Poster: A snowHead
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Still not got round to sorting out this years skiing, and rapidly running out of time before we are due to go.
Anyway, i need to sort out booking some lift passes for Les Deux Alps and was wondering where the best (ok cheapest!) place is to get them from. will be for the week begining the 14th.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Save the stress and get them in resort. By the time I added up my day passes including the discounted weekend ones at Ardent, I found I hadn't spent any more than if I'd pre-booked anyway.
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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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Don't pre-book them from Crystal - they charge more for them if you pre-book than if you buy on the coach or in the resort (both the latter are the same price). We moaned and finally got the difference refunded, but it took a great deal of effort. I don't know if other operators charge more for pre-booking, or on the coach.
We have renewable passes for 3V so I just renew them online when required.
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It just took me 2 minutes to buy mine - bring a small photo although there is a couple of booths at the main office. It is right behind the main lift station (bubble car ones). Same price everywhere I think - 168.50 euros for 6 days.
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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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the_fatadder, if you're driving, get them from the tourist office in Bourg d'Oisans and avoid the queues. Otherwise, you can book them online from the resort's website. And they'll be the same price everywhere - stop being a cheapskate.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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docsquid wrote: |
Don't pre-book them from Crystal - they charge more for them if you pre-book than if you buy on the coach or in the resort (both the latter are the same price). We moaned and finally got the difference refunded, but it took a great deal of effort. I don't know if other operators charge more for pre-booking, or on the coach.
We have renewable passes for 3V so I just renew them online when required. |
....and be aware that if you buy them on the coach they quote the euro price but then covert to sterling at a horrendous exchange rate and charge your card the sterling price that they've just made up plus a percentage surcharge if you use a credit rather than debit card!! Buy them online in advance or get down to the lift pass office in resort for the best prices.
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I prefer the word student rather than cheapskate:P, but i take the point. website it is.
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homphomp, Yup - never use a card on the coach. I did once - never again.
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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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Scarpa, We all get caught out the once....never again! (Actually been caught twice...once by the by in advance scam, then having decided never to do that again, by the buy on the coach scam!)
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Got my Puy Saint Vincent passes online. Didn't really save any money but it meant I could upload my own digital pictures so no distress purchase of photos in resort. I picked them up from the tourist office on arrival.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ordered my 3v lift passes online last Monday arrived Thursday.
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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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docsquid, Scarpa, homphomp, Not every resort is the same. Whilst I can't beat the internet price, I undercut the resort price quite considerably.
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Spindrift, Always nice to know someone honest.....it's the charlatans you have to watch out for! Perhaps we should rephrase the advice....never buy in advance or on the bus from one of those damn great TO companies who are out to get all your money!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Spindrift wrote: |
docsquid, Scarpa, homphomp, Not every resort is the same. Whilst I can't beat the internet price, I undercut the resort price quite considerably. |
Sorry to sound stupid but what do you mean? Isn't the resort price or buying in the local ticket office (exclusing the TOs) the same as the internet 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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Shall be buying our pases on the coach on Sunday from Silver Ski who assure me that once the exchange rate is factored in it will be no dearer than anywhere else. Shall let you know.
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Poster: A snowHead
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gwaelod, You can buy a pass from ticket office at the mountain, but if you pre-book at least a couple of weeks before, on the internet, you are likely to get a rather large discount.
I work in a resort for the aforesaid evil TO, but I can undercut the ticket office price by a large margin. So if any of my guests turn up without a ticket they are best of buying from me.
homphomp, In most cases we try to offer prices lower than the mountain, and in my experience we never price them above the mountain. If you were sold a more expensive ticket on the bus you would probably be justified in asking for a refund. You should also be offered the choice of paying in local currency, either in cash or on a card. And, finally, if the TO's didn't exist skiing would get a lot more expensive for everyone.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Frosty the Snowman, buy it from the lift office. Don't take the chance.
We usually go to the lift office ourselves but for some reason (laziness!) we bought them on the bus a couple of weeks ago on the way to Ischgl. We asked them to charge us in Euros and not convert it. We were assured that the cost we would pay was the figure stamped on the pass by the lift office and we'd be charged in Euros.
After the transaction the rep returned the payment slip which had a converson rate written on the bottom of €1.40. When challenged the rep said that was just for reference. Well basically the rep lied as we got our statement this week and the cost had been converted into Sterling by the TO at a rubbish exchange rate and charged to our card which worked out at £20 more for 2 lift passes than going direct.
I would accept this if we hadn't asked but the rep lied to us and I'll be writing to the TO to complain. I'll name and shame at a later date if necessary.
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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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Hayls, I have it in writing, and I trust Silver Ski. There is a lot to be said for it . In the past 3 years I have booked £25,000 worth of holidays with them (I am tour organizer). There will be 21 of us booking lift passes and we all know what the exchange rate is.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Frosty the Snowman,
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I have it in writing, and I trust Silver Ski
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That sounds pretty thorough! We also knew the exchange rate and were not happy with what the rep wrote on the slip hence we challenged the rep again and they still assured us we'd been charged in Euros.
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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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Hayls, On a 6 day pass I'm $64 cheaper than the the ticket office, but if you like wasting money go ahead.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Spindrift, Europe seems to be a bit different to the US in that the price of a lift pass is generally the price of a lift pass. You will not get it cheaper than the rate advertised by the lift company.
EDIT What is your best rate on a 3 valleys family pass?
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Spindrift wrote: |
Hayls, On a 6 day pass I'm $64 cheaper than the the ticket office, but if you like wasting money go ahead. |
Ah. $...presumably in the states??? Totally different game out there to in Europe.
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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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GrahamN,
It used to be cheaper to get the passs from the guide than with the discount offered with the Serre Chevalier lift pass for La Grave as well.
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Elizabeth B wrote: |
Spindrift wrote: |
Hayls, On a 6 day pass I'm $64 cheaper than the the ticket office, but if you like wasting money go ahead. |
Ah. $...presumably in the states??? Totally different game out there to in Europe. |
I'd like to know why you think the US is so different to Europe? I've worked in both and it's pretty much the same in my experience.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Spindrift, I'm not sure how I could have paid for it in $, and besides, being ripped off is a bit different to knowingly wasting money for the sake of convenience. We were assured we would pay the same and to ensure that ourselves, we asked to pay in Euros. Unfortunately, the rep converted it anyway and then lied to us about it. If we'd been told the truth we would have gone to the lift office and bought it ourselves.
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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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Spindrift,
It is as I amsure you know fairly common practice to disxount tickets in local stores etc in the states. In Europe this is not the case though there may be a discount for bulk buying.
I have never heard of a travel operator passing on the discount for bulk buying in Europe on the contrary it is commonly reported on 's that there is a rip off exchange rate. This may not apply to all travel operators and it would be a shame if you are honest but it remains very much a case of caveat emptor when dealing with tour operators for me.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 28-03-07 15:21; edited 1 time in total
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T Bar, You may get a discounted day pass in a local store but you won't get a 6 day pass, which is what most guests will want. You don't have to pay in pounds anywhere, so you can use your own exchange rate. Anyway, I'm off skiing
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You know it makes sense.
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Spindrift, Well I have seen prices for day tickets in the past quoted at less than a sixth of the rate of 6 day tickets. I don't know how common this is.
The point about exchange rates refers to Europe and the point is that the tour operator does frequently not inform poeple that they are getting an inferior exchange rate.
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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 got £20 off a 6-day lift pass in Flaine by booking my accommodation through a local agency. I've seen similar options when booking direct in the USA.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Spindrift wrote: |
Anyway, I'm off skiing |
Good, one less TO rep's here to mislead people for the few hours.
The snowheads as a group are very well traveled and well informed. Everybody knows there's tons of discounts in the States if you look. TO's have the advantage they make their money by scouting the deals and profitting part of it, and still manage to give their clients discount.
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T Bar, You may get a discounted day pass in a local store but you won't get a 6 day pass, which is what most guests will want. |
Here's an example, 6 day pass in Killington: $306 at the resort, $244 on the internet. Almost exactly the discount you quoted.
What you posted here doesn't exactlly help your (and the TO you work for) credibility. I'm not saying you purposely lied. But you're only presenting partial information. And you make it sound more authoritative than they're worth.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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T Bar, no discount at La Grave with your Serre Chevalier pass any more. Jules asked last week.
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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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Just an update. We complained to the tour operator about the rep lying to us and charging us in Sterling rather than Euros and they agreed to repay the difference without argument.
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