 Poster: A snowHead
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I’m just about to buy lift passes for our week in Hochzeiger. Our two girls (9 year olds) are beginners and get their passes free.
Our return flights aren’t until the evening on the last day and the airport is only just over an hour away. In normal circumstances I would get an extra day (or morning at least) of skiing. But after a week of learning and lessons do you think it might be wiser to enjoy a chilled day, maybe seeing a few sights in Innsbruck?
We could always play it by ear and buy day passes if we want to for the last day in resort. The difference in price for day passes or an extra day, when purchased en bloc is €53. We already have 7 day ski hire as 7 and 6 days are the same price.
If we didn’t ski we would probably travel by public transport as opposed to a shuttle, which would also make a €70ish saving.
What would you do?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Will largely depend on how your girls have got on. If they are still stoked for skiing do the extra day. If they are beat don't.
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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 would avoid the rush and hassle of skiing for just part of a day and go for a swim, ideally with a jacuzzi, steam room, etc and relax ahead of tbe journey.
If I was one of your children, I’d ideally like to ski right up to about the 3rd step of the boarding staircase to the aircraft home.
Therein lies the dilemma 
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@Dave of the Marmottes, Yes that’s the plan, but do I get the 7 day pass now or pay the extra if we decide on skiing the last day? Of course, my actions now will potentially skew the what we choose to do (ie if we have already got the 7 day pass I’m more likely to encourage everyone into another day on the slopes).
@PeakyB, my wife would certainly be keen on your idea about the spa and swim!
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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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@EdYarker, perhaps being more cautious than 30+ years ago, I’d think ‘what if one of us got injured on the day were travelling home’. Yes I know an accident can happen anywhere, any time but earlier in the week you have more time to deal with the consequences. However, last day, limited time slot blasts around the mountain, tired legs + Sod’s Law can be a risky combination.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Make up your collective minds on the day - it might be pouring with rain!
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| Origen wrote: |
| Make up your collective minds on the day - it might be pouring with rain! |
This!
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Other considerations could be, if you ski do you still have access to your accomodation or somewhere else to change/shower after? If you go sight seeing instead, can you leave your luggage somewhere?
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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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When our kids were that age we'd always take an extra days skiing if possible.The kids loved it. If they have spent a lot of the week in ski school it gives time to have the family skiing together, often on a quiet day of the week. The main thing that would put me off would have been really bad weather.
If you're going to Innsbruck with public transport you will have to work out what to do with your luggage there. It's a very pleasant City but I know which my children would have enjoyed more at that age(and me as well)
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I think I'd go for it.
On the one hand they may love skiing and be 100% up for an extra morning on the last day.
On the other they may hate skiing - at which point the last morning is the least of your worries! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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But there's no need to decide now! If everyone's keen to ski, that last day could be great. But the savings on buying a longer pass are trivial, in the scheme of things.
If Mrs Yarker is (as implied) not that keen on skiing and has been helping with the considerable task of getting beginner kids kitted up and to and from their ski lessons all week, maybe her wishes could take priority for just one day of the holiday!!
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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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| Origen wrote: |
....If Mrs Yarker is (as implied) not that keen on skiing and has been helping with the considerable task of getting beginner kids kitted up and to and from their ski lessons all week, maybe her wishes could take priority for just one day of the holiday!! |
Where is that implied. Is its because she might enjoy a spar day? Surely enjoying that doesn't mean you don't enjoy skiing?
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You know it makes sense.
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| Origen wrote: |
If Mrs Yarker is (as implied) not that keen on skiing and has been helping with the considerable task of getting beginner kids kitted up and to and from their ski lessons all week, maybe her wishes could take priority for just one day of the holiday!! |
Decisions about family holidays should clearly involve the whole family, but are nine year olds that difficult to get kitted out to go skiing? Five and six year olds maybe but nine year olds , and would Ed not be involved as well?
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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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Wake up in the morning. Look out of the window. If it is sunshine and everyone wants to, go skiing. If it’s raining then do something else. But it will be somewhere between. Only you can decide on the day.
Would the children even be allowed into a spa never mind want to go. I know I would have detested a sauna when I was young and tbh still cannot see the point of them. And as for site seeing - would any child voluntarily do it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I wouldn't have wanted to go to a spa as a child, and want to go to one even less as an adult. As for kids sight-seeing, I reckon it's not good for kids to get their own way all the time... or maybe Mum should go sightseeing and to the spa on her own for a blissful day of no waiting on members of the family!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you all for your thoughts and the lively debate.
Yes of course, whatever I decide to do with the ticket purchase today can be overruled on the final day depending on weather, injuries, enthusiasm etc. I’m really just making a €70ish bet on whether we will want to ski or not.
For the record my wife does like skiing but also likes a spa but probably wouldn’t want to go in her own. We all like swimming but ultimately half a day on the slopes v half a day swimming is not really a contest!
We are staying in a hotel so I think they will have somewhere to store our things and hopefully get changed and showered.
In conclusion I think I will go for the 7 days pass and hope for the best..
Thanks again everyone
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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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@EdYarker, presumably you're flying into Innsbruck. Departing a couple of Sundays ago security upstairs was less busy than the ground floor. UK passport holders were also advised to give 90 minutes for border control, only took 20-30 though.
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@EdYarker, that'd be my choice. You can swim back home and sight seeing in winter is less appealing than skiing which you can only do there.
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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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Spar days are great - some even have a really good cheese counter.
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I'd be looking to make the decision before the last day.
Maybe just make the call now to say you're not going to do it, book the transfer and take a relaxing day. I'm definitely of the "ski to the steps of the plane" opinion if I can, I ski till the last second on non-family holidays. But there is something to be said for easing the pressure a bit, knowing that day 6 is the last day, ending the day relaxed and handing your stuff back in at the hire shop and starting the wind down. Skiing wise it's not the worst thing to leave everyone wanting more, instead of a stressful last day that is also the most expensive day of the holiday per min on the slopes, and also means a load of faff with storing bags, getting changed, handling wet kit etc.
Similar logic works on day one if you have an early transfer, if you know you're not skiing it saves a load of stress vs rushing everything on the hope of getting a few hours. Family holidays are different to solo or couples, in that circumstance I absolutely try to ski every min. But on a family holiday there is so much that takes away from skiing time you just need to approach it differently.
If you do want to keep options open then I still wouldn't want to leave it until the last morning. See how things are going earlier in the week, kids chomping at the bit or not, check the weather forecast etc. and make a call. The last thing I'd want is hope of skiing on the last day, but for that to be dashed but still have all the hassle of returning kit and packing on that morning.
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| Jäger wrote: |
| Origen wrote: |
| Make up your collective minds on the day - it might be pouring with rain! |
This! |
Or brilliant sunshine with an inch of hero powder on finely groomed piste!
I’m definitely the type that would pay a bit extra to keep the option open (of skiing the last day)
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The option would always have been open - just buying passes on the day!
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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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@HutToHut, yes we are flying to and from Innsbruck (slightly panicking about fog on the way in causing havoc but only one out of the 20 weather sites I’ve been to has that), so thanks for the tips. Hopefully a Thursday will be even less busy.
@Dave of the Marmottes  indeed, Google maps shows a Spar just down the road from our hotel, so I will be paying a visit for some ‘room snacks.’ They are always a million times better than UK Spars aren’t they?
@bouquetin, I agree with you in most of your comments. On solo or lads trips it’s great to squeeze an extra morning or afternoon in before/ after flights, but it does up the stress factor. In this instance we would leave plenty of time- mornings are normally the best time to ski anyway. I would argue about it being the most expensive day of the week in this case as it is only an extra €50 for the lot of us, with ski hire already covered. Ok it may persuade me to upgrade to a taxi to the airport rather than public transport but that is a big hassle saver anyway.
If the worst comes to the worst and after day six we think we’ve had enough (or the weather looks ugly) I think I will just have to take that €50 on the chin!
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@EdYarker, At an extra €50 it's probably worth keeping your options open. Different slant on it to some resorts where you'd be paying for a full day pass that you don't get to use all of. I'd looked at skiing on the last day of our family holiday and all in it would have cost north of €250 for a morning and a load of stress.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@bouquetin, yes I’ve gone ahead and booked for 7 days. If I had held back and then decided to buy day tickets for the last day it would have been €123. So hopefully I’ve done the right thing. Just need the kids to take to it and the weather to play ball.
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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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| adithorp wrote: |
| @EdYarker, that'd be my choice. You can swim back home |
Wow! That would be some family feat! 
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You know it makes sense.
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| Origen wrote: |
| The option would always have been open - just buying passes on the day! |
| EdYarker wrote: |
| If I had held back and then decided to buy day tickets for the last day it would have been €123. . |
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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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Comes to skiing forum.
Asks, “Should I ski or do something else?”
Gets told to ski.
Skis.
“But I asked for advice!”
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@James the Last, Yes you’ve nailed it. On my swim forum they all said we should swim! And as for my pootle about town for a day forum…
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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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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| Spar days are great - some even have a really good cheese counter. |
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| EdYarker wrote: |
| @bouquetin, yes I’ve gone ahead and booked for 7 days. If I had held back and then decided to buy day tickets for the last day it would have been €123. So hopefully I’ve done the right thing. Just need the kids to take to it and the weather to play ball. |
€53 for all is an absolute bargain. Makes sense. I thought you meant pp!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There was a time when Citymapper had a ‘Jetpack’ option. They’re too serious now alas.
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| EdYarker wrote: |
| @James the Last, Yes you’ve nailed it. On my swim forum they all said we should swim! And as for my pootle about town for a day forum… |
But it isn’t the advice to do which activity, but the rational for each that really matters.
I sometimes ask for advice as a “confirmation”, just to make sure I have considered all the options. More than once, I was shown there’re more ways to do one things. And occasionally, ways I really wouldn’t have thought of had I not asked. That being the ultimate purpose for the existence of forums.
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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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@abc, yes that’s why I came on here and it had been great to read all the feedback. We are now in resort with the 7 day ticket purchased. On the slopes tomorrow
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@abc, I didn’t criticise. I just thought ‘what other answer is likely here’!
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FAQ
My philosophy is that you never know when your next ski turns will be, so get in as much skiing as you can, while you can 
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