 Poster: A snowHead
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In view of what's just happened to Ecxel, you might all wish to reconsider your aversion to tour op packages
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It should certainly make people realise that they're on their own if anything goes wrong. For example if you pay upfront to rent an apartment and arrive to find it is full of drunken Russians. Or bed bugs. Or even that it doesn't exist. Or does, and is beautiful, but is not owned by the person to whom you paid the money. Or heavy snow prevents your catching your flight and you have to pay a big heap of money for another one.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
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In view of what's just happened to Ecxel, you might all wish to reconsider your aversion to tour op packages
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It should certainly make people realise that they're on their own if anything goes wrong. For example if you pay upfront to rent an apartment and arrive to find it is full of drunken Russians. Or bed bugs. Or even that it doesn't exist. Or does, and is beautiful, but is not owned by the person to whom you paid the money. Or heavy snow prevents your catching your flight and you have to pay a big heap of money for another one. |
Dare I suggest most of these can be lessened by some research on relevant websites like errrr this one? Decent insurance will cover you for everything else.
Each to their own - but I can't see any benefit that a TO would provide to our yearly trip.
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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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Boris, yes, you can certainly reduce the risks, but you can't eliminate them. Very few travel insurance policies cover airline failure - you can get your money back if you've paid by credit card, but you'd often be out of pocket on things like having to spend an unexpected night in a hotel, and take a much more expensive flight home, extra airport parking charges, missed day's work etc. These are risks worth taking, in my view, if you've done your homework - but not everyone spends half their life perusing sites like errr this one.  Some people would prefer to pay a bit more to let someone else do the legwork and take the risk. But it's important that people realise that a superficial price comparison might be misleading.
I know nothing about ATOL or ABTA or anything else but if it works like other insurance markets premiums must be about to go up?
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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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but not everyone spends half their life perusing sites like errr this one. Laughing
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What on earth do they do all day 
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lizzard,
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In view of what's just happened to Ecxel, you might all wish to reconsider your aversion to tour op packages. One of the reasons they cost more is the ABTA bonding, which doesn't come cheap.
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I would have to have a huge number of broke carriers to make up for the money I have saved over the years. I guess at some point I will become expensively stranded which will be a pain, but my memory of massively delayed charter flights and 2 am rises to leave the Tarentaise resorts will be unlikely to encourage me back.
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T Bar, I agree totaly with you, perhaps one going broke every one or two trips!
Just did the sums. Based on large TO and our estate agent! For 5 persons on same week (low season).
DIY
Flight 220
Transfer 70
Apartment (613/5) 123
Per person 413
Tour Operator 569
A TO would need to go bust less than one in three trips The extra money saved obviously goes into a fund for repatriation!!! NOT
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We have gone both TO and DIY. I think the thing that we get out of DIY is larger, more comfortable accommodation for our large family with more bedrooms and wifi etc. With TO we are crammed into usually small and basic apartment. So its more a case of getting more for your money than trying to save loads.
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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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plus if you factor in a wage for your research time it's not worth your effort. Week to 3v 300GBP all inclusive.
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jj193, I think you will be in a minority on this site if you think that doing research for your ski trip is a chore! Like looking at the TO magazines, you are dreaming that you are half way there! 3V's £300 all in sounds a great deal, give more info. I hope 3V's is not marketing speak for St. Martin, Brides les Bains or even Moutiers! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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For big group, good quality catered chalets (our preferred option) I think the likes of Silver Ski and Ski Olympic win every time.
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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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Fr0sty the Sn0wman, What are they like?
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We've done DIY and TO but TO wins hands down now.
Our family & friends Easter week is booked 10-14 days before travel time, after making the assessment of best snow conditions and best compromise between luxury and convenience amongst the great value last minute deals that are ALWAYS available. Price never really comes into the equation as for several years on the trot we've always found a group of 6 to 8 can easily find a 1/2 board chalet through these last minute offerings at less than £500 each. How about Courchevel 1850, 2 minutes walk from La Croisette or St. Anton 10 minutes walk from the Galzigbahn with sauna in chalet and heated locker drier included in the centre or a 'ski to chalet' in L2A ? OK, so we feel like muppets on the coach transfer but we can ALL have a beer and chill as soon as we arrive at the British airport and be guaranteed of a hot meal no matter how late we arrive. 
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You know it makes sense.
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You cant beat TO catred chalets at the end of the season. Finding suitable accomodation for larger groups could be tricky though.
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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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Roy Hockley, great value, great staff.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty the Snowman, Looked at the website and it did not sound very clear. "Courchevel", the chalets could have been anywhere found just one that said resort 1650! Which did you find better standard and quality food?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| I don't understand those hard working Brits who skimp on their precious two week break and put themselves at the mercy of semi-literate oiks and Dorises who couldn't get a job elsewhere. The attitude seems to be "how cheap can I get it" whereas Americans, for example, say "What's the most luxury I can afford". Cheapo tour ops are just experts at humiliation - it keeps the complaints down. It starts at the airport check-in queue (long, unruly and glacial of course) when some woman in a bright blue jacket comes to check that you have got your tickets (d'uh), your passport (d'uuuuh) and that you're not nervous going abroad. They must go on courses of how to treat customers like total numpties. Then when you finally get there they do that "you must bring your return ticket to the welcome meeting so that we can check it" just so they can get you there to flog you a sweaty excursion to a ridiculous ruin. Nah, do your own thing, spend properly and take your leisure time more seriously. |
I have always used TO's for my ski holidays, and can honestly say I have never once had any of those things occur.
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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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It is horses for courses really.
Everybody has different requirements, and for some TO's will be best, for others DIY will be best.
For me, normally travelling by myself for ski holidays, I prefer to use a TO if all else is equal, because you will always have some other people around that you can mix with and usually ski with at least part of the time.
Having said which, I have always checked out the DIY options as well for my recent trips, and if it had been significantly cheaper, I would have done it DIY. But a similar holiday has never worked out more than about 5% cheaper, and has sometimes not been possible to make up for as little as the TO price. But this is traveling in the first or second week of January (and booking no earlier than November), and I suspect it would be different at peak times, particularly if you book the flights very early.
For summer holidays, I am much more likely to do DIY, but then I am usually traveling with my wife, and we will hire a car and do our own thing.
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FAQ
