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How do you arrange your trip?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi,

If you don't own a property abroad, how do you go about finding your accommodation and everything?
I've booked through Crystal this time, but am hoping there is a cheaper way for the future. Is it cheaper to go for a chalet? Catered or not? Hotel half board? Or apartment and going out to eat? I am new to this and any hints and tips are much appreciated!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@bobcat, You missed off "apartment and cook for yourself" from your list.

Most resorts will have a central booking website where you can choose what kind of place you want, the exception seems to be Italy.
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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?
Very Happy Haha, yes I did miss that option...not sure I can force myself to cook after a days skiing on a short holiday. Take out maybe.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Do you use Crystal/Inghams/Ski total?
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@bobcat, I guess it also depends on what sort of holiday you're looking for.

Yes we own a place, but this year, the boys trip was going somewhere else. So our order of preference in deciding where to go was:


1) what sort of skiing did we want - based on standard of skiers: off piste/ mogul munchers / blue cruisers/beginners/ bar flys etc. and its accessibility from accommodation - would people put up with a 10/20/30 min bus wait&ride on a daily basis, or want ski in /out.
1a) If a variety of skiing needs, did they want to meet up at lunch, for example, or was evening socialising sufficient?
1b) as a corollary to (1) then, how many km of piste did we need?
1c) And did anyone in the group have relevant experience of the places up for debate?
2) Then, what level of catering: hotel, chalet, self would people accept? What facilities came with that?
3) Transport options: plane, train, automobile, and transfer times
4) Was TO easier, or DIY more adaptable?
5) Does the evening social life matter to this group, and if so, at what level?
5) And finally, price: Value is always important, but getting it 'right' more so.


On the other hand, if it was family then previous experience of the resort may be more important ("been there, liked it, know my way around, want to go back") - or indeed the opposite. Slopeside accommodation may factor higher in your thinking. And child care for younger families may be the determinant.

Or a couples event: catering for non-skiers perhaps become vital, or a decent ski school for newbies, neither of which are a particular issue with a 'boys week'.


So I think I'm saying the order of importance is determined by who is being invited!



But if "cheaper" is the key thing, then absolutely you can find ways to do it cheaper than the next man. Just be aware of all the other things that
might be compromised to make it so. (piste miles, accessibility, food quality, ski pass area coverage, room size, dates, snow cover etc. etc.)


But if you know where to look and go, it can be a steal. This Dec. I and my daughter had 4 days staying in Bourg St Maurice. DIY. Not a skiing hotel, but did have hire car (to get from the airport).

Small out of town hotel, €70 per night for the two of us, plus (extortionate) breakfast @ €12 each - there was a possible saving.
Off peak flights (actually, used airmiles)
Off peak car hire (also mainly airmiles)
Car and central location meant we chose where to ski based on local knowledge and conditions.
First week of season, so day-passes on special offer.Also special Saturday deals
As above breakfast at the hotel, snack lunch on the slopes, evening meal at various eateries in town - which again, not being a ski station were geared to local economics, not tourist traps.

I'm sure we could have got a better Euros per km ratio had we chosen a ski pass for just one resort, but then that wasn't entirely our criteria.

So yes, cheaper is possible. Heck: it was warm enough in the valley to have camped out that week...
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There's no such thing as free lunch.

If you want to have your holiday as cheap as possible, you'll have to do a lot more on your own. Cook your own meal, clean up after yourself, arrange your own hire and lesson, a bit of a walk or bus to the lifts etc...

Much of the different lodging option isn't so much more or less expensive. It's got more to do with what you'd like. For the longest time, I thought I prefer hotel at half board. Because I wanted someone to do all the work for me. But this year, after a week in an apartment with kitchen, I'm beginning to like THAT instead. It wasn't much cheaper though, it being ski-in/ski-out. Basically, I traded eating convenience for ski convenience.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We've always booked ourselves, rather than gone with a TO, more for convenience than cost in all honesty, but realistically I never see the point in paying more to have to take the dates, transfer times etc. the TO offers.

That said, if the dates and transfer times suit I can see why many choose that route (tbh a few threads recently about nightmare experiences with TO's have probably put me off for life)!

We normally book flights when they're cheap, then search for accommodation after, but there is of course a risk with that approach!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I think the cheapest way is book flights as soon as they are available. Then decide where you want to go within a reasonable transfer time (check that there are transfers available first). There are loads of accomodation websites, holiday lettings, Airbnb etc, Google, and the resort homepage usually. We usually book self-catering but eat lunch on the mountain and some dinners out. Google and book transfers or hire car. Buy lift pass through resort homepage. Skis from sport2000, skiset, intersport etc if you need them. Finally do some research into ski schools or a guide if you want that.

It's more effort but personally I quite enjoy the research and you get something tailor made to your needs. Only other downside is that if you mess something up, you're on your own. But there are also stories on here of tour operators leaving people high and dry.
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How do you find your accommodation? The central booking website as mentioned above? Or another way?

How much do you reckon you spend per trip?
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Sorry, didn't see your reply when I submitted mine @Themasterpiece
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@bobcat, booking.com. tourist info websites, google the name of the resort and look at the google map, airbnb, apartment owners on here,
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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.
In all honesty we do spend A LOT of time on Booking.com ha!

But it does depend where you go, for example we (unusually I appreciate) go to Southern Poland every year so we book via local (i.e. Polish hosted, but often English language) websites.

My standard approach is currently as follows:

1) Pick ski area (my current criteria is a circa 2 hour flight, then 90 min transfer)
2) Have a quick scan of accommodation (i.e. check at least some is still available on booking.com to get an idea of worst case scenario)...if there is anything decent with free cancellation book that as a free option
3) Book flights
4) Spend the next few weeks checking out accommodation again
5) Sort out transfers

When picking the ski area, aside from the travel time, at the mo I'm looking for the right blend of runs and if its ski in/ski out is the run its by okay for our little one, if not do they operate a shuttle bus.

In terms of cost, we've spent a week in Poland for probably less than £100 per day for everything, our last trip to Are the flights were £165 for 3 including luggage, but then we paid up for accommodation, staying in Copperhill Mountain Lodge, could have got a self catering place by the slopes for (I think) something like £60 per night.

Not sure if that helps at all, but happy to answer any questions if my approach is any use (it won't suit everyone as I make a point of trying to avoid the crowded French resorts)!
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 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
I suspect TOs might be interesting if your requirements are limited.

That said, cheap airlines have changed all the dynamics.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@bobcat, It's tough to say, trips for me have ranged from £600 all in to £2-3k all in (costs pp). Done both DIY and through operators and i've found that the TO costs are slightly cheaper for the same package than a DIY cost.

The key thing is that you can spend what you want (within reason), booking.com, tourist board websites in resort, main resort sites, TO. It's a lot of work to compare it all. For best value, something absolutely last minute seems to be the best bet, but that comes with not hitting 100% of your target. Which kind of means, you can either set what you want, and pay for it or choose a compromise on it, or take it the other way and set a budget and try to squeeze what you can out of it..
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Thanks for your replies. It certainly is a lot of work scouting around comparing a TO package with DIY. Glad i'm not the only one that found TO to be cheaper.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@bobcat, you're not, the key thing to know is that if you're comparing like with like then in most circumstances TO will be cheaper. When many talk about doing DIY to in some way beat the TO prices there are compromises there to make it cheaper. On average the research i've done on like-for-like deals was 10% cheaper. The exception was booking with Scott Dunn on hotel based accommodation, i could do it 5-10% cheaper than them but it wasn't an offer and was top end so probably didn't have the economies of scale that someone like Crystal would have.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Used a TO for my last trip, accom and lift pass deal. Took 20 minutes of discussion at the lift pass office before I got our passes as they claimed the TO hadn't paid them for the passes. No rep in resort, number in UK didn't work on a Saturday, no reply to any emails since my return.

Normally I just arrange everything myself, but this deal was too good to turn down ( Sunweb) Apartment was superb, Chalet Skadi in Val D. I shall be going there again next year whichever way I can do it cheapest,
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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?
@bobcat, depending on what you look for in a holiday, you may or may not like UCPA. You book through an English company called Action Outdoors, and their holidays are all inclusive except travel - book Easyjet or similar well in advance to keep costs down. It's the cheapest way I've found to ski - their hols include accom, lift pass, ski and boot hire, instruction and 3 meals a day. The accom is in multi share rooms though - this puts some people off. So far I've done 3 trips and twice been in a room of 4 and once of 5 (this time all 5 of us were travelling together). If you go in a pair you can pay a bit extra for a twin/double in some centres. If you travel in a group of less than 4 you will prob have a stranger or 2 in your room.

The centres are comfortable, warm, plenty of simple but tasty food, and basic. So if you're there to ski they are perfect.

Have a look at action-outdoors.com - you won't believe the prices, though next winter won't be priced up till Aug. If interested you should sign up for their newsletter so you don't miss it when holidays are released - they sell out FAST.
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vjmehra wrote:
In all honesty we do spend A LOT of time on Booking.com ha!

But it does depend where you go, for example we (unusually I appreciate) go to Southern Poland every year so we book via local (i.e. Polish hosted, but often English language) websites.

My standard approach is currently as follows:

1) Pick ski area (my current criteria is a circa 2 hour flight, then 90 min transfer)
2) Have a quick scan of accommodation (i.e. check at least some is still available on booking.com to get an idea of worst case scenario)...if there is anything decent with free cancellation book that as a free option
3) Book flights
4) Spend the next few weeks checking out accommodation again
5) Sort out transfers

When picking the ski area, aside from the travel time, at the mo I'm looking for the right blend of runs and if its ski in/ski out is the run its by okay for our little one, if not do they operate a shuttle bus.

In terms of cost, we've spent a week in Poland for probably less than £100 per day for everything, our last trip to Are the flights were £165 for 3 including luggage, but then we paid up for accommodation, staying in Copperhill Mountain Lodge, could have got a self catering place by the slopes for (I think) something like £60 per night.

Not sure if that helps at all, but happy to answer any questions if my approach is any use (it won't suit everyone as I make a point of trying to avoid the crowded French resorts)!



Sorry to but in but can I ask what you think of skiing in Poland? Our friend lives
In Poland and isn't too impressed about the snow conditions, queues and resorts. Just interested in someone else's opinion though. We've done Scandinavia for the last few years.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@vjmehra,
Quote:

Not sure if that helps at all, but happy to answer any questions if my approach is any use (it won't suit everyone as I make a point of trying to avoid the crowded French resorts)!


What does 'crowded' mean to you? I skied 3V, Les Arc, La Rosiere/La Thuile over last Christmas and New Year and never had more than a handful of people ahead of me in a lift queue (mostly nobody) apart from coming out of VT to head back to Les Menuires where we had to wait maybe 5 minutes. Not a great fan of VT anyway so that was only twice. March was the PDS (based in La Chappelle D'Abondance) which was even quieter. 7 days in Espace Killy from 15th April was skiing straight onto the lift over 90% of the time too. (Skied Mayrhofen/Zillertal in Jan too and was equally as quiet).

It's not difficult to avoid 'crowds' in the bigger French resorts if you can choose when to go.

To answer the opening post - we usually look at the resort's central reservation for an apartment. Or abritel. We've now got a couple of 'tame' owners in the PDS and Espace Killy who we contact directly and take cash payment.
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@vjmehra, (apologies to the OP) I looked at skiing in Poland but it seemed you needed to drive around the various resorts? Are there ski in/out places in Poland? I formed the opinion that it was a bit like skiing in Bavaria, absolutely wonderful to explore small, beautiful quiet resorts but not so good if you need to be mainly in one place with a fair amount of mileage ie for small children, or in our case for sociability, (meeting for lunch in apartment) reasons at present an elderly relative!

On topic, everything Arctic Roll said, with the addition that if you can go off peak its cheaper than at popular times almost however you do it. Also for real budget its worth looking to see what 'log cabins' camp sites have available, taking a caravan these days costs so much in fuel/channel crossing costs that a small apartment can be cheaper.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I say to Mrs M I would like to go to an area to ski, and she finds the most expensive 4* hotel in that area and tells me that we must go there.

Usually she is right Smile
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
musher wrote:
I say to Mrs M I would like to go to an area to ski, and she finds the most expensive 4* hotel in that area and tells me that we must go there.

Usually she is right Smile

Heh Laughing That's how I seem to do it too...
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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.
Quote:

Sorry to but in but can I ask what you think of skiing in Poland? Our friend lives
In Poland and isn't too impressed about the snow conditions, queues and resorts. Just interested in someone else's opinion though. We've done Scandinavia for the last few years.


In all honesty...rubbish by most people's standards...we however are easily pleased Happy

In all seriousness, we have a (nearly) 3 year old and my wife is evolving from snowplough turns so for us its great.

For anyone experienced I would suggest that its worth a long weekend if you fancy something different and the conditions are decent, but I wouldn't make a long trip out of it.

For kids Nosal is great (very short runs, although hopefully they are re-developing the FIS run this year).

Bialka Tatzranska is the best resort by a mile (yet no-one has ever heard of it and assumes Zakopane is the place to go...which it really isn't).

The best place for 'proper alpine' is called Kasprowy Wierch, which I must confess I haven't been to, its the only long alpine style run in Poland (as far as I'm aware) and looks decent based on Youtube videos...however I should point out that its in a national park so snow machines are not allowed and you get fined if you go off-piste (you can go off-piste in Poland, just not in national parks).

As for the queues, yeah they are pretty long at times (e.g. school holidays, which don't always match up perfectly to UK holidays), for example a blue that takes an intermediate sub 10 mins to descend you may be queuing for over 30 mins.

As for snow conditions...yes they can be rubbish, for clarity the reason we keep going back is because my wife is Polish and still learning (for beginners I'd definitely recommend it, lessons are soooooooooooo much cheaper...think £15 for a 1 hour 1:1 private lesson at some places)!

We were big fans of Are, Sweden however and I suspect 2018 will be spent exploring Scandinavia (plus a couple of long weekends in Poland).
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Quote:

What does 'crowded' mean to you? I skied 3V, Les Arc, La Rosiere/La Thuile over last Christmas and New Year and never had more than a handful of people ahead of me in a lift queue (mostly nobody) apart from coming out of VT to head back to Les Menuires where we had to wait maybe 5 minutes. Not a great fan of VT anyway so that was only twice. March was the PDS (based in La Chappelle D'Abondance) which was even quieter. 7 days in Espace Killy from 15th April was skiing straight onto the lift over 90% of the time too. (Skied Mayrhofen/Zillertal in Jan too and was equally as quiet).

It's not difficult to avoid 'crowds' in the bigger French resorts if you can choose when to go.

To answer the opening post - we usually look at the resort's central reservation for an apartment. Or abritel. We've now got a couple of 'tame' owners in the PDS and Espace Killy who we contact directly and take cash payment.


Anywhere in France Toofy Grin

Are was amazing in March, the pistes were beautifully empty.

In all seriousness I fully respect that you can avoid the crowds if you pick carefully in France, but with the type of skiing/boarding we do it just never seems to make sense for us to go (that's not slating France, merely that for our criteria it makes sense to go elsewhere at this moment in time...as the little one gets bigger and my wife gets more experienced that will change).
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Over 30 minute queues? That's worse than anything I've ever experienced in Austria, Italy, Switzerland or France! (I've had worse, once, at Glenshee).
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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.
Quote:

@vjmehra, (apologies to the OP) I looked at skiing in Poland but it seemed you needed to drive around the various resorts? Are there ski in/out places in Poland? I formed the opinion that it was a bit like skiing in Bavaria, absolutely wonderful to explore small, beautiful quiet resorts but not so good if you need to be mainly in one place with a fair amount of mileage ie for small children, or in our case for sociability, (meeting for lunch in apartment) reasons at present an elderly relative!


There is a lot of truth in that, you need to know where to go.

There are ski in/ski out options, but personally I wouldn't bother with anywhere other than Bialka Tatzranska.

There is a lot of money being thrown at ski resorts in Poland however so its worth keeping an eye on things, Czarna Gora (be careful there are 2 in Poland and 1 in the Czech Republic all within a few hundred miles of each other) on the Polish side of the Czech border has had a lot of investment, but there isn't that much there yet.

Szczyrk has a decent enough piste map for a long weekend, but conditions are hit and miss...the town is nice to explore, but only worthwhile for skiing if there has been decent natural snow (they do have some snow machines, but its still 'up and coming').

Bialka Tatzranska about 10-15 mins outside Zakopane is by far the best place to go, it has the most modern infrastructure in Poland (i.e. newer chairlifts, snow machines etc.) and has 1 large ski in/ski out hotel at the bottom of the nursery slopes and a couple of blues. Additionally the main hotel joins onto a Thermal bath complex which is pretty cool. That said in terms of going out, there are a few different hotels (with bars, bowling alleys, pool tables, restaurants etc. and 1 club), but if you have serious partying ambitions you need to head into Zakopane...however on the partying front if you do make it that far, you won't be disappointed!

All that said...yes if you get a Tatryski pass you realistically need a car to get around, all the slopes are pretty short, so you'll want to do half a day at each (excluding Bialka which is bigger) and most of the Zakopane slopes are even shorter and not part of Tatryski (although one is ski in/ski out right from the Mercure Kasprowy).

There is only 1 place for longer Alpine style runs and that is Kasprowy Wierch, I have to confess I haven't actually tried it yet, but it looks decent on Youtube. I should stress its in a national park and the rules are quite strict so no snow machines are allowed and you can get fined for attempting to go off-piste.

Quote:

On topic, everything Arctic Roll said, with the addition that if you can go off peak its cheaper than at popular times almost however you do it. Also for real budget its worth looking to see what 'log cabins' camp sites have available, taking a caravan these days costs so much in fuel/channel crossing costs that a small apartment can be cheaper.


In Poland Log Cabins often get booked up a year in advance (as does the decent hotel accommodation), so although you could get an amazing location 100m from the slopes for nothing...you have to book it well in advance!!!
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 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
Quote:


Over 30 minute queues? That's worse than anything I've ever experienced in Austria, Italy, Switzerland or France! (I've had worse, once, at Glenshee).


Yeah it can be ridiculous, but its not that the pistes are that crowded, its just that everyone starts from the same point, so everyone virtually gets on the same lift in the morning, hence the queues, once you get away from that you rarely have to share a chair (depending on the time of day).
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Oh one last point, most slopes offer night skiing until 10pm, which is kind of cool as you don't need to hunt around for a slope that does, its assumed they all do unless otherwise stated!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Thanks vjmehra, that pretty much sums up what our friends said. Maybe for a long weekend then. Shame because it's not too far away and I really like Poland.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@vjmehra, Thank you for all the information! 'Tis much appreciated.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@CaravanSkier, np, if you have any specific questions about Poland, if you were interested in the South (i.e south of Krakow) I can probably help...further North, less so!
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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?
IMHO there are two ways to beat the TO standard pricing.

1 Book your flight[s] with a budget airline as soon as they are released when they are cheap. Consider the cost of the transfer when decision making. Geneva + Alpybus or Bensbus or Zurich and a train. The get on the web and start searching. Look at the French etc equivalents of Craigslist. Phone the Tourist Office NB this works in Italy as well as France Austria etc. NB This takes work and time. Keep notes.

2 Wait till the last minute and look for deals with the TOs. SkiWorld operate an excellent honest what you see is what you get last minute deals page. Some TOs operate their deals page as a blatant 'bait and switch' operation. Skiline.co.uk had an excellent record of having deals that no body else had I have not gone through them recently but check them out. I have had some great deals often booking on Friday and flying out Saturday TOD. But you need nerve.
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TQA wrote:
IMHO there are two ways to beat the TO standard pricing.

1 Book your flight[s] with a budget airline as soon as they are released when they are cheap. Consider the cost of the transfer when decision making. Geneva + Alpybus or Bensbus or Zurich and a train. The get on the web and start searching. Look at the French etc equivalents of Craigslist. Phone the Tourist Office NB this works in Italy as well as France Austria etc. NB This takes work and time. Keep notes.

2 Wait till the last minute and look for deals with the TOs. SkiWorld operate an excellent honest what you see is what you get last minute deals page. Some TOs operate their deals page as a blatant 'bait and switch' operation. Skiline.co.uk had an excellent record of having deals that no body else had I have not gone through them recently but check them out. I have had some great deals often booking on Friday and flying out Saturday TOD. But you need nerve.


Or Geneva or Lyon + a hire car. We've got a hire car booked from Lyon from 23rd Dec 2017 until 3rd Jan 2018 costing £212. We've got an apartment booked in Les Menuires 23 -30 dec. Then we'll move to a cheap hotel in Albertville and probably ski a day in Les Arc, and two days in Espace San Bernardo from that base. Variety and cheapness.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
At the moment I a organising 2 trips - the family trip and the boys trip. Both very different (obviously). Family in some ways is easier since its more about what my wife and I prefer with the kids coming along for the ride, though increasingly we are aware that keeping them happy is important. We are going in Feb next year with the family and at this stage its looking like self catering in Meribel, mainly because it has good terrain and we know the ski schools.

the lads trip is a long weekend and hence different criteria - 1) broader range of skiing; 2) good apres; and 3) short transfer time. This year the lads trip was to Megeve - it ticked 2 out of 3 boxes (lack of Apres being the missing one). Next year the crew are voting for somewhere in Austria
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Well after 3 yrs in a row of going with a TO (Crystal) we're changing tact completely and trading in our caravan for a motorhome. I know it's not exactly comparing apples with apples but...

1 Week in Solden, Austria with Crystal, B&B, 3 adults, 1 child flying from Edinburgh is currently pricing up at £3k (Xmas week) to £4k (New Years week).

A rough estimate for us using the motorhome, so ferries, campsite fees, diesel tolls etc is coming out at around £1.7k. For that though we're hoping to get a min of 8 days skiing in 2 resorts (Solden + ?), spend Xmas day somewhere pretty in Germany and visit Brugges on the way back.

We could do it cheaper in the motorhome if we tried as the Solden campsite is more expensive than most but we think it's worth it for the height of the resort and no need for shuttle busses to the lift. We've been caravanning for years and even towed it to France but first time out in winter with a motorhome we'll play it relatively safe. We could also shave a few hundred £ off by sailing in and out of Dover rather than overnights from Newcastle and back to Hull but that maximises our available time (travelling whilst sleeping).

Alright, so you've got to factor in the cost of buying the motorhome buy we'll use that for more than just 2 weeks skiing at Xmas/New Year (Easter skiing anyone?) and for many years to come hopefully.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
With a package it is not your problem if Air Traffic or the airline/ferry goes on strike. If booking yourself , you could end up with accommodation/car hire paid for but unusable. Not sure if all/any insurance policies cover this.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:

With a package it is not your problem if Air Traffic or the airline/ferry goes on strike. If booking yourself , you could end up with accommodation/car hire paid for but unusable. Not sure if all/any insurance policies cover this.


But to look at it the other way...with a TO in that scenario you could end up somewhere you really didn't want to go!

You can get insurance (generally as an add on, rather than as part of the main policy in my experience...doesn't cost much more tbh, I've always got it just in case)!
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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.
I have just hired a whole house for 16 peeps, 100m from.a lift, ski back to the door, very near the town centre, in one of my very favourite areas of Austria, that no TO offers holidays. Inc flights and transfers the cost is £300 per person.

The resort tourism office has a website that I entered my requirements into and I got about 10 offers back. Transfers quotes were obtained from doing a Google search of taxi companies in the town.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
The only time in recent years we have used TOs was to ensure decent child care (Esprit and VIP). Otherwise we much prefer DIY. Long coach trips (often with people I would not choose to spend time with) and delays caused by waiting for several flights to arrive before said coach departs really annoys me. Also the obligatory "welcome meetings" and other crap is not my thing.

Jumping in a car and going to different places is for me a big attraction to DIY. But I am an antisocial git so there you are. Horses for courses?
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