 Poster: A snowHead
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With the budget I'm having I'm probably not allowed even thinking about skiing, but I'm always looking at possibilities to ski with extreme low budget. Some general ideas I have below. I guess I'm not alone, please share your thoughts and what the lowest budget you had for 1 week, or ideas of cheap resorts and travel routes.
1. Use public transport. If you lucky enough to leave close to the airport and rail hub, than this might be cheaper then airport parking cost. This also puts a limit on flight times as often there is no option for crazy morning flights. For instance I live in Cambridge and its 16 pounds return to Stansted
2. Use public transport for getting to resort. This will also limit the resort choice and flight times.
3. Small resorts with low ski pass price. Also should be accessible vle by public transport and have cheap accommodation.
4. Go in low season, the accommodation is much cheaper.
5. Rent the ski. The ski baggage price is 60-90 pounds, it could be same money just to rent the skis in the resort, less hassle with ski travel.
Thas for the skiing alone. If you lucky enoght to have ski buddies, then it's much easier to share the costs.
Cheers
Ed
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Give up on the ski in/out style locations or being close to the "action". If you're renting a car for transfers you may as well use it to drive in from a cheaper hotel/appt further down the valley each day. If not there's usually a bus service.
But generally this topic annoys people who feel you're insulting their choice of having convenience and nice lunches and etc etc. Don't think you can pare that much back unfortunately without having a van to travel/camp in and low personal requirements re washing, basically its about shaving at the margins so maybe you come out £100-200 up on £1000.
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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?
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That's good point. All you save is about £200, may be worth saving few quids every day and have a normal holiday.
I've been living at the camp site once in November near Cervinia, its was far away from nice, and I was questioning myself is it really worth it 
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Living far away is a good option, I used a lot in Austria where its common to have free bus or train. You can get about 300 eur per bed and breakfast and stll have access to nice skiing area. Unfortunately ski passes getting more and more expensive each year.
Also not much flights available from Stansted.
I think its not that common in France and Italy. Bourg Saint Maurice is a good option with aceess to Les Arcs.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Also thinking if one day, or 2-3 trip makes sense. In a way that you don't fire away 1 grand at once.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 15-09-21 13:13; edited 1 time in total
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Here are a few things which helped me at least.
- Use overnight buses to save hotel costs
- Use the spa/gym/pool facilities at random fancy hotels to wash after riding, if you don't have a room
- Use random fancy hotels for baggage storage eg on your last day, and combine with the previous on departure
- Don't buy food in resorts if you can possibly avoid it, on the hill or off
- Don't buy anything else in a resort either
- If you can, stay somewhere which isn't "on the hill" or at the resort - nearby towns have real people who don't pay tourist prices
- Be wary of where and how you buy the lift ticket
- Favour smaller hills as they're mostly cheaper and you don't need the glitz
- Use public transport to get to the hill, which is always slow, so take a book
- Avoid hotel laundry services which usually cost more than the stuff they're cleaning. Most places have a coin-op laundry: ask around
- Use the right credit card/ payment systems
- Avoid car rental scams
- Schedule stuff carefully to maximise cost/ benefit. If your flight leaves in the evening, always ride the last day
- In Europe packages can be hard to beat, if you can stand the food
- Understand the local rescue and health care systems and their costs in order to minimize insurance costs
- Look after your gear to save having to insure it
- Avoid ski rental scams
- Don't be a fashion victim, just learn to ski better than them
- If you're going to be on the beginner slope, it's cheaper to do that on a dry slope.
- Never eat hotel breakfasts which are universally overpriced and almost always nasty
- Don't let hotel staff carry your bags or do anything else you'll need to tip them for
- It's alwasy cheaper to get your skis serviced away from a resort
- Check "in country" prices for gear before buying it in the UK
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A friend and I once booked one of those last minute Tour Operator "Accomodation allocated on Arrival" cheapies off Ceefax/Oricale (young'uns ask your parents). It was £139 flights, transfer and 3* half board, and the only other thing we knew was the arrival airport was "VRN" which the travel agent told us was Varna in Bulgaria. Never having been to Bulgaria, we booked it.
A few days later we stepped off the plane at Verona, Italy  - the day the grand national was false started (3 April 1993). Hotel Astoria in Canazei - rep was Fiona - hi Fi. The best weeks holiday we've ever had.
Anyhow, don't discount last minute tour operator offers. Sometimes you can get a cracker when they just want to fill the plane/transfer bus/Hotel.
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@ed48, You are not even trying to get the prices down, but have identified some ways to cut prices. Certainly parking at the UK airport and transfers to the resort from, say, Geneva are ofetn forgotten about.
Well how about this idea:
1/ bus to London - about £7 return
2/ bus to Les Arcs 1600 with https://book.snowexpress.co.uk/journey.php £131.50 return
3/ Small studio 321€
The only problem is an 8 day lift pass is expensive, but in terms of price per day's skiing it is good value
The bus from London to the resort is not much more than some companies charge for a transfer for Geneva
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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.
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| ed48 wrote: |
| I think its not that common in France and Italy. Bourg Saint Maurice is a good option with aceess to Les Arcs. |
I think it just needs a little ingenuity in France.
For St Gervais I would bet it is much cheaper to stay in the valley at Le Fayet and take the service bus up (15 min, 1.50 euros). And if your flight times are right it is a cheap train trip from Geneva airport to Le Fayet. Can't do much about the lift pass though, other than book on line enough in advance to save 10%.
I bet there are a few other places where similar strategies could be used.
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Be wary of where and how you buy the lift ticket
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I don't understand. Apart form an early purchase discount how can you get this wrong. The price on the internet is the same as the price at the ticket office.
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It's alwasy cheaper to get your skis serviced away from a resort
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Not in the UK unless you service them yourself it is almost always cheeper to get them done in the resort
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If you can, stay somewhere which isn't "on the hill" or at the resort - nearby towns have real people who don't pay tourist prices
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Yes, You can save 100€ on a small apartment rental by staying in Bourg st Maurice as opposed to Arc 1600 for a week. But you will spend about 20 minutes each way commuting every day (mainly waiting time) in a crowded funicular.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Take the bus from London to Val Thorens and camp in Orelle. South facing, and at only approx 900m ASL, it should be tolerable in the latter half of the season. It's open year round and comes with leccy and a toilet block. Getting from Val Thorens to Orelle with all of your kit would be a faff but probably doable, a big rucksack each and you wear all of your gear/skis. Carrefour Sainte Michel de Maurinenne is 'only' a 7km jog down the valley. Take a headtorch and the rucksack that you've brought all of your gear in and you should only need to go once or twice
For 2 people, camping 60 euro per person, bus £129 per person, 7 day VT+Orelle lift pass, 322 euros pp. £460 for the week, not including food which you have to buy anyway, I doubt that you'll do much better than that without going to Bulgaria
https://orelle.net/item/lodging/camping/116727
https://book.snowexpress.co.uk
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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.
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| johnE wrote: |
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Be wary of where and how you buy the lift ticket
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I don't understand. Apart form an early purchase discount how can you get this wrong. The price on the internet is the same as the price at the ticket office.
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It's alwasy cheaper to get your skis serviced away from a resort
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Not in the UK unless you service them yourself it is almost always cheeper to get them done in the resort
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If you can, stay somewhere which isn't "on the hill" or at the resort - nearby towns have real people who don't pay tourist prices
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Yes, You can save 100€ on a small apartment rental by staying in Bourg st Maurice as opposed to Arc 1600 for a week. But you will spend about 20 minutes each way commuting every day (mainly waiting time) in a crowded funicular. |
He's largely talking about North America, where you can get lift passes cheaper at ...I think...places like Costco
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| johnE wrote: |
| ... Yes, You can save 100€ on a small apartment rental by staying in Bourg st Maurice as opposed to Arc 1600 for a week. But you will spend about 20 minutes each way commuting every day (mainly waiting time) in a crowded funicular. |
Yes, saving money often involves burning time.
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| Not in the UK unless you service them yourself it is almost always cheeper to get them done in the resort |
I was not suggesting that you fly back to the UK get your gear serviced; most people just
drive away from the hill to where the shops are cheaper to get it done. As above, there's a trade off.
Doing it yourself seemed too obvious to mention, although in Austria even small places
often have a ski room designed for servicing, although you may need your own tools.
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The camp site idea's a good one which I'd forgotten about.
Whistler's closest RV Park is Riverside, which has a bunch of rentable cabins which are cheaper than in-village accommodation
(although watch their cancellation policy if you're saving on insurance). Drivers can use the free parking lot in the village; or
there's a shuttle bus; or talk to some locals in the cafe and scrounge a lift. The resort bus will also pass somewhere near there.
They have a coin-op laundry and the cabins are fine. You can blow the money
you save on the Scandinave Spa, which is a short walk from there.
The Sushi takeaway and off-license at Nestors are handy to know about too.
On the other hand it's much cheaper to stay at a smaller resort, as already covered.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Quote:
Not in the UK unless you service them yourself it is almost always cheeper to get them done in the resort
I was not suggesting that you fly back to the UK get your gear serviced; most people just
drive away from the hill to where the shops are cheaper to get it done. As above, there's a trade off.
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It is usually less expensive to have your ski serviced in the resort than when you are back in the UK. Get them done before returning home.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@johnE
The bus is a nice option. Its been a while since Ive travelled by bus, as far I remember. its about how well you are capable of sleeping in the bus. Im not very good at it, so next day will be not very good.
How about finding cheap flight into Turin, ie about 30 quid return + 90 for a ski bag=120 + train to Oulx (12 pounds return) or 25 eur transfer Mongenevre, Serr Che or even transfer to La Graf. Or 20 pounds train from Turin to Aosta (Pila) or Chatillon (for exchange bus to Cervinia)
Good thing, is small Italian resorts are not very expecive, ie 150 eur (6 days) for Italian part of ViaLattea (they have very nice Olympic run) low season.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 15-09-21 16:13; edited 2 times in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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| ed48 wrote: |
| With the budget I'm having I'm probably not allowed even thinking about skiing |
It may help to state the budget. I mean it could be "as cheap as possible" but that doesn't really help.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Layne
Realistically 500-600 eur, for 7 days including everything, I dont think its possible to do it cheaper.
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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?
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@rambotion
Thats a good option, I remember we did £300pp for Les Arcs through Crystal few years ago low season, excluding ski passes.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nobody has mentioned UCPA yet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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For ski passes, I think its possible to get some deals, as we did last non covid season by skifrance, they offered us about 50% off for skipases, but that was first week of the season price, and we had to pay for them before September.
This season they also had nice offers, for 12 people chalet for £900 (we paid 1500 before) on the slope + plus offers on skipasses, so nice deal if you have right amount of people.
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@ed48, it's not clear @ed48, if you are a solo skier or always ski with a group or perhaps a bit of both.
Skiing solo makes things more difficult in many ways.
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Go somewhere with cheap flights where the pound/Euro buys a lot more and stay in a penzion (B&B). e.g. Czechia or Slovakia. Most penzions have basic cooking facilities in the room if you don't want to go out but you can also eat super goulash in the pub for dinner with a pint of excellent beer for about £5. You can get a public bus from Prague to the northern ski slopes.
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@Raceplate
Ive been in Bansko, very nice place, good food and cheap accommodation ie 30 eur day near gondola, really enjoyed, (not that long queue on first gondola), also had a very nice ski lessons, climbed Todorka and skied opposite side with the guide. May be time to repeat
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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.
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@Layne
Im skiing solo mostly, I have ski buddies all around the globe, but its very hard to collect them in one place at specific date and time.
Solo is hard, but all powder to you only 2-3 skiers group is optimal I think.
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Fly to Nice for about £25 each way.
Catch public bus from airport to Isola for 1.50Euro each way
6 day lift pass approx £160.
Airbnb self catered appartment that sleeps for 4 for £255 (£63 per person per week)
Ski and boot hire say £80 per week.
Total cost £356 + food/beer.
edit, just seen that you plan to go alone, so will have to pay the full accommodation cost. You'd probably be able to find a studio that sleeps only 2, and therefore cheaper.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@mikeycharlton
Thanks! Never been into southern Alps before. need to wait for a big dump from return storm from Mediterranean. More like March probably.
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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.
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| ed48 wrote: |
@mikeycharlton
Thanks! Never been into southern Alps before. need to wait for a big dump from return storm from Mediterranean. More like March probably. |
March? it snows before then 
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@mikeycharlton
Thats interesting! Thank you. Probably the base wont be the best, but I have special skis for that
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You know it makes sense.
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Cheapest holiday (adjusting for inflation) was a family holiday to Les Coches (Paradiski) with Sunweb a couple of years ago during the Easter school holidays. Self-drive, 2 adults/2 kids, Tunnel both ways, Self-catering 100M from lift/slope, eat in at night, decent lunch + drinks + sundowners on the slopes = £600pp. Accom + passes were £300 each Sat-Sat. Remarkable value for a family holidays, I thought.
Normally, for a week I budget £1K all up and it can be tight for that money. I would say that economy of scale is a big factor in a ski trip:
- Go for 3+ weeks and a season pass is much cheaper per week.
- Go for 3+ consecutive weeks and travel is much cheaper.
- Accommodation is geared towards multiples of 2 and 4, for rooms and apartments generally.
- Finessing transfers is worthwhile as local transport is often available for much less money. I have had friends getting transfer shares to resort by asking around in the airport on arrival and filling extra spaces for a 'contribution' to the original transferees beer fund.
- If you have your own skis, the bigger airlines will generally not charge extra for taking them and you can fit all your other clothes and boots in the ski bag and hand luggage so the overall price is less than the budget carriers.
- Self cater and take packed lunches - Although lunches are generally more reasonable than dinners out.
- I remember at Uni trips taking a case of beer up the mountain in the morning and burying it in the snow near a convenient piste marker or tree and then digging it up for sundowners/inpromptu apres on the way home (making sure to take all litter home again).
- Spend time on t'internet researching options and connecting with people, there are some spare rooms out there and it's all about making friends! Thankyou 
- Check out This Place.... The bashes are very excellent value for money for solo skiers. I am going for the first time in December and it looks very possible to come in under £1K unless my discretionary spending gets out of control on beer and lunches.......... Oh, wait.... anyway!
I'm also in Cambs, so if we end up on the same trips, I will share a lift and transfers with you. You just saved a few quid right there!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Buy your own boots. Saves a lot of money in the long run
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Poster: A snowHead
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Have a look at sunweb and play around with options includes skipass and accommodation and optional travel and transfer
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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| Layne wrote: |
| Nobody has mentioned UCPA yet. |
You did!
The 3 cheapest and best value ways I've don't a trip are:
The tour op past minute deal.
The PSB.
UCPA
The tour op has the advantage of including travel, where the other 2 don't, but they have the advantage of including the lift pass, which is a huge part of the cost. UCPA also includes ski and boot hire, and Avi gear if doing off piste, and as much food as you can eat.
The PSB, of course, has Admin. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Unless I've missed the point, the air-fare is one of the cheapest aspects of a ski break. I don't think I've paid more than £80 for a return flight.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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That place is four star with pool. Cracking deal!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That seems insanely cheap to me.
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| mikeycharlton wrote: |
Puy St Vincent, end of March. £256 for lift pass and accommodation.
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That's nice deal. I guess the big question is snow conditions, which depends on how the season will be going. I've been skiing in Serr Che and ViaLatteaa, conditions are very variable.
Also I think link bus is not going to this part.
It probably worth getting a car and explore this area, ie Vars, Orres etc. Spending one week for a one run on top will be challenging.
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Another mention for UCPA.
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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.
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Anyone successfully using avios points to get free tickets?
Im seeing ad from ba, to apply on their creditcard and get 20000 points (if spent 1000 in first 3 months).
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FAQ
