 Poster: A snowHead
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tomb, i wont bore everyone yet again with details on how to stay at our place for very much less than you are looking at, so have sent a PM 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Agree you place looks great.
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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: |
my apartment, admittedly through PnV - not a TO but selling to them - is 3x the price at half term than at low season. And no, that's not £100 more, it's more like £2000 more. (€1200 to €3340) Sleeps 6.
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But.... that is very high end and the OP is looking to get a family holiday on a fairly tight budget. Apartments in my ski in/ski out complex, which are pretty good (MGM, 10 years old) and have two bedrooms, sleeping 6 or 7 if you include the living room, can be rented for £350 - 500 in mid January, and from £900-1150 at half term. And there are plenty of similar places in good quality French ski areas (and no doubt in other countries too). There is absolutely no need to spend £3K to sleep 6 people, though as I often argue, one of the strengths of the self-catering market in France is you can get anything from very cheap to very luxurious - prices to suit all pockets. Maybe if you can only get 5 weeks rental a year you ought to look at the way the place is being marketed? My Belgian neighbour, in an apartment very similar to mine, rents his out for about 12 weeks a year, including summer rentals, without a huge amount of marketing effort.
For £3K in our area you could rent a very nice independent chalet sleeping 10-14 people - in high season.
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pam w,
Your figures still hold that it's 2.5 - 3 x as expensive for accomodation during prime weeks. Which, and again agreeing with you, doesn't mean the cost of the holiday is 3x, given the other, price-stable factors.
Fyi,
Occupancy rates across the village are 100% for the 5 high weeks, falling to about 70% during low season and summer. This year people have been turned away as early as August for those prime winter weeks, and given there's 700 apartments, I reckon the marketing guys at PnV have a reasonable idea of what they are doing (At least, I hope they do, given how much of that income goes to them and not us!).
I absolutely agree you can get accommodation for less, and since it is a skiing holiday, many people concentrate of the skiing element as their prime concern. Others concentrate on the holiday aspect. And yup, spot on, you get what you pay for.
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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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I know from skiing with children, proximity to slope or being with a tour op who transports you there is very helpful. Struggling on and off buses, with children and all the equipment does not make for a relaxing ski, like wise driving round a resort looking to park is not always as easy as you would hope. Obviously this adds to the cost, but makes life easier if you can ski back to the apartment for the forgotten glove, sunglasses etc. This is reflected in the cost. With older children this will not be an issue.
As to cost I budget £1000 per head, assuming we are driving. This year over New Year is looking like 2140 Euro for apartment, 880 for lift passes ( but might reduce this to single valley at 680) 360 for equipment and 260 for kids lessons. so about 3500. This is self catering and imagine we will eat out 3/4 times in the evening. On top you have getting there which will be £500 I guess, for fuel tolls and Euro tunnel. We will stop near Lyon for a bargain £40 per night on the way down. I already have chains, insurance and winter sports cover, which can add over £100.
£1000 per head all in, with a couple of beers on the slope.
I have been much cheaper, Mountain sun and a shoe box in ARC 2000 but not with children, and out of season.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
you get what you pay for
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your apartment must be pretty swish if it's worth £3K a week!!!
Going for a more moderate priced apartment rented direct from an owner (cutting out the middle man always saves a few bob) the extra cost of accommodation at half term need not be more than £100 a head. There are plenty of reports from enterprising snowheads who have done very good value, DIY, ski holidays in school holidays and done the whole holiday for less than the cost of renting yours.
Why do you see so little of what your guests are paying? Are you forced to use PnV?
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pam w, at the moment , yes (French leaseback schemes 'n all that - thread drift opportunity!!! )
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| blahblahblah wrote: |
I know from skiing with children, proximity to slope or being with a tour op who transports you there is very helpful. Struggling on and off buses, with children and all the equipment does not make for a relaxing ski, like wise driving round a resort looking to park is not always as easy as you would hope. Obviously this adds to the cost, but makes life easier if you can ski back to the apartment for the forgotten glove, sunglasses etc. This is reflected in the cost. With older children this will not be an issue.
As to cost I budget £1000 per head, assuming we are driving. This year over New Year is looking like 2140 Euro for apartment, 880 for lift passes ( but might reduce this to single valley at 680) 360 for equipment and 260 for kids lessons. so about 3500. This is self catering and imagine we will eat out 3/4 times in the evening. On top you have getting there which will be £500 I guess, for fuel tolls and Euro tunnel. We will stop near Lyon for a bargain £40 per night on the way down. I already have chains, insurance and winter sports cover, which can add over £100.
£1000 per head all in, with a couple of beers on the slope.
I have been much cheaper, Mountain sun and a shoe box in ARC 2000 but not with children, and out of season. |
holy hell, Im glad I dont have kids..... 
As for the difficulty of loading up a car, I dont understand how its that difficult - but then Im obviously inexperienced and very biased in my views of things. However, my wife is very similar to look after on ski trips to a 6 year old, and I coped fine with her. Parking is free and easy in some places too 
I still think £2000 is doable...
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dennisp, loading the car is easy, finding parking in the 3 VALLEYS was hard, I realise its easier near you, and as you say your place, is 800 euros less and pretty smart, and when the kids are older would love to use it.
Its loading up small children with skis, getting on a busy bus etc
I know you can pay less, my first ski holiday was in a 10 foot room in La Plagne, up 4 flights of stairs with no bedding and a fair stroll to the lifts, cheap but not fun.
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I try to go skiing for £1k a week. It barely ever happens... Booked two low-season UCPA trips this year and both will come in over £1k.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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dennisp, It can be very difficult with young children. You have to make sure they are fully fed, watered, dressed, have all their equipment, lift passes, sun cream applied, spending money etc.etc. usually all before 9 am when the lessons start.
It is not unusual to have to return to the apartment or chalet when you find out they have left somethng and there is only 5 minutes left before the lessons start.
It certainly influenced our choice when booking holidays and buying our place.
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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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| skichampcouk wrote: |
dennisp, It can be very difficult with young children. You have to make sure they are fully fed, watered, dressed, have all their equipment, lift passes, sun cream applied, spending money etc.etc. usually all before 9 am when the lessons start.
It is not unusual to have to return to the apartment or chalet when you find out they have left somethng and there is only 5 minutes left before the lessons start.
It certainly influenced our choice when booking holidays and buying our place. |
You missed the compulsory two toilet trips per child before going out the door (well actually the second is normally just after going out the door necessitating going back in again....).
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I've found it invaluable to have a place close enough for a cold, tired, child to have a rest, get ski stuff off, play with some toys, get some lunch (costing a few pence). I did a fair bit of ferrying children by car the last couple of years, as they had ski lessons starting in the village. But it was out of season and I could practically always park within a few metres of the ski school meeting place. Parking in Val d'Isere, even out of season (the only time I've been there) was very difficult. No chance whatsoever of being within 10 metres of the nursery lift.
Being able to go back to your accommodation for lunch saves an absolute fortune, and with small kids is far easier. Leisurely lunches on the mountain are all very well for adults all paying their whack, and preferably in less busy periods when the restaurants aren't heaving.
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You know it makes sense.
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This year for 2 adults and 2 kids, £4.5k, half board in a 3* hotel, BA flights, passes, gear hire & lessons through a TO. Have done it cheaper self catering, arranging everything myself, but it was quite a lot of work & worry, even though we did fly BA club class (not that self indulgent - twice the baggage allowance).
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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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| Quote: |
Being able to go back to your accommodation for lunch saves an absolute fortune, and with small kids is far easier
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+ a million
Having an afternoon skiing with kids who are warm, have had an hour without ski gear on, have flopped around for a bit etc is a zillion times better IME than having kids who have sat in a cafe somewhere.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok - FWIW this is the breakdown of our Ski Holiday in February - this was our half-term but managed to be a week out of step with rest of Europe  This is self-catered, but IMO by no means slumming it! Costs are from credit card statement.
Eurotunnel - £124
Apartment - £747.44 - this was a 3-bedroom apartment 2 mins walk from slope and due to snow conditions could ski back in
Les Arcs Lift passes - £771.33
Premier Inn stop Thursday night - £38 (2 rooms booked at £19 each)
Ski rental for kids - £95
Lessons - £165 - one private lesson for mum and daughter and one for me and boys
Tolls - £145.05 as per invoice from Telepeage
Shopping general - £16.09
Food shop before leaving - £95
Fuel - £81
Overnight Stop Fri - £224 - two rooms and meal and drinks
Fuel - £93
Big Shop Albertville - £218 - including all booze for week!
Shop gen - £40
Shop gen - £60
Shop gen - £47
Skis - £30 (sons were snowboarding and hired skis for one day)
Pizzas out £88
Lunch out - £81
Hotel on return - £283 - 2 rooms and a rather lush meal and champers!
Fuel - £95
Food - £8
Fuel - £80
This comes to £3632.11 we also had around £100 cash, everything else goes on Credit Card!
This year the apartment is more as over Xmas, but we're not having an overnight on return trip, or lessons.
Anyone thinking that's a lot of fuel - yep - Land Rover Discovery is not the most frugal car!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Boris, never mind the fuel - I was more thinking thats a lot to spend on food and drink for the week. Mind you it adds up quickly when buying 'nice' holiday type thins. Mmmm saussicon.
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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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kat.ryb, Exactly - we were on holiday after all. Mind you this was for 5 people - including 3 growing children with healthy appetities. We also catered for another 5 some lunchtimes when another family came to us!
Milk, bread, soft drinks and crisps were a large part of those costs!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Boris and a LOT cheaper than eating out every 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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| Boris wrote: |
kat.ryb, Exactly
Milk, bread, soft drinks and crisps were a large part of those costs! |
Haha, pikey!  not like megamum salving away over a casserole then.
Good idea, spending 14 euros on lunch for a child who then does not like it is frustrating.
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I might buy 28 pot noodles, and a big box of porridge. That will save a fortune.
Hang on, it's a holiday!!
Helpful breakdown Boris.
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£460 on food shopping!!! And £160 eating out.
Even with your 12 bottles of wine and litre of gin seems high.
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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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Filthyphil30k, The £460 on shopping will have included some non-food and drink items - particularly the big shop where we will have picked up something like gloves or hats as well, I seem to recall the kids got new t-shirts.
Some of the supplies box which went with us will also have come home - pasta, rice, tinned goods etc
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Boris, I was slightly tongue in cheek, I thought it was a fair list and I know how the costs mount up.
I have started to buy films on iTunes and Tesco's, for the journey and the evenings to keep the children happy.
I have bought them mobiles as well so they can call me in the bar if they get worried.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My point was the hidden additional costs can add up.
I have already wasted my breatherlisers in the pub.
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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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Filthyphil30k, indeed they can - hence the attempt to capture costs of ski holiday.
Obviously you could take this to the Nth degree - additional wear and tear on car, costs of ski clothes spread over a few years, phone calls and txts in France, teh hooker I met when Mrs B thought I was skiing alone, cost of buying new Snow Chains for the Disco
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Boris, But on the other side of the equation you need to "net off" what you spend at home on food, booze and other essentials. And your savings on heating your house. Makes the holiday much cheaper!
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You know it makes sense.
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Ah the penny dropeth – in the months leading up to your trip – eat and drink loads and have the heating on full – what a bargain - Eureka
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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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| kat.ryb wrote: |
| Boris, never mind the fuel - I was more thinking thats a lot to spend on food and drink for the week. Mind you it adds up quickly when buying 'nice' holiday type thins. Mmmm saussicon. |
Was really struggling with this one - some sort of posh sausage flavour sweet biscuit with sugar on it. But very delicate - maybe artisan?
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Poster: A snowHead
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fatbob, I was trying to type things and saucisson but posh sausage flavour sweet biscuit with sugar on it sounds yummy too 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We booked the grand in zell am see for half term ( just a suite as mrs h is 50 during stay)
Half board for three, 6 day pass, ski + boot hire 1/2 day lessons and CREDIT CARD FEE GRRRRR
£4242.50!!!!!!
I know it could have been done cheaper but your only fifty once and the use of the spa (I hope it's not the supermarket) and the good food should be nearly worth it!
We also have a dog sitter so that makes us mucho happy for her...
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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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Got a fully catered chalet in Kitzbuhel including flights, ski carriage and transfer for £455pp at the start of Jan although Im budgeting just under a grand all in as still need to buy passes and drinks etc. Id of thought you could get an apartment and travel for all 3 of you for under £1000 so Id be aiming more for under £2000 if I was you as Id imagine you wont be doing as much apres as the lot Im going with.
Either that or goto Bulgaria (make sure theres snow there first) Id imagine youd have change from £1000 and that would include absolutely everything for all of you
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All depends where you are planning to go and when. When Jnr was younger £3k (sometimes a bit more) was probably the order of the day - 2 adults, 1 child, holidaying at New Year with TO, kit hire, lessons for Jnr and sometimes kids club.
Now he's older it's still going to cost a similar amount.
Last few years we've been away for Christmas and Easter, it's probably cost us around £2k per trip plus spending while away (£3-500 mostly on lunches, beers and a few other treats). Going away just a week earlier over Christmas rather than New Year saves a huge amount and a lot less queuing time at lifts. Never been at half term so no idea what it's like then.
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FAQ
