 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi there,
I've worked out I'm going to have one week of holiday left towards the end of the year. My friends and I have always planned to go away skiing, but for many reasons (money, uni and organisation mainly!) we haven't done it yet. I thought I'd try to organise a trip for this year, but I know the first question is going to be "How much?" and the second question is going to be "Where?".
I've often thought that for flights, transfers, lift passes, ski hire and accommodation (not hostels), we'd probably be lucky to get it under £500. Does that sound about right?
Also, what height resorts should I be looking at for mid-December? I know Andorra is fairly cheap, but I don't know much about snowfall in December.
Thanks, Ian
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thebronsonite, you won't get it for £500. This is about the cheapest you'll get all that - and it's dorm accommodation and coach travel, not flight, though double rooms are available at a modest supplement. http://www.action-outdoors.co.uk/holiday/cart
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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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To get flights, transfers, lift passes, ski hire and accommodation from a Tour Operator under £500 is going to be exceptionally tight.
For December you need to aim high unless you book it absolutely last minute and go where the snow is. I would suggest you start at the top and work down, which means start at the highest altitude resorts and work down from there.
December can be great value, but you need to know that it is a gamble. The highest resorts with summer skiing will always be ok because worst case you head to the summer skiing area (places like Tignes have skiing guaranteed, it is just a matter of how much) but to make you feel better we've done the second week in December for several years, and even the first, and had brilliant snow every year for 5 years now.
I would say that to get under budget you are best to aim for the PSB. If you contact admin he should be able to give you a good idea of prices, and what is and is not included - to get it under £500 this seems like the only way to me. Luckily the PSB in Tignes gives you a great opportunity to get the advice and assistance of other more experienced skiiers, but if this is your first time you will probably want to get some lessons or spend a fair amount of time at Mount Hemel (that is your nearest indoor facility) doing a few sessions to get the basics nailed down before you go.
This is the link for last year's PSB which has various details, the buttons should be up fairly soon from admin to sign up for 2013: http://www.snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=89269
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Thanks for the replies.
My rough calculations sound way out! Could you advise me of some more realistic figures?
My (possibly twisted) logic was this:
Flights: £100 (you can currently get 2 return flights to Lourdes for £114 inc taxes)
Lift passes: £150
Ski Hire: £75
Transfers: £60
This would leave £115 for accommodation. Bearing in mind there would be hopefully 8 - 10 of us, I was hoping to maybe find a big chalet/apartment for £1k - £1.2k for the week.
It doesn't need to be the best skiing holiday ever, part of it will just be being there with friends and we would know it was on the cheap.
Thanks for the advice, I'll make sure I check the resorts top-down.
There would be a few beginners and some advanced skiers too.
I'll check out the PSB 
Ian
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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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Flights to (for example) Geneva are likely to be about £140 with one case (if you book it now, prices will rise). Lift pass likely to be more than £150, depending on where you go (Tignes nearer £200 and many of the cheaper resorts won't be open mid December) and transfer would probably more, too. You have omitted lessons. And you will need to eat. Really, your best bet will either be the PSB or a holiday with UCPA, through Action-Outdoors, which is all-inclusive.
Another possibility worth looking at is Mountainsun - they have a place in Tignes - good value.
By the time you get anywhere, eat, drink, ski, take lessons, hire gear, you are realistically not going to get much change from £1000. If you do much drinking it'll probably cost you more.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks Pam.
At the moment, EasyJet flights to Geneva are just over £70pp. This is about the same as RyanAir to Lourdes or to Turin, but I understand they will get more expensive.
Yes, lessons would be considered as extra in this quote. As I stated above, the £500 figure is just for flights, transfers, lift passes, ski hire and accommodation. Food, drink, lessons, better ski hire equipment, souvenirs, etc, etc, would all be on top of the £500.
I'll check out Mountainsun, that sounds promising
So, realistically (and with a bit of luck!), should we be looking at £600 for flights, transfers, lift passes, ski hire and accommodation?
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thebronsonite, go east young man! Try looking at places further east into continental Europe as they tend to have the snow earlier and lower. Those prices could get you to places in Poland or the Czech Republic - not exactly on the main skiers list but good skiing good snow and remarkably low prices as they tend to cater for local markets.
Flights into some of the regional airports in Austria may also open up some options for you as well - Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz are all within easy transfer for a variety of well-known ski resorts. 
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Do a search on Mark Warner website, they have a chalet in Tignes that is as cheap as chips. Don't know about £500 all in, but it won't be far off, also they don't charge any extra for single rooms if they are available, but there won't be 8.
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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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sorry, didn't read that properly - it doesn't include flights but it does include transfers from Krakow and daily transport to the flights. Still an exceptionally cheap holiday.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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thebronsonite, Look at Snowtrex and Rocket Ski for cheap deals. Good luck.
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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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THe more I think about it, the more the PSB is the way to do this. No compromise staying in a tiny apartment between 8 people, no issues with a tiny ski resort that has one ski school and one part time instructor, no problem getting a decent meal in you before you go for a few drinks, and transfers, accommodation, food and lift pass all sorted for you.
It is no doubt possible to do it cheaper, but with the buying power of a booking for 8 how likely do you think you are to undercut a seasoned negotiator arranging a trip for 120 people? That is why the PSB is such good value and people just keep coming back year after year to do it all again.
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Mistress Panda, but the PSB would surely cost substantially more than £500 for travel, accommodation, ski pass, ski hire and lessons?
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You know it makes sense.
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and if it wouldn't I'm definitely going - having had to pull out of the Birthday Bash last season because of injury I have still to do a snowheads bash!
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Kel, yes, you're right - I didn't realise those were prices for 2. Even better for 8 - and a very good option for the OP - but would still come in well over £500 including ski pass, equipment hire and lessons.
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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, I didn't consider equipment or instruction, if the Op wants all this for £500 maybe they should go East. But the MW option for Tignes is as cheap as it gets considering the quality of food they serve you and professionalism of the staff, all of which may not be important to the Op, but it is for me.
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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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| Quote: |
But the MW option for Tignes is as cheap as it gets
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indeed - it's a terrific deal. It would be interesting to get some more reports here about skiing in eastern Europe though. My nephew enjoyed his holiday in Poland, but he went with a Polish friend, met his family and saw something of their way of life, and that was all part of the holiday. He enjoyed that very much, and the vodka. He said the skiing was pretty duff, but then he's used to skiing in France and Austria. He found paying for each lift was a pain but that's probably changed now. he also came back with horrendous scabs all over his face after a fall on a piste which he swore was more rocks than snow, but he probably was unlucky with snow.
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thebronsonite, I'd say you could do it for under £600 if you booked it yourself, going the week of 14th to 21st December, staying in a high altitude French resort (La Plagne).
I have had a look for somewhere for 8 people staying in Plagne Soleil. A quick search brings up flights with Easyjet from Luton to Geneva at £77 return (hand luggage only), transfers with ski4funtransfers at £80ish return, accommodation in a 6 roomed chalet (chalet les alpages) to sleep 10 people at £170 each, equipment hire with skiset between £55 to £85 for basic to intermediate equipment, lift pass would be around £150 for the limited La Plagne pass for that week.
So around £560 per person with flights at a reasonable time, private transfers from a snowhead, staying in a good quality chalet and with lift pass and equipment hire.
You may have extras to pay, I'm not sure how much easyjet charge to carry hold luggage this year and if people want top quality equipment they would have to pay extra, but it should give you a figure to work from.
Not all of the ski area will be open that week, hence the discounted lift pass, but there should be plenty for most people and it will be very quiet on the pistes.
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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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There will be loads of accommodation available the week before Christmas (14th to 21st), it starts getting busy just after Boxing Day near us.
It is worth seeing where the snow is falling before booking your accommodation, it's probably worth booking flights early but most other things you can leave to the last minute for that week.
If you book flights to Geneva there is likely to be somewhere within a reasonable transfer distance that has snow.
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hmmm, but, skichampcouk, will there be loads of accommodation in resorts that have actually opened their lifts?
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will there be loads of accommodation in resorts that have actually opened their lifts?
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yes, I suspect there will be. I have skied in Tignes and the 3 Valleys in mid December and it's all pretty deserted. Depending on the snow there might be quite limited areas open - it varies a lot. Flaine will have quite a lot of empty rooms, too.
However, for a big group, when you need to get them all committed and get the money in, I'd suggest booking in advance - prices are cheap at that time of year anyway, so there's not such a big saving to be had by booking at the last minute. Last minute bookings are good for couples - but trying to get a big group to agree on one might be a bit of a nightmare.
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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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Try Chalet Chardons in Tignes Le Brev (www.chaletchrdons.com) currently advertising £153 for half board for a week 7 or 14 Dec. Fly to GVA and if you limit it to 8 a private transfer I would be about £650 (eg Snowstartransfers.co.uk). All the minibus companys are limited to 8. Brev is quiet but with 8 of you - you can have your own party - if the snow doesn't quite get down to 1550 which would be very unusual you can ride down in the gondola. Any more q's just ask.
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under a new name, Yes.
Plenty of resorts are planning to be open that week. Espace Killy, the three valley resorts, La Plagne, Les Arcs are all planning to be open(and usually do open that week) so there will be a lot more beds available than people to fill them.
Champagny tried opening the lifts and some of the local hotels for that week for a couple of seasons but it just was not cost effective as very few people go on holiday the week before Christmas and it was therefore extremely quiet.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If your new to skiing we have been to Val Cenis the past few Easters, and the skiing there is pretty easy, a long 10km green to practise on, and we have met a few people who travel there with Snowcoach, they say the hotel was quite good, they do a pretty good quiz night, and web site says prices for last year frozen, (put them near a heater  ) and if booking for 10, 1 goes free, and they do an offer of 5 nights, 6 days skiing 22nd December £498 with return coach 
http://www.snowcoach.co.uk/page.php?id=63&pid=8&mpg=pricesoffers
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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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Thanks for the replies everyone. It's really helpful. I'll have a look around and see what I find.
There is a possibility we'll leave it and see what the last minute deals are. At the very least (and very disappointingly), if there are no ski deals, we could go for sun. Although, I'd probably be miserable all week from missing out on the skiing!!!
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FAQ
