 Poster: A snowHead
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 , I need your advice please! I'm trying to organise a mini-family get-together, which is a rare event given that my family is scattered across the globe. Obviously I'm trying to include time on the hill.
Given the above, I need to organise a trip with the following variables:
Start date: Fri 14th Feb 2014 (not really flexible)
End date: Mon 17th, Tue 18th Feb (somewhat flexible)
Location: anywhere in Europe
People: 3 (2 starting in London, 1 starting in Berlin)
Après: don't care much; don't need raucous nightlife, just want half-decent food and somewhere to buy booze
I've only ever done weeks in the Alps (never a shorter trip) so I feel as though there's a lot I don't know. A few thoughts:
* Could we get a package for two people from the UK and add a cot bed for one person from Berlin?
* Anywhere to which cheap flights & transfers are available are a plus - perhaps we all fly into Geneva and go from there?
* Are we crazy for trying to find a Fri-Mon/Tue long weekend in the Alps?
I'm searching the web as much as I can (given that I also have to work today) but any and all sincere advice is much appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think you will find those dates especially tricky given you are cutting across two weeks at the same time as half term.
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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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you could not have chosen a worst weekend english half term and french hols ultimate high season!
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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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re we crazy for trying to find a Fri-Mon/Tue long weekend in the Alps?
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well, certainly optimistic, for those dates. However, if they are absolutely not changeable (almost any weekend would be preferable, in the French Alps, except perhaps the following one) you could probably find a "valley" hotel within reach of some slopes for a ski. In France, for example you could look at Sallanches - and Saturday 15th February, a change-over day, would be a good day to ski (I wouldn't bother with the Sunday which will be manic) though the roads will be very busy. There's an IBIS hotel in Sallanches though it might already be booked for Friday 14th, with people wanting to get up into the resorts v early on Saturday.
There may be better options in Austria (not flying into geneva, obviously) but can't advise on those.
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Could we get a package for two people from the UK
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probably best to put a DIY package together - look at the easyJet (and other) flights into Geneva as a start.
Really very difficult, I'd say.
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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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Shallimus, Give the folks at skiweekends.com a call, they might be able to do something
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Shallimus, as others have said, the UK half term is a bad time to go to Geneva or to get a package from the UK.
So go to Austria. I'd fly to Munich, hire a car and take your pick of the resorts 1.5-2 hours drive from the airport. This list gives you an indication:
http://www.j2ski.com/ski_resorts/Airports/Munich.html
There's quite a good selection. A number can also be easily reached by train but in terms of maximizing ski time I'd drive if possible. Once you've found a resort or shortlist of resorts hit the local tourist office websites till you find some suitable accommodation. If you have a car you can also be flexible about being 15 minutes drive from the slopes, which will make finding accommodation much easier. Although, most Austrian resorts have excellent ski bus networks.
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Wretched schoolchildren with their bloody half-terms! Bah humbug! 
Excellent points all - thank you very much for taking the trouble to help me plan. As I no longer live in Europe or am or have a child, half-term is about as real to me as Narnia... until I try to book a holiday on the weekend spanning the two half-term weeks, I suppose.
I like Austria (even managed to enjoy St. Wolfgang back in 2008) and as a bonus two of the three members of the group (including me) speak half-decent German.
Perhaps cheap flights to München and an onward car rental are indeed called for, as Gämsbock suggests...
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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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Shallimus, try searching a website such as www.booking.com and put your dates and any specific resort in there. I just tried Les Arcs for your dates and got a number of possibles. I booked this way myself when I went for a long weekend between Christmas and New Year - like you, cutting into two of the busiest weeks.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Eeeenteresting. That is a good deal for sure, although the flights to Turin are pretty hideous - no direct flights. We've made alternate plans already though, so I've given up the search for this particular Alpine adventure. Next time!
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