 Poster: A snowHead
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A friend is organising a trip for late Jan.
He's found a deal in the Dolomites for £550. It's for an average looking chalet, doesn't include flight, and you have to share a room.
Doesn't sound like much of a deal to me!
Of course these things depend on tons of factors but though it would be handy to set out some approximate costs of different types of hol.
For example, a pre-Christmas chalet week. I'm guessing you can get these for under £500 with flight, transfer, and chalet board - maybe around £400 even?
Any companies throwing in lift passes and keeping to £500?
Hope this is a useful thread...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Neil Neige, I think the main issue for you is how flexible you are and how many are in the party - end of Jan is still low season and if there are only 2 or 4 of you then waiting till xmas or early Jan to get some good tour op discounted deals.
I know a fair few on here prefer to do DIY (i'm sure someone with more knowledge and examples will be along soon) - this usually means you'd be better booking your flights earlier and getting some cheap self catering accommodation - I personally have found this to come in more expensive (especially low season) once adding transfers or car hire into the equation and the fact that we like to have our food cooked for us.
As to costs for January - I know Crystal were doing xmas week half board deals to Soll last week in a flash ski sale for about £360 so wouldn't be surprised for deals coming up around this or even less for end of January.
I do get the feeling with all the warnings in the fallout of BREXIT in the news at the moment and moving forwards it may mean many put off booking up ski (and summer for that matter) holidays meaning tour ops may be forced to heavily discount, then again it may be that people carry on regardless and book their hols anyway to escape all of the doom and gloom.
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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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The falling pound is driving up the costs at the moment.
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I've done a mixture of DIY and package and would agree with Atomic Mick that the latter is cheaper. But you've got to hold your nerve. We once booked a holiday on the Wednesday before a Saturday flight only to find another couple had halved the price by waiting until the Thursday evening to book. The advantage of ski holidays being a fixed week means you *will* get to go that weekend.
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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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Thanks for replies - wasn't really trying to work out which is cheapest (I nearly always do short DIY trips).
Just wondered what the going rate was for different kinds of package trips this year (and I appreciate the falling pound makes this harder than ever to predict).
So, I'm guessing the cheapest is December (pre-Christmas) when you should get a flight and H/B chalet deal for around or under £400 if willing to share a room. The same deal I'm guessing would rise to something like £700 in peak season outside UK school hols, even more during. Single room supplements typically £200.
Cheaper packages would be flight and B&B I guess (if indeed such packages exist).
I know there are billions of variables (resort type/size, country, distance from centre, size of group) but just looking for some generic costings.
Thanks.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Neil Neige wrote: |
For example, a pre-Christmas chalet week. I'm guessing you can get these for under £500 with flight, transfer, and chalet board - maybe around £400 even? |
Not sure about that, I suspect you'll pay between £400-£500 for an s/c deal that week with catered chalet being a few hundred quid more than that. Have a look at the large operators to get a guide price (Crystal, Neilson etc.), there will no doubt be deals to be had but that will give you an idea on what's average-ish.
I'd be amazed if you pick up anything at any time of the season which includes flight and H/B chalet for under £400, especially this year.
CHeapest I've managed is £455pp including lift pass. It was last week of March (which is a surprisingly cheap week if it doesn't clash with Easter holidays) and it was 3 of us in a tiny s/c room with a 2 for 1 lift pass deal.
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@Neil Neige, for a group trip I budget for £1000 pp based on coupled (all in). Maybe more maybe less but that's the marker. For us as a couple the budget is higher generally. No doubt it can be done cheaper and more expensive but that's my experiences / choices
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I tend to asses ski holidays based on the average cost per full day skiing. This includes everything from flights, lift pass, ski hire or ski transport, transfers to and from airport at both ends, but does not have to include food. (some flight times and locations are such that you will need to pay more for transport to airport or have a night in an airport hotel)
If it is around £100-£130 per day then this is probably a pretty good deal, and worth me considering. However, the weather conditions, and snow sure ability is also important.
So for example, the pre season week in Tignes with snowheads, works out within this range and includes food. I have been skiing several years within this period in Tignes/Val d, and you are always likely to have some excellent skiing. At the very least the glacier will be open.
In Scotland, it can cost about that for me to get to a ski resort and have a lift pass for a day. I can go when the snow is good, and weather is good. I can pick and choose times to suit, so it is always good weather but the skiing is limiting.
The marginal benefit of increasing the cost beyond this range is generally not of interest to me, as the add ons and benefits are not in my agenda.
So this will give you a base idea of what a good week skiing might cost all included (£600-£700).
You can pay a lot more than this. Usually people do pay more than this. However, they are choosing to go when they can fit it in. I choose to go when conditions are best.
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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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There are a number of £300-400 HB/Catered Chalet deals across the Alps/Pyrenees (Bulgaria starts at £240) for various low season dates (early Jan or pre-Xmas) this season on the consolidator websites....I expect these will get cheaper nearer the time if they remain unsold.
It's been getting harder to find anything nice sub-£300 in recent years, but I did a nice Chalet Hotel in Lech for that price in Dec 2012.
I expect this season may have a lot of unsold December holidays (inc Xmas) due to the poor conditions the last 2 years and buyers being unwilling to commit after getting fingers burnt...there could be a lot of bargains if you're willing to wait and see if the snow arrives earlier this year.
Not sure what effect Sterling weakness will have...maybe more unsold holidays due to customers thinking twice...TO's Euro costs will be higher, but a lot of that may be hedged and they still need to fill the unsold spaces...it will certainly be pricier on the ground when you get there, so may be a good season to pre-pay as much as possible in Sterling.
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| Neil Neige wrote: |
A friend is organising a trip for late Jan.
He's found a deal in the Dolomites for £550. It's for an average looking chalet, doesn't include flight, and you have to share a room.
Doesn't sound like much of a deal to me!
Of course these things depend on tons of factors but though it would be handy to set out some approximate costs of different types of hol.
For example, a pre-Christmas chalet week. I'm guessing you can get these for under £500 with flight, transfer, and chalet board - maybe around £400 even?
Any companies throwing in lift passes and keeping to £500?
Hope this is a useful thread... |
That deal isn't great...there are lots of options with flights for that kind of money, esp if you don't mind earlier in Jan...you can do better if there are just 2 of you and you are flexible...but you might have to wait 'til nearer the time to get the best prices...depends how flexible you are or if you need to book time of work and get it all sorted now.
December will likely be cheaper, but not worth booking 'till the snow conditions are certain.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yeah agreed, I think if you can be very flexible and can hold your nerve till the very last minute package last minute deals can be bargainous, particularly out of season.
That's easier to do if there's just a couple, a small family or a small group of friends. Harder if you've got a large group/whole chalet size booking.
However if you are specific in what you want & where you want to go, then booking as early as possible is generally best, particularly DIY.
By way of comparison this is what I am paying for our DIY Courhcevel holiday at New Year this year:
BA flights for 4 London to Lyon on Saturday New Years eve, returning Sunday 8 Jan = 452 (booked early!)
Car hire: Just under 250 for an estate
Apartment in Courchevel : approx 870 at current ex. rates
Fuel and tolls: maybe 60
Overnight hotel in Lyon before Journey home (given 1 extra day skiiing on Sat 7th before driving to Lyon and flying home Sunday am)= 63 at current ex. rates.
Total is just under £ 1690. That's for 2 adults and 2 kids so roughly GBP 422.50 per person.
That's without food of course but it's a peak season week and we are away for 8 nights and skiing 7 days.
I'd say a package at new year would be hard to come by for that sort of price (and you wouldn't get a package for the extra night and extra day).
Our Easter DIY usually involves driving to Courchevel. This years:
Eurotunnel, fuel and tolls: Around £500 (though the £ was buying over EUR 1.3 at the time)
Apartment rental: £700
Overnight on the way down: £100
GBP 1300 = 325 per person.
The overnight on the way down means we usually arrive in resort early enough on the Saturday to get the passes and kids ski hire, get the bus up to 1850, ski for a few hours on the long free Bellecote drag to warm the kids up, before skiiing back to 1550, so best part of half a day. They then hit the ground running for their lessons Sunday morning.
Jan is not peak season. It won't be a cheap as pre-xmas or late March early April (non Easter), but you should still be able to bag some deals.
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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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This is a budget for 8 weeks in our motorhome based in Valloire.
Eurotunnel £70 using Tesco vouchers
Fuel 2500 miles at 25 mpg £500
Aires and a few campsites £500
Gas bottles £300
Season passes 2@ £250 plus 30 discounted day passes at other resorts total £1100
Total about £2500. excluding food ( mostly cook in the van)
For this we will get a minimum of 70 days skiing, so about £35 a day.
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@BoardieK, you get 70 days skiing in 8 weeks? That's very impressive 
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You know it makes sense.
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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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That's between the two of us. 45 days for myself but my wife is a fair weather skier so about 30 days for her.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@BoardieK, I assumed that's what you were getting at, tongue was lodged firmly in cheek 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| BoardieK wrote: |
This is a budget for 8 weeks in our motorhome based in Valloire.
Eurotunnel £70 using Tesco vouchers
Fuel 2500 miles at 25 mpg £500
Aires and a few campsites £500
Gas bottles £300
Season passes 2@ £250 plus 30 discounted day passes at other resorts total £1100
Total about £2500. excluding food ( mostly cook in the van)
For this we will get a minimum of 70 days skiing, so about £35 a day. |
It is unlikely that there would be 70 days skiing with suitable snow levels and weather for my liking within 8 weeks. I would estimate that you might get about 3 days per week, and that would equate to 24 days. This makes it £100, or more importantly £50 per person per day!
This sounds about the equivalent to what it costs to run my van for 1 person, but choosing which days and which resorts to ski at, as well as visiting beach resorts on the south of France. Diesel was about 10%-20% cheaper at that time, and return ferry costs were much higher from Scotland. However, aires and campsites would have been cheaper for me and I certainly would not have used so much gas. (gas heating was only used in extreme cold nights below -10C outside)
The up front costs of your motorhome would have been much higher than my van though. (it only cost £5000, plus about £1,500 to fit it out)
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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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@luigi, what are 'the consolidator websites' ? Interested to see what's on there
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've managed about 45 days for the last 3 years. Ok, so some days are rubbish and I only board for a half day, but I'm new to this and enthusiastic and I know from surfing that you only get really good by getting in when it's onshore and blown out.
We did spend a lot, £39k, on the van but 7 years on and it's still valued at about £32k and running expenses aren't too bad; £320 insurance inc full euro breakdown, £165 private hgv tax.
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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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| Levi215 wrote: |
| @luigi, what are 'the consolidator websites' ? Interested to see what's on there |
Google 'ski deals' and take your pick of all the TOs deal pages and consolidators offers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| BoardieK wrote: |
I've managed about 45 days for the last 3 years. Ok, so some days are rubbish and I only board for a half day, but I'm new to this and enthusiastic and I know from surfing that you only get really good by getting in when it's onshore and blown out.
We did spend a lot, £39k, on the van but 7 years on and it's still valued at about £32k and running expenses aren't too bad; £320 insurance inc full euro breakdown, £165 private hgv tax. |
Keep parking it in ski resorts, and you will find it loses its value faster than the average vehicle. (if you can really sell it for that price in a recession) It is not cheaper to ski this way for one person unless you buy a van for about £3,000 or less, although once you have sunk the initial costs the marginal costs make it viable.
I was looking on ebay today, and saw what was for sale at £3,000. Most have mileage above 100,000 and are registered as campers. For me, I would find it too cold now to sleep in the back of a van, and be keen enough to ski the next day. Muscle recovery takes longer when you get older! (also I had much more body insulation in those days, I am about 30 kgs lighter now compared to my van living times, so I feel the cold more even though I could add more sleeping bags)
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 16-10-16 14:42; edited 1 time in total
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@ kelsie....who was that amazing special with please? pretty scary though having your flights booked already
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I liked the ease of booking it all through a TO last year - then, the only thing I need to worry about is getting to the airport!
Just booked 6 nights (5 ski days) in Andorra HB, inc flights, transfers, equipment hire & lift passes, for £444pp - that works out at £88.80 per ski day. Can't wait!
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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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@Amunah, can you indicate how much it will cost for return to the airport at UK end? (including all associated costs like parking, short hotel stays)
There are often great offers I see, but the costs to getting to Heathrow and back at the time stipulated usually outweighs the cheap deal for me. Even getting to an airport near me return at the cheap flight times, can often require expenses way in excess of the actual cheap deal.
A bizarre but extreme example. I bought a return flight to Germany from Glasgow for £1. I decided in the end not to take it up, because of the full week of rain forecast. I saved a fortune on associated costs by deciding not to go. (even though I purchased the return flight)
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Gatwick is a three hour drive for us, I think I manage both out and back on three quarters of a tank (diesel car that does 64 mpg) for about £25, and last year parking at APH was £30.69 for a week.
Flights were inclusive in the package, so I have no idea what that would cost separately (Skyskanner didn't list Lleida-Alguaire last time I looked).
Oh, and the Dartford charge - 2 x £1.67... 
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FAQ
I'd like to go back some day.
