 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
with the weak doller is it worth flying that bit extra this winter and taking in a trans atlantic skiing holiday?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
tom00_uk, if your going for at least 10 days then i would say yes..
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
was thinking a two week break in either location
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
what sort of costs am i looking at for a trans atlantic break?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
I had a look recently and it seemed Canada was cheaper to book than N America. Not sure about prices when you get there though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Depends on what skiing you wana do.
Post some about what you are lookin for and we can help you a little bit better.
There are big pros to both sides of the of the pond.
Tex
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| troublemaker wrote: |
| ..... Not sure about prices when you get there though. |
remember to add tax and tips onto everything in Canada/North America. There are several threads about this. Tax varies by province/state from about 6% - 15%, tips are generally 15 - 20% of pre-tax price. important to remember this when comparing to Europe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
tom00_uk,
| Quote: |
what sort of costs am i looking at for a trans atlantic break?
|
How longs a piece of string? I cannot get transatlantic breaks as cheaply as I can Alpine ones but I'm a bit of a cheapskate. If you haven't done one before I would certainly give it a go as the dollar is comparatively cheap. Why not just try pricing a few and see if you can afford it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I went to Snowbird for a week once, travel was OK but it snowed so much all week they didn't bother doing any grooming.
Horrible, don't bother.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
tom00_uk, The weak dollar makes a huge difference to accommodation, passes and buying toys out there. I am going to the US and Canada this year (and Switzerland).
Go for it
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's well worth it for a longer break. I agree with roga, you can get some really good deals by calling around in advance, especially if you go off-peak.
When we went to Breckenridge on a budget, I found a wonderful condo for less than half the price it was normally advertised at, by shopping around. I was convinced it would be a horror when we got there, but it was lovely. The US doesn't seem to go in for shoebox ski hovels like France does.
The same for car rental if you decide to get a car. And yes - food is cheap but the tips add up! We cooked in a lot that holiday. But if you were thinking of trying it, now's got to be a good time. Passes are relatively pricey but there's lots of discount places that sell them cheaply out of town (or there were in Colorado, anyway)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
tom00_uk,
Why do people ask such pish questions on here ?
I cant beleive that people read this message board !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
If you opt for North American and do the trip planning yourself I'd suggest taking a look at www.vrbo.com. It's a web site where condo owners advertise their condos and offer them direct to renters. We've goten some very good deals. You will need to do some research on the location of the specific condo.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| roga wrote: |
It's very cheap once you get there, amazingly cheap IMHO - even in California 
|
Cheap? Not sure if you are being sarcastic but Heavenly ski prices are $152 (E112) for two days and $408(E300) for 6. Not my idea of cheap. Never been to a Californian ski resort but the last time I was in San Fran I thought the food prices were comparable with France.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Still I say it really depends on what you want to get out of a sking vacation and how your budget looks. If your budget is restricted and the exchange rate extends it slightly then you will still find alot of US places extreamly expencive and not giving you value for money.
Places like Vail, Aspen, Park City, Deer Valey are poo-poo expencive and overrated regardless of exchange rate. 70 bucks for a day ticket is still a fookload of cash. Would you recommend someone on a budget to go to St Moriz just because the exchange rate on the swiss franc was good? I doubt it.
Though there are very price worthy options. If you want sking and I mean real sking shutes, glades, blows, powder, ect, ect then its very good value for money in north america.
But if you just wana cruise groomers then north america will never be good value for money. You will get a good vacation but you will always feel "it was a nice experience but Im goning to the alps next year".
Alot of people go to north america because its cool to be able to say "Ive skied north america" but what they do is that they ski just like they do in the alps but on smaller mountains.
I cant stress this enough. If your a groomer then stay in europe. It wount be worth your money.
Though if you wana do the glades, trees, shutes, blows, powder and all kind of other terrain skiing. Then you should definatly use the chance and go to north america. I would recommend you to go to either Canada or Utah.
If you go to Utah Id recommend booking a motel in STL as its quite cheap. Dont stay at any of the resorts as most of them (except deer valley, park city and canyons) are just 1 hotel with nothing going for it. Staying in STL does give you alot of dining options suppricingly good restaurants there. Staying in Park City is just pricey and the sking there is over priced compared to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude. Though taking a night or two there could be fun and worth it. UTAH is much much cheaper then colorado.
Whistler is great but I like interrior BC much more. Whistler is a bit too much like alps. Dont get me wrong its got great skiing but the snow isnt as great as utah and/or interior BC. Its also more expencive and more crowded. Since whistler is resort its hard to find B&B´s and motels there. The towns near the interrior BC resorts are more real towns and are full of B&B´s and motels. This makes self arranged travelling easy and much cheaper.
Im planing a trip to Fernie and it has the following budget (incl flight, b&b, lift tickets, car, petrol and excl food). As you see short trips are quite expencive while longer once tend to become very good value for money this is mostly due to lift tickets as there is no such thing as huge discounts on 1 or 2 week tickets. You more or less pay full day price for all days. Season ticket makes the extra weeks cheaper.
1 week 1300 Euro
2 week 1800 Euro
3 week 2050 Euro
4 week 2250 Euro
5 week 2450 Euro
Tex
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
If you're not planned then consider Kicking Horse. Fernie's not in the same league.
if you are planned then hit Castle Mountain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Diarmuid, those are the ticket window prices - there have been several threads in the past about the differences between them, and what peole generally pay. (closer to half what is in the link you provided)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Diarmuid wrote: |
| roga wrote: |
It's very cheap once you get there, amazingly cheap IMHO - even in California
|
Cheap? Not sure if you are being sarcastic but Heavenly ski prices are $152 (E112) for two days and $408(E300) for 6. Not my idea of cheap. Never been to a Californian ski resort but the last time I was in San Fran I thought the food prices were comparable with France. |
No sarcasm whatsoever but I do note that whatever you say on a forum there will always be at least one person who expresses the opposite opinion, such is life!
Mammoth Mountain February 2007 - flew into LA, got very cheap car hire with stupidly cheap petrol then drove up to the hotel in Mammoth where I'd hired a massive room (with 2 tellys, DVD player, small kitchenette and lovely fire for less than I'd be paying in the Alps (but was extravagant so it wasn't a major bargain). Then ate out every night (lovely food) for stupidly cheap prices and boozed to my hearts content for similarly cheap prices. Private coaching was very reasonable and I recall the lift ticket price was okay too but probably not dissimilar to what you quote for Heavenly.
I thought it was very good value overall, rather than just picking up on the pricier aspects, and I had a great time - it's perhaps more sensible to to to a resort like Mammoth which mostly caters for locals rather than follow the crowds to Tahoe but that's the choice you make.
As I say above IMHO it's cheap, even in California!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America isn't so much cheap as good value. In my experience it's much harder to have a real budget break over thare, but once you start to shell out bigger bucks you get much more for your money.
I've just booked my accommodation and lift passes for Panorama during half term week. At today's exchange rate, nine days lift passes and luxury slopeside accommodation (new, spacious, outdoor pool, etc) for a family of five came to £1,841 - that's just £41 per person per day. I don't regard that as expensive, but I wouldn't have had a huge saving if I'd taken their cheapest accommodation.
Other costs work in the same way. I'll rent a huge Ford Explorer for ten days for about £400, and although I've never been willing to pay for such a large vehicle in Europe, I've never really needed to. Food and drink are cheaper on the mountain than city-centre prices in Wales, but it's hard to cobble together a cut-price dinner in the condo because the local shop doesn't cater for that kind of behaviour. Ski rental is expensive but ski purchase is reassuringly cheap. Private lessons are so competitively priced that you wonder how the instructors manage to make ends meet.
Don't go to North America if you're skint - it'll bankrupt you. But if you're planning a mid-price holiday, you might find that your money goes much further over there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
^ fair points there Jonny Jones - mid-price value is a good way of looking at it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Diarmuid wrote: |
| roga wrote: |
It's very cheap once you get there, amazingly cheap IMHO - even in California
|
Cheap? Not sure if you are being sarcastic but Heavenly ski prices are $152 (E112) for two days and $408(E300) for 6. Not my idea of cheap. Never been to a Californian ski resort but the last time I was in San Fran I thought the food prices were comparable with France. |
But you can buy a season pass for approximately $299 (or at least could in the past) - window rates are for casual skier exploitation in the US.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
fatbob, $199 for Winter Park a couple of years ago!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
tom00_uk, I tend to agree withTexMurphy We went to Winter Park last year and it was so totally different than one of the biggies in Europe. The slopes are pisted to perfection - but then this becomes quite boring after a few days. And the ski area in WP is quite small. If you're a piste basher, I wouldn't consider it. However, playing in the soft snow, skiing between trees etc. is really good fun. The bump runs for learning on are good too. As far as food comparison, well, we tend to like staying in 5* hotels in Austria and the quality of food included for half board works out better and cheaper than it was in WP. Plus, you don't have to get on a bus to get it! Having said all that, I shall certainly aim to go back to the US but stay somewhere that's central to several resorts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| erica2004 wrote: |
| tom00_uk, I tend to agree withTexMurphy We went to Winter Park last year and it was so totally different than one of the biggies in Europe. The slopes are pisted to perfection - but then this becomes quite boring after a few days. And the ski area in WP is quite small. If you're a piste basher, I wouldn't consider it. However, playing in the soft snow, skiing between trees etc. is really good fun. |
Exactly. Getting the most out of North American hills requires exploration of the inbounds terrain. Most of the best skiing is not marked trails, but hidden in trees and off traverses along ridges, or sometimes short-ish hikes. As long as there's not a 'keep out' sign, you can go poking around anywhere that looks reasonably downhill and see what terrain you can find. The 'if you can see it, you can ski it' rule applies.
Best ways are to take guided tours or simply talk to locals on lifts. Most are happy to give pointers to areas to explore. Americans especially and Canadians a little less like to talk on lifts. Often a lot ...
It also typically snows more often than in Europe, so snow conditions change frequently and that makes for serious fun when the powder is right.
There's a lot more to North America than Colorado too, and its generally by far the most expensive US ski option. Utah, Montana/Wyoming, California are and of course Canadian options are all top vacation choices, depending on exactly what you're looking for. And more adventurous options abound in the north western states 
And erica2004, there's excellent food to be had around the hills - just have to go to the right places. eg the restaurants in Jackson hole are superb
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| gortonator wrote: |
...Getting the most out of North American hills requires exploration of the inbounds terrain... |
That's exactly what I like about skiing in North America. Few places there have enough trails to entertain a mileage-hungry piste lover, but even small resorts often have enough inbounds terrain to keep me entertained for much more than the length of a holiday. In my limited experience, it's difficult to replicate this experience in Europe without risking your life, invalidating your insurance and going off-piste alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Jonny Jones wrote: |
| gortonator wrote: |
...Getting the most out of North American hills requires exploration of the inbounds terrain... |
That's exactly what I like about skiing in North America. Few places there have enough trails to entertain a mileage-hungry piste lover, but even small resorts often have enough inbounds terrain to keep me entertained for much more than the length of a holiday. In my limited experience, it's difficult to replicate this experience in Europe without risking your life, invalidating your insurance and going off-piste alone. |
Agreed. I'm a season pass holder at White Pass in Washington, which ostensibly has 450m vert off one high speed quad and slow double. Maybe 25 runs. We don't go that often (pass gives access to 5 other local hills - a real bargain for $299), but I never get bored for a weekend and am still finding new lines. 20-ish laps of the quad is a usual day - might do same run/line a few times if its really good pow, otherwise every descent is different. One lift gives access to a lot of terrain.
Still, I won't complain when they hopefully (need a good winter first) put 2 new lifts in next year and expand terrain. Spread the traffic out and leave more fresh lines for me
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Any country whose population saves mashed potato for thanksgiving is sorely lacking in culinary skills. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
