 Poster: A snowHead
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Oh too funny, I have a friend with a Chalet in Verbier who has a son called Oscar!!
Actually he earns that much he pretty much goes when he fancies it, and a grand one way or another won't matter.
Fee paying schools have longer holidays so get a cheap ski holiday, and you can go without the kids if they are boarders.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Layne wrote: |
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I'm perplexed that I never hear of this issue in either Germany (where I live) or in the U.S. (where I am originally from). Can someone explain the uniqueness of the UK situation?
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French, German and Austrian school holidays are all staggered over several weeks. |
In the US holidays are often staggered, especially the March Spring Break period. However, skiing is more of a weekend past time, rather than a week long holiday and some schools seem to expect kids to be pulled out early every Friday. I don't know anyone who goes on week long holidays using a TO. People tend to do shorter trips, adding on days of leave from work to weekends to stretch their holiday allowance - two weeks leave a year is normal, rather than four.
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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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skinanny, I see you are in Reno, but have to totally disagree. I'm American, and from Washington, D.C. Many people travel for week long vacations. I think what you are describing are those that already live close to resorts in the West. And, I'm not sure what the relevance is of yours or the previous poster on staggered holidays. Finally, you are right about U.S. people not using a TO. I'm totally perplexed by the UK penchant for TO's and chalet's. It would drive me nuts. I like my flexibility, and enjoy booking things myself.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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boofit, you may find a lot of people here don't use TOs
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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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| oleksii wrote: |
Out of curiosity, 2 questions to those who think taking kids off for term time holidays is OK:
Would you as easily take your kids off the school if it was a fee paying school?
Would the fee make any difference e.g. £1,000 p.a vs £25,000 p.a?
PS
I'm not arguing, this is just a quick research D) |
Thread has gone full circle.
I answered this back on page 2 (IIRC can't be bothered to find the correct page) as did others.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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NickyJ, Yep - I'll close it down by summarising
Some people think the new rules are stupid - others think they are a good move
Snowheads can't agree on anything shocker
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| Quote: |
And, I'm not sure what the relevance is of yours or the previous poster on staggered holidays.
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Relevant for two reasons. 1) People complain at the cost of holidays during school holidays because almost every family is off at the same time. In particular February half term is the biggie from a skiing point of view. 2) Someone who'd lived in Germany and the US asked why there were no complaints there.
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| boofit wrote: |
| skinanny, I see you are in Reno, but have to totally disagree. I'm American, and from Washington, D.C. Many people travel for week long vacations. I think what you are describing are those that already live close to resorts in the West. And, I'm not sure what the relevance is of yours or the previous poster on staggered holidays. Finally, you are right about U.S. people not using a TO. I'm totally perplexed by the UK penchant for TO's and chalet's. It would drive me nuts. I like my flexibility, and enjoy booking things myself. |
I'd be interested in finding out what percentage of ski areas in the US consider themselves to be destination resorts, where they are equally as busy mid-week as they are at the weekend. Most skier visits are at the weekend, and this is apparent in other areas than in the West, suggesting that many people do not take week long ski holidays. This has especially been the case during more recent years due to the weak economy.
Staggered holiday weeks would make a difference - lower demand usually means a lower price, plus it's nicer to ski when areas are not so busy. There is one particular week in the US when things get busy, some schools take the week off as a "ski and skate" week, other schools just have the Monday off, but many ski areas run special events for kids that week which make it attractive for families to ski at that time. The demand for this week drives up the cost of lodging, and many ski areas increase their lift ticket and lessons prices for that period too.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I can't think of a US or Canadian resort I have skied at which hasn't shown greater weekend/weekday variation than most European resorts. Even Jackson Hole which is a flight away from most places, and Fernie which is a 3 hour drive from Calgary.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Esdel wrote: |
Faiths daddy I totally agree,
I've recently had a letter home from my sons school with regards to two(2) days he has had off ill, this letter is a warning about future attendance.
However his school have closed for one(1) day ( a strike ) and are closed Thursday and Friday this week for an inset day, so three days (3).
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Strike ? fair point.
Inset days ? Wrong - they are not taken out of the compulsory days of education that a child is required to have, they do not reduce the time your child spends in school or the number of days of school provision for them. They are, however, taken out of the teachers' holidays.
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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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I can assure you that many, many people go on ski holidays in the U.S. And, amazingly, the slopes are busy during the week, too! You guys are really stretching to make your points about higher costs for UK holidays. Suck it up. That's life.
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Thank you for helping stereotyping.
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You know it makes sense.
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boofit, The week between Xmas and new year, and Presidents' Day week, and spring break maybe. But I have skied a lot in the US and Canada and most people I speak to there are surprised that we are having more than 4 or 5 days skiing.
But thanks for your understanding...
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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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stoat of the dead, Statutory vacations in America are now pretty much non-existant. Time served gets you a week or two but even that has shrunk as contracts are re-written. Over here, short (often unpaid) breaks are becoming the norm and you will see lots of promotions offering a third day free at a resort because they know that there will be little if any take-up.
It is a job security/culture thing. . . part of living in the land of insecurity.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| boofit wrote: |
| I can assure you that many, many people go on ski holidays in the U.S. And, amazingly, the slopes are busy during the week, too! You guys are really stretching to make your points about higher costs for UK holidays. Suck it up. That's life. |
I'm not stretching to make a point about UK holidays........what I care about is the many US ski resorts which are trying to attract mid-week skiers and riders. There's a very good reason why there are season passes available for mid-week only at a discounted rate, and why various holidays are blacked-out for the cheaper passes.
Among my many American friends, acquaintances, and clients I know of only one family that takes a week long vacation to go skiing. Over the last 9 years in the ski industry I've met a handful of others, usually from Texas, who were skiing for more than 4 days at a time, but in no way is it apparent that a week's ski holiday is normal.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| stoat of the dead wrote: |
boofit, The week between Xmas and new year, and Presidents' Day week, and spring break maybe. But I have skied a lot in the US and Canada and most people I speak to there are surprised that we are having more than 4 or 5 days skiing.
But thanks for your understanding... |
Quite a lot of people here (Vancouver) I work with, and myself, do take a week off to go skiing. However since the summer holiday is a bit of an epic, a lot more save up the vacation for Summer. Going skiing in the week is nice to ski further afield and if only because it is less busy, but since I could still get 40 days in without taking any vacation, and I can go skiing after work to add to those, there is perhaps a little less of a need to drag the kids out of school to get the annual 6 days in.
No complaints because, though I haven't tried it, it seems it isn't a big deal to take the kids out of school, and anyway skiing is a part of school lessons 
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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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| Filthyphil30k wrote: |
| adam.b wrote: |
My wife is a teacher...guess when we have to go on holiday!?!
I would love to take her out of school for a couple of weeks holiday without your horrendous brats screaming, crying and generally being irritating...never mind just for once not getting my wallet raped by the airlines!
Stop whining and wait a few years until they are old enough to leave with a tin of beans and some beers while you go and have child free fun! |
You could go on holiday during her 13 weeks leave, which is a bigger window than most working couples.
It sounds like you are whining a bit yourself. |
Ahhh...confusing the school being closed and teachers not working again!
Half term; at least 3, usually 4 days work, planning, marking, prepping classrooms.
End of term; anything from 4 days for the shorter holidays to 2 weeks in the summer break.
Net result, her not being a teacher after Christmas...YAY!!
Oh...and when my child was at fee paying school they were WAY crabbier than state schools about taking him out during term time... it seems state schools are just catching up.
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adam.b, I'm not sure how crabby our children's schools (private) would be about term-time holidays. Bearing in mind the cost I've never heard anyone even consider taking them out for anything other than a single day at the end of term, and that only rarely!
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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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Maybe I was confusing the lack of teachers cars at school during the holidays and inset days with them not being there.
I only have experience if primary schools, maybe the work ethic is different in secondary.
So is it because you had a child at a fee paying school or your partner is a teacher you can only go skiing during official holidays?
Is your horrendous brat the non screaming non irritating type? Never cries or screams?
Presumably eating a can of beans while you go on holiday now?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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FWIW and at the risk of incurring flaming.....
Saw the boys tutors tonight and explained that they would be out of school on last day of term. Both said, fine no problems, silly rule, officially can't agree and you will possibly get a letter and that's it. Both agreed that they would benefit more than the one day in school.
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FWIW and at the risk of incurring flaming.....
Saw the boys tutors tonight and explained that they would be out of school on last day of term. Both said, fine no problems, silly rule, officially can't agree and you will possibly get a letter and that's it. Both agreed that they would benefit more than the one day in school.
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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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Or even the risk of recurring flaming. 
Congratulations and well done.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sucking up the higher prices..... well, I have just done a quick check of a return to Innsbruck with Easyjet, half-term week. For two adults and two children, this came in at (fanfare....) £3,278 . That is flight only. That is some sucking up...
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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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robertsnerys, 
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You know it makes sense.
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robertsnerys, we drive now at school holiday times whenever we can, unless we are really pressed for time. Those flight prices are just silly 
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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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and if you want to fly at half term you need to book the flights the day they go on sale, not half way through December.
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Poster: A snowHead
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What is everyone, smoking? I just looked and found Austrian Airlines flights (at half term) from London to Innsbruck for $334 USD (return). With today's currency conversion, that's only about 200 GBP.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I guess my point was that there are options, if people are willing to be flexible. Not suggesting you shouldn't drive, although I couldn't imagine it. It was long enough last week from Frankfurt to Obergurgl, and I hit zero traffic.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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boofit, Options are good,but they are very limited for this period,and the only one that makes any sort of financial sense(to me at least),is to drive.Make no mistake,I don't look forward to it either! Have done it many times into the French Alps,and it dosen't get any easier.My total journey will be around 900mls,so round trip approaching 2000!! As the only driver,I will spread over two days...leave Fri am,arrive resort around lunchtime Sat.I will be OK once over the channel,as euro roads are generally much better.....the UK side is the bit I dread,its pants 
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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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Safe travels, snowskisnow, !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Totally agree we have 3 children [well they are growing up 19, 17 & 14] so still tied to school holidays, we have always gone Feb 1/2 term, used to go with Crystal for child care benefits, fortunately they are all proficient skiers so for the last 2 seasons we have hied an apartment & driven to Tignes, Crystal price £7,000+ seld drive/apartment £3500 which includes 2 stop over hotels, no contest.
And I have to say I actually quite enjoy the drive, Feb 2013 we arrived in resort @ 10.00 so went ski-ing hence 7 days on the hill 
I guess whilst we have the kids with us we shall always drive, we make the journey part of the holiday.
Michael
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I have to say I actually quite enjoy the drive
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I do, too though I never have to drive at school holiday time, thankfully. Driving to the mountains is always exciting, even if you do it four times a year!
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Wish me luck, i'm in for a battle.
I have just written a letter to my daughters school informing them she will be absent for a week in Jan, i am not expecting a favourable reply.
What makes it worse is that the week we are away they are holding a parents evening to discuss her GCSE options for next year, we only learned about that this weekend
They claim its a vital meeting yet they only set aside 10 mins! Im not convinced.
I have asked for an appointment outside of this week so lets see how they take it....
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Corduroy, no need for a battle, just don't expect the absence to be authorised.
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For myself, wife (learner) and 3 kids oldest of which is 5, I would have to budget a minimum of £4500 - 5000, probably more. Therefore we dont go sking as a family. Even Bulgaria is expensive for school holiday times. The cheapest option appears to be to early book Eurostar (using airmiles for part payment if you can) and a non-TO booked apartment. This save you muchos wonga but gives you major hassles sorting out English-speaking childcare of any repute.... 
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FAQ
