 Poster: A snowHead
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gary, sounds about right. Reckon you could have got about 20 quid off if you'd haggled though. Man up next time, eh.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Wayne wrote: |
I arrange for a new hotel (at HT, not so simple) for half of an engaged coupe who split up on the plane
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Tell us more - how on earth did they manage to do that? I would have thought it would have taken at least a couple of rounds of "I want to go shopping/sauna this afternoon, why would I want to go out it's been chucking it down with snow for ages"
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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snowhound, Agree with chalet dinners. Nice from time to time but everyday, OMG, they can drag for hours. It is like a daily chore (specially if you force to sit at one big table).
Lucky if you get nice people there, which is often the case, but why have it everyday.
Would often prefer a walk, a beer, or cheese and nice French bread and relax in the room. That's why we DIY or self-cater more nowadays.
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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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snowhound I think you’re missing the point, or more likely I didn’t make it very well.
Oh well.
The point was that all TO’s do this sort of thing, it’s what we get paid for.
Last season I was at Verona airport (again, I seem to spend my life there) and our Gatwick flight had just landed (so there was nothing wrong with the runway, airport, etc) and I was chatting to the chap from another TO who was waiting for the Manchester arrivals. It was on the board as due to arrive in a few minutes. Then it disappeared from the board. He went to the desk to ask what had happened and was told the airline had decided to divert to Venice. No reason was given other than that. So he had to, after first persuading truculent bus drivers that it wasn’t his TO’s fault, set off on a race with a 737 to Venice.
I met him a few weeks later and asked him what happened and apparently everything was fine other than the clients arriving at Venice to find no rep/coach/etc. When he arrived an hour after than had (it took the busses longer) he was literally shouted at by a few of the people who wanted compensation for their ruined holiday. They were going to contact ABTA, the police,  's, the guy in the pub “who knows about the law”, etc, etc. No reason was ever given for the flight diversion other than “operational reasons”.
Stuff happens.
I’m not saying that DIY is a bad idea; I do it sometimes and others I just call Thomas Cooks. But most people simply don’t want the hassle; they would prefer to leave it to someone else to sort things out when they (very occasionally) go pear shaped.
As for the cost thing, I “know” that in the vast majority of cases you will pay more to DIY than go with a TO.
Like pam w says, the reasons most people DIY’s are not just financially based, they do it simply as they want to, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
| DrLawn wrote: |
| You'll get your reward in Heaven! |
But I already live in Wigan
| gary wrote: |
| grand total of £570 each. Is that cheap or expensive? |
It "may" be right, and if it is you have a very good deal. My dad always used to say that if something doesn't look right it probably isn’t. I know what the cost of lifts passes is in your area, how much the ski school charge, the cost of flights, transfer coaches, etc but not a clue what the hotel charges. I honestly hope you have got a genuinely good deal
***************
PS – I hate shared chalets. Full of people you wouldn’t want to go on holiday with.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
When he arrived an hour after than had (it took the busses longer) he was literally shouted at by a few of the people who wanted compensation for their ruined holiday. They were going to contact ABTA, the police, snowHead's, the guy in the pub “who knows about the law”, etc, etc. No reason was ever given for the flight diversion other than “operational reasons”.
Stuff happens.
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Sounds like a lot of people I wouldn't want to go on holiday with. Pathetic. DIY attracts a more resilient, intelligent and self-sufficient clientele. 
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This scaremongering about what could go wrong on holidays always happens on the DIY v TO threads. The idea seems to be that independent chalet and hotel owners couldn't care less if you have a problem with your insurance, transport, health, passport and so on and will just leave you to sort it all out alone, which is just not true.
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Indeed, company I used to work for offered accom only and when the ash cloud turned up over Europe we offered help to those guests we had in resort (our last guests of the season). Some got sorted straight, others decided it was a better idea to go to Fang House and get absolutely twatted...
The latter were offered a seat on a coach that another family had found heading back to the UK empty after dropping people off in Europe which, crucially, had a guaranteed channel crossing. Turned this down as it would only get them to London and they lived in Scotland. After more time spent looking and getting arsey with the RM who was trying to help them and make suggestions, they realised that there wasn't really any other way of getting over the channel. Most of them ended up on the coach, 4 of them decided to head to Freidrichshafen Airport and sort it from there. Last I saw/heard from them was when I dropped them off at St Anton train station.
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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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| Sitter wrote: |
Indeed, company I used to work for offered accom only and when the ash cloud turned up over Europe we offered help to those guests we had in resort (our last guests of the season). Some got sorted straight, one family stayed for an extra 5 days (one room in the chalet, B&B basis as in there's the cereal, there's the milk/juice/yoghurts in the fridge, help yourself) others decided it was a better idea to go to Fang House and get absolutely twatted...
The latter were offered a seat on a coach that another family had found heading back to the UK empty after dropping people off in Europe which, crucially, had a guaranteed channel crossing. Turned this down as it would only get them to London and they lived in Scotland. After more time spent looking and getting arsey with the RM who was trying to help them and make suggestions, they realised that there wasn't really any other way of getting over the channel. Most of them ended up on the coach, 4 of them decided to head to Freidrichshafen Airport and sort it from there. Last I saw/heard from them was when I dropped them off at St Anton train station. |
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Wayne,
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The point was that all TO’s do this sort of thing, it’s what we get paid for.
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If only they did then there wouldn't be so many threads on here whinging about them
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As others have said, generally speaking, DIY is cheaper at peak times especially Feb HT. However, it depends how many people. I reckon that driving and booking an apt. directly (at HT) is easily cheaper for 3/4 but marginal for 2 when you can get a good TO deal (and sometimes you can). At off-peak times you can save vast amounts by using a TO package and if you are just interestd in the sliding part then you don't mind compromising on accomodation. But that's not for everyone of course. Horses for courses as ever.
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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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After the last 10 years of using TO's, I'm sort of DIY'ing this year. Flights booked with Easyjet, catered chalet and transfer with chalet company. I don't see much diffference with cost but I have been able to spread the payments out a bit more. 
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Hi GJ,
I have done both DIY and TO (with much help from people on here). My experience is that for the standard 2 people sharing, HB, en-suite, Sat-Sat, ***, the TO's are generally unbeatable.
When you deviate from that even by a little bit then then it really becomes worth looking at the DIY route.
Some of the factors are: (and some humbly offered tips)
1) As in that old joke about asking for directions in the country, the farmer answers "I wouldn't start from here".
Depending on where 'here' is. From Ireland flights are tricky limited destinations/carriers/sometimes only 1 flight a week.
For example Dublin Geneva 29 Dec rt. 5 Jan (no bag!) 695euro (I know this is peak time, but you can see my point).
TIP: contact the TO's we got seat only DUB- SZG for 200euro including bags and a sandwich last year.
2) Trade down a star. 2* B&B's in Austria are generally pretty good, some when asked will add an evening meal for a reasonable cost (10 euro!).
The compromises are:
If you have any allergies or dietry requirements these smaller places can struggle.
Also we ate so much chips last year that by the end of the week my arteries could have stood up on their own. (no complaints, wine was 8euro a liter in the restaurant).
But all said last year was Skied the skiwelt based in Westendorf 1 week, flight/transfer/single room en-suite/HB/lift pass/skis/lessons 1150euro pp
This year La Tania 1 week flights/transfers/Chalet/HB +wine/ twin room used as single/bathroom shared between me and da brother/skis/lessons/lift pass 1300euro pp
But then there is the cost of the therapy. The roller coaster highs and lows. The DIY'ers pursuit of the extra tenner saving, can be only compared to religious fanaticism.
Checking flights and accommodation.
Agonising over whether the B&B will be OK for everyone in the group (at 52euro a night HB!!), then the eventual exhilaration of getting the confirmation e-mail from them. And the crushing blow of discovering the flight has gone up by tenner when you go to book.
Or there is the tipping point. After weighing all the factors and permutations, after definitely deciding that you know what the snow conditions will be, down to the last sq meter, in large swathes of Europe, months in advance, even taking into the altitude of the front step of the B&B. The tipping point is arrived at; you will lose the will to live and just book anything, almost regardless of the cost because you just can't take it any more.
All of this DIY work just so you can bask in the, (completely non-existent) gratitude of the group you are organising this for.
(I hope da brother is logged to read the snow forecast, and sees this).
Wakkitt
The amount of lost work hours looking checking just one more transfer company, the see the exact same cost again.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Wakkitt
The amount of lost work hours looking checking just one more transfer company, the see the exact same cost again. |
That's why we came up with www.findtransfers.com You only need to fill in one form and it gets sent to all the companies on the site who then can give a quote. Hopefully saving skiers lots of hassel and money... We are going to add a shared transfer forum on soon as well. We really hope that it can take the hassel out of booking transfers and everyone can find the company that suits their needs best..
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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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We once rocked up at ZRH airport off our TO arranged flight to be met by the TO rep who said we'd come to the wrong airport. She said she was trying to arrange a coach. Given we were going to Western Austria the prospect of a bus being dispatched from Klosterle or Landeck etc was not a good one and it's fair to say she copped an earful. Perhaps a more tactical choice of words rather than somehow implying it was our fault would have been met more gently.
Turned out the bus was just outside and it was TO comms that were stunningly bad.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
And the crushing blow of discovering the flight has gone up by tenner when you go to book.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DIY-ing it this year and have saved quite a bit...
Manchester to Mayrhofen first week of February
Flights £208 return for two people with ski carriage, prebooked seats, advance check in, two suitcases, credit card charge etc
Studio apartment for 7 nights including cleaning charge £400-ish (485,E)
Minibus transfers £160-ish for two people return (196,E)
6 day lift passes £350-ish (430,E)
£400-ish (480,E) for a private ski instructor for 3 full days.
So £780-ish each with the 3 full days private tuition in February.
This year we wanted self-catering. We prefer having a simple breakfast, make sandwiches to add to soup bought on the piste, home cooked meals most evenings with wine at the apartment and then eat out a couple of nights- will unlikely spend more than £400 between the two of us all week.
Travel agent wanted £1400 for flights, transfers & s/c accommodation, with additional £35 each for ski carriage, £180 each for lift passes, and £125 each for 6 half days group tuition= £2k
(obviously may get cheaper or dearer if the Euro suddenly increases/decreases between now and February).
(and as much as we can purchased via a credit card so if it all goes Pete Tong we have some protection under Section 75)
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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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gary, very good job, well done. Never managed to do it for so little (unless you count the days when you could buy a house for that).
Sometimes DIY can be a bit cheaper and sometimes more expensive. I always do DIY now, but that is because I am almost always wanting a non-standard holiday. This is mainly because I want 8 days skiing, not 6. Sometimes this just means changing the travel to early morning flight going out and late evening coming back, or travelling overnight by train, or driving out. Sometimes it also means an extra night.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Chasseur
è facile l'accesso in italiano - ma non sono troppo brava in inglese 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Choice, time, effort, money, requirments otehr than the norm...
All reasons to do DIY or TO.
I like to book a catered chalet holiday, for a week, to a mainstream resort. Works well for two, works well for a group of friends. Makes for a very easy and low-hassle holiday.
If I had odd requirements, or was a family, or whatever, I'd defo DIY if it meant I could have the holiday I wanted. But at the moment it doesn't make sense for me.
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ma non sono troppo brava in inglese
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Aha! avevo sempre pensato che sei un uomo! Perché? Non lo so.
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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 know someone that can get you ski hire, lift pass & ski school as a package in Andorra even if you don't get a holiday through them.
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shootinstar9,
You could save yourself about £100 by taking the train.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Wayne wrote: |
Chasseur
è facile l'accesso in italiano - ma non sono troppo brava in inglese |
Well I guess that might make sense...kinda!
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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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Our March lads trip typically costs around the following per person assuming four travelling. We get flights arriving at Geneva late afternoon and returning on the evening the following Saturday. This is on the basis of Easyjet flights, car hire car Geneva Swiss side and staying in our apartment which I put into the central account at the net price I would have earned if it was rented out through the agency. All figures in pounds.
Flights 80, Car hire/petrol 300/4 = 75, Apartment 360/4 = 90, Food 200/4 =50, Ski hire 80, Lift passes 200, Food on the hill 100, Total 675 Round up for a few odds and ends and call it £700
So we manage to get seven days skiing for around £100 per day.
Some years we have more than four people and/or extra people dropping in for a long weekend. This reduces the overall cost per head a bit.
This year we have five confirmed for the full week and probably a guest appearance for a few days so the cost for accommodation comes down but we will probably hire two cars. Surprisingly this makes very little difference to the cost per head as we can get away with two small cars instead of one big one.
We've done this for a few years now and it very rarely gets above £100 per day unless we go out for dinner a lot (usually it's only once or twice in the week). We're all too old and boring for extensive apres but one or two evenings we manage a few beers in town before heading home and if there is a Sunday Six Nations match on (10th March 13, England v Italy) we will usually watch that in a bar in town. Other than that its beers on the balcony, Cotes du Rhone with dinner and inroads into the duty free.
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DIY all the way with kids. Even more so if travelling as a couple of families, as we do. Private Transfer is much less stress.
Les Gets this year, family of 4. 2/2-9/2/13
Self catering: £696 (peak retreats)
Flights: £336 (LTN - GVA, easy jet)
Transfer: £125 (www.actiontransfers.com)
Ski school: £250 (2 kids for the week, ecole360)
Lift passes: £380 (morzine/Les gets, 20% off before November 18th!)
Ski Hire: £150
Total smidge over £1900. That ll do me.
Now just the wait, watching snow reports and hours reading threads on here!
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You know it makes sense.
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jubnut, is that transfer £125 return from Gva to Les Gets? If so, super bargain. Even if only one way, pretty good.
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| jubnut, is that transfer £125 return from Gva to Les Gets? If so, super bargain. Even if only one way, pretty good. |
351 euro return for 9 of us travelling (our family of 4 and another family of 5)
thus 156 euro for our part = £125 approx. We used action transfers last year to Les Carroz and found them excellent.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| DrLawn wrote: |
Hi 8611,
I'm not sure why you'd want a car in Stanton?
I've been with and without several times and I've never found a car very useful ... only if you want to practice getting your chains on and off.
Use the bus.
Perhaps you have secret parking place? |
To drive to / from Zurs of course!
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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,
It's only about £200 for a private taxi return. Between 4 that in itself isn't bad.
jubnut,
I find you can get some great DIY deals with hotels for kids that TOs just don't pass on to you. I'm halving the price of my January trip by going DIY (over Inghams, Neilson & Thomson to the same hotel).
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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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| Wayne wrote: |
George Jones,
You will have noticed posts like this.
| Neil Neige wrote: |
| Very few package deals work out at much (if anything) less than £1,000 these days. |
| musher wrote: |
| I'm making a big saving in January as the TO prices are the same for all of my family at approx £950 PP |
statements like this can skew the discussion as they are misleading (in general). As an example we sell Half Term (“fully” inclusive) ski trips for between £710 (quad room) and £880 (twin room).
As I said it all depends on what you feel is a good price and if you like doing the washing up |
I stand by what I said, Wayne, i.e. few package deals work out at less than £1,000 per week. I said 'few' not 'no' - I know there are exceptions.
And I'm talking about the total amount that your ski holiday actually costs you i.e. including insurance, all drinks (not just with meals), ski and boot hire - everything.
Lots of companies quote prices for flight, transfer and chalet board or half board. Even when these are £500 you need to add around £200 for lift pass, £150 for ski and boot hire, £100 for lunches/coffees, £100 for extras (including drinks), and you're well over £1,000.
You can get flight, transfer and half board for around £300-£400 at some points (e.g. pre-Christmas December, early Jan) but they're more of an exception. So, yes, sub £1,000 is possible but you have to search pretty hard.
Your deals do sound pretty impressive. Which resorts and what does 'fully inclusive' actually mean?
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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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DIY this year due to groups budget & also love of quiet slopes/no ques
Just to Le Grand Bornand but people are happy doing the same runs
Accomodation (self catering 150metres from the 2 Gondola's, double bed for each person) £87. got 10% off for booking just before Nov
Flight (included case but sharing board bag) Stansted (easyjet) £94
Lift Pass (20% discount given for booking along with accommodation) £104
Transfer £45
Total £330 each
Definitely fancy a TO trip with hotel next year but no doubt it'll come down to budgets, you do find yourself sometimes making a big deal of saving even £10 when doing DIY which is silly but you almost end up in a competition with yourself
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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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snowscreen, how did you do that? We were looking for a week or a weekend in Le Grand Bonard but were struggling to get it anywhere near that price so we gave up.
Who did you book your accommodation through if you don't mind me asking?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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shootinstar9,
Flights are just easyjet Stansted to Geneva at the end of Jan, fly out on a saturday, fly home on the friday night (will board till midday on the Friday, will also go nightboarding on the tuesday night)
EASYJET have just emailed saying they are doing a sale until Midnight Tuesday,
We have 6 going, 3 male, 3 female
We booked directly through the tourist office at the website....
http://www.legrandbornand-reservation.com/ (I emailed them about the 2 places I was interested in and they came back quickly)
email - reservation@legrandbornand-reservation.com
We got 10% off the apartment for booking before November so only about £10 each off, main saving was on lift passes, saved 20% each due to booking them at the same time as accomodation.
The campsite sometimes has decent options aswell
http://www.campinglescale.com/
Transfers are easy as most are around the same price, aravistransfers, ericbastard
We're staying here (1st link) but other places we looked into were -
http://www.legrandbornand-reservation.com/file-introduction_meuble-1297-UK-G-M00025-001-HIVER-APPARTEMENT.html
http://www.legrandbornand-reservation.com/file-introduction_meuble-731-UK-G-M00281-015-ETE-RESA.html
http://www.legrandbornand-reservation.com/file-introduction_meuble-927-uk-G-M00408-012-HIVER-RESA.html
http://www.legrandbornand-reservation.com/file-introduction_meuble-1296-UK-G-M00408-169-HIVER-APPARTEMENT.html
http://www.legrandbornand-reservation.com/file-introduction_meuble-776-uk-G-M00165-002-ETE-RESA.html
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sat 10-11-12 12:29; edited 1 time in total
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DIY to Alpe D'Huez for February half term (although ours is a week earler than most). Flight (inc ski carriage) + transfer + apartment for 5 (only 2 of us in it) - £400 each. It would be cheaper if a/ there were more of us in apartment or b/ I'd have booked the flight a bit earlier, there was a slight delay in this or c/ the idiot I first booked a similar apartment from hadn't double booked it.
Something similar through Crystal is currently about double that 
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sat 10-11-12 12:35; edited 1 time in total
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Colin B, Great price considering your transfer + apartment are only for 2 people.
How is that broken down price wise, lift pass etc Alot more piste than we'll have
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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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snowscreen, Just over £150 each for EJ flights Luton - Grenoble, Bensbus transfer £45 each, Apartment about £400. Full Alpe D'Huez pass is about £180 each on top of that. Obviously food, etc on top also.
I normally get something for around that price at half term. Trick is getting the flight booked before the prices get silly. In last few years I've done Zermatt, Laax and St Anton at half term, all DIY, all that price or less.
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Last winter DIY to 3V - Mottaret.
£15 Cabs to Kings Cross.
£160 - Direct night train.
£15 - Buses. (can't remember exactly)
£225 - Apartment (per person, quite nice and central, for 3 people, but it was only to of us)
So just over 400£ + 8 day ski pass (£270)+ food and drinks (we did not go out much, so maybe 160-180£ per person or a bit more).
So it was around 800-850£ all in for full 8 days of skiing = this just over 100£ per ski day. I think not bad. We could have slightly cheaper apartment though.
All in third week of March so rather peak time.
I guess there are cheaper TO deals for weeks self catering (although you need 4 in apartment) or for a bit more you could get last minute chalet for slightly more,
but we wanted 8 days skiing so it all worked out for us.
I guess if you would only ski 6 days it is not that cheap and TO could be slightly better. (but we would save on ski pass a bit)
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FAQ
