 Poster: A snowHead
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We've just been let down by Esprit who are cancelling our booking for this Easter as they've not filled our chalet. We are in urgent need to find a ski holiday this Easter. Key issue is we have 2 kids, 6 and 3, for whom we need ski school and creche. Our 3 year old is a first time skier and not sure how it will go. 6 year old needs half day ski school only. Any recommendations for good schools / creches in Val D'Isere or 3 Valleys, and ideas how to join it all up so the day's skiing not interrupted too much.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| franga wrote: |
| We've just been let down by Esprit who are cancelling our booking for this Easter as they've not filled our chalet. We are in urgent need to find a ski holiday this Easter. Key issue is we have 2 kids, 6 and 3, for whom we need ski school and creche. Our 3 year old is a first time skier and not sure how it will go. 6 year old needs half day ski school only. Any recommendations for good schools / creches in Val D'Isere or 3 Valleys, and ideas how to join it all up so the day's skiing not interrupted too much. |
What!!! That is awful did they not offer you another chalet? They did us when they pulled out of the resort last season?
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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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franga, might be able to help - please send me a PM
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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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Surely they have something else to offer you.....
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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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Check out Mark Warner
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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franga, when were you due to go? Have they not offered you an alternative?
As well as the suggestions above try http://www.familyski.co.uk/ I have heard nothing but good things and have seen them in action.
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They have offered a lower quality alternative only, or one from an airport 4 hours away! Thanks will try those suggestions.
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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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When they offered me an alternative I originally explained the criteria which were important to us - short transfer that end, and interconnecting rooms or family suite. I was able to come back and ask for the accommodation that I wanted. I chose there belle Plagne place as there flagship place as I knew I would never pay their brochure prices for it. I guess it helped that we were already flying out of gatwick. I believe given how little notice you are entitled to claim back the extra it will cost you to achieve equivalent, I will try and dig out the details of that.
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franga, agree with NickyJ, try and press them for a decent alternative, I don't think it's fair what they have offered you and especially at this late stage.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Where were you due to go. What have they offered you. Where were your flights. I think I would be pushing harder on this. What do their terms and conditions say.
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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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franga, I agree with dan100, sarah and NickyJ.
Might also be worth mentioning you asked for advice on snowheads.
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franga, no specific suggestions from me but I hope you find something suitable. Very annoying when you have done a lot research and booked exactly the holiday you wanted. It's a bit much that firms can do this - if you booked a hotel room you wouldn't expect to have it cancelled just because they'd not sold all the other rooms.
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You know it makes sense.
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Very annoying. Agree go back to them and ask for something better. Mark Warner informed us a week before our first holiday with them (summer) that they hadn't got space for us in Rhodes but they would send us to Kos instead, still out of MCR. A day of bargaining by the missus and they upgraded us to a suite with its own private pool and upgraded us to full board. Holiday was so good, we went on another summer holiday with them last year.
Went skiing with family friendly in January as mentioned above. Excellent holiday with the personal service that you can only get in a small company so if you don't get something adequate from esprit I definitely recommend them.
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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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6 and 3- I think a lot of esf's will take them at those ages. I would say confirm a given resort will take them, then just book independently. Then never book package again
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi franga,
We have space for Sunday 13-20th April in our chalet Genepi if you think that might suit? Details via the link below.
The ski schools in La Plagne will take a three year old and we can either arrange after-ski-school care with them (usually lunch and a play in the snow - not a creche) or a private nanny to come to the chalet.
Any use?
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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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Have you looked at http://www.skifamille.co.uk/offers/1383581571
We are going with them on 5th April. Looks like there might still be space in Reberty (3-valleys) or La Plagne. Only thing is they don't include flights so you would need to organise it separately (or drive like we do!)
This will be our 4th holiday with them, we holidayed with esprit 4 times previous to swapping to ski famille and prefer them vastly.
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Thanks for all your comments and suggestions everyone - a day of further research beckons.
NickyJ / Montana, many thanks for your PMs, very helpful and will look into both options.
tizzyb, heard very good things about skifamille too, will look at the Reberty option.
Thanks again
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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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franga, don't give up on pressing Esprit, you shouldn't be in this position having carefully chosen and booked in advance. They should be finding you something that is acceptable or offering very fair compensation for the inconvenience of you having to sort something else out at this stage. Good luck 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| sarah wrote: |
| franga, don't give up on pressing Esprit, you shouldn't be in this position having carefully chosen and booked in advance. They should be finding you something that is acceptable or offering very fair compensation for the inconvenience of you having to sort something else out at this stage. Good luck |
+1
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Did you work something out?!
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Hi all - they offered to give us exclusive use of a Ski Total chalet which TBF I thought was a good gesture. It kind of defeated our over-riding objective re a ski / chalet holiday though : social aspect, our kids spending time with other kids etc ...
We are debating whether to accept a full refund I think which may be a blessing in disguise given the current snow conditions in St Anton and the fact that the FL is unlikely to drop much below 2,500M next week (apparently most apres ski places are starting to wind down for the season too).
Key lessons to be learnt :
- there are other family ski / seamless childcare providers other than Esprit (thanks for your contributions above!)
- lots of resorts run crèches etc (Whistler do this fantastically well)
- we will also look at potentially DIYing next yea's trips (which is what my wife and I always do when we ski without the children)
Thanks again.
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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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Ah didn't realise you were going to St Anton. I know another family who are supposedly booked to go there on Sunday with Esprit.
Was it next week you were booked for?
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Yes tizzyb, were due to fly out on the 13th. I'm sure next week should be fine - but 2 more weeks of sun / temps in the mid-teens won't do the snow any good.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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franga, have you been with them before? We have had two very good holidays with them and we are booked with them again for April 2015 (to St Anton). They have availability to Courchevel, lots of high skiing there, and we have stayed there and would return very happily again. Fantastic ski in ski out location. Is that an option for you to switch to?
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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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NickyJ,
You're right they do have availability in Courchevel as well as Val and Peisey, but flights are from Southampton - we live in Manchester - plus they could only offer twins (our kids are still young so not very appealing).
My real gripe with them is that they left it too late to advise us (only when I rang them / they didn't ring me) of their plans to not run the Adler on Easter week - which effcetively put us in a corner as alternatives are pretty limited.
We've had a good time with them last year and I wouldn't discount them completely in the future.
Fingers crossed for you next year - the Arlberg can't have 2 bad snow years in a row ..
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franga, I can fully understand your frustration, it isn't good.
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You know it makes sense.
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franga, if you cancel and fancy doing DIY I can recommend a very nice hotel in Stuben with great facilities for kids inc a swimming pool and a wellness area for adults
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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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Thanks kitenski,
... Esprit have tonight released more beds in Tignes but on an independent travel basis (which is fine as still plenty of seats on the GVA flight from Manchester)!!!
We'll ring them first thing to see what's what ...
Are you in Stuben now? Is the snow holding up OK?
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Poster: A snowHead
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franga, no I go on Saturday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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franga, best of luck! I have just taken a look at the St Anton web cams, think you may be making a good move.
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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: |
they left it too late to advise us (only when I rang them / they didn't ring me) of their plans to not run the Adler on Easter week
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 that's shocking; when would they have advised you? Inghams did something similar to us in Alpbach, some years ago. We had booked a big party of 12 into a catered chalet and only on arrival did we discover it wasn't going to be run as a catered chalet - we had breakfast and chalet tea there but dinner was in the next door hotel, which owned the chalet. The food was truly shocking and were treated very shoddily by the grumpy hotel owners. We'd always stayed in low budget chalets and weren't expecting anything remotely fancy. We were shoved onto a very pokey table in the corner of the dining room, watching the other hotel guests being fed much better food. The "chalet boy" was excellent - he had got his grandma to teach him how to make cakes - but apparently the chalet kitchen wasn't suitable for cooking major meals. Inghams must have known that for months.
If there's a next time, when I book any package holiday I shall specify which aspects of the deal are "of the essence of the contract" for me.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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pam w, that's not just shocking, that's just completely and utterly despicable ...
But Esprit have this morning fully redeemed themselves – we are now booked into one of their very-nice looking chalets in Tignes. Have to make our own way there but we don’t mind that at all. All worked out fine in the end which proves the point that a lot of people have made on this thread – persevere and refuse to take the first option offered if that’s not suitable for you / your family.
I was going to ask for your advice actually – we are a family of 4 with 2 young kids, we have the option of flying to GVA and then hiring a car (done this lots of times) or drive all the way from Manchester (never gone down this route before). I need to price the whole thing up but do you have any tips etc?
Many thanks.
Tony
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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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Personally with my kids, I would fly. Not only is flying and airports exciting for them, but also one of my daughter gets carsick
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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NickyJ, good point, plus iPad batteries only last for ¾ hours 
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Tony,
We drive as a family of 4 I reckon it's saves us many hundreds of pounds, we use DVD players attached to headrests.
Leave Leeds 6am ish, to the tunnel (get the tunnel crossing on Tesco vouchers), drive another 5 ish hours into europe, stop overnight. Finish in resort by lunchtime...
The way home we leave resort at 5am and are usually home by 9pm ish...
We do have loads of skis to take, so without the cost difference may not be so high...
Unfortunately last year my youngest was car sick in the UK, some of those wrist bands seemed to sort her for the rest of the journey
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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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kitenski, thank you.
Looking at logistics for driving now …
easyJet flights are £950 plus they charge £60 for ski carriage (we have 2 bags) – I’m sure they are ramping the prices up for Easter, only paid £35 a month ago …
Driving appeals more to myself than my wife but I don’t mind it at all – do you know what the check in time for the tunnel is (ie how much time do we need between getting there and train departure?).
Thanks
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franga, if your lucky you drive straight on!
The official word is "Please check in at least 30 mins and no more than 2 hours before your booked departure time."
http://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/traveller-info/about-my-journey/
flight prices always ramp up around school holidays, when you add in car hire, car hire fuel, parking at the airport etc you'll be looking at £1500 I'd guess...
Ah but we drive to Austria, so avoid the French peage system which could cost you a few hundred quid...
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