 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi, few ones talking and might get another short trip fitted into the season so suit the teachers among our friends. Date would be 10th to 14th February. There may be up to 20 people. Flights from Belfast to Geneva. Arriving Geneva 4pm Sat evening.
Never booked a trip DIY before always used travel agent. What resorts would be best from Geneva with short transfer for a saturday evening and what method would be best considering the numbers?
Would it be easy to get accommodation for that period of time? Is that the busy period in resorts with French Holidays?
Any help/suggestions welcome.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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MhicEasmuint,
You may be expecting too much, IMHO, it's the wrong time and too many people. Acommodation with be loathed to take short term booking at, what should be, the busiest time of their ski season. I do know that the Hotel Telemark in La Tania does short bookings, but you'll need to do it soon. 120 miles from Geneva though.
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| Never booked a trip DIY before always used travel agent. What resorts would be best from Geneva with short transfer for a saturday evening and what method would be best considering the numbers? |
Most of my holidays (ski and other) are DIY or a combination, certainly DIY travel though. Many big resorts within a 2 hour transfer, Morzine \ Avoriaz , Flaine etc. The numbers will be an issue and will the date, car hire will be at a premium so taxis would be the best, easily >£50 ppp though.
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| Would it be easy to get accommodation for that period of time? |
Most places will already be booked up. If they are available, not at a cheap price. 
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| Is that the busy period in resorts with French Holidays? |
Yes, very busy!
If you can jack something up, I'd be interested in where you can get in. I'm was looking to do something similar, but much later on and booking now.
Good luck! 
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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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MhicEasmuint, you may have to make some compromises. As BMF Skier says, it is a busy period and it would be very difficult to find accommodation for your size of group together in a well-placed hotel. If it is important that you are all in the same hotel, it might be best to go to a large non-skiing centre or smaller satellite resort and travel to the slopes daily. If you would be happy to be split into smaller groups and be shared around the resort hotels, you might find it easier in resort.
An option that may work for you is Aosta (just through the Mont-Blanc tunnel). It is a city, but has direct access to the slopes at Pila. It may be easier to find accommodation there than anywhere else.
Alternatively you could try one of the UK specialist short-break companies. I have forgotton the names, and only personally used www.skiweekends.com (another is www.flexiblebreaks.com )
Good luck
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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MhicEasmuint, As others say, you'll be very lucky to find one property willing to take a large group for a short stay in half term week. I work in ski travel and although we do short breaks in some resorts, this has to be suspended in peak weeks. Anyone willing to provide it will charge a premium for the lost revenue on the remainder of the week - sorry to be negative BTW, w/c 10/2 is UK half term along with the following week. French hols are end Feb/start of March
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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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MhicEasmuint, I'd agree with Ray Zorro and recommend Aosta/Pila. I'm off there for a (3 days skiing) break next week. if you don't want to do it all yourself contact interski who specialise in the Aosta Valley and offer short breaks which can even include jacket and salopettes so you have no kit to carry. They also do return transfers from GVA for £40 per head. NB I am in no way connected to them financially other than as a multi trip satisfied customer
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Annepen wrote
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BTW, w/c 10/2 is UK half term along with the following week. French hols are end Feb/start of March
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French School holidays are staggered, based on school regions\zones. I believe they are, (for Feb 2007)
Zone A - 10th -25th Feb
Zone C - 17th Feb - 4th March
Zone B - 24th Feb 11 March
So v busy from 10 Feb to 11 March. There are also more throughout April, but I dont have that info.
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MhicEasmuint,
You'll stand a better chance not going to France unless you know someone who will give you the 4 days...
What other airports can you fly to...?
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Yeah by looks of things so far, its not looking good and would work out expensive. Probably more than what it is costing me for full weeks in January and March. It's hard to accomodate the teachers.
JT, Flying from Belfast I don't think there is a great deal of choice in Airports to fly to that are close to ski resorts. On easyjet website only one I see is Geneva.
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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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You could always gamble and try Andorra.
Snow is almost nonexistent in Andorra right now, and they may be screaming out for so many bookings, no matter how awkward.
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Remember.....Geneva is NOT in France. You do nat HAVE to ski in France just because you fly there!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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MhicEasmuint, You could consider a valley town stay...easier to get short stay bookings in the hotels there but they lack the atmosphere of a full on ski station. For example, if you get a hire car at Geneva then you could stay in Sallanches which is a relatively easy drive from GVA. From Sallanches you can hop in the car and take a 20min drive each morning which will get you up to Les Carroz for the Grand Massif or St Gervais/Megeve. My only warning would be that we did just that last year and skied the St Gervais area in Feb and it was absolutely heaving with people....the lift queues were horrendous....but the stay in Sallanches and the drive up and back wasn't too bad.
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