 Poster: A snowHead
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Does anyone in UK do this, sort of a long weekend skiing, or do you all take a full week off?
After a period of not skiing (two young arrivals in the family) we are starting to get back into it, and if there is any acquired knowledge on how to take more than a week in the winter - now of course limited by term time etc - I'd be pleased to hear it.
I'm in Lisbon, which is 12 hours solid drive from any decent resort (Andorra - wasn't impressed with Sierra Nevada after 8 hrs to get there), or 2.5hrs flight to the Alps, plus check in, plus transfer... I don't see how I can spend less than a full day travelling each way. And I'm over 40 so those days of a long drive through the night and freshly skiing the next morning are long gone...
I'm just wondering if there's anything I missed that allows people like me to sneak a long weekend. Such as knowing a resort that is really close to an airport, an airport/hire car combination, etc.
An added delay is that I always rent boots and skis (just read the 13 page boot-buying thread in full!), I know how to deal with that though!
I could look into flying to Barcelona or similar and hiring a car, which might take the journey time down to 6 hrs, but last time it didn't look convincing, something to do with child seats and snow tyres.
Thanks for any hints and tips 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Easyjet to Geneva, then Mountainsun 3/4 day trip, in house rental, dinner and transfers included.
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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 need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The only time I've done a weekend we flew early evening Luton to Geneva. Hotel booked for 4 nights in Argentierre. Hotel picked us up and dropped us off for a fee. We skied 4 days and got an early evening flight back. 4 days skiing, 3 nights accom, 2 days off work. I think the key is finding those evening flights and somewhere a short transfer away from the airport. That was early Feb though, so not peak season. Peak season I suspect Hotels aren't going to want do it.
Hiring a car maybe a bit of a faff. Quicker/easier if you have a private transfer maybe.
Don't see rental being a problem as the nature of the beast is that you are getting stuff on Thursday night or Friday morning, not a "transfer day".
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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 I do a weekend, and currently in planning for one at the end of Feb (hope Mrs Ansta1 isn't reading this as I haven't told her yet) usually flight out Thursday afternoon from Luton or Stanstead usually to Lyon. Hire a car. Thur,Fri, Sat in hotel then early evening flight home on the Sunday.
Sometimes we've had an earlier flight on the Thursday which means a few hours skiing on arrival day.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Orange200, used to do it all the time. Typically into Geneva. Sometimes into Turin or Malpensa. Arrive late, rent a car, have late enough flights to ski full day on departure.
Use e.g. Hertz #1 club for priority in rental queue.
Avoid French holidays.
Been known to do Friday night-Sunday night...
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I did it last year. Flew Bristol to Geneva, Friday at 7am. was in a hire car by 9.30am. On Slopes by 12.30pm. (rented skis and boots)
Stayed three nights.
Skied until 4 pm Monday.
Dropped off hire car at Geneva and on 21.30 flight home.
In house by midnight.
Up for work Tuesday morning.
I drove all the way to Valloire as had to meet someone there but if i'd gone to Morzine or somewhere would have been on slopes sooner.
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@Orange200, are there any cheap flights from Lisbon to any of: Geneva, Zurich, Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Milan, Turin, Nice?
Ideally you want late flights each way.
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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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Easyjet operate into Geneva and Malpensa. No idea if times suit.
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This will be the third year running I will be doing this.
Fly out late friday night into GVA. Pick up hire car and either a) stay in cheap motel near bottom of chosen resort or b) if your accommodation is available, book in for Fri night too. Then early saturday AM get up to resort and get kitted out - on the slopes by 10am at the absolute latest. Ski all day Sat / Sun / Mon / Tues then late flight back to UK Tues night. easy peasy. This year we've extended it to include Wednesday though as travelling all day on Saturday to make most of BA Avios flights (weren't available late fri night).
TOP TIPS:
1. Book flights as far in advance as possible - almost always cheaper and gives you surity - avios flights can be great.
2. Book car hire through AutoEurope.co.uk immediately on booking flights. This is cancellable for full refund at any point up to 48hrs before - if you find a better deal before you go, simply cancel and re-book. Incidentally, I often get emails from Auto Europe themselves after I've booked with special 'newsletter only' deals - I regularly end up booking and re-booking about 3/4 times and save around £100 from first price!!
3. Finally, and most imporantly - don't book your accommodation until around 2-3 weeks before you go.
I appreciate that 3. above takes nerves of steel but it works. Think about it. Fly to GVA with car hire you have the whole Alps at your disposal. Owners of apartments and chalets are much more willing and able to take half weeks at the last minute in order to back fill accommodation, saving you £££'s and of course, you can just go where the snow is looking best!
Simples.
As I say, A group of 2-4 of us have started doing this every year now. It shouldn't cost more than £400 each if you do it right (flights, accom, car hire, ski hire, lift pass) = BARGAIN.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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don't book your accommodation until around 2-3 weeks
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yep. Booking sites and airbnb are your friends. We're now taking shorter, non.Sat-Sat bookings in our apartments. I expect others are too.
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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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If you can manage good flights to Turin, I like the choices from Turin. You have Via Lattea, Monte Rosa, Cervina, plus some things over the border into France with short transfer times, like SC, Courmayer and even Chamonix. The key is short airport to piste transfer time.
But as others say, Geneva also has good options, but if you do the spreadsheet, I think Turin has more.
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First day: Fly Swiss from Heathrow to Zurich at 6am on any day. Car or train to Engelberg, book a room through the tourist office website. Loads of choice.
Arrive in resort by noo, on the slopes by 1pm.
Last day: ski til 3.30 or 4.30. Get the 16.01 or 17.01 train back to Zurich airport in plenty of time for the 8.50pm flight back to Heathrow.
Have done this for three, four, five and six day long trips! Swiss is a fairly cheap airline with FREE ski carriage!
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm doing this in March. Obviously I'd love to have a second full week's skiing holiday but I don't have enough annual leave left, so I'm taking an early morning Saturday flight to Salzburg which means I should be on the slope that same afternoon. Unfortunately weekday flights to and from Salzburg are limited so I'm flying back from Munich midweek.
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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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@Orange200, are there no late evening flights to Geneva or Zurich? I can hop on a plane from a London airport at about 7.30/8pm and be in resort by midnight. If you can find a flight back that leaves after 7pm you can get a full day skiing and then go straight to the airport
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Poster: A snowHead
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FAQ
