 Poster: A snowHead
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How is it best to buy your lift passes. This is partly a general question but also partly for a trip we are organising for 8 people to Belle Plagne. It would be convenient to get the passes done before arrival so there are no hold ups.
Thanks
JP
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've organised lift passes from the rep on the bus to resort before, and pay for them then as well due to cash flow issues at the time of the initial booking. Sometimes we have had to just sort them out ourselves when we get there but also we have had the rep being the cause of the delay in getting passes before when they ran out, admittedly that was as part of a group of over 70 though so I'll forgive them for that minor miscount of numbers.
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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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U can usually pick them up off the lift co/resort's web site - try http://www.la-plagne.com/
If I'm using a tour op I usually ask the rep if they're on commission - if they are, I let them get the passes on the promise that they rush back. If they say they're not, I just grab them myself as it's inevitabley quicker.
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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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if you want to be REALLY organised some resorts will post them out to you in the UK before you leave
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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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If you can't order them on the web, some hotels will get them for you.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| masmith wrote: |
| if you want to be REALLY organised some resorts will post them out to you in the UK before you leave |
La Plagne will do this, that's what we did last season.
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| masmith wrote: |
| if you want to be REALLY organised some resorts will post them out to you in the UK before you leave |
That's exactly what we are doing for our trip to Val Thorens in Jan. Ordering from the resort via thier website, it's just one less thing to worry about and less hassle when we get here! More time for drinking as well! Just a matter of getting the money of everyone in the run up to Christmas and New Year..... 
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| richmond wrote: |
| If you can't order them on the web, some hotels will get them for you. |
I don't know about in La Plagne, but in some resorts they'll include them as part of a package.
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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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skanky, yes indeed. For some reason they never offer that during peak weeks (school hols). I can understand offering little or no discount, but it seems a bit mean not to offer the convenience.
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richmond, I've seen it most in Swiss hotels, but then I might have looked at more Swiss hotels so i wouldn't say they do it more often. I don't know why it's not universal really, it'd be another reason to pick one hotel over another.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yup. And IIRC Austrian hotels and guest houses - even b&bs will also help.
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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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Just buy them at the lift station on the morning of your first day on the slopes
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If you buy of the rep and pay in stirling you usually get a poor exchange rate that's how the tour companies make extra cash. Much better to buy direct from the lift company if you can.
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You know it makes sense.
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We do them on line - they arrrive in the UK about 3 days later with pistemaps as well. There's often a discount if you buy them before Dec 1st 
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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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| Renry wrote: |
| Just buy them at the lift station on the morning of your first day on the slopes |
We were meeting a group to go on a day trip last year. Arrangements were 'meet at the bottom of the .... lift at 9:00'.
At 9:15 they turn up, and after 10 minutes or so one of them wanders off. I discover she is off to the caisse to buy a lift pass for that day! So that works too. (Or is this a 'faff' item?)
David 
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Poster: A snowHead
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DJ, they get 5 minutes, then I'm off. If it's a powder day, subtract 5 minutes (or more if I get there early)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Wear The Fox Hat, you're too generous
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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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| Quote: |
Just buy them at the lift station on the morning of your first day on the slopes
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sometimes there are long queues. It took me 40 minutes to queue for passes in Chamonix (La Tour) one day, and that was before joining the equally long scrum to get on the damned lift. Well worth buying them in advance,and the resort web site will give details of any special deals of discounts available (for skiers under 9 months old, or over 87, that sort of thing).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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masmith, true. But it's MY holiday too, not just theirs, and I don't want to spend my time standing around waiting for people.
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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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Wear The Fox Hat, I'm with you all the way !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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masmith, only if you can keep up... 
...back on topic - booking early - whether it is online, on a transfer bus, or just buying them all on the first day of your trip (if you can do that) - will maximise your snow time.
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or if you arrive in resort late afternoon or early evening the lift pass office is usually still open and will sell tickets to start the next day
Wear The Fox Hat, on your marks ....
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masmith, you're too slow. While you're wandering round town in the late afternoon trying to buy a liftpass for tomorrow the Foxy one (having pre-ordered his) is safely tucked up in a little bar somewhere having a cold blond beer with a warm redhead.
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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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FenlandSkier, you're not wrong there... (although she's not a redhead).
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| Quote: |
| (although she's not a redhead) |
redhand? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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She's a redhead in my dream 
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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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FenlandSkier, stop dreaming about my girl, and this one's NOT a redhead...
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justapurrin,
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Renry wrote:
Just buy them at the lift station on the morning of your first day on the slopes
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I'm probably re-stating the obvious but NEVER attempt to buy on the first day of ski-ing (unless you want to queue a long time). It will be mayhem at the lift pass office.
Either:-
1) Book and pay in advance (never agree to pay on rute to resort, unless at a fixed euro price)
2) Checkout the resort lift company for online purchase options, there may be discounts.
3) If these arent an option, get the pass on arrival day, but again it wastes your valuable holiday time.
I alway consider my holiday time valuable on the basis 'how long did I work for each days holiday?'. Probably in the ratio of 10 day work for each day, on a 25 days paid leave per anum. 
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You know it makes sense.
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basically if you arrive in resort mis-afternoon then it's feasible to get your own lift passes. You can get them in advance as already mentioned, but NEVER pay for them in sterling unless you're travelling with Nielsons. They are the only TO I could find who guarantee you won't pay more than the Caisse price.
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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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I haven't been able to find this season's prices on the internet yet, all three Paradiski websites (Les Arc, Peisey-Vallandry & La Plagne) still have last year's prices.
Anyone know what a 6 day Paradiski pass will cost this season? Last season it was €229.
easiski, how does that work with Neilson? They want £160 in advance but if the price is €229 that's about £155 at current exchange rates. Do they refund the difference?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Pete Horn, Les Arcs and Paradiski prices for this season here. A six day Paradiski pass is €233.
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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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Thanks, I should have been able to find the prices myself but somehow I found all the dead or out of date links  . It's all so easy finding the correct ones now.
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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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Les Arcs last year - 5 min queues for passes in the morning.
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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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Just got season passes for the Espace Diamant, arrived by post this morning; yippee. 319 euros, discounted price if bought before end November. It's not Paradiski, only 175km of linked pistes, but still a great buy, at the same price as two weekly passes in-season. Not a well known area; a random google search brought up an article on pistehors.com, which was well out of date before the beginning of last season, though it says the page was modified in September 2006.
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pam w, I'm about to order mine if I can work out how to pay. They want a cheque, but I don't have a French bank account.
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rjs, if you mean the Espace Diamant pass, I paid by credit card, paid on line but had to send a photo and form Actually had a problem printing out the form, but that was a problem with the printer, my end. I was a bit concerned and sent them an email checking all was well. They replied promptly and I now have the passes. If you have continued problems, PM me and I'll try to help. The English on their site is so awful it's easier for me to read the French, not that my French is that good.
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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, I had downloaded the form from the Crest Voland website, there didn't seem to be an option to pay by credit card. I'll have a look at the Les Saisies website as well though.
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