 Poster: A snowHead
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Booked my first holiday in Switzerland (Haute Nendaz) for many years, just days before the Swiss Franc went pear-shaped. Any advice on minimising the costs of ski hire/pass etc?
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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 same boat and in the same resort! The various ski shops are all about the same price for hire; the only cheaper option for a lift pass is to go a Printse area pass rather than the full 4 Vallees affair.
Otherwise, I'm afraid it's pay up and be big! 
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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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Dont panic - the rate is creeping up (was 1.27 now 1.33), if it ends up closer to 1.4 you won't lose out too much...
Switzerland is not cheap but we have been going for years (with 4 kids) and can't complain about value for money. My advice, pay whatever it is and worry about it afterwards. Certainly don't let any additional cost ruin your holiday!
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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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I don't intend to let it ruin my trip! 
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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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If you're self-catering then buy your stuff in the valley, that'll save 20% on your food bills for a start: there's a Co-op at Alleman Centre Commercial, just by the off-ramp, about 30 mins out of GVA. And a Migros in the Quartz Centre, just off the Autoroute at Martigny (there's an alcohol shop in the same centre, so the Migros doesn't do much drinks) - Remember to get a CHF 2 piece for the chariot. On the way back, if you're re-filling the car, come off at the junction for Gland, and about 1Km to the right is a Co-op with cheaper fuel than on the Autoroute.
If you're driving down through France, I'd recommend shopping before you enter Switzerland. We usually shop at Pontarlier. There's also a Decathlon by the supermarket, so if you need some replacement gloves, goggles, socks etc it would be worth taking a look there.
We stay in La Tzoumaz, the oppostie side of the valley to Prarion, and have found that pre-booking our hire equipment is usually much cheaper: www.snowrental.net has proved useful but othere people may have more specific advice for Nendaz.
Obviously, any hike in exchange rates is of concern, especially when you multiply by the family members. But I've always found that it's possible to control costs in Switzerland, outside of the skipass, if you're careful. The big shocks are usually meals out or lunches - generally, having a meat meal will be costly up the mountain (although that's probably true everywhere). As a general rule, we take our own baguette, meat and cheese out with us, and just buy a soup at lunch, as in any event, it's useful to be self-sufficient if there are queues or someone is getting very tired and hungry.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 20-01-15 18:43; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Just booked a half board package holiday last night to Grindelwald for next Jan ! Something to look forward to while paying for it. 
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Don't worry about shopping down in the valley.
Migros and Coop both make a big deal of the fact that the same items cost exactly the same in any of their shops, there is no "Up The Hill" premium price like there is in France. France is cheaper though!
If you have not got a chf2 for the trolley a British 2p will fit just as well.
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Thanks guys for the advice - all much appreciated. I guess the best advice is to say 'sod it' we are going to have a great time and when we find ourselves on a blue sky day and knee deep in powder - the bank balance will be just a distant memory! 
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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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Sorry, but I completely disagree that prices aren't lower in the valley.
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Prices aren't lower in the valley in Migros or coop. Same all over switzerland. Not sure if there is a coop in nendaz though!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Let me clarify this a bit. The Co-op in Alleman is a superstore, unlike the smaller ones up the mountain. So while the same items may be the same price, the valley superstore will have much more choice and lots of special offers. So it is cheaper by virtue of that. And having shopped this way for eleven years visiting Switzerland in summer and winter, I still assert that it's cheaper to shop in the valley than in the resort. Of course, you can simply wrap higher prices into the overall hoiday cost and leave it at that, but the original question was 'Any advice on minimising the costs" and in my view, the points I made are worth some consideration.
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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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We have been visiting Switzerland for nearly as long as @msej449, again both winter and summer (when it's even better fun, but not necessarily skiing). I think to be fair both @msej449, and @rungsp, are correct; prices for the same single item are the same between shops in resort and in the valley but the larger superstores in Alleman and the like have far more multi-buys and bulk deals. Obviously they have more choice too. I agree the meat is very expensive in Switzerland, not sure why but suspect there are no poor Swiss farmers! On the plus side most alcohol is cheaper than the UK, even whiskey!
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I'd also concede that for some combinations of foods, it may not be worth the effort of shopping the the valley for specials and discounts - you are on holiday after all. e.g. if you're just going to buy dried pasta, pasta sauce and mainstream veg, then you might simply prefer to get to your destination rather than spend an hour and a half to save £15, or whatever.
One point about importing from France - bear in mind there are restrictions on importing some foods, especially meat. We've been stopped at the border the last two times we drove down in a UK car, and asked whether we had anything, and one of those they looked through the stuff in the back. Example limits per person are 1Kg meat; 1L spirits; 5L wine/beer; 250 cigarettes; 1L butter/cream. Look at the Swiss Customs 'Travel & Goods' app in the Appstore for the full info.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Rareperk, there's less tax on whisky in CH than the UK, wine and beer as well. That's why it's cheaper.
Meat prices almost certainly to do with not very poor farmers and a very different supermarket system to the UK (or even, Germany)
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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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for ski rental try skiset.com and try the coupon skiclub when prompted. need to compare against other sites but we use this across Switzerland for ski hire
for ski pass make sure you check the family ski pass rates on telenendaz.ch as they are significantly cheaper than usual (if you have kids with you)
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Gordyjh, I've done all the leg-work on ski hire and www.snowrental.net and skiset come out at the same price, if you add the promotion code as indicated, saving around 20 CHF for six days on the price quoted by the ski shop's own website.
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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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