 Poster: A snowHead
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I normally book all the parts to my holidays and can get really good value for money. This year we are looking to go to Sella Ronda. With most accommodation being large hotels and the best travel options flying (from a London airport) I would go with a package. However I am really struggling to find cheaper prices. We have a group of 6 and most of the package search engines keep putting us into 2 rooms of 3.
I am trying to get flights, transfers and accommodation for £1200 or less but am struggling. Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong or do I need to accept prices are just much higher than I thought.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ideally I wanted to be in Selva or Arraba
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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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I'm off to Selva in Jan for the first time with a couple of mates.
I booked accommodation via the tourist board website. You select your preferences e.g number of bedrooms, budget etc and the accommodation places will contact you directly with their offers.
We booked in February and got a really good deal for a three bedroom self catering place.
Good luck
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sat 9-09-23 7:19; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@turboblackbeard, phone the TO or use a travel agent to get 3 rooms...but that surely would be more expensive than 2?
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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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@turboblackbeard, for accommodation have you looked at the Garni Bellavista in Arabba? Many sHs on the Birthday Bash stay there and it's good value. You take breakfast in the Bellavista but have your evening meal at the hotel Portavescovo, and you can use the facilities of the Portavescovo including the pool.
For transfers if you're arriving on a Saturday or Sunday you can use the subsidised transfer organised by the Arabba tourist office or for private transfers Venice cab offer a good value service.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Alastair Pink wrote: |
@turboblackbeard, for accommodation have you looked at the Garni Bellavista in Arabba? Many sHs on the Birthday Bash stay there and it's good value. You take breakfast in the Bellavista but have your evening meal at the hotel Portavescovo, and you can use the facilities of the Portavescovo including the pool.
For transfers if you're arriving on a Saturday or Sunday you can use the subsidised transfer organised by the Arabba tourist office or for private transfers Venice cab offer a good value service. |
I was looking at the Bellavista but the Igluski and Inghams kept forcing us into 2 rooms of 3. When I tried to change it the website wouldnt let me proceed :/ I might try booking direct.
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @turboblackbeard, phone the TO or use a travel agent to get 3 rooms...but that surely would be more expensive than 2? |
I dont think the couples we have would be happy being split up  We have 2 couples and 2 solos on the trip.
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@turboblackbeard, can you find cheaper options by changing your dates? There's likely to be a big difference between early January and mid February!
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| @turboblackbeard, can you find cheaper options by changing your dates? There's likely to be a big difference between early January and mid February! |
Argh, I somehow missed the dates out. We are planning on 9th March so not quite peak season.
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The Garni Bellavista in Arabba, as recommended by @Alastair Pink (and me.....) is only £909 for a couple sharing a room that week. That seems good value.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
| The Garni Bellavista in Arabba, as recommended by @Alastair Pink (and me.....) is only £909 for a couple sharing a room that week. That seems good value. |
That's what I was trying to book but when you go through to book instead of two people sharing it is three.
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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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@turboblackbeard, think about quality. Bellavista is at the lower end ..the room I had, which 2 sharing sharing a triple was tiny and in a poor state. I wouldn't go back
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Mine was OK but I had it to myself. And meals at the Portovescovo were good, if you like that sort of thing (which I don't......I'd prefer to self cater and choose whether to cook for myself or go out to a range of restaurants). You are not going to get a top quality hotel with a package of under £1000.
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You know it makes sense.
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Personally I would never pay extra for a "luxury" hotel room. If it's clean, the bed's comfy and there's plenty of hot water, that's good enough. I'm not bothered if it's not roomy, either, though I do want it for myself! My bedroom at home has a super king double bed but not much room for anything else! Would prefer to pay extra for a variety of super food, including top quality steaks and a £20 bottle of wine to "eat in" for less than the cost of a third-rate meal and indifferent wine at restaurant prices. For two solos sharing you'd obviously want two properly separate beds - which might sometimes be tricky. I paid single supplement at the Garni, which wasn't ruinous, but it's always ruinous on a package - double the price of the whole package usually.
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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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Selva fetches a premium as it's the best located, prime town on the SR. Arabba is just behind in terms of popularity and therefore price. Try Corvara or Colfosco. Quieter, but beautifully located. It gets a little less expensive in Val di Fassa, Canazei and more so Campitello. Both are still only one lift on to the SR.
OP, bear in mind when cost calculating that the SR sits in one of the most beautiful ski areas in the world. The lift systems are second to none and you'll eat and drink like kings on the mountain for what feels like no money when compared to some French resorts. 
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Sat 9-09-23 8:57; edited 3 times in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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@turboblackbeard, another option in Arabba is Hotel Genziana. I’ve stayed there and will this year. I’m paying 770 euros bnb for a single occupancy room in the clean but value section of the hotel. There are better rooms at a higher price if a couple are sharing.
Flights to Venice and use Arabba Fodom to 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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| Owls101 wrote: |
I'm off to Selva in Jan for the first time with a couple of mates.
I booked accommodation via the tourist board website. |
...or mail the tourist office in Selva with your requirements and they'll fire you back a list of availability. It's an excellent service.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Wow.
Thank you for all the information and help everyone. I need some time to digest and work out what to do.
Really appreciate those that hunted out specific options too
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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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Sella Ronda has some.of the highest ski resort accommodation prices in Italy. So you might need to pay more than you are used to.
The Val di Fassa villages (Campitello, Canazei or places further down the valley like Pozza di Fassa) usually seem to be the least expensive.
If you hire a car then you may be able to save money by staying a shortish drive away from the slopes. Somewhere like Moena or Kastelruth / Castelrotto.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| denfinella wrote: |
| If you hire a car then you may be able to save money by staying a shortish drive away from the slopes. Somewhere like Moena or Kastelruth / Castelrotto. |
What kind of cars to fit 6 people?
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@abc, ah, I missed that bit. That could be problematic, especially with luggage, although the van category of rental car typically includes vehicles that can seat 7.
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| abc wrote: |
| denfinella wrote: |
| If you hire a car then you may be able to save money by staying a shortish drive away from the slopes. Somewhere like Moena or Kastelruth / Castelrotto. |
What kind of cars to fit 6 people? |
An MPV (VW Transporter Caravelle)
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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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@denfinella, @Mollerski, there’s no doubt there’re cars that fit 6 people. But the question is will it still be economical to realize the saving of staying away from the slopes.
Keep in mind, with 6 people, there’s likely different schedule in the morning and evening that it can easily become a hassle to shuffle people back and forth from lodging to slopes at different time of day.
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| turboblackbeard wrote: |
I normally book all the parts to my holidays and can get really good value for money. This year we are looking to go to Sella Ronda. With most accommodation being large hotels and the best travel options flying (from a London airport) I would go with a package. However I am really struggling to find cheaper prices. We have a group of 6 and most of the package search engines keep putting us into 2 rooms of 3.
I am trying to get flights, transfers and accommodation for £1200 or less but am struggling. Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong or do I need to accept prices are just much higher than I thought. |
we are a group of 6 and have just booked up a DIY half board trip for that area for ca£950 pp + pass at ca £330 and ski hire if required at ca £130pp. This is for w/c 3rd Feb so not low season.
Key points are to look at the total cost of flights and transfers, rather than get the cheapest flight. For us Manchester to Verona was cheapest with a private mini van transfer. I was surprised as I thought it would be via Venice but transfers from there seem to be pricey. I looked at the Cortina express but with 6 people it's not worth it unless staying in Cortina.
Hotels either contact direct or via the local tourist office. I've used this site for several years https://www.altabadia.org/en/hotel-alps/hotels-accommodation-online-search.html
Note that as you're finding it's getting late to find 3 rooms, we had some accommodation book up whilst I was getting prices and the hotel we went with only had superior rooms left.
We went for La Villa it's slightly off the SR but only 10 mins by bus or a quick ski. It's got a few bars etc but easy access to a ski area perfect for our improvers. We're right by a ski bus stop and walking distance to the main lifts (few hundred metres), hotel has good reviews so not an out of the way dump!
The good news is that 6 is a good number to bring the cost down as you can get a minivan transfer for only 100E more than a car.
we did it like this
Ryanair midday flights (Manchester to Verona) so no hotel needed night before £165pp with hold luggage etc
Private transfers £725 in total so £120 pp we actually haven't booked this yet but will probably use https://www.verona-airport-transfers.com/resorts/ because we've used them twice and they were great.
3* HB hotel twin or double Eur110 pn so ca £670 pp
total £955 pp exc pass etc
we could have got slightly cheaper accommodation by going for somewhere a bit further from the lifts or without as good reviews so it could easily get down to £900.
Personally I prefer the Corvara/Colfosco/La Villa corner of the SR than the Val di Fassa side it's prettier and we prefer the skiing options. Arabba wasn't suitable for us as we are a mixed ability group and it's more suited to intermediates and above, but TBH it always looks a bit quiet for me.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@pam w, my room was crap. Thin curtains that didn't fit the window, the only socket near the bed hanging of the wall with all the wires showing, clanky old bed with a mattress that should have been binned long ago, towels like sandpaper and so thin they might as well have been paper,. It felt like a hostel. Just awful
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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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That does sound grim! 
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My personal favorite in Arabba for many years, great value. No money spent on booking services or website calendars. Drop an email to chiara (in english is good although i usually paste in a google translate to be courteous) explaining your requirements.
Affittacamere Blank
Demattia Chiara
Via Mesdi 6, Arabba
32020 Livinallongo (BL)
tel.3337007751
email: info@blankarabba.it
https://www.blankarabba.it/it/
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You know it makes sense.
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| turboblackbeard wrote: |
I normally book all the parts to my holidays and can get really good value for money. This year we are looking to go to Sella Ronda. With most accommodation being large hotels and the best travel options flying (from a London airport) I would go with a package. However I am really struggling to find cheaper prices. We have a group of 6 and most of the package search engines keep putting us into 2 rooms of 3.
I am trying to get flights, transfers and accommodation for £1200 or less but am struggling. Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong or do I need to accept prices are just much higher than I thought. |
Accept the prices... I posted a few weeks ago regarding prices for 23/24 season. I've had to discount the Dolomites for a number of reasons... price being the main one...... flight being the other
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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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@turboblackbeard, last year there was a 5% online discount on the Dolomiti Superski pass, providing you ordered it at least 2 days in advance of the start date. Worthwhile checking if they'll be doing a similar discount this season.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@turboblackbeard,
Igluski, skiine and others are retail travel agents selling tour operators' products under their own name - it's a bit like your local multi-make car showroom selling new cars. In Inghams' case where the system wanted to put you in two triple rooms it might have been because they didn't have three twins left on the allocation (I speak as someone who used to stare into the Inghams screen!). The easiest way around the problem would be to phone Inghams to ask how many twins are available for sale ("sorry guv, I cannot tell" gets the response "ask your manager" followed by "well, ask the hotel for an extra room"), or, phone/email the hotel and ask if they have a twin (or double) available that can be added to the Inghams allocation, then tell Inghams to extract the digit!
Alternatively, do your research online and speak to some chap called "Snowfinders" who has forgotten more about this sort of thing than most know. . . . .
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Appreciate everyone's responses.
We went self catered in the end in Selva.
Very much looking foward to it
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@turboblackbeard,
I do a lot of 'practice' booking !!
Just for future reference (as you have booked) ; With Crystal and Inghams they initially put in the most economic arrangement of rooms - then, as you move through the booking process you do get the chance to change the room arrangements (providing any are available..)
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FAQ
We're splashing out on season passes as that'll effectively give us a third trip for free and we're leaving our kit at the hotel for the winter.
