 Poster: A snowHead
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The exchange rate Euro-Sterling looks a bit better now. We never buy passes in advance, always from the TO rep on the coach.
Neither I, nor my OH, can remember (when he just naively hands over his card) whether we are being charged the ski pass price in Euros or converted to Sterling by the TO...not necessarily at today’s rate!
Obviously there is a certain amount of laziness/ wish to get out on the slope/ hassle involved and the alternative would be to go traipsing around the resort (3V) on the Sunday looking for the ticket office.
Any advice; should we wait and buy passes in t'resort?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Usually the operator applies their own exchange rate and then charges you in sterling
they also buy in bulk so get a cut that way
if you don't want to hang around then buy on the coach, or over the internet direct in advance
If you do buy direct then it's best to have a credit card which doesn't charge for foreign transactions such as Halifax Clarity, look it up on moneysavingexpert.com
have a great holiday
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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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Unless the rate has changed enormously between you buying your holiday Euros, and getting on the bus, the difference will be about the price of a pint.
I really did type pint, that wasn't the swear filter.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mr Pieholeo, OP's from Yorkshire
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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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Depending on where we are going, I either ask the hotel to organize one and put it on the bill, or go to the ticket office myself. I wouldn't buy from the rep on the bus unless I was feeling very lazy (that and I usually DIY whenever possible so there is no rep to worry about). My last pass is currently £5 cheaper if buying in the resort than the sterling price quoted in the Neilson/Inghams brochures, and you can bet your life that they wouldn't give you 1.21 as an exchange rate on the bus. But at the end of the day as Mr Pieholeo says, unless they are really ripping you off then a few points doesn't make that much difference.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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JanA, why not ask the tour operator on the coach how much they are charging in what currency then if it is less than the price in the resort then buy on the bus, otherwise buy in the resort. But remember that for any foreign currency transaction most UK banks take between 5 and 10%. A few years ago when the pound was collapsing against the euro the tour operator (Crystal IIRC) had fixed the lift price prices during the summer and they were a lot cheaper on the bus than the resort. Our party saved over £100.
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The one thing you do often miss out on by buying from the rep on the bus is family discounts (if applicable) as they tend to have just a straightfoward price for adult or child individually. We always need to buy at least 2 adults and 2 child passes, and buying via the internet in advance has always proved to be far cheaper than buying off the rep. Plus they do generally use an overly simplistic exchange rate which (yes) is probably not that punishing really, but has never been one which I would have accepted when I was buying euros before I set off.
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| larkim wrote: |
| The one thing you do often miss out on by buying from the rep on the bus is family discounts (if applicable) |
Excellent point. The 3Vs in particular has a great family deal where everyone pays kids price, and there are also deals for couples and groups of 3+.
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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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Neilson prebooked was running cheaper than my cc for 3v first week in feb. On the bus they do local prices fx'd to sterling - perfectly reasonable fx rate to sterling compared to my card. I usually do on bus, the pre-booked ones prices are rarely excellent and sometimes someone drops out/is sick etc so we don't need as many passes as we might originally think.
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Neilson was also offering family, tribu, duet etc I was impressed actually, very hassle free.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I reckon 1 in 10 chance of rep delivering ticket before 1st lift opens, based on experience
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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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Goodness...thanks for such a great pile of information folks.
I will digest it and make a decision – probably challenging the Rep about what we are actually paying seems the obvious answer. There’s only the two of us, no kids in tow, but I do remember now seeing that some resorts do a discount on the second adult ticket. Thanks.
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| Quote: |
Unless the rate has changed enormously between you buying your holiday Euros, and getting on the bus, the difference will be about the price of a pint.
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This. And you are on holiday. Would you take on a job which involved "traipsing round the resort" to be paid the price of a pint?
Though these days most resorts have easy ways of doing it online in advance.
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You know it makes sense.
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i cant says ive ever traipsed to get a lift ticket... I just go to the lift station when i arrive, walk up to the counter and buy it. it really is no bother at all. Even a short walk after a long journey is actually a pleasure
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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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hobbiteater, obviously not a pleasure for the OP. I have waited in HUGE and slow moving queues to buy lift passes and there are certainly big queues in my area, despite its being very easy indeed to buy passes online. I can't think why people waste good skiing time this way - if they arrive late-ish on Saturday they could easily lose a fair bit of time buying a pass on Sunday morning.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I bought mine from the neilson rep two weeks ago - it was the same price as buying in resort and was a simply euro transaction.
something to watch out for is different charges made by credit card companies : Barclaycard had a 'transaction fee' of £6.25 ; Hsbc fee was £2.99 (the price of another pint...!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In the 3V if you buy two area passes in the same transaction you save 10 euro per lift pass. The rep told me that they would match that - however would charge a fee for paying with a debit or credit card so I bought the passes in resort from lift office.
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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: |
if they arrive late-ish on Saturday they could easily lose a fair bit of time buying a pass on Sunday
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This is very true. There were huge queues at the Hasliberg ticket office the Christmas before last the morning the holiday crowds arrived. Luckily we had the hotel arrange passes for us and we just walked past all the queues and into the gondola.
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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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| Quote: |
hobbiteater, obviously not a pleasure for the OP
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Not true, we have been to 3V once before but not specifically Les Menuires, so having a look around the resort for half an hour wouldn't be too much of a pain particularly if we were saving £20-£30.
I don't believe that the first day in a new resort is ever more than an 'exploration day' - on the piste or in the resort. It would have to be a saving of more than a pint though, even though we live in Yorkshire. As has been mentioned, if the TO (Crystal in our case) has bought in bulk and the card payment is in sterling it may be a reasonable offer.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Fri 28-02-14 15:43; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Mr Pieholeo wrote: |
| larkim wrote: |
| The one thing you do often miss out on by buying from the rep on the bus is family discounts (if applicable) |
Excellent point. The 3Vs in particular has a great family deal where everyone pays kids price, and there are also deals for couples and groups of 3+. |
Our TO (Crystal) were able to sell the family pass on the bus.
For us this year the difference in exchange rates between my CC and the TO worked at £35. Having had to wait around the apartment on Sunday morning last year for the reps to arrive, I chose this time to save the cash and spend a few minutes at the ticket office en-route to the gondola. I guess we were lucky as there was no queue.
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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 was pretty horrified when the rep on the igoski / alpine elements bus I was on recently wrote down the card details (including CVV) for lift pass purchases for processing back at the hotel. How would you know if these would be securely destroyed once the payment has been taken? Not only is this bad practice but I suspect is against PCI DSS regulations.
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JanA, The places to buy passes are marked on the resort map, the office in La Croisette is fairly large.
The last time I bought a pass there I picked a window manned by someone who didn't understand how credit cards worked. She thought that you had to pay in your home currency and kept cancelling the transaction if I selected the option to pay in euros.
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It's always interesting to hear about how other people do things, although many of you do seem to love complication.
Every resort I've ever been to world-wide sells lift tickets to people. Walk up to the lifts, buy ticket, get on lift. In the last thirty years I've never had to queue more than about 2 minutes to do that. Oh, someone already posted that... there are sane people on the internet after all.
Sometimes there are locals deals you can get if you know the score and can be bothered.
Pretty much all UK credit cards charge a percentage (typically 2.75%) for each foreign currency transaction. They role it into the "total concept" price though, so you don't know you're being screwed, and most internet people will swear blind that they pay no such charges as a consequence. The Post Office (Bank of Ireland) is the only free uk card I know of which has no such charge world wide.
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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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| Quote: |
In the last thirty years I've never had to queue more than about 2 minutes to do that
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Lucky you. Do you think I am the only person ever to have queued to buy a lift pass in Chamonix? You have led a sheltered life.
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| rjs wrote: |
| The last time I bought a pass there I picked a window manned by someone who didn't understand how credit cards worked. She thought that you had to pay in your home currency and kept cancelling the transaction if I selected the option to pay in euros. |
Betcha she understood very well. If you choose to pay in sterling, the retailer basically makes up the exchange rate.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Pretty much all UK credit cards charge a percentage (typically 2.75%) for each foreign currency transaction. They role it into the "total concept" price though, so you don't know you're being screwed, and most internet people will swear blind that they pay no such charges as a consequence. The Post Office (Bank of Ireland) is the only free uk card I know of which has no such charge world wide.
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Halifax Clarity card. http://www.halifax.co.uk/creditcards/low-rate-no-fee/clarity-card/
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Though these days most resorts have easy ways of doing it online in advance. |
But if the weather is completely horrible or even all lifts are closed on day #1, you've already bought the ticket. Whereas if you haven't pre-bought, you still have a choice.
I don't recall it ever taking more than a few minutes to buy a lift pass but I do avoid going on holiday at peak periods.
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I'd have thought best overall advice then is know how much the pass should be before you leave the UK by checking the ski area website, then make an informed call on the bus as to whether the TO deal seems good value for money, trading off exchange rate and risk of late delivery vs possible wires the next morning. Arm yourself with info, then make your own choices!
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You know it makes sense.
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Wires should read 'queues', damned swype keyboards!!
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| ... Do you think I am the only person ever to have queued to buy a lift pass in Chamonix? |
I don't recall saying that.
I guess I'm just surprised that anyone would not just get their own ticket.
It's like not putting your own toothpaste on your brush. Obviously you can pay people to do that, but I can't conceive that I ever would, irrespective of how much money I may have. Each to their own.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| Do you think I am the only person ever to have queued to buy a lift pass in Chamonix? . |
We arrived in Chamonix (January just gone) on Saturday afternoon, like, I imagine, most TO customers. No-one except us at the lift office. I guess they're busier in the mornings, though.
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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 pre book them with the TO. The rep on the transfer has always had them to hand on the bus. The difference in cost is negligible compared to the cost of a ski holiday and you are good to go before you arrive in resort, no brainer for us.
It would be stupid to compare this with toothpaste, especially if you are staying on the edge of town right next to a wee chairlift.
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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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| philwig wrote: |
| It's like not putting your own toothpaste on your brush. Obviously you can pay people to do that, but I can't conceive that I ever would |
I once ate in a hotel where there was a man in the toilets who turned the tap on and off for you when you came to wash your hands. It freaked me out.
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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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Don't go to any bars in London of a Friday night then! By strange coincidence, we rewatched the classic IT crowd office outing episode just last night - the man in the toilet is pivotal (top ten funniest episode of *anything* ever IMO - but what do I know)
Ski beat prices for extra are quite iffy this season - looks like they locked in at an fx rate of 1.15, so their prices for passes, equipment etc are well off what you'd pay at resort, if the current rates hold/improve.
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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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In the last 10 years I have never queued for more than a couple of minutes to get a lift pass in Europe. A few years ago I was in Tignes and was suprised to see a queue for lift passes. I just walked to the machine and was issued one immediately. Are these machines common? I don't really look these days as I like the opportunity to ask the salesman what the conditions are like and are there cheaper options available
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Pejoli wrote: |
| Don't go to any bars in London of a Friday night then! By strange coincidence, we rewatched the classic IT crowd office outing episode just last night - the man in the toilet is pivotal (top ten funniest episode of *anything* ever IMO - but what do I know) |
About the diametrically opposite experience. Never mind.
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I went to Italy in Jan with a TO , our bus did not have a rep and we were told we could pick up a lift pass at the "welcome" meeting. As I hate those meetings we asked at the reception where the lift office was. We were given a voucher from the hotel which saved us 10% , we were the queue on Saturday afternoon so we had time and cash for a few beers.
This was a ViaLattea pass.
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I have a FairFX Euro card which I load in Euros before travelling. Upon arrival I buy the passes direct from TO (Crystal) using this card. The exchange rate you get by buying Euros in the UK is better than using your credit card (although I also have a Post Office Master which is commission free).
HTH
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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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In low season the TO should be able to pass on discounts which you wouldn't get buying direct from the lift pass office. TOs need to fix their exchange rates and this year it is to their advantage, in recent history it has been a distinct dis-advantage. A good TO should be able to help you get family discounts. Using the 1.21 as the exchange rate is disingenuous as no-one buying tourist euros will ever get that rate.
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| volfy wrote: |
| Using the 1.21 as the exchange rate is disingenuous as no-one buying tourist euros will ever get that rate. |
Well that is that rate three of my credit cards are offering today - after their (non-existant) charges.
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FAQ
