 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi All,
I haven't been on here for ages! Feel good to be back. After 3 missed seasons due to procreation, a small group of us are looking to head to the snow on the 5th Feb.
I'm looking for any advice on trip recommendations/ ways to maximise time on the slopes? We were looking and found some bargain 3 night trips but due to flight times, they all mean 2 days on snow only. Thats kind of OK, far better than nothing! It just seems like I should be able to do better with time on the snow!
Can anyone point me in the right direction. Willing to consider all options.
Cheers
Trev
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@trevski, Weds - Sun should mean 4 days skiing with a late flight back on the Sunday. Munich, Geneva & Zurich are good airport options in that respect if you're London / SE based.
If there's 4 or 5 of you then a taxi transfer works well. We dislike hiring cars just in case the weather's bad.
Look for B&B accommodation which is more flexible. Lots of options in France and Austria. Booking.com often throws up some options
We have done similar trips to:
Morzine
Davos
St Anton
Cervinia (was awkward)
Les Coches (was awkward)
Mayrhofen
Les Menuires
Le Grand Bournard
Bad Kleinkirchenheim (sp)
Verbier
Westendorf
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 11-01-20 21:53; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
@trevski, As above, flight times are key to maximising your time on the snow.
You can search 'fly to anywhere' on Skyscanner from your preferred airport/dates to find the best timed flights.
Hire a car usually easiest to get moving quickly after you land.
Happy planning!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
There are a whole load of resorts that can be reached in under 90 mins from different airports, so you need to find somewhere that has a very early early outbound flight to give you half a day skiing on the Wednesday, and also a late enough flight back to give you pretty much a full day on the Sunday.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sun 12-01-20 13:08; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
@trevski, I am doing this sort of trip a week before your dates. 8am flight to GVA Weds then transfer to Morzine for 4 nights then flight back at 9:40pm on Sunday. Plan is to potentially ski on Weds pm depending on arrival time and then 4 full days after that finishing around 4:30 on Sun which should give plenty of time to get back to GVA.
Looked at various packages but ended up doing it DIY for similar reasons you outline above! Wouldn't call it a bargain compared to the daily cost of a week of skiing but not too bad. Main issue is that the return flight was expensive despite booking a fair way in advance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I’ve done plenty of 3night trips, thurs-sun, fri-mon, sat-tue.
I use a 6am(ish) flight from Luton or Gatwick, and return on anything later than 8pm.
Geneva=Morzine, St Gervais, Morillon, Chamonix
Salzburg=Schladming
Innsbruck=Obergurgl
We travel handluggage only - boot and helmet bags that fit into the easyJet sizes.
Another key to maximising slopetime is to hire a car. It costs more than a shared transfer, but it means you can go straight to the resort without waiting, and also have somewhere to get changed on day1 and day4 when you aren’t in your accommodation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BA’s flights to Turin from Heathrow and/or Gatwick always used to be good for a cheeky short break. I haven’t looked at the schedule this season, but there definitely used to be early flights (like 7am) out of Heathrow (Gatwick too, I think) an afternoon flight from Gatwick and return flights late back into both.
From Turin there are a few options in both Italy and France within a 1 to 2 hour transfer time - e.g. Via Lattea, Montgenevre or Serre Chevalier. If you plan it right you can get 3 complete days of skiing (Thurs, Fri, Sat) plus maybe 4 or 5 hours on both your travel days of Wed & Sun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If there are 4 or more of you I think private transfers are much better (from a time, drinking! And cost perspective). Eg transfers from Geneva to any of the resorts 60-75 mins away are typically €160 to €200 each way. Can work out really cheap if 8. In my view much better than hiring a car and I have done both over a number of years doing multiple long weekend trips.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
About 20 years ago, I did a one day trip to Chamonix from the UK. Earliest flight from Gatwick, 5 hours on the slopes and straight back to Geneva for the last flight home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| mikeycharlton wrote: |
| About 20 years ago, I did a one day trip to Chamonix from the UK. Earliest flight from Gatwick, 5 hours on the slopes and straight back to Geneva for the last flight home. |
Mikeycharlton You Sir Rock.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| trevski wrote: |
Hi All,
I haven't been on here for ages! Feel good to be back. After 3 missed seasons due to procreation, a small group of us are looking to head to the snow on the 5th Feb.
I'm looking for any advice on trip recommendations/ ways to maximise time on the slopes? We were looking and found some bargain 3 night trips but due to flight times, they all mean 2 days on snow only. Thats kind of OK, far better than nothing! It just seems like I should be able to do better with time on the snow!
Can anyone point me in the right direction. Willing to consider all options.
Cheers
Trev |
Where are you from?
Driving or flying.
If driving then it gives you many of the French options, including Chamonix, Megeve, Alpe dhuez, Morzine, les2 etc.
If flying, then book early morning flights into Geneva and late evening flights out.
Many Swiss resorts are easily accessible on the train, or use the French bus transfers to PDS, Cham, etc
I’ve not tried a DIY to Austria, but I’m sure it’s fairly easy too.
Use either air bnb or hotel websites for accommodation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| GarryC wrote: |
| mikeycharlton wrote: |
| About 20 years ago, I did a one day trip to Chamonix from the UK. Earliest flight from Gatwick, 5 hours on the slopes and straight back to Geneva for the last flight home. |
Mikeycharlton You Sir Rock. |
Living 10 minutes from Gatwick airport at the time certainly helped.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
That Saturday is first day of the French holidays so I think you'll be unlikely to find anywhere in France. Better to stay in a resort 3 nights then move after skiing on Saturday to a hotel in the valley somewhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Would recommend Innsbruck. We did a Friday-Monday trip in December and got 3 and a half solid days skiing.
Early flight out of Gatwick on Friday morning and we were going up the gondola at Schlick 2000 by about 12:45. That was using public transport, it would’ve been quicker if we did a taxi from the airport. Then we got a full day on the Monday and an evening flight home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| MagSeven wrote: |
Would recommend Innsbruck. We did a Friday-Monday trip in December and got 3 and a half solid days skiing.
Early flight out of Gatwick on Friday morning and we were going up the gondola at Schlick 2000 by about 12:45. That was using public transport, it would’ve been quicker if we did a taxi from the airport. Then we got a full day on the Monday and an evening flight home. |
Only drawback with Innsbruck is that the last flight back is generally around 1500-1600. So makes Sunday only a half day.
I've always found Munich works really well for short trips. There are generally some very late flights back (after 9pm) and a choice of Lufthansa/BA/easyJet which keeps the flight price low. The drive back from somewhere like Kitzbühel to Munich can be as little as 90 mins if the traffic is clear, although a bit longer in a Sunday evening. I've skied in Kaprun until lifts close in Jan (around 15.45) and still made the last flight at Munich.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
Our flight was at 6:10pm We were able to ski till 3:30.
I’d say the gamble is the wind/weather which means diversions to Munich are pretty common.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I normally make it a 5 night trip instead but from Friday to Wednesday to get 5 full days skiing by using this format for 3 days off work.
Work Friday and get flight after work from Heathrow to Munich about 5/6pm. Hire car and stay in accor ibis hotel near munich ring road in Putzbrunn.
Get up early in morning and drive to resort in Austria such as fieberbrunn or saalbach or similar. Ski all day Saturday then check into pre booked accommodation for 4 nights. They are more likely to book a short trip from ssturday as it only breaks up 1 week of bookings not 2 weeks like wed to Sunday. Ski every day till Wednesday late afternoon and return to Munich for late flight back. Depending of flight times and weather situation you could probably ski till last lift on the Wednesday.
Nice 5 days skiing for 3 days off work
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
I just did a three night trip to Morzine. Booked flights before Christmas. Booked accommodation on Tuesday 7th Jan, went on Thursday 9th late in evening, came back Sunday evening, skied three full days. Several chalet operators were willing to take a last minute booking for later in same week where they had availability (primarily sunday-sunday operators), we had quite a lot of choice and prices varied from £270 to £400pp for three nights. One night not catered because of late arrival but we were able to keep our room until Sunday evening and even if booked we could have gone back to chalet to change.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
@trevski,
can you go Jan or March rather than Feb? Think you'll find it tricky to find reasonably priced accommodation for less than a week in Feb.
I've done 3-4 day trips to
GVA - PDS/Chamonix/Les Contamines
Turin - Sestriere/Sauze d'Oulx
Milan - Alagna/Champoluc/Gressoney
Zurich - Engleberg/Flims
Munich - Kitzbuhel
Innsbruck - Solda
You have loads of options
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Usually do 4 day trips over a weekend to minimise time off work and maximise ski time. The most recent was Megeve (got back last night). Team time flight from Liverpool on Thursday, transfer to Megeve arriving in resort around 10:30. S/C accommodation was found on Booking.com. Left Megeve Monday at 5pm and home around 10:30pm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
