 Poster: A snowHead
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Wow, my first post on here! Going to be an essay so bear with me!
Me and a few mates are planning on a week in Val Thorens (Jan 26/27 to Feb 3). We've been to a couple of travel agents and they seem a bit expensive; especially since we're all recent graduates and are now poorer than when we were students!  Now comes the problem; we've decided to try book everything ourselves i.e. travel, transfers, accommodation, hire and lift passes and worse, I've been told to organise it! Need some help with most aspects of it.....
Dates: Jan 27/28 to Feb 3 2007
No. of People: Working figure of 8 at the moment, hoping more people will commit once we've got some exact costs.
Budget: £550 - £600 approx. per person (excludes drinking, we always manage to find money for drinking!)
Travel / Transfers:
We all want to fly out, living in Bournemouth, we've got two airports very close by i.e. Bournemouth and Southampton, with easyJet and FlyBe flying from each respectively. Some of us have also got our own eqipment - what do airlines charge?
Bournemouth to Geneva - Outbound £97.99 AM flight or £21.99 PM flight + taxes
Return: £51.99 AM flight or £65.24 PM flight + taxes
Southampton to Chambery - return costs £221.18 + £42.80 taxes person
As you can see, flying from Bournemouth would be cheaper, but what about transfers? I know that Chambery is very close to VT and the transfers would be quicker and cheaper. As opposed to Genva which would take longer and be more expensive, and possibly use up the savings we'd make if we flew to Chambery. Anyone had any experiences of transfers to Geneva / Chambery to VT? Coach, private transfers or hire car; and how to go about booking for them?
Willing to keep in mind other airports and airlines as well, if they work out cheaper.
Accommodation:
We want to keep the accommodation costs cheap(ish), I've looked on the VT site and it seems to be very helpful, anyone know any other sites which might be good? And any experiences of accommodation in VT? I went with uni a couple of times to VT - but alas I can't remember what apartments we stayed in, but they were the bog standard, squeeze 5 people into a room meant for 3!
Self catering apartments will be the cheapest, but nothing is exactly set in stone and I'm trying to get a range of options for my friends to choose from; ranging from cheapest possible to having some comforts like breakfast or being able to ski to/from accommodation. Any suggestions here?
Hire / Lessons:
Not a clue how much hiring will cost realistically; we've all skiied before, during school, uni trips and dry slope, so we're all fairly competent skiers. Does £50-60 sound about right? And I'm guessing it's best to wait till you get in resort?
Liftpass:
Cheaper if we order and pay online before we get there? Definatey getting the 3 valley pass, 3 valley rally with beer stops? Gotta be done!
Insurance:
With the drinking and skiing going to happen, insurance is a must! Other trips I've been on, I've just paid for the one that comes as part of the package... so no clue here!
Essay over! I've probably forgotten something big tho!
Thanks in advance,
C
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to snowHeads Cee, 
I know the ropes around VT reasonably well since the EoSB was there last April and will be there again next April.
I'd say the biggest bugbear with DIY trips to that part of the Alpes is the potential transfer hassle/costs. From GVA it's a bitch (IMO). A lot of people tend to hire cars but, between the hire cost, fuel and parking for the week, its not cheap - and what a waste: hiring for a week just to have the thing sit in a garage. We hired a bus for the Eosb but we had the bods to fill it.
IMO the best approach is via Train to Moutiers, at the foot of the Valley, then get a scheduled bus up the hill (~24€ rtn).
Possible routes include:
Shampton -fly- Chambery :: Chambery -train- Moutiers (~12€ e/w)
somewhere -fly- Paris :: Paris -sleeper- Moutiers (~40-50€ e/w)
Shampton -train- Waterloo :: Wat -Euro*- Paris :: PAris -sleeper- Moutiers
Of course, there are day trains but by using the sleepers u get 2 days extra snowTime.
Also trains don't charge extra for carrying skis.
It's not easy getting discounts off lift passes in the 3valleys - if u end up getting over 10 going, give me a shout ( PM Admin ) and I'll ask someone I know (but I think it may need over 20).
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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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Cee, Thomsonfly go from Bournemouth to Grenoble - Just to add to the choice/confusion 
http://www.thomsonfly.com
For accom Check out Erna Low who offer some good prices
www.ernalow.co.uk
Ski School
check out
www.prosneige.fr
Lift passes
We've always wandered down to the lift pass office and bought them there, so don't know if cheaper on-line. (Idoubt it)
Transfers
We always drive over, worth you considering it?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Cee, I think end of January would be ripe for some good last minute deals. eg try iglu ski
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brian
brian
Guest
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Cee, 8 is the perfect number for a private minibus transfer, eg.
http://www.thecoolbus.co.uk/
would do GVA->VT return for £58 per person. Train all the way would probably be good for extra days but I would personally avoid bus+train+bus multi-stage fannying about transfer from the airports. Hiring cars works out well but a bit pointless for VT as you won't need it while you're there and the private transfer is probably just as cheap.
Apartments - when I've priced them, Erna Low seem to add about a 20% mark up. Ski Collection seem a bit cheaper, or book direct with Pierre & Vacances or Maeva.
Hire - might be cheaper booked online, eg. www.twinner-sports.com, lift pass probably won't.
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Cheers for the replies guys, will have a look at those links later, or when I'm bored at work... not that I condone using company time to research and book holidays! Totally agree with the car hire, seems to be alot effort in terms of time and money for leaving a car in a car park for a whole week.
Cee
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