 Poster: A snowHead
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Which would you prefer? I don’t think either is ideal.
We're just about to post the dates and costs for next winter (2016/2017), but of course Christmas and New Year are at the weekend.
We have been chatting in the office about this for days and still can't decide.
So I though I'd ask for opinions.
Sat 24th (Christmas Eve) to Sat 31st (New Year’s Eve)
Or
Sun 25th (Christmas Day) to Sun 1st (New Year’s Day)
We can’t extend the trip by one day to the 2nd as the first week in Jan is a holiday in Italy and so the hotel’s really wouldn’t like it as they can fill every room they have on that week but only if they can offer 7 nights.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's teicky , I would go on Christmas eve , but my wife does not want Christmas away,
I will have a look at the school holidays.
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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 can't see much contest here. No one wants to travel on Christmas Day or get up early on New Years Day. Lots of people travel on Christmas Eve and as long as you get them home in time to celebrate New Years Eve I can't see that being a problem either.
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That's me not skiing for new year for the first time in 6 years, but kids were smaller then and went out side holidays.
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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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I would prefer the first option. Much rather travel on the 'eves' than Christmas Day.
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I think Sat to Sat probably works best for most people given timing of xmas. But I think we'd have preferred sun to sun and try to fly xmas eve and get a night in a hotel between the airport and the resort so we are there first thing xmas morning
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First option, not that I think it'd be likely we'd take it it.
Next year is really awkward because I can't see the wife wanting to be away for Xmas, and the New Year week is out because it doesn't fall completely within school holidays. I'll be interesting to see how bookings for all the tour operators etc hold up.
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You could shorten the week before and do Friday 23th to Friday 30th. I'm no expert so this may be a stupid idea logistically.
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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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Saturday to Saturday, or Fri – Fri as above for me (with the NY week being available as Fri –Sat (8 day week))
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I would do Friday to Friday if you can. I wouldn't want to travel on any of those days particularly. I think other TOs will do Friday-Friday or Monday-Monday or some combination of long and short weeks to avoid transferring on those dates.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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For anyone using British public transport to get to airports etc, the first option is doable, the second isn't. No public transport at all on Xmas Day and New Years Day; only very expensive taxis.
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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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I'd want an 8 day option - out on Christmas Eve, back on New Year's Day.
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Having returned from the Alps on New Years Day, I would never do it again. So Sat to Sat for me but make sure the flight times get people back to the UK at a sensible time.
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You know it makes sense.
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Sat 24 to Sun 1 not possible? If not, Friday - Friday might be better than either of those options.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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When will the schools go back?
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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 think my son will go back to school on Monday 8th. So most likely we will go Sunday 1st to Sunday 7th. Will book early I guess. Means taking 9 days or so vacation. Lucky I live in Sweden with the generous vacation and parental leave system 
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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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After a great dealing of chatting in the office, we’ve gone for Eve to Eve, with lunch time flights on both. But we have only optioned 50 seats from London and 25 from Manchester for that week as we think it’s not ideal and there may not be a good takeup.
I would have preferred a Fri to Fri (we did try) but that’s not possible as the hotels will have 7 night bookings before and after. Especially after as the 1st week in Jan is a holiday in Italy.
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Do we know what the school holidays are likely to be? A quick Google search shows a variety of dates for returning after Christmas mostly on 3 January, but not exclusively:
3 January (e.g., Medway, Hampshire, Ealing, Coventry, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Bristol, Dudley)
4 January (e.g. Milton Keynes)
9 January (e.g. Manchester)
This means that for a lot of schools there are not two full weeks for Christmas and New Year.
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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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Id do 2x10 night options, I'd not be travelling on eves of Xmas and NY.
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
| Id do 2x10 night options |
Difficult if your market includes family groups who are restricted by school holidays. At least one of those weeks will be difficult to sell as you will be overlapping with term time. Normally you get two full weeks (Christmas week and New Year week) when families can be away without missing school, but that doesn't look likely for 2016-17.
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Saturday to Saturday
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Saturday to Saturday. But I've just looked at school holiday dates and we can manage a week skiing and be back on Christmas Eve, which is pretty much perfect.
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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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Fri 23 Dec to Tues 3 Jan.
Do the whole shebang. Travel before and after the crowds.
There is always a hotel or apartment somewhere with available rooms if you book early enough or pay enough.
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@rob@rar, If family are target market then yes Sat/Sat I guess, but personally i'd want an early flight on 24th so I was there early to enjoy Xmas Eve. Most non-family folk won't be going back to work until Weds 4th Jan though so if it was me i'd want a few more days in resort making use of my annual leave......kids won't go back to school until 4th, possibly even 9th so I'd still maintain that some may want a longer option.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think we will stick to Sat to Sat for next year for renting out our apartment. As long as people get there reasonable time on the Saturday then they should be able to enjoy Christmas and new years eve. Most people travelling back will be home in time I would have thought.
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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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@emwmarine, as Christmas Eve is the big family day in many Alpine countries, I guess I am at their mercy.
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| Markymark29 wrote: |
| @rob@rar, If family are target market then yes Sat/Sat I guess, |
For most schools (as far as I can tell) Sat-Sat for New Year won't work if they want to get the kids home in time for the start of term. The big problem is that most schools will have a shorter than usual Christmas holiday, so there won't be two 7-day slots over Christmas & NY available for consecutive bookings by families who are restricted by school holidays, regardless of what day of the week they fly. For my place I'll use it as usual for Christmas and offer an 8-day booking for New Year (30th-7th). If it doesn't get booked for New Year because of term dates we'll probably just extend our trip to be there for NY as well as Christmas.
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You know it makes sense.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Markymark29 wrote: |
| @rob@rar, If family are target market then yes Sat/Sat I guess, |
For most schools (as far as I can tell) Sat-Sat for New Year won't work if they want to get the kids home in time for the start of term. The big problem is that most schools will have a shorter than usual Christmas holiday, so there won't be two 7-day slots over Christmas & NY available for consecutive bookings by families who are restricted by school holidays, regardless of what day of the week they fly. For my place I'll use it as usual for Christmas and offer an 8-day booking for New Year (30th-7th). If it doesn't get booked for New Year because of term dates we'll probably just extend our trip to be there for NY as well as Christmas. |
So would Fri - Fri or sun - sun work better for most people next year?
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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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If schools are due back on 3rd January, I don't think either of them will work for a family holiday. I've had a quick Google. One set of nieces go to school in Newcaste, they have holidays 22d Dec-5th January. The other are schooled in Durham their holidays start on 16th December and finish on 3rd January. My New Year guests this time round are a couple, so no school problem. I'm tempted with a Mon-Mon as I'm not totally reliant on the uk family market. The alternative is to be there ourselves.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| emwmarine wrote: |
| So would Fri - Fri or sun - sun work better for most people next year? |
Sunday-Sunday won't work as that would mean travelling on Christmas Day and/or New Year Day. Fri-Fri is certainly a better option. Do you usually rent out your place for both the Christmas week and the New Year week?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| emwmarine wrote: |
| So would Fri - Fri or sun - sun work better for most people next year? |
Sunday-Sunday won't work as that would mean travelling on Christmas Day and/or New Year Day. Fri-Fri is certainly a better option. Do you usually rent out your place for both the Christmas week and the New Year week? |
Yes. They are usually the first weeks that go along with feb half term. The only problem with moving the changeover for those 2 weeks is the week before and after. Although, we could use it ourself then I suppose.
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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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Why not do Fri-Fri for Xmas and Fri-Sat over new year, then Sat-Sat for the rest of the season?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Looks like there will be bargains either way.
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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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How have you managed to get flights for December 2016?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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We'll be offering Thursday/Friday to Friday for Xmas week (which no-body comes to anyway!... 2 chalet bookings in 10 seasons for that week!!!)
Then the same changeover for the following week.
So whatever sells first(that'll be new year then...) will dictate the other week.
That is what we offered last time round which seemed to please people.... especially for the cheaper week day flights.
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@Snowsartre, the lady asking the question works for a small tour operator.
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@Hells Bells, I think @Snowsartre's question is to do with the chatter above.
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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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*IF* I go skiing over New Year next year, I’d have to do the same as this year – AirBNB or hotel booked early, as there is no way I’d want to do the dates above - so I accept I can’t fit into a standard chalet calendar. I’d want to fly on the 27th Dec (Tuesday) and return on the 2nd or 3rd Jan (Monday or Tuesday).
(This year I got Sunday to Sunday for a normal price, i.e. no ridiculous mark-up, through AirBNB. Previous years I’ve had my own apartment all season)
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We're been debating this too and are just finalising our dates now.
We're almost decided with Monday to Monday which would give 19-26th for x-mas and 26-2nd for New Year.
We'd then do a funny week sold either as an extension to NY, as a 6-night option or a short break depending on demand and return to our normal Sun-Sun.
But before I press the button I wondered if anyone had any feedback. Would this work with your kids school holidays? Is there anything obvious I've missed??
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FAQ
