 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, I have the chance for a lads weekend trip on 14th March, all good intermediates. I can take time off either side of the weekend, but not wanting to burn more than 3 days holidays. How do I get the most time on the snow? We can fly from anywhere along M4 corridor, M25 don't care how early or late. Just want the most piste for my pound. Any thoughts guys
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Otimise flight times and minimise transfer times. We usually take last flight out and last flight home. So this year we fly to GVA at 7pm on Friday and back about 9pm on Tuesday. 4 days skiing only 2 days off work. This year probably doing Flaine. Only an hour from GVA.
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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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@Coco, nothing's such fun as a lads ski weekend 
@halfhand's advice is good. You can either use a tour operator (eg mountainsun or skiweekends etc) or do it DIY via booking.com or similar. Most of France, Switzerland and Austria are doable - Italy can be a bit trickier in my experience
If there's a few of you then a cab is often the best way to do the transfer
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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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In my experience DIY is much better than TO for a weekend where maximising ski time is the aim.
Hire car/taxi means no waiting around, DIY gives greater flexibility on resorts/location/accommodation thereby allowing you to minimise transfer times to/from airport and to/from slopes when in resort.
As @halfhand says flight times are key, and chose a resort near a big airport so u have more flight options
4 days ski/2 days off work is easily do-able for most resorts within 2hrs of a main airport like Zurich/Geneva.
Cham is an obvious candidate given many hotels there will accept long weekend bookings, 1hr from Geneva. Having your own car also good as quick drive to slopes.
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Italy can be a bit trickier in my experience
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Cormayeur - 1.5hrs from Geneva, easily possible.
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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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Have done TO for week long trips but we tend to stick to DIY for long weekends. We like the self-catering option so often use booking.com and similar to find apartments. Have done a few catered chalet We usually get a hire car as we like the flexibility but have also used transfers. This year looks like we are in a skoda estate winterised at about £200 fr 4 days. So I reckon that works out similar to a transfer like Cham Express or Skiddy Gonzales. Bus transfers are sometimes convenient. About 10yrs ago I took the bus from Les Gets back to GVA and I think it was about 50 euros (might be a bit off on that price, lot of wine drunk since then).
With 4 days skiing the transfer distance is less of an issue IMV but with arriving in GVA at 9pm then the preference is for a short transfer.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Similar thinking @alex99,
Verbier is also about 1hr 30mins driving.
Resort options wide and varied though. You could do Turin for Via Lattea (an hourish); Innsbruck for Arlberg (another hourish I think). Drove Munich to Zillertal in 2hrs 30 and did train from Zurich to St. Anton in about 2hrs 30mins. Probably only do longer transfers if landing a bit earlier.
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Quote:
Italy can be a bit trickier in my experience
Cormayeur - 1.5hrs from Geneva, easily possible.
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There are quite late flights to and from Milan from where it is only a couple hours upto the Monterosa resorts. I have done 18:00 ish from Luton to hotel before midnight skied all day Saturday and Sunday and come back on the last flight home.
But then again I have done very similar timings to Les Arcs and Les Sept Laux (actually that is quite a quick transfer)
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@johnE, turin even quicker
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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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@under a new name, Corrrect, but there are less flights to Turin, and not at such useful times. For example Easyjet only does Turin - Gatwick, which is the back end of beyond and sort of midday flights at that, whereas they do Milan - Luton at very convenient times for a weekend.
@Coco, As you can see from the above start checking all the flight times from a list of source airpots (Cardiff, Bristol, Heathrow are all close to the M4) and destination airports (Geneva, Lyon, Zurich, etc etc) and see what is possible
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Sleep when you're dead...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@johnE, fair enough, we don't need to know these things any more 
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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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Cheers for the replies guys, so to move this on a bit. What's the best resort within 1.5 hours of an airport. Skied Flaine and Morzine amongst others before, never been to Austria, might have a look there
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@Coco, In terms of max-ski-time weekend trips you'll miss out on some of the best resorts if you limit yourself to 1.5 hours.
My last 2 weekenders have been Les Menuires (2 hr cab transfer) and Arosa (2.5 hour train transfer). Both of those examples allow a full days skiing on the last day leaving resort around 5.00pm and then back for the 21.30 ish flight home from GVA or ZCH
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You know it makes sense.
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@Coco, Verbier from Geneva. St. Anton or Mayrhofen from Innsbruck.
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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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St. Anton or Mayrhofen from Innsbruck
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not a great airport for a weekend trip due to limited flights.
Zurich best bet for st anton, although 2.5 hr drive ish.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think mountainsun can't be beaten for a long weekend, just done the same (ie lads weekend).
Flight out of heathrow at 5:30pm on Thursday, in transfer minibus about 5 mins after getting baggage, in Tignes about 11pm.
Ski in and out for 4 days, get minibus out of Tignes 4:30pm on Monday and back home in Blighty by 11:30pm
Lift passes etc all ready on arrival so you are straight out in Espace Killy with no time wasted.
IMO on a short break it's about maximising ski time, so I doubt I could be arsed to go self catering.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Coco, "all good intermediates"
Chamonix? 1 hr door to door from GVA.
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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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Just come back from a boys trip to Ischgl, flight to Munich and a private booze bus to the resort. I'd definitely go back again. The skiing was great and night life good.
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