 Poster: A snowHead
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I know it may be a bit early to be looking at ski holidays (summer solstice - so maybe not...!), but I have been looking at the Neilson site and Selva is missing from their resort list 
Anybody know if it will appear later on in the year ??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@albob, why use a tour operator? Sort it out yourself 
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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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Other tour operators are available.....
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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 particularly like the Hotel Stella in Selva - Neilsons being the only TO to offer it :: May be time to DIY..
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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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Instruggle to understand why anyone uses a TO these days. Last time I did was 1994.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@under a new name,
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Instruggle to understand why anyone uses a TO these days.
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4* HB Hotel flights and transfers £450PP Jan 2015. Cheaper than DIY.
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@albob, you're probably a bit early. Likely they are selling the preview programme at the mo.
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@under a new name, very occasionally TOs offer good deals. I know our last 2 trips wouldn't have been achievable DIY for the price - unless we managed to get flights on the first day they went on sale with the budget airlines. I always look at what I can get both DIY or with TO and decide from there.
We often managed to get a free kids place when Jnr was under 12, which made an even bigger difference.
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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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@hammerite, @HutToHut, while I kind of get that, I found the restrictions that go along with it (7 night stays, fixed days for travelling, limited range of destinations or accommodation, etc. - that all of which contribute to possible cheap seats granted) too restrictive.
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@under a new name, it really depends on your location in the UK, and the choice of outbound flights/destinations. Some areas are very limited.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@dode, That is a good point. When I lived in Edinburgh in the 90s there were few reasonable options that didn't involve a charter flight (ugh).
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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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To's a great for convenient transfers. Get off the plane on to a bus - usually. I did DIY to the Dolomites this year and spent a total of 14 hours waiting at an airport due to local transfer buses not matching my flight times.
If you are going DIY, book your flights now as they are so cheap at the moment. Car hire is also very reasonable in Italy.
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I contacted Neilson a couple of months ago re:Selva, unfortunately they are no longer going to offer it Seems a shame as we have had excellent experience of Neilson and Selva for a few years now. Looks like Crystal is the next best option but don't think the level of service will be as good as the long-standing rep in Selva was.
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You know it makes sense.
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@JohnDory, Thanks for that info. The rep you would be talking about is Richard (Frosty), the best rep I have ever come across. Sails in the summer, skis in the winter - not a bad life...... 
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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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Yes Frostie... what a guy!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @hammerite, @HutToHut, while I kind of get that, I found the restrictions that go along with it (7 night stays, fixed days for travelling, limited range of destinations or accommodation, etc. - that all of which contribute to possible cheap seats granted) too restrictive. |
I don't use a TO. Still in effect stuck with 7 night stays & Saturday changeover.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@dogwatch, when we lived in London we always did Friday- monday trips. Avoiding School hols of course ...
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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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I heard a rumour (from a local in Selva) that Esprit had sorted out their "difficulties" with the local authority and were going to start offering family packages in Selva again - nothing on their website as yet though...
Esprit re-located us to France for the Feb 1/2 term just gone when their Selva properties fell through last year so this year, wanting to return to Selva, we've booked independently for next Feb - Lufthansa scheduled flights to Innsbruck and lovely looking family hotel which is ski in/out. Hopefully better food and service for c.2/3 the cost.
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
| Instruggle to understand why anyone uses a TO these days. Last time I did was 1994. |
Because it is often cheaper and you have financial protection. Of course there are occasions when DIY holiday is cheaper but more often than not that is not the case.
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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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@jma, which hotel have you booked?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| jma wrote: |
I heard a rumour (from a local in Selva) that Esprit had sorted out their "difficulties" with the local authority and were going to start offering family packages in Selva again - nothing on their website as yet though...
Esprit re-located us to France for the Feb 1/2 term just gone when their Selva properties fell through last year so this year, wanting to return to Selva, we've booked independently for next Feb - Lufthansa scheduled flights to Innsbruck and lovely looking family hotel which is ski in/out. Hopefully better food and service for c.2/3 the cost. |
I'm intrigued? Lufthansa to Innsbruck? What is that routing?
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@NickyJ, Biancaneve - just below Dantercepies lift
@Morrissey, Lufthansa is via Frankfurt - at time of booking (late Feb/early Mar) BA was well over £2k for fam of 4, Luft came in at c.£1,100
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| jma wrote: |
@NickyJ, Biancaneve - just below Dantercepies lift
@Morrissey, Lufthansa is via Frankfurt - at time of booking (late Feb/early Mar) BA was well over £2k for fam of 4, Luft came in at c.£1,100 |
It's a saving granted but if you are doing indirect flights it's not exactly the same as a direct package holiday.
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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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@Morrissey, per above, I'm not sure it's so often cheaper. And I know of many cases where the financial "protection" has turned out to be rather less than suggested 
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@under a new name, I only know what I've paid for all-inclusive weeks with childcare at half term for the last 3 years and what I'm on the hook for for next half term for exactly equivalent services (except, apparently much better food and ski-in/out) and it's roughly 2/3 the cost - granted, it's what we're looking for exactly and others will have different requirements and potentially not get such, if any, saving.
@Morrissey, The indirect flights take 1h40m longer than the direct ones, luggage is transferred through automatically and they're at much more civilised times than the charter ones - I'll happily take an hour stopover in Frankfurt to save nearly a grand and get 2 more hours in bed!
/edited for spelling & detail
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Tue 23-06-15 21:44; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@jma,
I've got the same flights for next Christmas. Two adult, two children, and a saving of over a £1000 off the TO offerings for the same (OK similar) holiday.
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Morrissey, per above, I'm not sure it's so often cheaper. And I know of many cases where the financial "protection" has turned out to be rather less than suggested |
Well if its atol bonded the whole of the trip in its entirety is protected. You have to have an atol licence to sell air holiday packages that's law.
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@Morrissey, hmmm, ATOL protection is, IIRC, a little limited. I used to hold ATOL and ABTA licences but if was 25 years ago ...
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You know it makes sense.
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I do both TO and DIY, if you are happy to book last minute then TO's can be spectaculalry cheap. ie last Easter chalet accomodation in Mayrhofen was £300 per person from Edinburgh. I defy anyone to do that DIY. (It was at one point £219 ex Birmingham).
If a TO can do £500 a head in a decent hotel or chalet with a direct Edinburgh flight I'm in.
Sadly never the case at New Year when DIY to Mayrhofen is substantantially cheaper, but I have either the hassle of fighting my way onto the Verona train (BTW don't waste money reserving a seat, you're unlikely to get anywhere near it) or the pain of driving (sometimes 7 hours from Munich).
Just realised it was Frostie that was my rep a few years ago, I know him from more recent summer/october holidays.
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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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When you are the one that does all the organizing and booking, all the phone calls and emails, organise all the hire cars and do all the driving, dozens of times for a family with 6 kids, it can be a nice break to go with a TO, just book it up and forget about it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hotel Armin through Crystal is very nice 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For the Jocks among us, I have just worked out a route to the Dolomites which I hadn't thought of before, Edinburgh to Verona with Jet2. Reason I hadn't thought of this before is I am always looking for a 4 day trip and they only fly Saturdays. But you can return from Venice via Gatwick with BA. £150 return plus Jet2 luggage charge one way. Sorted.
Boys trip is on.
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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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we use TO's as when i've worked out the price on my own, using discount from SCGB etc there's been very little in it, once took family to Solden, exchange rate fell like a stone two weeks before we went, nasty shock paying hotel bill !!! i would have saved money had it not been for that, but only about £100 !! TO's do come in handy..
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Given the choice between an indirect flight, such as using Lufthansa to Innsbruck with a 1:40 changeover in Frankfurt and driving to some airport in a distant corner of the UK (such as Gatwick) I would take the indirect flight every time.
Unless of course the change over was at CdG.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Spoke to a couple in Selva last year who had booked flight and transfer through Crystal and then booked hotel themselves- so that's another option - not sure how it works out cost wise.
TO has always worked out cheaper for us having looked into both- done DIY to Selva in summer with a private transfer but that would be too expensive for 2-3 people on ski trip.
Was glad of chalet hosts and reps last year when I broke my collarbone- chalet hosts drove down the valley to retrieve my skis the next day and rep sorted extra seat on flight- could have sorted all that myself but was nice to have to think about it and eat strudel instead
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FAQ
