 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi everybody
Due to work pressures, it's difficult for me to take time off in the week. Last season I tried to organise a weekend trip on more than one occassion. I didn't get very far as it all seems remarkably complicated. Flights/trains/destinations/transfers/hotels/chalets, etc., etc. Speaking to tour operators, even those who claimed they "specialised" in weekends, threw up prices in excess of £700 per person, which struck me as a little excessive 
So I was hoping to use this thread to gather all of your collective info on the subject of weekend trips. My first questions are:
1. What are good locations for weekend trips - e.g., short transfer times, hotels near the lifts (rather than chalets)
2. What's best, plane or train? If it's the train, then what are the destination stations? I see from the "Snow train" thread that the Rail Europe website is the place to book from.
And anything else you can think of!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've used these a couple of times before, they do plane or coach to the 3 valleys (and now do Chamonix as well).
http://www.skiweekends.com/
I also do DIY and have done Geneva-Chamonix, Zurich-Ischgl, Turin-La Thuile and Salzburg-Hintertux by flying and hiring cars. Next year I shall add Bergamo-Foppolo to the list. You can save on hire car costs by choosing somewhere with good rail links to an airport, but there may be a compromise on speed to resort and usually you want to maximise the time on the slopes.
The choices are fairly limitless, but bear in mind it is easier to get short term accommodation outside of peak periods (and sometimes very difficult to get it in peak periods).
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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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magriggs, Welcome!
It's dead easy (assuming you are in central London) and I base costs on two people sharing quoting per person.
1. Book direct flights to an airport near a resort. (say £160). BA do a 19h20 out of Gatwick to Geneva for example. Swiss & BA do good times out of City. I find Easyjet typically more expensive. If you can work it, take hand luggage only.
Resorts near airports - I speak only from my experience:
Geneva: PDS, Chamonix/Arg're, Megeve, La Clusaz
Milan Malpensa, Turin: Aosta Valley (Alagna, Gressoney, Champoluc, Cervinia, Courmayeur, Pila, etc.)
Grenoble: Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d'Huez
Munich: ?WilderKaiser Tirol?
2. Hire a car. (2 days, £30, obviously gets cheaper if there are more of you). This makes hotel location relatively unimportant (and can make hotels cheaper). You are unlikely to find easy public transport to suit and taxis expensive.
3. Get a cheap hotel (so avoid French holidays in France). I normally pay about £20 a night. EG. the Igloo in Morzine, Frachey in Champoluc, Lutins in L2A, etc.
Liftpass £60
So without food or any hire kit if you need it I make it about £290 a head.
I think the weekend specialists 1. do a lot for you like expensive taxis. 2. select expensive hotels 3. charge lots anyway.
PM me if you want any more details, but really it's not difficult at all once you've done it once or twice. Last year I think we had 7 sneaky weekends. The whole point is to maximise skiing while minimising holidays taken without breaking the bank.
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Great info, thanks chaps.
Any experience of using the train?
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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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magriggs, I guess it depends on your budget, it also depends on the hotel some hotels don't like people just staying for a weekend especially if they arrive on a Friday as it screws up their Saturday to Saturday schedules, I'd say look at the bigger hotels and you should be ok especially if you go at a quiet time like the end of January or early Feb before the half term, or between half term and Easter, whilst going by train gives you an extra two days of skiing if you don't get a decent sleep on the train you loose a day, instead look for early flights that will get you to a resort by lunchtime or late flights that get you there for dinner, for instance you could fly London city to Berne on a Friday night 17.45 getting there at 20.40 with an hour by car to the Jungfrau Region and fly back on the Monday departing at 08.25 or 16.25 for about £160 on Darwin Airline (far from the cheapest but may be convenient)
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I've managed a 3 day break in bled/bohinji (slovenia) for £210 each, 4 days in schladming for £280 each. Both those prices include everything (airport parking, flight, transfer, hotel, lift pass etc) except meals/drinks in the evening and are for two people sharing a room, with own ski eqpt.
bohinj is adria airlines and the hotel jezero - sat morning to monday evening (2 1/2 days skiing)
schladming is ryanair, austrian trains and landhaus royer b&b in rohrmoos - thursday night to monday evening (4 days skiing)
You need to try for places with plenty of summer activities too so there tends to be some flexibility/availability for odd timed breaks - most big french resorts etc it's a real struggle to get anyting outside the standard tour operator schedule.
I LOVE the train but only for full weeks where the long time spent travelling is more easily absorbed. Transfer in paris with boards/skis and small child was a real pain though - and we didn't even have to change stations - just trains!
aj xx
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magriggs, the coach trips with ski weekends to the 3 V worked out at just over £300 per person including travel, b&b for the 2 nights, lift pass for 3 full days ski and equipment hire. They were well set-up to maximise your time on the slopes.
There has been links before to a hotel and chalet in La Tania that caters for short breaks http://www.themountaincentre.com/main.html
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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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lastminute.com has 4 day ski weekends in the bargain section see here
The Chamonix one looks interesting.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks for the info, keep it coming!
Budget is anything up to £5-600, really. I think £700 is a bit much for 3 days of skiing.
Not sure about hiring a car for the transfer, not sure I fancy my skills in the dark, on snow, on the wrong side of the road.
All I get from skiweekends.com is a "leave your details" page, which I'm not inclined to do. I get enough spam as it is.
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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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Ray Zorro, Sorry I didn't look behind the scenes - does sound like a reasonable deal though. I feel a plan coming on 
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D G Orf, The sadly missed Rhodos in Morzine didn't much care when you tipped up as they were so fixated on French holidays!
We've rarely/never had any trouble with Friday night arrivals/Sunday departures into variously: Morzine, Chamonix, Cortina, Champoluc, Deux Alpes, Val d'Isere. However, the Tourist office will probably be of little help beyond a list of hotel numbers. Just avoid French hols, UK 1/2 term Easter and Xmas.
(Just had another thought, another idea is perhaps staying in Nice and driving up to Auron or Isola 2k?).
Regarding flights, I see little value in burning 1/40th of my vacation time to fly in an afternoon. Typically we are on departures around 19h00-20h00 out of Gatwick or Heathrow and we prefer the 2nd last flight out of Geneva (typically) around 18h30.
We get to Morzine/Chamonix in time for last orders and get to ski till around 15h00 on the way home. You can leave it later and get the last flight but after we were bumped once...I'd rather sacrifice one hour's skiing for a better chance of making it home that night.
I should add, in around 40 (50?) weekends (not all for skiing) to the alps, we've been bumped to the next day once (received dinner, hotel, CHF 200 each and upgrade to club), two cancellations (both switched to next morning, early) and one cancellation that was re-instated in time to get to Geneva (last weekend as it happens).
I can see the appeal of the coach thing, but I think that's taking the spartan ideal a little too far. If you reckon you can function at your employment after two coach trips, I commend you! (Actually, I'm sure I would cope but her ladyship would, err, resist).
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You know it makes sense.
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magriggs, I notice that ski weekends are doing a £299 special offer for early Jan, for weekends departing - 5th,12th & 19th Jan
Package includes: BA flights from Heathrow, 4 nights in Hotel Les Lacs, B&B, Transfers
If you can't get through via the website, ring them on 0870 442 3400
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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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magriggs, naw, it's easy. Bear in mind all the froggies are half cut anyway. (Actually these days they're not).
Hmm, get someone else to drive? Train seems like a long haul to me and again eats into time.
Maybe coach is a good plan if you can cope with it. Alternatively, a taxi to Morzine from Geneva is probably about £100 in which case you're still well within budget and don't need to worry about driving.
Hold on, why am I trying to persuade you? You are exactly the sort of person making my weekend life more difficult with your flight bookings, hotels and all! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Magriggs, I saw a link on lastminute.com which said skiing for the weekend for £99. You leave London on the train with your stuff on Friday night travel overnight and get to your resort in the morning, ski all day Saturday and then get the train back on Saturday night, arriving on Sunday to recover before going back to work. Tiring but looks great for a quick cheap getaway. Will let you know when we have done it in March. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BA, London City to Geneva is between £160 and £215 depending on times. Easyjet from Stansted is £92 from Stansted, although the outbound times aren't quite as good.
I suppose Chamonix is the best destination for Geneva?
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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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Try this wihout the , Paul's outfit and it looks very interesting
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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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magriggs, you didn't book your flights when they were released, did you? When we did our Jan ones, BA about £120, Easyjet about £300!!!
Easyjet have since eased off...Stansted adds considerably to my cost and hassle.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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David Murdoch, you mention taking hand luggage only. I completely concur with you on that for a number of obvious reasons. The big disadvantage, of course, is having the hassle and expense of hiring kit in the resort. The enjoyment of my skiing weekend would invariably be severely reduced if i didnt at least have my own boots. Have you found a solution to this? I have often thought tht if I could safely store some of my kit at, say, Geneva airport it would make things much easier.
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Good links, everyone! Only problem with "Paul's Outfit" is that it involves taking Friday and Monday off, which is not really possible for me.
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magriggs, You can fly from Stansted to Bergamo for a total of £43.50, going out Fri 6th Jan at 18:50 (or even cheaper if you go Saturday very early), coming back Sun evening 8th Jan. You can go from there to Foppolo which is only 45 minutes away (I think), and if you ask nicely, I understand that some hotels there will even pick you up from the airport should you not want to hire a car. (I also think that there is a bus, but am not sure on the times or the frequency).
I am doing this myself that weekend, but am just going for the saturday and am hiring a car.
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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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M80euf, I am afraid that my stock solution is to have family with houses in Champoluc and Chamonix.
That said, I have a Salomon boot rucsac which I can get boots and enough kit for a weekend into - presuming I wear some of the stuff I need (jacket, etc).. It goes handluggage.
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David Murdoch,
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"Snow? How do you get sparks off this snow stuff??"
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Am I allowed to object to your signature? I don't see why I should have to come off the snow, I'm fully addicted and proud to be
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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re the Foppolo idea, here are some further details offered to us by the Hotel Des Alpes which includes transport to/from Bergamo airport:
Buogiorno,
we book for you 2 twin rooms from 13/01/06 to 15/01/06 for 2 days in 1/2
board+2 days of skipass included and
transport to the price of Euro 192,00 to person (Fly and Ski convention).
You arrive in Bergamo at 23:20 on Friday 13/01/06 and leaving at 19:00 on 15/01/06.
Many thanks for our number phone.
It is all ok.
Grazie and ciao,
Fausta.
Add to this a £50 return ryanair flight from Luton/Stansted and it's a relatively cheap 2 days on the slopes at less then 200 quid.
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Roger C, that's interesting, I have friends in Milan and went to Cervinia with them last year but Foppolo could be a good option. 
magriggs, check out the Ryaniar website for suggestions of resorts close to their airports
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You know it makes sense.
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sorry to pass this on folks, TMC is CLOSED this season (which has caused no end of grief to all sorts of people)
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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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Roger C, I've stayed at the Hotel Des Alpes twice and really enjoyed it. It's a bit basic but very clean and friendly with good food, drag lift just across the road where you can access the mountain and ski to the main lifts. Fausta is great, speaks a bit of English and will do anything for you that she can to make your stay more enjoyable. The resort is small but everyone is very friendly and the prices are excellent. It's well worth a visit.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Grimsby Ranger, thanks for this, good to hear you recommend it!
The hotel was actually sorted for me by fellow snowhead Peter Leuzzi who is also going out that weekend.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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magriggs, Another resort that is very suitable for a DIY weekend is Davos. New from this year Davos is running its own shuttle service to Zurich airport, cost 120 CHF return (£50). Friday-Sunday flight using Swiss is currently available for £125.
Lots of hotels and online availability checking from the Davos Homepage prices from around £35 per night.
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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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It can pay to think outside the box - easier to get a weekend hotel in the valley than in a resort & if your weekending chances are you might be hiring a car anyway to maxmise time on snow. You might miss out on a bit of apres depending on whether alcohol's an essential component for you but its not that hard to drive 20 mins or so to a resort each day.
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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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magriggs,
We had a long weekend skiing in January with Freeride Mountain Holidays who operate in Vallandry, Les Arcs. They were happy to accomodate our group of 8 for a long weekend. Their web site is www.fmholidays.co.uk
Let me know if you have any look, we have a group that is contemplating doing the same at the moment.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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magriggs,
Have you tried La Clusaz as a weekend ski destination - only an hour from Geneva and 1.5 from Grenoble, it makes quick and easy to access resort for a weekend. We do a thursday to monday ski break so you can leave after work thursday and be on the slopes friday, saturday, sunday and monday if you catch a late flight home on the monday night.
As we have lots of snow (and I mean lots!!) at the moment, we are also doing some pre-xmas ski deals for the next two weekends 9-12 and 16-18 or 16-21 starting at £150. Transfers to Geneva are included in the price. Check out www.gravite.co.uk for more info and drop us an email if you are interested. We also have some offers for short breaks in january and early feb on the website, if you can't get away before xmas.
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Wings, We've booked the Lastminute.com train for £99 and I've been looking at where to go when we get to Bourg St Maurice (since we have to get the train home from there).
It seems that Les Arcs is right on the doorstep (via the Funicular) but we've never been there before and don't know what to expect. Val D'Isere and Courchevel are via Taxi/Bus but we need to organise return travel for that - on the other hand we know them both very well. Any advice on where would be best ?? 
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Charlie_Le_Chat, Give Les Arcs a try. Ithink you will like it. It has something for everybody and isn't far behind Espace Killy and 3V for a varied week. You should be able to get a place to stay either in the town or up the hill. The funicular starts right by the TGV station. Very convenient.
If you are really determined to get to the big domains, then Espace Killy is about 45 minutes and Courchevel or Meribel about an hour by road.
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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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Check out the weekend holidays organised by the Ski Club www.skiclub.co.uk . I have to declare that I rep for the Ski Club and have led weekend holidays in the past and will be leading another one, to Flaine on 9 March, this season. They are great fun - a mix of challenging and relaxing skiing to suit abilities depending on the grading level and good fun in the evening. It all depends, of course, on who books for holiday but in previouse years there have been some tremendous, easy-going and great people going along with a good mix of men and women.
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Chris Bish, Thank you I think we will. Which lift-pass would you recommend, bearing in mind that we only have one day, and are both Intermediates (can manage Face at Val D'Isere with 3 short pauses).
Also, when you say 'big domains' is Les Arcs that much smaller ?
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FAQ
