 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi we are planning a weekend ski trip either the 1st or 3rd weekend in March ideally flying from Stansted but maybe Luton/Gatwick, can anyone suggest somewhere. preferably with a shortish transfer time, any reccommendations greatly appreciated, thanks 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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feefee, I've been to Klosters, Flims and Flaine (Les Carroz) for long weekends at that time of year - all worked well with loads of snow.
The first two fly to Zurich, Flaine is nearer Geneva.
I've also had a weekend in Crans Montana, but the transfer was a lot longer.
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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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feefee, ryanair to salzburg or Turin give you loads of options.
From salzburg you have Schladming, Obertauern, soll (+ rest of Skiwelt), Kaprun etc etc all within easy reach (all much less than 2 hours by car).
From Turin you have Cervinia or other Aosta Valley resorts - Pila, La Thuile, Courmayer (or even through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix) or you could go the other way to Sestriere, Sauze or on to Serre Chevalier or even Les 2 Alpes. (again generally much less than 2 hours by car (but furthest ones may be pushing the travel time))
Accommodation isn't usually a problem, but you may have to wait until nearer the time to book up as the hotels may be wanting to hold out for whole week bookings.
there is a link to cheap car hire on the sticky thread on travel ideas in the trips forum.
I prefer more short breaks to fewer whole weeks and have done loads now. Good luck 
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feefee, Verbier is a 90 minute drive from Geneva and conditions there in March are generally good. Chamonix is about 60 minutes away from Geneva. Both are well set up for weekenders in terms of accomodation etc
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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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Basel or Zurich should put you in touch with a few resorts within 2 hrs by train.
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Thanks everyone!! more suggestions still appreciated, Are we better to hire a car or get taxi transfers?? 
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I hired a small Panda for 3 days at about £65 over the Christmas hols, you could check on taxis, but I would think that car hire would be cheaper. Some Austrian resorts close to Salzburg have a shuttle bus facility (e.g. Obertauern which costs €39 for a return trip) and the one that I contacted said that we would only be waiting for an hour maximum.
One advantage of Ryanair is that their return flights from Salzburg and Turin are quite late so you get the full last day on the slopes and still have time to get back to the airport and have a meal (or even have a meal on the way to the airport).
If you fly to Geneva the whole of the Portes de Soleil are within easy reach as are Villars, Chamonix, Megeve and a large number of other places.
You have no limit on choices. Where would you fancy going?
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For two or more people, I've always hired a car.
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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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feefee, If you fly to Grenoble you can rent a dinky car and be in either ADH or LDA in 1.5 hours - both big resorts with loads of everything - although naturally I would always recommend LDA over ADH! We're a lot cheaper I reckon than the Savoie and Haut Savoie.
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Ray Zorro, Thanks, we have been to Kaprun and Vaujany and liked both, but this time (escape without kids)! maybe Italy or I rather like Zell am See. Maybe a hire car would be better, there will be 4 of us to share the costs. I like the sound of fairly short transfers, nice hotel, good food & wine!! and pretty slopes!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Chamonix. From Geneva.
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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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Zell am See is only about an hour from Salzburg but flights with Ryanair are quite expensive for weekends now to there (getting on for £200 Friday to Sunday).
Turin flights are much cheaper (about £80 return all in Friday to Sunday), giving you Cervinia (with Zermatt on the same lift pass), Pila, La Thuile (with La Rosiere on the same lift pass), Sestriere, Champoluc, Sauze d'Oulx, Courmayer + others within 1.5 hours drive.
Of those, I have only been to Cervinia (not so pretty a town but excellent skiing) and La Thuile (quiet and small (but good restaurants) and excellent skiing) (both on short breaks) but I would imagine that you would have a great time in any from that list.
The tourist information sites are good for getting hotel email lists for sorting accommodation.
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feefee, I live in Austria and Stansted and Gatwick fly into Salzburg. We are just 45min transfer in the heart of Ski Amade. Transfers are €39.50 per person - or you could hire a car - look at www.holidayautos.co.uk for prices.
Austria is beautiful - come and see!
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You know it makes sense.
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flangesax, Thanks we would visit Austria (been before and loved it) but the flights are quite priceycompared to Italy. I think we will probably go for the Turin flights as they are quite a bit cheaper.Ray Zorro, thanks for the reccommendations Turin seems favourable so I will check out some Hotels, unless any Snowheads can reccommend any, ski to door would be great or very near lifts etc
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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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feefee, once you have made up your mind it would be advisable to book the flights as soon as you can as their prices are likely to increase with time.
The accommodation and car hire can be left till much later. When I to went Cervinia just after christmas I reserved the accommodation on the 24th and paid the deposit the 27th, the day before I went. There shouldn't be a problem if you are just 2 couples.
One thing I found with Stansted - you may already know this, but the parking in the mid stay is about £13 per day if you take a ticket on arrival and pay at the end of your stay, but is only £7.70 per day if you pre-book online. Quite a difference.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ray Zorro, Am meeting friend today so will make the decision and prob book flights tonight. Didn't know about the pre-booking parking at Stansted though! will do that or may get a lift as we are not too far away.
Did you stay in a Hotel in Cervinia?
Do you have website address for the tourist info? I googled it but not much luck!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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http://www.cervinia.it/sezionidinamiche/strutturericettive/hotel_intro_eng.aspx you can access a map of where each hotel is on that page as well.
FWIW I stayed at the Lac Bleu, which was more out of town than I realised, but the owners always bus the guests right up to the gondola doors each morning and picked us up from wherever we landed in the evening, so the location didn't particularly matter in the end.
The Astoria is probably the best placed.
Good luck in sorting it
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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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feefee, I've booked flights from Stansted to Turin - 26/1-29/1
We are just looking at resorts and transfers at the moment. Will let you know how we get on.
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Pete1909, have a look at sauze d'oux
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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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skimottaret, Looking at Sauze - Had a week in Sestriere last January so did a day there and quite liked it.
Also looking at Montgenevre but did a week there a couple of years back.
Favourite for me at the moment in Cervinia as I've never been and gives us Zermatt too.
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Pete1909, if you go with sauze i know a great instructor there....
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Pete1909, I think car hire is definately cheaper than the transfers? I am looking at Pila, seems to be lots of doorstep skiing but have emailed hotels and no reply 
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feefee, Yes, I think it will be - need either 2 cars or a minibus as there are 7 of us.
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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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Pete1909, easyjet have very cheap car hire. How you getting on with accom search? are you looking at Hotels or Chalets?
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feefee, I've tasked one of the others to do the accomodation search for Cervinia. He's emailing a few as we speak (if they respond) as suggested by Ray Zorro in Trips (http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=21586).
Fisrt time we've done a weekend, if all goes well hopefully there'll be many more.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just had an email back on tranfers (link from www.cervinia.it to Private transfer www.caarp.it)
The cost for the transfer from Caselle airport to Cervinia for 7 people with luggages with a minibus with driver is Euro 248,00
If you need the way back, the total amount is Euro 496,00 (about £355 / 7 = £50 each)
Or car hire from www.holidayautos.co.uk
9 Seater Van - £258
2 small cars (Fiesta) - £192
Not sure on Tolls and Fuel. works out about £30-40 each in total.
I think for £10 extra each it's easier to let someone else have the hassle of driving.
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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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feefee, as you are not going till March, you might find that hotels are reluctant to commit at this stage. A weekend means that they lose the room for the full week either side. It isn't that they don't have the room, just that they would rather retain the option for a week-long booking. Nearer the time, when they realise that they have rooms they can't fill, then they will be happy to accept the booking.
I would think that Pila is a good option as even if you can't find anywhere there (which would really surprise me), you should find something in Aosta and that is only an 8min gondola ride down in the valley.
I'm sure you'll get it sorted though
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Geneva Easyjet flights from Luton would allow you to go out on the Friday evening at 6.45 or 8.15pm and return on 8.20 or 10.40pm on the Sunday. This would give 2 full ski days. Unfortunately the flight cost about 3 times now than they did when I booked.
As for resort: Argentierre (Chamonix) is close (I seem to remember a bit over an hour transfer).
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You know it makes sense.
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try Ryanair they seem to be cheap at tha moment
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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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Crikey flights change prices eavery time I look!! waiting for babysitting confirmation before we book!!! So far Turin, Grenoble and Lyon are the cheapest! and Verona. Lots of choice think we just have to book flight then wait for Hotel. Will def go for car hire , easyjet want about £60 for small car, not bad!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| feefee wrote: |
| Crikey flights change prices eavery time I look!! waiting for babysitting confirmation before we book!!! So far Turin, Grenoble and Lyon are the cheapest! and Verona. Lots of choice think we just have to book flight then wait for Hotel. Will def go for car hire , easyjet want about £50-60 for small car, not bad! |
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Fancy something a bit different ??
Fly to Venice and pick up the hire car at the airport. Drive 2 hours north and then you're in the Dolomites (Cortina d'Ampezzo). I've done this a couple of times (in March) and its been excellent on both occasions
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ray Zorro, well if you can recommend hotels............ 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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feefee, Lutins in 2'Alps. Great place to stay with an excellent location
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Linds, just wondering... would you describe the Lutins as a "nice" hotel? (thinking back to feefee's requirement list earlier). It seemed similar to where I stayed (the Sherpa) and while the location was great and it was perfectly adequate in every way for the PSB, it was possibly not the place I would choose to go if I was going with Mrs Z on a break from the kids for a few days 
feefee, Les 2 Alpes has a booking centre (never used it personally) 00 33 476792438 or email reservation@les2alpes.com
If you don't get what you want, when I was there in November, I picked up this season's accommodation booklet which I could send to you if you like. It lists every hotel in the resort + more besides.
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ryanair to Granada return about £60 incl taxes land at noight fri reurn late at night on sunday 2 full days ski-ing in Sierra Nevada
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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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Am looking at all recommendations, thank you everyone, but would like bit of luxury!! Ray Zorro, If I don't have any luck the leaflet would be great thanks! will wait til bit nearer the time tho!
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FAQ
