Last-minute bookings - what are good sources for that?

A snowHead

Hi forum members.
A couple of months ago I made a "speculative" booking to fly to Geneva GVA with my family 24-31 Dec for about a hundred quid, with the idea of getting accommodation as late as possible (at the moment, my son gets a lot of colds from other children in his school reception class and I don't want to book in advance in case he falls ill).
QUESTION: Where would you start looking for last minute-deals? What resources? Not necessarily online, maybe there are some others too? I would probably start looking only 2-4 days before the trip. Also, do people on this forum offer any cancellations during the seasons? (I assume it happens).
Thanks. Costa.

A snowHead

Worth trying the tourist offices in the resort by phone. They get notified by local accommodation providers who have unsold rooms.

Skiline is worth a call too. 020 8313 3999

I have had success with both.

Phone is best, that late emails get ignored.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks, TQA. I like the idea of calling the resort tourist office actually! Below is the list of other sources that I've assembled from old threads on this forum about looking for accommodation.
(I've checked them 3 weeks before my. So far there's nothing interesting but something might appear later). This could be useful for others on the forum however:
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Dashed, there are many ways to understand what exact question is meant behind this sentence, but maybe you could help??

For me the situation is simple:
a) there are no good deals for Christmas week to be had by buying in advance
b) If my son is unwell, then there's no point to travel somewhere (with one spouse skiing, and another sitting with the child inside a ski apartment).
c) I don't expect him to be unwell but children at such young age often give each other colds, ear infections, flus, etc. In the past 12 months we have already missed 3 short "away" breaks because it made no sense to travel with an ill child. Even if physically possible, it is more hassle than fun.
d) maybe there will be less expensive last-minute deals. Or maybe not. But, anyway, see (a). There is little to gain by booking now, unless we "must" go somewhere but we don't have to.
e) do I always plan it this way? No, not always.... but again see (a).
f) not sure what the snow situation is. As you likely know, in the past 5 years the snow in December has varied from good to nonexistent (often the latter).

Do you have some other perspective on this situation; a perspective that I am perhaps missing?

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@Costas, what sort of accommodation and childcare services are you looking for? What is your budget?

As it happens the weather is playing right into your hands right now. If there is no snow in the next 8/9 days options should open up nicely.

I booked an apartment a couple of days before we were driving out the year before last (on account the ski area we were originally going to wasn't open). Got a good price but it was that price for a reason - one being how crap the operator was (Odalys) and two the lack of snow.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Hi Layne. I don't really have a fixed budget. The ballpark that I would like to spend for accommodation (we have flights to Geneva already) is €600-€1,200 for the week (give or take, depending how good it is and where).

For me, the wife, and a 4.5 yo child, the ideal setup would be this:
- go to a smaller resort with a nice town
- probably in France (I'd love to revisit Verbier but ski hire/flats usually cost significantly more in Switzerland)
- both wife and son would be put in a beginner ski school during the day for group lessons
- I am on the other side of the "skiing" spectrum. I've skied so much and almost everywhere, so not bothered with being on the slopes any more especially in December. Very Happy

I would be more interested in doing CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING for a couple of hours every day instead (this is great exercise, and it would give me opportunity to pick up my son from ski school during lunches/whenever they finish -- I think kids' school finish quite early).

This would make it a pleasant holiday break without also breaking the bank.

Type of accommodation -- well, flexible. Maybe stay in a chalet (they often have unsold bedrooms because groups are not full). Maybe rent an apartment for ourselves.

Chamonix would work really well (they have a "ski de fond" cross-country track there), except it way too spread out, so not really convenient to dash back and forth on public buses. A compact town like Val d'Isere would be better. But as I said, for them a large ski place like Val would be "too much" now, while I am happy to try other activities, so perhaps a smaller resort...

After all it is free

@Costas, have you considered Austria? Seefeld is only 20 mins in a taxi or train from Innsbruck. The town is perfect, the skiing is also very well suited for beginners and Seefeld boasts some of the best cross country skiing in Europe! I'm taking Mrs Gazzaredcruiser there in March. Four star hotel, full board was only £350 each for 4 nights and there's loads of cheaper accomodation. My flights were £108 each with queezy jet and that included baggage er that's not the wife! Shocked

So all in for four days skiing, inc flights, private transfer, luxury hotel and ski pass it's about £600 each. My wife is not one to rough it, if i were going with a couple of mates we could do it for £400.00. Now that's not bad.

Austrians know how to do it, trust me!

@Costas, sorry, just seen you already have flight to Geneva!! shame, perhaps 2018!

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@Costas,

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

Hi Dashed, yes perhaps my logic was overly simplistic in the original post but I listed on of the main reasons for the uncertainty (It's just that we missed 3 short trips already -- annoying but not a huge expense as only the Ryanair tickets go into the bin; but winter bookings are much less flexible and I'm in no mood to blow £2000 for naught).

I've only looked at the sites I referenced in my 2nd post above and there was nothing interesting there. What's up with the weather, it snow cover bad at the moment? I've not yet followed the weather in the Alps.

You know it makes sense.

@Costas,
Seefeld is a great call especially if you want to do some XC. There is a new kids area at the bottom of Rosshutte and it's pretty good in general for beginners/non skiers. You could also hire a car, leave Mrs & sprog in Seefeld and go explore. We are doing that more now the kids have outgrown the 2 hills there.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Hi musher and Mr Gazzaredcruiser.... the Austria idea sounds great! I just love the Bavarian and Austrian ornamented village houses! Well, if an "Austria package deal" pops up and includes the flights then I would definitely go there (but I am a bit skeptical that the flights would be cheap for 24-31/12).
Layne, yes I am aware that XC-skiing might be a problem at lower-altitude resorts, or.. ehrm, from what you write about the snow situation. Alas I don't like hiking in winter too much.

Btw, are groups ski lessons useful and safe for 4-5 year olds?? Or is it more about just fumbling and tumbling in the snow rather than skiing at that age? Last year I was teaching my son on my own a little. He liked it **A LOT** but it was really hard work for me: with his legs like spaghetti and not really used to skiing yet, we spent an hour each afternoon descending in a snowplow, with him clutched between my legs. But I really had to watch it that his skis don't cross and he doesn't twist his knee, or I fall on top of him by accident. I was more tired from it than from a day of skiing off piste. I have to say the kids instructors must be either extremely skilled in teaching kids, or the kids just don't break anything. Or maybe they don't go down in a snowplow... Puzzled

Sorry a bit off-topic here Blush

but I am just trying to understand what to expect. If I end up teaching him myself, it would be best to go to one of the resorts with a free beginners lift (alas Chamonix is not one).

A snowHead

@Costas, we taught ours. The missus did a bit more than me. It is quite tough - physically and patience wise. But rewarding also.

A taster of our trip when ours where 4 and 6

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=1934450&

A snowHead

@Layne: wow, pretty good. Using the poles already, even the 4-year old!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Costas, take a look at this Very Happy

http://www.crystalski.co.uk/search/ac.7

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@Costas, Try Alpine Answers, we had a great last minute accommodation only chalet through them in Morzine a couple of years ago, have used them a few times, give them a call or check their website

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Hi. Am I right that the situation is fairly dire at the moment? For example, I looked at Morzine, and there are almost no trails open :

http://www.skiplan.com/bulletin/bulletin.php?station=morzine&region=alpes&pays=france&lang=en

(I know these sites likely update lift status to "closed" after the closing time, but do they do the same for trails also? I am looking at the status page at about 4:30pm French time)

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Costas, in Serre Chevalier the website usually shows both pistes and lifts closed after 4.30pm.

After all it is free

It looks to me like Tignes is the best place to go now, followed by Val-d'Isere, Val Thorens and maybe Meribel/Les Deux Alpes.

In Chamonix and Morzine for example there are almost no trails open.

@Costas, if you've got a car hire I'd suggest heading towards Modane and the Fréjus tunnel. The further East you go or ideally over into Italy the more snow. If no car hire then a transfer to Tignes or Val Thorens would be your best choice.

Update:

I suppose you could also do the same via the Mont Blanc tunnel and head towards somewhere like Pila or Courmayeur depending on open pistes/webcams.

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Which resorts in Italy? I've looked for example at the percentage of trails open at Sestriere - not bad. But also not any better than Tignes, in fact a bit worse there...

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try Champoluc....as far as i can see there's loads of snow and all but one run shut., not sure about off piste til i get there in three weeks time

snow reports

Thanks. Where do you see the info? (I've searched for Champoluc lift status, got lots of results but nothing so far shows me trails/lifts)

I am suspecting though it'll have to be France. I checked car bookings on "argus car hire" for this week, and they are €400+, I can get a both-way transfer to most French resorts for less.

Hi, this is an update to my original query.
I ended up going to Tignes / Espace Killy, making a last-minute booking on AirBnb.
This was because Espace Killy was the only area with good snow coverage during 25-31 December.
The sites referenced in the messages didn't have anything too impressive as far as prices go (and anyway I wasn't that interested in going anywhere else due to lack of snow this season).

Help!!

Last-minute bookings - what are good sources for that?

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