 Poster: A snowHead
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been skiing for years but always done the package holiday thing (which i could afford because i could take holidays when I wanted). Unfortunatly new job means its a school holiday only trip for me  but peak prices are making it impossible. Anyone ideas for a cheap and cheerful trip on the 10th/11th of feb for a week? was thinking might be best not to get package holiday but no idea where to start if have to sort it out myself
cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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you can still get flights to geneva on sunday for £150 return, though at slightly unsocial times. with a group, you would probably do better to drive, in which case a sunday/sunday trip will give you fewer traffic problems into and out of resort. Accommodation in France will be expensive, but if you book direct with owners (plenty of websites) not ruinous. But there will be big queues in most places!
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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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ki83, welcome to snowHeads! 
Mrs H is a teacher, so we have a similar problem. We're off for our first Feb half term next year - previously we've done the week between Christmas and New Year at Saas Fee and the second week of Easter at Val Thorens (3 times so far). I like the second week of Easter in Val Thorens - it's less busy than the first week (actually not particularly busy at all) and the ski-ing is extensive.
My v. limited observation is that the spike in prices is a UK tour operator feature - accommodation prices are pretty much flat across the high season - so DIY may be the way to go.
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ki83, Cheapest option may be to drive, and an independent chalet or apartment . Independent accommodation does increase in February, but not by as much as a package.
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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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6 week trip to Chile & Argentina every year is possible+ 2 weeks Xmas/new year, Feb & Easter! And schoolteachers whine about being restricted to school holdiays 
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ki83, what sort of party will you have, and what kind of holiday are you looking for? That week is not the worst week for French hols (the worst weeks are the Paris weeks, later) so if you avoid the kind of resorts which are stuffed with Brits you may do better. Where have you been in the past, and what are your priorities? There's plenty of advice on DIY holidays available here, and it gives you lots more flexibility, especially to explore some different places, for example in Switzerland, which don't feature on many tour operators lists.
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ryanair to slazburg - then local b&b in any of the local resorts except saalbach or kitz (too popular with brits). The local b&bs barely change their prices for uk half term (if at all) and the flight can be as little as £70 or so (not checked this year). A lovely hol would be to get a car and drive one of the circuits, some lovely quiet smaller resorts near salzburg. aj xx
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thanks a mil- i know whingy teachers about ridiculous amount of hoildays (i hate it too but have joined the club on the thought of paying200 quid extra-moany wagon:)) theres only 2 of us on the trip one who drives so i think driving is a no-no:) Easter hols are the 31st march- is there easy enough to get decent snow around that time- know les deux alpes had the glacier but is it decent skiing everywhere that stage in the year??????????
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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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ki83, Easter is probably the best time for skiing provided you go to a high enough resort with a good snow record. We still have some availability for 1/2 term and Easter. Have a look at our ad in snowShops or got to our website www.tracksvacations.com for more details. La Rosiere has one of the best snow records in the Alps, last season we had over 12 metres of snowfall in total and at the end of the season there's usually still around 2 metres of snow at altitude. Our season doesn't end until the last week of April.
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ki83, The cheapest apartments that we have in ADH for the Feb half-term are 805 euros for a family of 4, not sure how that compares with the TOs. Easter for the same apartment is 570 euros. You could also try somewhere like www.holidayalps.co.uk also based here in ADH and they have a hotel which can accommodate families in 1 bedroom suite (bringing the price down) and more importantly they will take you mid-week to mid-week (or mon/mon) which can really bring the price of the fllights down.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ki83, ski-ing at Easter is a bit different from February. Our experience of Val Thorens at Easter is that there is pretty much continuous snow coverage from about 2300m (the level of the resort) upwards and that ski-ing all across the Three Valleys is accessable - you can drop down into Meribel and Courchevel 1850. However, the quality of the snow is a bit variable - high up it is generally nice, as you drop lower you find patches of rather heavy snow according to the terrain and the time of day and the quality of the piste-ing. If you have any sort of enthusiasm you can easily ski all day. Les Menuires (about 500m below Val Thorens) doesn't look nearly as much fun at Easter - some rather sad 'comb-over' pistes and a number of the lifts shut.
As a way of avoiding half term madness it's definitely worth a go, I'd recommend Val Thorens because its as high as you can go in Europe and it gives access onto a large ski area. We've always got a bit lucky and had relatively significant new snow fall at Easter either whilst we've been there or just before.
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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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ki83, It can definitely be done. I think booking directly with apartment owners is the cheapest way. This year I booked a great place in St Sorlin D'Arves which would have slept around 5 comfortably (not your typical french box) in half term week for 600euros and got a Speedferries return for £50. In contrast Crystal wanted £1400 for the 3 of us for an aprtment in the same resort and crossing.
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The chalet pimps are out
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You know it makes sense.
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Speaking as someone who already got pimped 
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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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Ahem...
1 week rental available in The Canyons, Utah. Luxury apartment. Sleeps several (depends on how much luxury you want to keep to yourselves) Includes ski carriage to/from the slopes, underground heated car park, gym/pool/hot tubs...
Contact me for further details.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Of course you can check out the resorts that are less known - I think they probably have heaps of advantages in the peak periods.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ki83, as usual I'd recommend looking at somewhere that doesn't have school holidays that week. The south-east of France (Nice/Marseille) aren't on holiday then and there are a few resorts around there which aren't easy to reach from the north so will be far quieter than the most of the Alps.
Each of Isola 2000 and the Val d'Allos would have enough skiing for a week and if you don't want hundreds of km of piste then Auron would be OK as well.
One of the UK TO's (Thomson?) used to offer Isola 2000 but it was a fly-drive holiday with no in-resort rep so unless they're really cheap you might as well book the separate parts yourself. The hotels in our area don't increase their prices noticeably although the lift pass goes up by about EUR20 a week.
The flights from Ireland (either side of the border) to Nice for that week are pricey so you're probably not going to get a dirt cheap trip but at least you won't be sharing the slopes with thousands of other people.
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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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ben wright, didn't realise they could change the lift pass prices during the season according to the week - think thats a bit naughty?
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sarah@alpedhuez, Price of everything else is based on demand, why not lift prices?.
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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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sarah@alpedhuez, they've now got 4 price bands: EUR103 for low season (including most of January), EUR123, EUR133 and the top rate of EUR137 for the school holidays. Not bad for 6 days and more than 200km of piste.
The daily price stays the same although they usually discount it in the last week or two of the season or do 3 days for the price of 2.
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ben wright, for sure, ours in ADH is 192 euros for 6 days although this also gives you a free ski day also in LDA, Serre Che, Puy et La Grave but I bet there aren't that many people who take advantage of it!
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| sarah@alpedhuez wrote: |
| ben wright, for sure, ours in ADH is 192 euros for 6 days although this also gives you a free ski day also in LDA, Serre Che, Puy et La Grave but I bet there aren't that many people who take advantage of it! |
Its not a free ski day is it - just a reciprocal exchange? Or can I ski six days in ADH then my free day in L2A?
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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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fatbob, no it is a reciprocal exchange - habit says its a free ski away day.
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FAQ
