 Poster: A snowHead
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Comment from rasmanisar, here http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=105808, about some of our amusing version of 'cheap' made me think - what do we all consider normal?
Most years recently I'm booking in advance, for a group of 14-20 early thirties couples, catered chalet, ideally with a sauna or hot tub, ski in-out somewhere large in France (Paradiski, AdH, 3v etc) and we consider anything under £650 to be doing pretty well. Anything under £550 a steal (accommodation, flights and transfers). This year Neilson was the winner at £640 for a week in Reberty 2000.
In the past we've done super cheap deals (including the coach), late deals and DIY (including the train, but not self drive) but this is our sweet spot, how about you?
a.j. xx
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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a.j., works for me. the other guy's comments are for a SC shoebox, not catered I'd suspect
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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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a.j., Best deal I ever had was about 12 years ago. Think it was a Neilson Fri evening offer for a Sat am departure from Stanstead. 2nd week of Jan to Livigno, Flights/transfer/1/2 board, no lift ticket . . . £112.00 Oh, and no single sup 
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I'd reckon your assumptions are pretty sound, we found a Ski Total chalet in St Anton for £650 this year and that seems about right, it's all the additionals that add up - lift passes, ski hire, lunches, etc but I try not to worry too much about these, in the end no one ever pretends that a week's skiing is a cheap holiday.
Good news is that the chalet cos now isn't much different than even 8 years ago
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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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We are a group of 10 and know what we like and don't like, so waiting until the last minute never works for us, plus we like a chalet to ourselves. Consequently, last March we booked a 5 bedroom catered chalet in the PdS, all en suite, sauna, transfers from GVA and BOGOF lift pass offer at £499 pp; add to that EJ flights at £88 pp. We have our own boots, and ski hire is around £45 pp - pretty close to a.j.,'s costs
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I normally budget about a grand for a week's ski trip, to include absolutely everything; flights, transfers, catered accommodation (single room or twin for sole use), lift pass, ski carriage, spending money, airport parking, cattery.
I've done the coach trip, 8 people packed into a small self catering apartment with one shower, one loo and two cooking rings before, back in my student days. Thankfully I can afford better now...
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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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Oh, I was certainly referring to the smaller end of the spectrum in terms of accommodation. I just find it amusing what some consider cheap vs others. As a student I'm willing to put up with long coach journeys and small beds etc in return for being able to afford to ski more than once a year - I suspect as I get older and more financially secure the situation will alter somewhat 
The best we've found so far is accommodation, lift pass etc for a week in Tignes for £189. Obviously flights on top of that, but even so! Crazy prices.
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Glad to be in the ballpark, generally aim for 3v or espace killy, under £600 catered chalet including flights and transfers.
Usually avoid conversation as sure some pay advertised prices and others have more nerve than me but I'm happy with what I pay.
Paid a bit over last 2 years for YSE but must admit it was pretty good. Oh no might need to carry my own bag in!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Skiing is inherently a rich mans sport so we tend to go DIY often is village bases just down the valley from big resorts but I'm not sure maybe we will do a package holiday next year 
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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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| a.j. wrote: |
rasmanisar - that is a good deal! Surely early or off season though? The lift pass alone full season was over £200 last time I looked 
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That was for just before Christmas, 13th-21st. If I booked by friday though, I could head off to Tignes for £224 for a week 25th Jan to the 1st Feb - shame I don't have anyone to go with on those dates!
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You know it makes sense.
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I got a deal to Banff a few years back. £1600 quid (TO deal) for:
Flights to and from Calgary to Manchester
10 nights accommodation
Transfers
9 day lift pass
9 day VIP ski hire
3 days of ski school (which ended up being 3 full days of private lessons due to it being low season)
This is for 2 people all in.
So 800 scoobies each for 10 night trip to canada all in except food/drink.
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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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The general rule is that cost goes up with age as tolerance of hardship declines.
When the sad day comes to 'retire', the most expensive of my current mix of trips will without doubt be the last to go.
That said, last year I had 3 days in Tignes with Mountain Sun's rough and ready 'chalet' for £234 HB, including skis, lift pass and transfer - and that in my own room and it still felt good to get a bargain
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Poster: A snowHead
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I meant to add... I consider that a good deal!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
The general rule is that cost goes up with age as tolerance of hardship declines.
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Yup, and my tolerance is pretty low, hence I try to always find.
Reasonable standard of accommodation is a must
Good level of food/drink available
Ski in/out or as near as possible
local flights out
Airport as close to resort as is sensible and possible
private transfers or self drive to resort
As such family ski holidays are always expensive, but that is my choice. Boys ski trips however are slightly different, still avoid dirt cheap if possible, but not quite as fussy.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 1-01-14 20:17; edited 1 time in total
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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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£333 each to Lake Louise at New Year a few seasons back. Mind you the lift pass and ski hire easily doubled that .
Stunning scenery though and well worth the trip.
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Booked 12th April 2012, departed 13th April 2012.
Ski Beat to Plagne 1800, £279pp including flights, transfers and catered chalet.
My wife had just been made redundant and needed cheering up, that's my story and I'm sticking to it
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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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£1000 two adults two children for TWO weeks catered chalet in Samoen, march 2012
£900 one child two adults, TWO weeks catered chalet La Plagne 1800, ski in/out, march 2008.
Generally I can squeeze in at under £4000 for the four of us for two weeks, including all travel costs(petrol, tolls, insurance), food, lift passes, ski school, guide fees etc. This year it's looking unlikely as we have to go during half term.
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Around £3000 for the 5 of us all in
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We often do a large (16 - 20 person) chalet and it generally works out at about £280. Then factor in ski pass, flights and £100 chucked in for food, beers and wine in a self catering manner. Usually about £650 - £700 but the chalets are pretty nice, big rooms, all mod cons, decent wood burner etc.
This year the longer trip will work out approx £390 per week.
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Boris, is that for two weeks!
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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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Have to ski during Feb half term and found self catering (5 kids in tow) in Flaine with pool & jacuzzi - £75 for flights, £60 for transfers, £250 for accommodation - total £385 per person. Kids have appetites of pigeons. Booked this in May. Is this a bargain for peak season?
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Kennyboyo, Pretty damn good  The chalet figure I put was for half term, that's when I throw in with my gang of friends with kids.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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This coming trip; flights £125, self catering accommodation (my quarter share) £160, hire car (my quarter share) £70. So that's £355. Fuel and tolls (quarter share) £40 (that's a guess) and allowing £70 per day for food, beers and snacks etc adds an extra £460. Ski hire £80? Lift pass £150? Grand total of £1045.
This would be a typical cost for my week ski trip.
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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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Stonking deals I've come across include a 2012 offer of £195 for flight, transfer & self-catered flat in Flaine. But if you are paying that cheap, you have to wonder what the accommodation will be like and in that case it wasn't great! Still though, at that price you're quids in before you even get to the bedsit!
I used to work in Banff and had a young family who booked a charter B&B 3* deal for £1400. They were emigrating so they traveled with the Tour op, had a 10 day ski holiday and missed the flight home!! Just hired a car and drove to Calgary where they were to set up camp! Crazy!
But those cheapo prices for Canada are now no more in the days of post-trans-Atlantic charters. Still good deals though!
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Can't remember the last time I paid for a ski trip.....working holidays are the norm for me now (don't get paid much but make it home with a small profit)
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You know it makes sense.
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Living the dream!
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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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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| Can't remember the last time I paid for a ski trip.....working holidays are the norm for me now (don't get paid much but make it home with a small profit) |
With respect, I'm sure we're all very pleased for you but why post in this thread then?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Traveling solo, in January or March, I have almost always had the package of flights, ski carriage, transfers and half board hotel come to between £400 and £500. That is always using a TO, but I have never found similar significantly cheaper looking at DIY. And that is usually in Austria.
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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've had some great late deals over the years, some booked during the week before they departed, best was a chalet catered deal in Belle Plagne inc. flights, transfers, twin room with jacuzzi, food & wine for £119pp in 2003...no wonder Airtours Ski ceased operations soon afterwards!!
Another was a trip to Canada, 11nts B&B in Banff in 2008 inc BA flights & transfers for £520. A guy on the plane home told me he paid more than that for his flights! TO did a great deal on a 4 day tri-area pass for £129 too. We took the bus to Panorama for $70, hired a 4x4 for 4 days from Holiday Autos for about £105, got upgraded to a 4.7 V8 with a free tank of fuel (worth £100 in UK) for £12 and drove to Kicking Horse. Went for a day snowmobiling, another skating on Lake Louise, snowshoeing across Bow Lake. All-in-all spent about £1200pp on a holiday of a lifetime! Those were the days when you could buy C$2 for a £1!!
More recently have been having to pay about £300 for late Chalet deals to top resorts like Zermatt, Arabba, etc...pound is weak, food & fuel have inflated hugely in past few years...my criterion is half original price...looking for one now!! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| halfhand wrote: |
| Elizabeth B wrote: |
| Can't remember the last time I paid for a ski trip.....working holidays are the norm for me now (don't get paid much but make it home with a small profit) |
With respect, I'm sure we're all very pleased for you but why post in this thread then? |
To answer the question posed in the thread title - What's a good deal to me? Answer, getting paid to ski.
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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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The magic of school holidays, eh? After Mrs Ham retires next year, we may well be able to get some bargains, until then we'll have to put up with being gouged, relatively speaking. Christmas has been easier to get deals for than Feb half term, I was quite happy paying £650pp fully catered (+£500 to get the car over), in a group of 19 of us.
Just booked Banff for Feb, flights, transfer and B&B in a decent hotel for £800. Again, seems quite acceptable to me. But yes, as the years go by expectation of comfort goes up. Normally ski in/ski out is a must have these days (obv not for Banff)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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For me I've never paid more than 1K all in excluding spending money.
Cheapest I've had is £280 FB inc lift pass to Courmeyeur but that was tagging on with an instructor buddy so would have been at cost (or less) however it also included a coach. On a separate note I can't see me doing a coach trip again but that's mainly due to me being in West Cumbria so it took around 12 hours just to get to Dover by time we stopped to pick up other instructors and at a school for a load of kids-I'd imagine if you're much further down south it can't be all that bad?
I'm looking to get to Val Thorens with another snowhead in March, prices for a catered chalet starting form £470 with plenty of choice around the £500-£600 mark. Think this is pretty good value although as it's Crystal noticed you can now pay for a double ski bag?! What's that all about-you only get 20kg vs 15kg-does this mean they're starting to check bags?
I'm doing a Snoworks course in Feb, I've yet to decide on whether to wait for a last minute deal or take the accommodation, flights package on offer. The accommodation with Mark Warner seems poor.
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I think flights, transfers and accommodation in a catered chalet with a hot tub or sauna, in a decent, reasonably large resort is 'cheap' at £600ish or less. That woudl still make the holiday around £1k when you consider lift pass and spending money.
No interest in going SC in a tiny studio so no idea how cheap that would be.
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Already seems to be well covered.. but just incase of any gaps!
Less than £300 including flights, transfers and a self-catered apartment.
Less than £400 will give you catering.
Just over £500 would be a good quality catered property in one of the big “super resorts”.
Of course, there is everything in between too!
Definitely worth it to stretch to the latter if you can, as there is a huge difference for not that much extra £-wise. Worth knowing also that £6-700 starts to bring more comfort and even a bit of luxury in a better location.
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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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PP, no that's one week.
Family of 5 covering everything - travel, food, wine, passes, ski hire. £600 pp which I think is acceptable
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I am limited in only being able to go at half term, but this year found a package that suited me and was £750 per person for an apartment in Bad Gastein ( four star, shared pool, sauna etc). There are 5 of us going so total would be £3750 ex ski hire and passes). I contacted the hotel myself and got the same apartment for €1200 and will now drive which will cost around £700 including fuel, crossing and a hotel each way. Total £1700 ish which even when adding a new set of tyres is still a big saving.
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FAQ
And there was the triple room in LDA with a toilet in the wardrobe (£245 HB i think)...I think first choice take the honours for both of those trips 
