 Poster: A snowHead
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I know this is a bit 'how long is a piece of string' but just wondering what the cost range is for a pretty basic week's package deal in the Alps with flight, transfer and half-board accom?
I've spent the last 10 years or so doing DIY trips so am a bit out of touch. There used to be quite a lot for under £1000 including single occupancy supplement but perhaps no longer the case?
Thanks.
Monsieur N Neige
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Last time I looked - thinking of going with some friends from home - the "single supplement" was effectively double the price. 
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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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We booked in the summer, and got flights, transfers, half board, and lift pass in Chamomix for the week after new year for 850 each.
That is a very good deal though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
That is a very good deal though
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and for two people?
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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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If you work it out it is not the flights, transfers, food, lift pass which you are being charged extra for as a single. Youth hostels offer beds for the week in some ski resorts if you can get a booking before they are sold out, as do UCPA.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
If you work it out it is not the flights, transfers, food, lift pass which you are being charged extra for as a single.
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When I looked at a range of places, with friends who were fixing up a last minute trip, I would have paid twice the basic package price as a single supplement - i.e. the same price as two people would have paid. There was no logic or fairness to it, but that's the way it was.
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Take your van with you as your transport, and sleep in your van in free parking. Stay a while, and only ski on sunny days with good snow. Go to different resorts. It works out cheaper, more flexible, however it can be colder.
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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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| Bigtipper wrote: |
| Take your van with you as your transport, and sleep in your van in free parking. Stay a while, and only ski on sunny days with good snow. Go to different resorts. It works out cheaper, more flexible, however it can be colder. |
Maybe this is a tongue in cheek post but if not is that not something you'd do when you're a 20 year old ski bum doing a season? OP is only looking for a one week holiday, not a survival mission.
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Covid has meant a huge amount of previous chalet availability has been cut. You used to be able to get last minute deals even as a single. But the bigger companies have cut their chalets and other brands out of business. It’s not as easy
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Lucywuk wrote: |
| Covid has meant a huge amount of previous chalet availability has been cut. You used to be able to get last minute deals even as a single. But the bigger companies have cut their chalets and other brands out of business. It’s not as easy |
I was going to say similar. The choice has been vastly reduced - undoubtedly meaning that too many people are chasing too few places.
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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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@Klammertime, I very much doubt that a 20 year old would have the spare capital to have a van, unless he takes his fathers plaster's van and goes on a ski jumping circuit.
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| Bigtipper wrote: |
| @Klammertime, I very much doubt that a 20 year old would have the spare capital to have a van, unless he takes his fathers plaster's van and goes on a ski jumping circuit. |
I get the Eddie ref but it does or did happen, people share costs, heard of one van-living fellow in Chamonix who got trenchfoot for his trouble. 
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You know it makes sense.
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@Lucywuk, whos filling all the old spare beds then? People will have mortgages and need a living from those chalets
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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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As others have mentioned, covid seems to have decimated the availably of chalets (at least ran by TOs anyway). I remember Neilson used to have a range of chalets, often multiple in one resort. Looking now.....2 I think.
My first 2 trips were with them. I booked reasonably last minute (3 or so weeks before). First one was £650 catered chalet in L2A. Second was £750 in Monty.
Went independent to La Tania and La Plagne. They were £1300 and £1000 respectively, but the one in La Tania was a "luxury" chalet. And the standard of food was superb.
Did a last minute Ski Miquel trip to Saalbach (booked 1 week before and a Chalet Hotel rather than a traditional chalet). That came in at £750.
And went to Val Di Fassa the year the virus of umentionable origin arrived. Again with Neilson and a chalet hotel, that came in at £1000.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Mother hucker wrote: |
| @Lucywuk, whos filling all the old spare beds then? People will have mortgages and need a living from those chalets |
I have no idea. But I know Nielsen, and crystal have hardly any in comparison. And lots of companies went under. Ski amis had about 14 chalets in La Tania including a large one for singles (Christina I think it was) and they went under due to covid.
I know we did chalets in 19 and 20. Skipped 21. And now are choosing apartments in 22 and again 23. To avoid mixing.
We’ve done every option from self drive diy to train to flights and TO.
I’d love to know who took over those la Tania chalets as they were great
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The loss of cheap UK labour made a lot of business models unviable, too, leading TOs to retrench or fold.
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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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Many thanks for these replies.
A quick look on Mark Warner and Neilson websites gives prices of around/over £2,000 for a week in mid Jan.
Given this and the replies above, maybe DIY trips are more worthwhile than ever?
I usually find I can get a single room in a resort hotel for £70/night outside the main peak season (did this in Innsbruck last Feb).
Would prob result in a flight and half board cost of around £1,000 (obviously depending on loads of variables).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ski Club Freshtracks do have a lot of single occupancy but tend to combine with a course or guiding for a week so the base price is high. Might be worth a look.
Do any tour ops do male shares anymore. Not had to book a holiday since 2006. Ski Olympic used to, they are always worth a call close to departure date for a deal. Only Led Arcs nowadays sadly.
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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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@Neil Neige,
Not the full package, but for a single person Chalet Chardons in Tignes may be worth a look.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Last time I looked - thinking of going with some friends from home - the "single supplement" was effectively double the price. |
I think that's just with the bigger companies as they tend to block book seats on flights, transfers etc. So booking single means an empty seat on a flight that they paid for. But that's just my theory.
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The answers to this question will be orders of magnitude different between, NewYear/MidFeb and 1st week of Jan/EarlyLate season.
Using the bashes as an example, single use rooms at the PSB or the EoSB are pretty affordable: under a grand 'all in' is definitely doable on the PSB.
OTOH, for the Birthday Bash, we struggle to get enough Solos at any price.
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In addition consider that out of resort accomodation is usually about half in resort accomodation, and you can then drive each day to different resorts and stay in different out of resort accomodation. Kind of a deviation from the OP regarding chalets, but worth considering.
Chalets were always going to be an issue post Brexit, with coronovirus and now Ukraine war it seems their business model might need looking at.
I have always admired the prices of Snowheads bashes, and been in admiration of the demand and following. I always liked skiing in Europe pre season, due to the empty pistes and low prices. Things change when the season starts, not least of which is the staff change in resort. Locals work pre season, in season you get a different kind of service.
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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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Thanks. So to add, not really fussed about it being a chalet. By chalet board I just meant the food package which I guess is basically half board plus afternoon cake!
A hotel is fine.
Also, there are normally 4 of us, and we just prefer not to share rooms if possible, and it seems you still can find rooms for about £70 a night outside high season. We're not restricted to school holidays so no problem avoiding peak season.
I'm just wondering if it's worth even looking for package deals anymore, given my initial research, or perhaps we're just better off sticking with DIY.
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I've been looking recently for a group of 6 in March - catered chalets seem a bit thin on the ground this year and those that are available seem to be charging a premium. We ended up with a s/c 3 bedroom apartment in Tignes which came in at ~£970pp including area passes, flights, ski carriage, transfer - all DIY. The pass is about 1/3 of that.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@HandyHand, that's a bargin,
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
If you work it out it is not the flights, transfers, food, lift pass which you are being charged extra for as a single.
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When I looked at a range of places, with friends who were fixing up a last minute trip, I would have paid twice the basic package price as a single supplement - i.e. the same price as two people would have paid. There was no logic or fairness to it, but that's the way it was. |
The only money they save is on the food, which is peanuts. The aeroplane is already flying, the coach already transferring, and if they sell to a single instead of a pair they lose all the profits they would make on that as well as the contribution to fixed costs.
Book last minute when they're desperate to fill the spaces.
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If you want single rooms your options are proper hotels which may have a few singles or to the extent you can find chalets still in business waiting until the very last minute i.e. day or 2 ahead when they might be persuaded to drop the single supplement. Otherwise suck up the single supplement.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Neil Neige wrote: |
Thanks. So to add, not really fussed about it being a chalet. By chalet board I just meant the food package which I guess is basically half board plus afternoon cake!
A hotel is fine.
Also, there are normally 4 of us, and we just prefer not to share rooms if possible, and it seems you still can find rooms for about £70 a night outside high season. We're not restricted to school holidays so no problem avoiding peak season.
I'm just wondering if it's worth even looking for package deals anymore, given my initial research, or perhaps we're just better off sticking with DIY. |
we have DIY'd this year, w/c 21st Jan got a weeks half board in Madonna di Campiglio it's a group of 5 people so awkward number. Total cost inc Flights, private transfers, 3* hotel HB with 9.1 on trip advisor total ca £660 pp. But that is sharing rooms (2 to a room). Hotel is Eur490 pp in twin/double room. There were cheaper hotels so it was definitely doable for under £600pp if you used scheduled bus transfer and a cheaper hotel.
we looked at a fairly basic standard chalet that we'd used before in La Plagne and the chalet without flights and transfers was £895 pp maybe £1,200 pp in total, so we're doing a hotel for about half the price.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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| Mother hucker wrote: |
| @HandyHand, that's a bargin, |
Won't be by the time we've spent £300 per head on raclette 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@HandyHand, your waist line will wish the raclette budget was lower
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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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| Neil Neige wrote: |
| I'm just wondering if it's worth even looking for package deals anymore, given my initial research, or perhaps we're just better off sticking with DIY. |
As you are going low season I was going to say if you are happy about booking last minute (a few days before) then I would imagine TO's would still be good bargain hunting. However, booking 4 single's I would imagine would be tricky. Don't really get why you can't room share tbh but if that is the way you role then yeah DIY is probably the way to go.
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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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| HandyHand wrote: |
| I've been looking recently for a group of 6 in March - catered chalets seem a bit thin on the ground this year and those that are available seem to be charging a premium. We ended up with a s/c 3 bedroom apartment in Tignes which came in at ~£970pp including area passes, flights, ski carriage, transfer - all DIY. The pass is about 1/3 of that. |
4 of us paying something similar for Selva at the end of Jan. Booked through Iglu Ski.
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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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TO chalet deals were dwindling pre covid. Crystal certainly had very few compared to their heyday. Haven’t looked for 5 years as we diy. Ski Miquel were always decent in the bog standard end.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| dan100 wrote: |
| TO chalet deals were dwindling pre covid. Crystal certainly had very few compared to their heyday. Haven’t looked for 5 years as we diy. Ski Miquel were always decent in the bog standard end. |
Agreed - Covid has had some effect but IMO Brexit has had way more impact as its removed 90% of the staff that was used in the chalets. Gone are most of the chalets being staffed by English people due to the visa rules unfortunately. Some were hoping this is one of the area that would be loosened over time but there's no signs of it at the moment.
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For four people, self-drive is almost certainly the cheapest way to travel. When you book apartments on a DIY basis (i.e. not through a TO) you pay for the place regardless of how many of the beds you fill. If you book a place with three bedrooms and a sofa bed you could still go out every night if you didn't want to cook - though cooking one night each would hardly be a major task, and would save a lot of money.
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For an idea of costs, for high-end accommodation, look at Peak Retreats.
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