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Ski Pass Cost For a Month

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
How do you measure opportunity cost? Cool
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@abc, I don't...it's not a business decision
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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?
abc,

Probably like all of us... ie asking if it is worth buying a season pass wink
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@holidayloverxx, it's much worse when it's a business decision. If you miss a key opportunity, your business may fold.

In skiing, you just miss a nice day on the mountain if you don't go out because you don't feel like paying for a day pass.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Choose your dates wisely. If you’re thinking of France avoid French holidays, ie 2nd 3rd 4th week of Feb and maybe first week of March. Its not quite so critical in Italy and Austria.
If you go before the school hols it could be very cold, shorter days and poor weather, but it will be very quiet and accommodation will be cheaper. Also it would be extremely frustrating to wait for many weeks when others are skiing.
If you go after the hols then the weather will be warmer and more likely to be settled, the snow better but that’s a chance and it depends how high you go, opportunities for touring, and reasonably quiet.

A month is sort of the anti sweet spot, you won’t get the cheapest seasonal accommodation, and the season pass will just about break even. As for kit, if you have boots then it’s a no brainier to get skis, but again choose wisely, you will be skiing much better being out for a month rather than a week and might want something more off piste focused. If budget an issue maybe get some second hand, there’s loads about on Snowheads.

I would also suggest whatever level you are get some lessons from a good instructor(min. level 3 preferably 4) early on it will make a huge difference.

Be aware it’s highly addictive, once you’ve tasted it there no going back.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
My thought to the OP was just that for the lift pass, it might be useful to make a comparison not only on the number of days (let's say 28 ), but also on the number of days they think they'll actually be skiing. The latter is speculative, of course. Just that a month in the mountains isn't necessarily the same as a week x4. Do they really see themselves skiing every day? Even if the weather is bad? Do they have the stamina? Or inclination? For some people, the answer will be "Yes - I intend to ski every day of the 28 I'm able to." for me it would be "On the basis of past experience, it'll probably be about 18 of the 28." And if that's the case, look at the 18-day case as well as the 28-day one, and see how it compares.

I'd echo avoiding the school holidays, if only because you're much more likely to get a discount for the 'quiet' periods between New Year and Half Term, and Half Term and Easter. Most years, our letting agency will ask if we'd accept a discount for someone wanting a longer rental and if it's in the quiet period, I'd rather have 4 weeks guarnateed rental at a discount than a couple of weeks booked at a standard rate.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The OP is already paying a month for lodging. So NOT skiing is money lost also!

Chance of terrible weather aside, 28 half days is a lot more enjoyable than 18 full days.

I tend to calculate differently. I ask how many days to break even. Then it tend to become rather clear whether I will ski that many days. Every day beyond the breakeven day are “freebies”!


Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 2-05-19 18:12; edited 1 time in total
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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!
@abc, People are posting based on their experience. I don't ski every day that I am in a ski resort, and I'm always paying for lodging.
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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.
Our longest stays over the past few years have been 23 days - and we make sure we ski every day.

We are spurred on by reminding ourselves that we once had to go to work all day and managed to do that when we weren't particularly inclined to do so.

So, in comparison, getting ourselves out skiing, regardless of the weather, is a doddle Very Happy Very Happy
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
2017-18 season we were in Austria (Salzburger Superski) for 12 weeks (without working). We did not ski on 4 days when we were moving between ski areas and accommodation. Apart from that we missed 2 days, one when I was not feeling very sharp, and one the day after trying cross country, when I was bruised and battered and fancied the Spa instead. The rest of the days we skied, but not always for a long time - in busy weeks we also sought out obscure small resorts to avoid the crowds.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
rjs wrote:
@abc, People are posting based on their experience. I don't ski every day that I am in a ski resort, and I'm always paying for lodging.

I don’t always ski every single day of my ski trips. But those are more the exceptions. I do plan to ski MOST of the days.

Once factored in flights, carrying cost, lost income etc., the “per day cost” NOT associated with ski pass are non-trivial. So to “save” on lift pass by not skiing x number of days seems rather a false economy?

(Obviously, if it’s a ski+other activity trip, the non-skiing days are still “productive” days)
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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.
abc wrote:
@holidayloverxx, it's much worse when it's a business decision. If you miss a key opportunity, your business may fold.

In skiing, you just miss a nice day on the mountain if you don't go out because you don't feel like paying for a day pass.

...er...yes I know. If it was a business decision I would take into account opportunity and cost...but this is like €200 difference on whether to buy a season pass. I guess I could consider whether I need to cut a couple of lunches to pay for it
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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
My advice is just to do whatever you yearn for and not get hung up on cost. The last two years I bought season passes for under £300 but this year I spent over £1000 buying day passes for the two months we toured in our motorhome, largely because it enabled me to meet up with friends for a week. The extra flexibility meant I enjoyed the season more than being restricted to one resort (Valloire 150km) and I felt I had better value. Best value of all though was the Magicpass last year. My favourite resort of all 3 years was the cheapest; a tiny col with 10 drags and no chairs (I'm a boardie), isolated, beautiful and quiet: Les Mosses.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
holidayloverxx wrote:
this is like €200 difference on whether to buy a season pass. I guess I could consider whether I need to cut a couple of lunches to pay for it

Yes, that's the opportunity cost.

Or cut something else so to have both the season pass and lunch Smile
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@abc, yes, I know how to work out opportunity cost...but i don't actually have to cut the lunches. I can afford the season pass and not be bothered if I don't use it - I said I "could" consider not that I had to


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Fri 3-05-19 13:51; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Great responses, and many looking at things in ways I haven't been. Thanks ever so much.

CG
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I have been buying season passes for a long time now, for both Australia and the Arlberg.

I tend to take the long term view, ie in some years you will make out like a bandit, in others you might only barely break even, while occasionally you might finish up behind. As a regular skier, my experience tells me that in the long run you will come out way ahead. In fact, I cannot actually recall a season where I have finished behind; while 2006, in Australia, was the last time I barely broke even (very low snow year).

In short, I don’t stress about an individual year - will it be good, will it be bad, will something happen to limit my skiing, etc, etc. I buy the pass upfront, pay for it, and go out and enjoy my skiing. The cost had been long-forgotten, as opposed to lining up at the ticket office each day and pulling out the wallet!
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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?
@altis, Hi, do you (or anyone else) know this area Altis; or were you researching and came across it? The terrain in the 6 areas seems great for our needs and abilities- what's the travelling between them like? We will have a car, and shuttles are mentioned, but what's the reality? Thanks.

CG
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@Charliegolf,
Last season's prices, but from the Tignes official website:-
https://www.tignes.net/uploads/media/default/0001/72/7231641638adde62c7fa28954fa648989a6cb793.pdf

Basically upto 15 days, then an additional price per day added, so for 30 days as an adult it was Euro645 plus Euro330 = Euro975. A season pass became cost effective for 48 days or more. snowHead
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Charliegolf, I must confess, for a month, if it was me, and if I didn't have a particularly high requirement in terms of terrain/ability I would be wanting a high degree of convenience.

I have no view on Austria, and I know nothing about the Vanoise and I am biased because of experience, but if it's France I'd want somewhere like the PdS - just because you can make a day out of travelling around on skis. And in season Morzine (or Les Gets, although it's a bit peripheral, or Chatel but I don't know the village as well) is big enough to work.

Chamonix is more of a town but the skiing is less structured. That said, I always forget just how much skiable terrain there is - but much of it is off piste. I should note that I live in Chamonix...

As a joined up area, I find the GM a bit limited, but I haven't been over in conditions to try the "new" bowl. Then again, I don't get bored having to ski pistes in Monterosa snowHead
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@Charliegolf, we do and we like it which is why we keep going back. This year we went to Termignon at both half-term and Easter.

Bessans doesn't offer much - unless you're into biathlon - but there's plenty to go at at the other five. Of these, Val Cenis is the largest. And if you get bored of those there are plenty of other resorts further down the Maurienne valley. Orelle offers a back door into the Three Valleys, Valloire and Valmeinier link together and are quite large, Les Karellis is small but offers some smashing skiing (it's one of our favourites), Albiez-Montrond is a tiny jewel (it's our favourite), Les Sybelles is vast and St Francois-Longchamp links with Valmorel.

There are buses that run up and down the valley to the resorts but they mostly run at the beginning and end of the day. They tend to terminate at the depot in Modane so some planning may be required - orr just use a car which is much easier.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
https://unofficialnetworks.com/2019/05/03/snowpass-mega-ski-snowboard-pass/amp/
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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'd echo @altis, views of the Maurienne valley ski areas.

Our experience is of the upper end centred around Val Cenis and the other related areas on Eskimo ski pass that covers them.

We've been there, family of four, visiting over 4 years so time to explore fairly extensively. It's a very good area to ski with differences in character to each part. Also very easy to move around by car as there's no real restrictions in place for parking etc like some of the more high profile destinations.

We've usually visited there in March and it's so relaxed with excellent snow, virtual absence of any queuing, and very good places to eat, all at decent cost, again compared to headline ski areas.

Thoroughly recommended, our pick would be Val Cenis Lansvillard as it has a more traditional village centre and easy driving access to all the others, both up and down the valley. You can ski all Val Cenis and Termingnon on piste without transport which gives the largest combined area in one place.

It offers a very good contrast to the big names and well worth consideration.
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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.
Altis and Ski3- Brilliant! I'm certainly leaning toward it.
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