 Poster: A snowHead
|
Morning snowheads, I’m just wondering on those more experienced than myself with booking ski trips, I went skiing many moons ago as a package trip and now I’m a certified adult (nearly 30) I’m wondering just what is the best value way of booking a ski trip?
Sunweb prices that include ski lift passes look good on the face of it with some offering accommodation plus ski pass for less than the actual price of the lift pass but looking further into many of their options they tend to be resorts with not so good transport links, that’s one of my biggest questions, we do drive so could rent a car but would prefer not to drive on mountain roads so would ideally be looking for coach transfers as by the looks of it private taxi options are available stupidly expensive.
Les Sybelles is one I was recommended but can’t seem to find shared transfers, is car rental the only cost effective option for some of these resorts?
Thanks guys!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@AndyXZ24, Yes a good deal through Sunweb,, but as you can see it's likely that you'll need to get yourself to the location and this destination when driving to French ski places is often going to be easiest.
There's good road access to many though and shouldn't in reality be a significant issue. Understand a little nervousness to this if not done this way before, but generally not a big barrier.
Les Sybelles, along with all of the ski locations in Maurienne Valley, have some of the easiest road access to alpine areas within French ski areas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
There are public transport options to many ski resorts. They're usually described somewhere on the resort's website. For e.g. here's the relevant page of the Les Sybelles website:
https://www.sybelles.ski/en/discover/access-and-transport/
As a minimum, most resorts I've looked at have a bus from the nearest railway station, although some run more frequently than others. Local taxis are often quite reasonable for getting up the hill from the local station. There are railway stations near (or even at) the main airports used to access the French Alps.
Essentially, I think what you're finding is that the sort of "shared transfers" you're thinking of are restricted to the tiny subset of resorts that are visitors by the UK tour operators.
Alternatively, go all the way by train and you avoid the need for airport transfers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Thanks for the replies so far!
Yes I’ve seen there is a local bus to Les sybelles from the local train station, I did think fly to Lyon, Lyon to local train station then bus up to the mountain but with two suitcases and skis that sounds quite treacherous to me 
I looked into ‘bens bus’ as well but they appear to have stopped quite a few routes this winter.
Crystal ski appears to be out of the question as although it would make life a lot easier, the costs involved are insanely high this year, minimum for a French alps holiday for a week without lift pass is £650 p/p
On the car rental, is Geneva the best option? I’ve heard many say Geneva but when I looked at the prices it was 3x the price of renting a car from Lyon/Turin, I did look at going all the way by train…. But costs appear higher than the flights at first glance, haven’t looked thoroughly into it mind.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
I did think fly to Lyon, Lyon to local train station then bus up to the mountain but with two suitcases and skis that sounds quite treacherous to me
|
The biggest hassle would IMHO be at the airport and perhaps the tram into Part Dieu. The getting on and off trains bit is the easy part. Can you not get all your stuff into one suitcase and a back pack?
As to car hire. Geneva is possiby a bit more than Lyon or Turin. I had a quick search and got the following figures for a week in January for a ford fiesta: Geneva 271€, Lyon 257€ and Turin 199€. In all cases you will have to factor in the charges for chains, insurance etc.
Actually, the £650 per parson from Crystal doesn't appear too bad to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| johnE wrote: |
| Quote: |
I did think fly to Lyon, Lyon to local train station then bus up to the mountain but with two suitcases and skis that sounds quite treacherous to me
|
The biggest hassle would IMHO be at the airport and perhaps the tram into Part Dieu. The getting on and off trains bit is the easy part. Can you not get all your stuff into one suitcase and a back pack?
As to car hire. Geneva is possiby a bit more than Lyon or Turin. I had a quick search and got the following figures for a week in January for a ford fiesta: Geneva 271€, Lyon 257€ and Turin 199€. In all cases you will have to factor in the charges for chains, insurance etc.
Actually, the £650 per parson from Crystal doesn't appear too bad to me. |
Indeed the £650 CS doesn’t seem bad until you factor in the lift pass which is £270 ea so takes it to nearly a grand each, I guess that way takes the hassle out of it but when I’ve been abroad recently I always book things separate and get much better prices than package holidays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I booked with Crystal on Saturday after extensive searching and pricing of all the options from full package to full DIY and willing to go nearly anywhere in the Alps/Pyrenees.
We do have very different needs from you. 2 skiers, our 2 kids who are too young to ski, and 2 non-skiing grandparents. We were looking for 80km+ ski area, close to ski-in/out, a decent size of town or resort with some kind of swimming pool/spa for grandparents and kids, and ideally half board to make dinner less stressful with the children.
We booked Bardonnechia with Crystal because it ticked almost all the boxes for the least money. I looked at a lot of the French accommodation providers but anything for similar money to what we have paid had an absolute trainwreck of a TripAdvisor review page and I couldn't do that to our non-skiers (my parents) even if I would happily suffer through it for the sake of getting skiing this year. We also benefited from £250 off with Crystal's black Friday deal of £50off pp.
I actually think the reason Crystal were able to do it cheaper may be the transfers, because you can't do it cheaper than filling a coach full of people.
But really, there was much variation between which provider was cheaper depending on your requirements, so I'm afraid I think you just need to put in the work if you really want to get a cheap deal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@AndyXZ24, welcome to SH's.
How many people are in your party?
Whereabouts are you travelling from?
Do you have a car that you can drive to the Alps (if party of 3/4, UK based but not extremities)?
We book apartments via tourist information/agencies. Whilst the Sunweb deals are good and service seems good I have never found them cheaper. And I am happy to book things separately. Also, just to bear in mind I've read from people saying you can get the runt of the litter regarding Sunweb. Nothing wrong with at as such but might not have the best views or a balcony or some such. I suspect it wouldn't bother most. Booking through tourist info or agency you should be able to know any stuff like that.
If you are stuck with flying then yes, you do have the issue of transfers/car hire - which is one of the big topics of conversation around here so you will get good advice.
In terms of accommodation you will tend to get a bit better price on something in a smaller ski area or a slightly less convenient ski station.
Also, what time of the year you thinking of going - that could make a difference...?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lauka wrote: |
I booked with Crystal on Saturday after extensive searching and pricing of all the options from full package to full DIY and willing to go nearly anywhere in the Alps/Pyrenees.
We do have very different needs from you. 2 skiers, our 2 kids who are too young to ski, and 2 non-skiing grandparents. We were looking for 80km+ ski area, close to ski-in/out, a decent size of town or resort with some kind of swimming pool/spa for grandparents and kids, and ideally half board to make dinner less stressful with the children.
We booked Bardonnechia with Crystal because it ticked almost all the boxes for the least money. I looked at a lot of the French accommodation providers but anything for similar money to what we have paid had an absolute trainwreck of a TripAdvisor review page and I couldn't do that to our non-skiers (my parents) even if I would happily suffer through it for the sake of getting skiing this year. We also benefited from £250 off with Crystal's black Friday deal of £50off pp.
I actually think the reason Crystal were able to do it cheaper may be the transfers, because you can't do it cheaper than filling a coach full of people.
But really, there was much variation between which provider was cheaper depending on your requirements, so I'm afraid I think you just need to put in the work if you really want to get a cheap deal. |
I’m just hoping they come in with some ‘cyber Monday’ buy one get one’ ski pass offer as that would make my mind up but the £50p/p off doesn’t interest me as I’ve been checking the prices for weeks and they just ballast off the £50 discount by upping prices, it’s the usual TUI trick as has been proved by money saving experts.
For your needs it totally makes sense to book with CS so I don’t blame you for choosing that option tho!
I’ve been looking all over as it’s my second ski trip and my partners first (currently taking lessons) we aren’t overly fussy where we go really, but want a nice picturesque place
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Layne wrote: |
@AndyXZ24, welcome to SH's.
How many people are in your party?
Whereabouts are you travelling from?
Do you have a car that you can drive to the Alps (if party of 3/4, UK based but not extremities)?
We book apartments via tourist information/agencies. Whilst the Sunweb deals are good and service seems good I have never found them cheaper. And I am happy to book things separately. Also, just to bear in mind I've read from people saying you can get the runt of the litter regarding Sunweb. Nothing wrong with at as such but might not have the best views or a balcony or some such. I suspect it wouldn't bother most. Booking through tourist info or agency you should be able to know any stuff like that.
If you are stuck with flying then yes, you do have the issue of transfers/car hire - which is one of the big topics of conversation around here so you will get good advice.
In terms of accommodation you will tend to get a bit better price on something in a smaller ski area or a slightly less convenient ski station.
Also, what time of the year you thinking of going - that could make a difference...? |
re- Sunweb and runt of litter...i suspect that is very much the case, last year we had the block of appartments the furthest from boot room, reception, etc etc...no biggie but others who had booked with diff operator and granted paid more, were better located. But no complaints i thought they were excellent
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@AndyXZ24, does it have to be France? You might get better value out of Austria, public transport is excellent so no expensive transfer issues, and we've always found a good value bnb or apartment to bring costs down. Westendorf could work?
Same goes for Italy - Pila could suit you for a beginners trip, train up from Turin, if you want to cut costs further stay in Aosta itself, keep your skis on the lift station and get the gondola up every day.
If you're used to organising your own trips you'll be able to find something good! Don't know if sunweb have offers outside of France?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have been booking with both Sunweb and Snowtrex for the last 10 years. We've stayed from big resorts (Arc 2000) to tiny (Les Orres). Have to say we've never been subject to the 'runt of the litter' and only once had to swap out because there had clearly been heavy smokers in the week before us. However, we always book for under occupancy and we don't tend to go for the cheapest option in any resort. We self drive - have an older car that does around 60mpg on a long run - and use either Tesco vouchers for the tunnel or the old gits discount on Newhaven to Dieppe. Have never found a cheaper package deal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| AndyXZ24 wrote: |
2 of us going hoping for January , travelling from the south coast (Brighton) I did think about the self drive option but as I have a Citroen DS3 sport (does about 55mpg) I’m thinking it might not handle it  plus with the tolls and cost it’s probably as much as flying isn’t it? |
Yeah, purely on £££ 2 in a car isn't great. Obviously it's a fixed cost so if you can share 3 ways or even better 4 it makes more sense. Which is a shame as Brighton isn't badly placed for driving.
Post new year January is a budget friendly time to go.
| AndyXZ24 wrote: |
| I think I was more looking at Sunweb because for example they have a place in Les Sybelles in January, including ski pass for £370 p/p which basically means it’s £90 p/p pw for fairly decent (if very basic) accommodation which doesn’t bother us, but the transfer options seem quite complex which adds to the stress, I think as I’ve only been on sun holidays for the past 10 years I expected to just find a transfers website and it be easy |
So yes, as you've discovered. Getting an apartment/lift pass deal is easy enough. The logistics of getting there is tougher. But that said, far from insurmountable. Thing is there are several options, public transport, private transfers, car hire - and for different places, groups, etc. the solution may differ. That is of course why some prefer TO's.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
@AndyXZ24, as much as I am DIYer myself for 2 people in mid-Jan I would be going for black friday or last minute TO option. Especially given you are near Gatwick and are flexible about where you go. The world is your oyster in that respect - it's as budget friendly as a ski trip could be.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Layne wrote: |
| @AndyXZ24, as much as I am DIYer myself for 2 people in mid-Jan I would be going for black friday or last minute TO option. Especially given you are near Gatwick and are flexible about where you go. The world is your oyster in that respect - it's as budget friendly as a ski trip could be. |
This. We've had some really good deals last minute early january. Ski world are often good for that. Our problem is they are usually flying from Gatwick, but not an issue for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I've even seen some crazy cheap last minute packages with Crystal over the Christmas and NY weeks - presumably cancellations but when they do pop up, they are often less than half price. One place we'd previously stayed at in Kaprun was coming up under £500pp - that's a 4* HB with flights and transfers. Crazy cheap.
Of course the problem is there are no guarantees, so you have to be ready and able to go at a few days notice and have an open mind re locations. I'm hoping that will apply to us in a year or 2 once the kids are jettisoned...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Duplicate post
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 27-11-23 17:12; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
To be honest we did price checks of completely diy vs sunweb over Xmas a couple of weeks ago before we booked & found that they were charging exactly the same on various accommodations we looked at, as if we just went direct to all the suppliers, almost like they’d lifted them straight off the hotels websites, maybe it’s all a luck thing. In the end we just went with a cheap crystal £480pp 3* deal to flaine with stansted flights & transfer. I had also looked at the cheap resorts of Les Saises area & price was just over this with driving for something equally basic for 3 people but no ski in ski out & also no pool or sauna in the apartments. Downside is ski pass was more but it’s zero hassle driving 30 mins to airports vs an all-nighter driving in the camper. I think you just need to basically look at whatever is sounding cheaper (with a quick price comparison) and go with that but again, maybe it’s just all luck on a particular day. Also flaine may well be just rammed with horrific queues or crap snow! It always costs us about £600 with ferry to drive to alps so not exactly a bargain!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Rh2205 wrote: |
| To be honest we did price checks of completely diy vs sunweb over Xmas a couple of weeks ago before we booked & found that they were charging exactly the same on various accommodations we looked at, as if we just went direct to all the suppliers, almost like they’d lifted them straight off the hotels websites, maybe it’s all a luck thing. In the end we just went with a cheap crystal £480pp 3* deal to flaine with stansted flights & transfer. I had also looked at the cheap resorts of Les Saises area & price was just over this with driving for something equally basic for 3 people but no ski in ski out & also no pool or sauna in the apartments. Downside is ski pass was more but it’s zero hassle driving 30 mins to airports vs an all-nighter driving in the camper. I think you just need to basically look at whatever is sounding cheaper (with a quick price comparison) and go with that but again, maybe it’s just all luck on a particular day. Also flaine may well be just rammed with horrific queues or crap snow! It always costs us about £600 with ferry to drive to alps so not exactly a bargain! |
£480 to flaine for a week?? Where did you find that price! That’s bloody good, never seen anywhere near that price and I’ve been checking for weeks now!
Thanks for all the replies everyone, some very useful information! I’m thinking I might gamble and see what comes up, we are thinking either of the first two weeks of Jan which seems the cheapest part of the season (aside from March>)
Also, are crystal skis prices for lift passes the best option? If we were to go down that route if seen some of the alps resorts quoted as nearly £300 per pass, a friend of mine also recommended Trysil in Norway, I guess as we are open to anywhere with decent scenery and nice scenic runs that opens up the doors for us a little bit more when it comes to resort choice/late deals.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| AndyXZ24 wrote: |
| Also, are crystal skis prices for lift passes the best option? If we were to go down that route if seen some of the alps resorts quoted as nearly £300 per pass |
Not sure what you mean? If a TO is advertising discount/cheap lift passes it's probably just a loss leader to sell their holidays. Or they have some sort of deal with the resort. I have found agencies often have some sort of discount too. But it's easy to cross reference with the resort website to make sure they aren't adding a fee - which did happen to me way back with a TO.
| AndyXZ24 wrote: |
| a friend of mine also recommended Trysil in Norway, I guess as we are open to anywhere with decent scenery and nice scenic runs that opens up the doors for us a little bit more when it comes to resort choice/late deals. |
If you use the search facility there are plenty of mentions of Trysil, many favourable. You'll not want to go bar hopping in Scandinavia of course but I think the base holidays are not overly pricey. January would be blinking cold though I suspect. Which reminds me January is deep winter - you don't want to be staying at high altitude - and somewhere with trees would be desirable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Layne wrote: |
| AndyXZ24 wrote: |
| Also, are crystal skis prices for lift passes the best option? If we were to go down that route if seen some of the alps resorts quoted as nearly £300 per pass |
Not sure what you mean? If a TO is advertising discount/cheap lift passes it's probably just a loss leader to sell their holidays. Or they have some sort of deal with the resort. I have found agencies often have some sort of discount too. But it's easy to cross reference with the resort website to make sure they aren't adding a fee - which did happen to me way back with a TO.
| AndyXZ24 wrote: |
| a friend of mine also recommended Trysil in Norway, I guess as we are open to anywhere with decent scenery and nice scenic runs that opens up the doors for us a little bit more when it comes to resort choice/late deals. |
If you use the search facility there are plenty of mentions of Trysil, many favourable. You'll not want to go bar hopping in Scandinavia of course but I think the base holidays are not overly pricey. January would be blinking cold though I suspect. Which reminds me January is deep winter - you don't want to be staying at high altitude - and somewhere with trees would be desirable. |
First (and only) place I’ve been skiing before was Ruka in Finland in January which was -19 some days that said my girlfriend the new skier, isn’t entirely a fan of the cold so maybe worth steering clear? Although, I’ve always thought if you wear the right clothes warmth isn’t a massive issue really, wasn’t too bad for me in Finland, brutally cold as it was.
Yes, I know these tour companies only offer lift pass ‘deals’ that are basically hidden in the holiday cost somewhere but makes it easier to stomach doesn’t it, paying £600 between two people seems fairly steep for 6 days skiing, I guess that’s the norm now tho isn’t it? What are the best prices for lift passes? Do they tend to be with the TO or direct?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
It was exactly 3 weeks ago we booked, just one day they marketed discounts to flaine and la plagne on about 3 ski in ski out options with apartment amenities for the Xmas week, Flaine was pretty much the cheapest option going on their website that day, and I was losing my mind trying to find something low cost that might have snow.
When we went to 4 valleys last season we also got the name of a polish tour operator, similar premise to sunweb but definitely cheaper, only limited number of options, some people had used this operator from Germany & hadn’t taken up the coach transfer option for Poland. They basically just book in large groups on off peak weeks: https://snowEvents.pl/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FYI just on that link for some reason you have to type it into your web browser manually as it won’t accept the pl as one link, but it is a genuine tour operator working out of Poland
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
I do kinda wonder why we have sooo many holiday options in this country, you get much better value with the Polish model! And the resorts basically offer out cheap passes to this kind of operator that can book in 200/300+ in one go. For some reason it seems a model the UK can’t fulfil otherwise you’d expect some operators out there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
One thing to check with sunweb is the addons.
The price you see may exclude a final clean, ben linen, etc.
example form one Les Sybelles :-
final cleaning (kitchen excl.): approx. 41,00 € per unit per stay (to be paid at resort)
linen package: approx. 10,50 € per set per week(s) (to be paid at resort)
bath towel package: approx. 6,50 € per person per week(s) (to be paid at resort)
wireless internet available in the room: approx. 20,00 € per unit per week(s) (to be paid at resort)
pets, excl. food: approx. 30,00 € per week(s) (to be mentioned at reservation, to be paid at resort)
Mandatory additional costs
tourist tax: approx. 0,60 € per person per night (to be paid at resort, obligated)
Deposit
deposit: approx. 250,00 € per unit per stay to be paid with cash or credit card (to be paid at resort, obligated)
That £190 for a week + lift pass does not look so cheap now?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Rh2205 wrote: |
| I do kinda wonder why we have sooo many holiday options in this country, you get much better value with the Polish model! And the resorts basically offer out cheap passes to this kind of operator that can book in 200/300+ in one go. For some reason it seems a model the UK can’t fulfil otherwise you’d expect some operators out there. |
My mate done the polish model & was interested in how it does. It was arranged with a Polish he knew & tagged along with their group.
Think he went to Verbier & it was less than £700 (late Jan or early Feb)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
I mean you can discount the coach fare usually by 200PLN if you get there yourself so I mean it’s not like you can’t use it if you are english & make your own way there, obviously there will be a lot of polish in the hotel you stay! We did some night skiing & we were the only English in the restaurant as everyone else was from Poland booked through snow events. Some spoke English so it’s not complete language barrier and you don’t have to share rooms with them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I think many lift pass 'deals' with TOs are really discounts on accommodation dressed up as a discount on passes. You rarely (or never?) see them offering deals on passes as an after-sale add-on, which tends to support that view.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
@AndyXZ24, Worthwhile looking at Valfrejus on Sunweb as some very decent cost weeks in January in that location.
It's a very easy drive of about 2 hours from Lyon if you do consider self drive realistic. The whole valley Maurienne is one of the most convenient in French alps to drive to skiing destination. Roads gentle and very well cleared, a good choice to get introduction to drive there.
I've been there a few times, while staying at other locations, decent ski area small-ish village centre, gondola to altitude literally in village centre. Good road access, parking easy, food cost very good. They even put a telecabine on the turn off up to village so you can't miss it
No, it's not a huge area, but for one week to get your ski legs going again....fine for that. A very functional and usable ski area. Village 1550 mtrs with highest near 2800 mtrs, has enough variety to enjoy.
Should be low cost overall and at least gets you there to form further opinion as to where you want to visit next year 
With a car there's also a real possibility of taking a day to explore one of the other village areas too, Val Cenis would be a good day out and about 40 mins drive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
I agree I think it’s mostly accommodation discounts. Though I know snow events do get 4 valleys pass discounts for the off peak weeks they fill as I discussed it with one of the actual organisers (not the guests). They are however sold a number of optional excursions & trips they can do whilst there, like night skiing etc but they pay more than booking directly with the resort. I guess they bump up prices of group activities with the captive market they’ve got for those trying to make new friends etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 usually go with Crystal....but I'm from NI, so don't have as many options and don't have easy access to the Chunnel.
These days, I go Half Board to a 3* Hotel, to big areas like Espace Killy or Paradiski in Jan/Early Feb. I used to aim for a brochure price of £700-£800 for the basic holiday (Flights/Transfers/HB)....but now it's more like £800 - £900. Booking reasonably early (June/July) gets me 2 Lift Passes for the price of 1; Better prices and recently, a loyalty discount of €100.
I like not having to worry if things go pear-shaped eg. Weather related transport delays, flights routed to a different airport, or the road down the mountain closing due to accidents. Once I get to the departure Airport, it's Crystal's responsibility after that....so no worries over cancelled flights, cancelled accommodation, expensive/missed transfers, parking problems, car hire problems, mountain road problems, or missed return flights.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
So I just booked CS for Dec. Used them twice and also Ingham's once before, pretty happy everytime.
For me and teenager, it was £480pp for flight+halfboard to Pas dl Casa, then £450pp for lift pass, equipment, 5 day group lessons, so £1850 total. Previous trips were similar price, some cheaper some a bit more.
Can it be done cheaper? I keep hearing how cheap people can go for, but factor in half board, transfers, passes, equipment and lessons, I don't see much savings? I was chatting to someone on the ski lift lat time boasting about how cheap his trip was, but afterwards when I thought about all the things I'd have to add, it would be similar price.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Rh2205 wrote: |
| I do kinda wonder why we have sooo many holiday options in this country, you get much better value with the Polish model! |
Maybe I missed it - but what is "the Polish Model" in simple terms?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
They basically book out an entire apartment block on off peak weeks for usually 100ppl & they only have about a dozen of these trips a season. And it’s just really cheap in nice accommodation, when we were in 4valleys last year they’d paid under £500pp equivalent including full lift pass, accommodation & coach! It’s obviously more expensive to get there from the uk but it still looks better value than anything you can buy here in a package, even if you remove the coach & add on your own uk transport it’s still better value.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[quote="Rh2205"]They basically book out an entire apartment block on off peak weeks for usually 100ppl & they only have about a dozen of these trips a season. And it’s just really cheap in nice accommodation, when we were in 4valleys last year they’d paid under £500pp equivalent including full lift pass, accommodation & coach! It’s obviously more expensive to get there from the uk but it still looks better value than anything you can buy here in a package, even if you remove the coach & add on your own uk transport it’s still better value. And just to add to this they only visit quality resorts, it’s a very good selection of locations they go to. Even seem to of nailed it with there family week offerings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As @Old Fartbag says, one of the big things you are paying for with Crystal (or other TO) is the fact they are responsible for everything once you have caught the plane. If the flight is delayed they have to work out how to do the transfer - if you book something independently you may have missed the last one available. One time when weather conditions meant the police were turning people back they we were put up in a hotel overnight, other times delays have meant we got to resort late but still got there. The downside of that of course is that you might have arrived on a flight which was on time but found yourself sitting on the coach waiting for another which was delayed.
The other minor benefit with TOs is that they have ski reps - it can be helpful to milk their local knowledge. It is worth turning up to the "welcome meeting" just to establish that link, and also to work out if there are kindred spirits about the same level you might want to meet up with from time to time.
And in the end the prices aren't absurd. You can do better booking independently, but we decided it wasn't worth it unless we could book flights out fairly early in the morning - allowing transfers still to be possible if there were delays - and returns later in the day for the same reason.
Resorts' lift prices are usually available on line - and don't change much - so you can easily work out whether a TO's offer is worth taking up. Similarly ski hire, there are several competing chains and they all offer discount rates for early booking which you can compare with your TO.
We haven't done Sunweb so can't comment from experience, but my impression is they have some really good deals for people doing self-drive. They might also look good if you manage to get stupid flight prices at first release in a place transfers are easy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Just to be clear whilst TO's may be responsible for everything that doesn't mean they do a good job of it. And as DIYer you may have options a TO wouldn't give you. I think a lot of the time it's a mindset/personality thing. Does also depend on the TO of course, in some ways you get what you pay for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@AndyXZ24, I've seen tour operator prices for lift passes (including Crystal) that have been great value but also some that were more expensive than buying them yourself in resort, never mind if there were online discounts available. The message here is to always check the prices on the resort website to make sure you're getting a good deal.
Also, you mentioned lift passes at nearly £300. There's quite a range of prices out there, with some resorts coming out higher than that. For e.g. Tignes / Val d'Isere is €396 for 6 days, which is ~£343 at today's exchange rates.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
