 Poster: A snowHead
|
Hello all. I’m looking to book a surprise trip for me and my father for his birthday for the 2021 season Jan-March. I just want a short, cheap trip around 5 nights. It has to be cheap as me and my partner have just bought a house and are getting married next year so looking to
keep the cost to a minimum. The only thing I do want is somewhere with a good chance of good snow. Just returned from Bansko and the snow was shockingly bad.
I have thought about Sunweb but cannot book til April ready for next year. Has anyone booked through sunweb this early and do you get good deals? The other website I’m looking at is Snowtrex but think you have to book flights separately?
The resort doesn’t matter too much. My father hasn’t ski’d in over 30 years and I have only had 3 ski trips. Just somewhere relatively cheap, with good
snow.
Thanks for your help
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I would recommend you search out the trip reports of @denfinella, who has done many trips on a budget and written them up to provide us with inspiration.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Why 5 nights? 7 nights Sat-Sat will be easier to find and not much more money. Only reason to do a shorter trip is lack of work holidays and doing an extended weekend.
At quieter times (January, second half March) it can be cheaper to get a last minute TO chalet/Hotel deal than DIYing.
DIYing saves money at other times. If flying you need to book them asap on the day they are released. There are threads on here discussing that.
Going to a smaller ski resort will get you cheaper lift passes and invariably cheaper accommodation/food. And many of them are actually good little areas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Sunweb, Val Frejus in the Maurienne valley, 2nd week of March.
Don't think you'd need to book "early" as their prices are pretty good anyway. That week will mostly avoid other scheduled holiday periods with demand not exceeding supply, you won't miss out in other words. It'd be booking a week with ski pass included. Decent, although not huge ski area. lift straight to altitude from village, good costs, good food at reasonable rates too.
Travel with that is seperate, drive or train to valley possibly most convenient. Although it's relatively easy from both Lyon and Chambery airports.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Sounds like a great idea. Shorter trips do (normally) always work out more expensive per day than 7 day trips but if that's the timefrime you are working with it is absolutely doable. I normally find Italy is one of the better places to go for a better priced trip as flights there and car hire can be very cheap/good value. There is normally quite a few accommodation options as well.
Start with flights on your preferred days then go from there.
You may find that booking 7 days accommodation is cheaper than 5 days (even if you only use 5 days) as you will have a bigger market to choose from
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
bardonecchia & DIY it to keep costs down.
cheap flight to Turin & 1/2 the time to Sofia
easy train transfer & 1/2 the time it takes to get to Bansko
cheap accommodation (ask if they can pick you up & drop you off at train station)
cheap lift pass - Cheaper than Bankso
(you could get 5 days of x rather than 6 days to trim a few more cash off + it means you have to take a rest day)
Just hope you like pizza & pasta
Prices are rising in Bansko & as the BGN is pegged to the EURO, Italy can be a lot cheaper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Easter is early April next year, so early March should be "low season" but still pleasantly warm. Or late January for similar effect.
Don't spend much on the wedding  We didn't and we've been married a lot longer than people who did!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do you have a target budget in mind? You can make some good savings by careful planning, but eventually you do end up compromising on quality if you have to keep the price really low. If you give us a budget than we can work out what sort of thing you can aim for.
January and March are generally cheaper than February. Early to mid January usually the very cheapest, though potentially a greater risk of poor snow / bad weather.
Is the 5 nights requirement linked to budget? You might find that 5 nights isn't much cheaper than a full week, as you'll still have fixed flight (and possibly transfer) costs. Certainly the £/day skiing will be higher for 5 nights than for a week.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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've booked a cheap trip in March Sunday - Friday. Flying into Turin, car rental, Air BnB apartment in Bardonecchia for £500 quid. That's for two people. We will have cheap breakfast and either cook in the evening or eat out cheaply (pizza etc).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I was looking around £800-900 for the two of us. Thats with everything inc passes and rental equipment. I was thinking either 4-5 nights.
A lot of people seem to mention Bardonecchia so may look at that.
What is a TO deal?
I paid £650 for a week in bansko so hopefully around £400-450 for 4-5 nights elsewhere is realistic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
TO - tour operator  ie a package holiday
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@nba2005uk, OK, I think that's just doable for a non-package trip. Your target prices would need to be approximately:
Flights: £150 (try to manage without a hold bag)
Transfer or car hire + fuel: £150
Accommodation: £200 (5 nights, self catering)
Lift passes: £250 (4 days)
Ski rental: £100
= £850
...which I think are all achievable. Food would be extra.
The starting point would be: where in the Alps can you fly to cheaply during winter from your local airports?
I reckon a package would be more expensive unless you ended up in eastern Europe again. Other option would be to book a package at the last minute - i.e. a few days before you fly out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| denfinella wrote: |
@nba2005uk, OK, I think that's just doable for a non-package trip. Your target prices would need to be approximately:
Flights: £150 (try to manage without a hold bag)
Transfer or car hire + fuel: £150
Accommodation: £200 (5 nights, self catering)
Lift passes: £250 (4 days)
Ski rental: £100
= £850
...which I think are all achievable. Food would be extra.
The starting point would be: where in the Alps can you fly to cheaply during winter from your local airports?
I reckon a package would be more expensive unless you ended up in eastern Europe again. Other option would be to book a package at the last minute - i.e. a few days before you fly out. |
If you could source cheap flights to Salzburg, the regular bus transfer to Zell am See would be €14 each way and a four day lift pass this season is €205. They’d be no need to rent a car. A transfer to Saalbach-Hinterglemm would only add a few euros.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
@Austrian Seagull, hmm, agree about the cheap transfer, though it would be difficult to stay on budget for lift passes / accommodation in Zell am See / Saalbach. Your 4 day lift pass quote is for each person - so you'd have to double it!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
@denfinella,
Apologies! I read your prices as being per head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
@Austrian Seagull, no worries. I think (though not totally sure) that @nba2005uk is looking for £800-900 in total. I would have thought £800-900 each would easily be achievable almost anywhere!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I booked in mid November for a week in Val di Fassa in the Dolomites for Mrs MA & me:
- Flights £28 per person return (Ryanair - Birmingham to Verona). So not necessarily imperative to book as soon as flights are released...
- Airport parking £20 (surely Brum must be the country's cheapest airport for parking?)
- Luggage £130 all in (inc. rip off £90 for x1ski bag, which can be 20kg max - so at least that was for x2 pairs of skis).
- Car hire £45 (all in - ridiculously cheap and snow chains included).
- Spacious apartment £280.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
@mountainaddict, what dates are the actual trip?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| mountainaddict wrote: |
I booked in mid November for a week in Val di Fassa in the Dolomites for Mrs MA & me:
- Flights £28 per person return (Ryanair - Birmingham to Verona). So not necessarily imperative to book as soon as flights are released...
- Airport parking £20 (surely Brum must be the country's cheapest airport for parking?)
- Luggage £130 all in (inc. rip off £90 for x1ski bag, which can be 20kg max - so at least that was for x2 pairs of skis).
- Car hire £45 (all in - ridiculously cheap and snow chains included).
- Spacious apartment £280. |
lift pass?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Thanks everybody for your help. Just had a quick look and flights to Turin are approx £40-50 return (can probably get away with just a carry on bag). And transfer to Bardonecchia (train) are £24 return. Can actually do it all super cheap if you diy it, didn’t realise.
How is Bardonecchia in Jan & March?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
@nba2005uk, brilliant! Being able to get the train to resort is a big plus.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
