 Poster: A snowHead
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I got on the phone with UCPA today (they say they take at least a week to respond to emails, ugh!). The lady was trying to be helpful but spoke little English, which surprised me given that they have a full English site and plenty of UK and international customers...
I was asking about solo, 5 days, half-training on 1/19/2014 in Deux Alpes, Flaine, Argentiere, or Chamonix. She said these were all full. However on the website I'm able to go through the reservation process for all of them, so I'm bewildered at this point. Surely this was misunderstanding? Do they typically fill up like this? Why does online everything looks available while on the phone everything is full?
The second confusing aspect is transports/transfers. She said they don't offer transfer from Geneva (where I'm landing), but I'm trying to understand if they offer any kind of transportation at all. Again, based on their site I see plenty of indication they do but it's sort of half-informative. Again, perhaps it's just my French?
http://www.ucpa-vacances.com/info-transport/
http://www.ucpa-vacances.com/download/fstore/Documents_PDF/h2014/lieuxRDV-AlpesSudNord-2014.pdf
UCPA keeps getting rave reviews; if anything people regret not booking directly through them... so any clarification is welcome.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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binba, action-outdoors are the UK company who deal with UCPA bookings so you may get more joy calling them direct - not used them personally
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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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binba, have a look at the Action Outdoors site - a UK site - you can book UCPA holidays through them, and the whole process might be easier that way. Not all centres do all options every week and a lot of the stuff at Argentiere is high mountain/rando/gnarly sort of stuff. The course you want is not on at Argentiere that week (I didn't check the others)
On the action outdoors site, entere "any resort" and your weeks, and you will see which centres are offering what.
Did the woman from UCPA say the courses were full (probablly "complet"), or that they were not available ("pas disponible") which doesn't mean the same thing at all.
You don't necessarily have to book through Action Outdoors, but their site does at least tell you what courses are available that week, so you can ask for something on the schedule if you ring UCPA again. They could also explain transfers, I suppose.
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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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Yes, call action outdoors. They're easier to deal with unless you are a half-decent French speaker in which case go direct!
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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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No problems about finding transport from Geneva to Chamonix - there is a bus service and many transfer companies (google tranfer from Geneve to Chamonix). I'd also try to complete tthe booking on the web site.
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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'd also try to complete tthe booking on the web site
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But you need to find out what's on, first - which seems to be easier on the Action Outdoors site.
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binba, use Action Outdoors. They have a very user-friendly website which shows availability and, being English, speak English so you can call them too. Action Outdoors will organise transfers too, and these can be booked online as an option when going through the booking process. Or you can just sort your own transfers out if cheaper.
Not sure why you expected a French organisation to converse with you in Engligh!
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You don't necessarily have to book through Action Outdoors
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Much, much easier tho and includes the Saturday night accomodation & meal and gives UCPA an indication of the number of Eglish speakers.
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