Help! Does anybody have experience of a well situated ( for shpps/delis and ski lifts) and known self catering chalet for 4 really good and sensible kids who want to go skiing together this Feb half term 2017? Looking probably at France. They are all confident on piste skiers on reds and blacks. Obvs we are looking at costs as we are not rich - but they want to be in a good ski region where they can have fun.
Would love any advice or help that is out there, Many thanks in advance!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@tinabf, will they all be over 18?
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?
Avoriaz SC apartment try Pierre et Vacences.Most are ski in/out and the is a good supermarket in the resort.
A stand alone chalet [ house ] will be much more expensive and pretty rare.
UCPA. If you are based in the UK check our Action Outdoors, loads of options there and all will provide you with a good time, tuition if you want it (a good idea socially to get to know others in the accommodation) and very very reasonably priced even for peak weeks like half term. Also plenty of bases in very good ski areas around France.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Sorry just saw the self catered bit. Unless this is due to some serious dietary requirements I'd let UCPA do the cooking, the savings by comparison will be tiny. Also conveniently many of their rooms are shared between 4 of you, so you will almost certainly be able to share with your friends in one room.
Link for the UCPA one , thinking of sending the kids to this instead of the overpriced school trip
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.
@rungsp, All the young ones are sensible now for some reason?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I was looking at these guys, who I have used a couple of times: www.sunweb.co.uk. I'm not linked to them in anyway; but they do help folks on a budget get a great deal.
If you choose somewhere such as Val Thorens with them, you get a ski pass per person worth €238 EUR in the deal. And when you factor that in, some of their self-catering apartments with flights (from London), transfers, bronze ski package rental (free) and ski pass work out around £439 GBP per person per week. (That will be higher at peak times such as half-term).
So excluding the ski pass, and allowing say €80 EUR for the ski rental, that is just £164 per person for flights, transfers and accommodation for 7 days (that figure will help you compare with other deals on the web from other operators).
The flights include a 20Kg hold bag.
That is just a daft low price, and a real help if you are on a budget. Plus, their site allows you to select all sorts of options, upgrades and extras.
Caveats: It's most likely a "tired" studio for 4 with a sofa bed in the lounge and bunk-beds in the hallway. The ski pass is just for the Val Thorens area; but you can upgrade on their website. The flight times are not the best, but you can select different times. The transfer will most likely just be the Altibus from Geneva with its set timetable. The Val Thorens village is not the best looking ski resort in the alps.
Extras: Tourist tax, towels, bed linen & final cleaning. Plus a refundable €300 EUR deposit, which they will keep if you come back pissed at 3am and have a party in the hallway and wake everyone up
The good news: Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe, with glaciers, extensive snowmaking and guaranteed snow. The setting is spectacular, high in the alps. It has very modern lifts, and an a big range of bars, nightclubs and restaurants at very reasonable prices. You can also pay extra and extend your ski pass to the whole of the giant 3 Valleys — the largest linked ski area in the world. The vast majority of the accommodation is ski-in & ski-out, and most have balconies.
And the apres-ski scene is some of the best in the alps. It has the famous La Folie Douce bar half-way up the mountain: http://youtube.com/v/_YGeip0ZElk
Of course, they have many other options on their website, with bigger and better accommodation if you wish. And they cover many other resorts.
Hope that helps! Have fun!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Thank you for all this info. Much appreciated! They will not be over 18 - only 1 of them - the others are 17
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.
as someone who has stayed with UCPA many times, I don't use action outdoors, just book direct, I wouldn't recommend for a group of British 17 and 18 year olds. Meal times, lessons, bar openings, and activities are all very rigid. I would hate that on my first ski holiday on my own. They may not want to get up early one day and may want to stay out late one night, lunch on the mountain etc. They may not want the lessons etc either and just find their own way. Just my opinion of course.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thanks for that... All opinions appreciated. I don't think that UCPA is what they are looking for. They want clean and reasonably comfortable accom; good access to good variety of slopes; ease of transfer and getting ski equipment etc; and decent supermarkets so they can buy cooked chicken; cold cuts and cheese - raclette hire possibly. I just want to make it as easy for them as poss -
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@tinabf, have a chat to Charlotte at Easiapartments in Les Deux-Alpes. Not sure what her views will be on sensible under 18s though. http://www.easi-apartments.com/ . You might be able to book them a self-catering package with a tour operator.
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