are going to pay, for 18 days skiing from the 12th to the 31st of July this year. This is the peak season, due to the school winter holidays. They are not some vague made-up numbers based on a trip from several years ago, or from some dodgy information off the internet
1). 2 x Lan Chile plane tickets Buenos Aires – Bariloche return. $360 each.
2). Accommodation in Bariloche for two people for seven nights. Three star hotel, double room with breakfast and dinner, with two or three choices of food. Transfer from the airport and to and from the mountain each day. $150 per day – total $1050.
3). Lift passes. Pay 6 days and get the seventh free. $260 each ($37/day). Total $520.
4). Transfer by bus from Bariloche to San Martin (return). $80 each. Total $160.
5). Accommodation in San Martin for two people for twelve nights. Serviced cottage with breakfast, towels and sheets changed and beds made daily. The cottage accommodates from two to five people. $75 per night. Total $900.
6). Transfer to the mountain in Chapelco, per person per day $8. Total $192.
7). Lift passes for eleven days $470 each ($43/day). Total $940
8. Approximate price of a decent meal in a restaurant – $25 per person. So the cost of non hotel meals in San Martin and lunch in Bariloche would be about $1550 (twenty lunches and eleven dinners, for two people).
Of course there are convenience stores, supermarkets, cooking facilities in San Martin and you have the chance to keep all your drinks, cereal bars, snacks, etc, in the cottage, saving lots of money (30 to 40 %)
So the approximate total for two people is about $5700. Or around £1450 each in old money, which is £80 per day skiing. Going in the low season would cut this by at least 25%.
Naturally this doesn’t include the price of the airfare down here (my company pays this for me). 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good accurate prices mate, but there are many ways of cutting down prices for the real budget skier that goes down to ARG for a long season . Instead of taking the plane from Bs As, you could just take the sleeper business or first class bus that will cost you around 225 pesos, and will take you around 19 hours to get there. If the person is not too old, the best and funnest place to crash would be a hostel, and it cost around 35 pesos per night, you can even book a double bedroom for a bit more than that, but still way better than paying 150 dolars, plus youll probably get to meet alot of folk in the hostel that are there for slopes, and youll all end up having a good time.
Ive found that tickets down to Bs As and Santiago from London have very similar, if your living in Scotland like myself, try looking for tickets from Glasgow or Edinburgh to Bs As, Continental had quite cheap tickets on offer the other day from Edinburgh to Bs As.
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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?
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bjriodan,
What you say about reducing costs is true, but I just wanted to show what the real world prices down here are like. Just as in other countries there is a wide range of accomodation and prices here. It's just that the wife likes comfort and doesn't do hostels any more. Likewise the double decker coaches are a lot cheaper than the plane (although you see too many involved in accidents in the news here).
I would guess that a flight on Continental to Argie or Chile would route via the USA.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for this. (I know I am a little late in reading it) But given me some ideas. Can you let me know where you are staying in San Martin please. Sounds a good price.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Widger76,
The place we're staying in San Martín De Los Andes is called Taiquen Apart Hotel. This is their website - www.taiquenapart.com.ar
If you are going in the peak season, July/August, then you'd better book somewhere soon. If you have any others questions drop me a line.
I've got just four weeks to wait now, to go home and then go skiing - leaving for Bariloche on the 12th of July. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for your reply. We are going to Cerro Catedral now and trying to find somewhere to stay. You are staying in Bariloche too? We've managed to find one place up at the base of the mountain but at £90 for two with breakfast is that too much? Do you know how much transfer to the mountain is from Bariloche? Thanks for your help. Not long now till you go...
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Widger76,
I don't know how much the transfers are, as the place we are staying at is taking us to the mountain each day. It's owned by a friend of the wife's. Contrary to what people think, Bariloche is not a particularly cheap place to stay, although 90 quid sounds reasonable for two people. Is the hotel collecting you from the airport? One other thing to take into account is that planes might not be flying to Bariloche, due to the volcano in Chilé. Have you checked the Catedral website yet - www.catedralaltapatagonia.com/invierno/index2.html.
When are you going?
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We are going 11th August for one week (then we are travelling elsewhere for 2 weeks). Can't wait. Looking forward to skiing somewhere different. You sound like you've been before..? What's it like?
We are going to get there by bus (one of the posh bed ones) as although 18 hours or so, much cheaper than the flight £300 quotes at the mo!!
Do you know if we'll be totally cut off being at the base of the mountain? It is this place that has got availability. Tel.: www.sudbruck.com. Would like to be able to eat somewhere different at night even if only option is a different hotel.
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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.
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Widger76,
Where did you get £300 for Buenos Aires - Bariloche? Is that two return tickets? If so that's about right. Two hours on a plane is worth that much, as against almost one day of your holiday on a coach. When we fly to Bariloche on LAN we leave Aeroparque at 06:00 and will be in Bariloche in time for the lifts to open. You'll waste almost two days travelling if you go there and back by road. And they are very dangerous. If you need any advise, I can put you in touch with the wife, who might be able to help, as she's a "native".
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I'll have another look on the flights and consider it. Thanks very much for your help. I hope you have a great few weeks skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Widger76,
My wife informs me that the coach tickets are at least 50% of the price of the plane. Also there is an acute shortage of diesel in Argie at the moment, and this is having an adverse effect on the bus timetable, with services being cancelled for days. Take the plane - you know it makes sense.
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FAQ
