 Poster: A snowHead
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I've just got back from my first ever experimental ski weekend.
Before booking it, I wasn't sure how a weekend of skiing would work out, but decided to give it a go anyway as a tester.
I booked my flights, hired a car, chose my resort and off I went. I'm now back and am undecided on whether or not pros outweigh the cons and whether or not I'd do it again....
Pros
Any skiing is great - even if just a day
You get to try out a new resort and see if you like it
It's fun/exciting and better than being in work or doing some DIY
Cons
Weather becomes much more of an issue than if you are there for the whole week. Out of my 2.5 days skiing, a large portion of 1 whole day was in very poor conditions - the kind you wouldn't go out in if there for a week. It's a huge gamble.
By the time you've added it all up - the cost comes in pretty close to what you would pay for a whole week away (in fact, i think i spent more on this weekend than on my last 1 week chalet stay)
When it comes time to go home, you are not ready to leave and still have slopes/areas you want to ski
Overall I loved my quick getaway, but am not sure I'll do another weekend - mainly due to the cost.
Any snowheads big "weekend getaway" fans? If so, do you book as a package (if so, who with?) or just do as i did and book it all independantly?[/list]
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh and the other thing that annoyed me was a change in flight time for my return journey. Not a major issue if you have been away for a whole week, but i lost an extra half day because my flight moved forwards a good few hours on the last day.
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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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"a large portion of 1 whole day was in very poor conditions - the kind you wouldn't go out in if there for a week"
I've never, ever had conditions I won't go out in, even if I'm there for a week!!
With regard to cost, your correct in that a last minute package holiday week will even be cheaper than a weekend, but if you can't afford the time off, the weekend is good for me, or if your chasing a storm, a last minute weekend will work well.
regards,
Greg
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magic_hat, I'd agree that the weather risk is a significant downside.
I used to ski in Scotland a lot and used to enjoy weekends up there anyway. The cost of a return rail ticket from London was a reasonable gamble.
A weekend away in the mountains and all the return travel can be pretty tiring for when you get back, which is worth considering.
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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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A ski weekend is extremly exhausting, the early flight out, the rush to get going when you arrive, followed by the late flight home, and late drive back from the airport. I also think you push yourslef more when you only have 2 or 3 days.
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magic_hat, interesting post, I can see the point of all your likes and dislikes.
However, we like ski long weekends, although I have to say the ones we go usually give us four days skiing and we have 2 to 2.5 days off work. So I feel like we get good value out of our flights etc. I would compose my list as follows
Pros
You can go to 'off the beaten track' resorts you might not normally go to as they might not have enough to entertain for a week
You can fly on off-peak days to avoid Saturday price hikes
You can (if you want) buy cheaper local liftpasses as you're not worried you'll get bored mid-week and want to explore further afield
You feel cheeky and smug that you are skiing at the weekend instead of washing the car etc.
You don't need to take loads of time off work, which is normally the limiting factor on our hols
You do get to totally switch off from home/work, BUT see point 2 below
Cons
You're right, weather becomes much more of an issue, as do travel delays, which could almost destroy the whole point if they are really bad
You don't get to relax as much, as you feel more pressure to make the most of every second
Time spent buying liftpasses/hiring equipment/changing/servicing equipment is precious time wasted (although we have our own gear, only need to get passes)
Our long weekend this week is costing us £60 each for flights, £60 each for 4 nights in an apartment, £50 for car, £70 for liftpass, = 4 days skiing, so yes it's £280 each, not pennies, but no more than two thirds of the price of a week for us. We usually DIY so I have arranged all this myself.
D
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magic_hat, I'll give you my opinion in 29 days, when I return from a weekend in Cham.
Only option I had this year tho, due to addition to the family. I am going out on Thursday and returning on a latish flight on Monday, so hopefully it wont be a rushed weekend.
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I like them because if I go at it really hard, my body is usually about to collapse after 3 days' skiing. Better to recover at your desk than on a day of holiday 
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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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I reckon the weekend should be a tad longer, what I mean is rather than just go for 2/2.5 days skiing try and make it 3/4/5 day skiing. That way the economy gets to look healthier and the time on the hill more satisfying. We always aim for the cheap flights and thus help keep costs down, for instance end of Feb 0.99p out nad 0.01p return for a 5 day trip, we are in pocket before we start?
Most of my skiing has been on weekenders, I think it's great although I would love to do an extended trip sometime, say 2-3 weeks.
If you say the flight is an average cost of £60.00, car hire(25%cost) £40.00, hotel for 4 nights H/B £240.00, ski pass 4days £80.00, gives a total of around £420.00. Or another way to look at it is about £100.00 per day. Cheap as chips I think...?
These prices are generous and it can be done cheaper but it gives an overall cost.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 14-01-08 16:43; edited 1 time in total
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I just did Les Arcs for a day trip - eurostar Friday night, ski Saturday, meal in BSM then train back Saturday night, home by 9.00am Sunday. Worth all the effort, but it's v convenient for me. see my trip report for more details - holidayloverxx's day trip to Les Arcs Report in The Piste (must learn to do links  )
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If the winter is the high season for your work, as it is for me, ski weekends are unavoidable. They can also be great and do not have to be expensive.
I'm taking one this coming weekend:
* Fri evening flight to Munich, train transfer to Garmisch.
* Two days skiing at whatever resorts in the area look best
* Mon morning flight back to Berlin, at work by 2:30. A Sunday evening flight is also an option, but I work half days on Mondays, so for me it's no bother.
We're also doing a weekend cross-country trip to the Czech Rep. in February with a similar schedule, except with trains rather than planes.
Last winter I did the same as for Garmisch, except for Engelberg. Worked great.
The cost isn't too bad, as flights from Berlin to Munich and Zurich are reasonable, and both Garmish and Engelberg have pretty reasonably priced hotels.
The downside is that I am limited in where I can go, and the predicted monsoon for Saturday in Garmisch has me a a little scared at the moment. Last year the vis on my Saturday in Englenberg was awful, but Sunday was the most powder of the season.
All in all, it's worth doing a few times a season if you are otherwise only able to get a week or so in on an holiday. I grew up skiing the local mountains from Seattle, so the whole 'Ski Holiday' concept is a little foreign to me, anyway.
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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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Evening flight on a friday. 1.5 hour drive from Geneva...fall into bed.
2 full days skiing.
Late flight sunday.
Home at 10pm, fall into bed.
Monday morning....it just felt like you had a short holiday....much, much more than a weekend.
What's not to like?
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You know it makes sense.
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| kitenski wrote: |
I've never, ever had conditions I won't go out in, even if I'm there for a week!!
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I've never missed a day either - but this was the very closest i have come. Total white-out, visibility so poor it was dangerous, driving snow blizzard, ridiculously strong and cold winds, slopes i had never been on before, no other people to see or follow, couldn't see my own boots in the snow let alone my skis!
I learnt a lot (about how to deal with conditions like that! and about my own skiing ability), but they weren't the kind of conditions that could be enjoyable.
Sunday more than made up for it however, with conditions that were about as perfect as i have ever seen. Lots and lots of fresh powder, immaculate pistes, lots of sunshine and no crowds.
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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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Deliaskis, how easy is it to get accommodation for a few days, I'd guess most places prefer to rent from Sat - Sat.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| wrongsideof30 wrote: |
Those of us with small children can only get away with the lads for 2 or 3 nights or not go at all,
as such we have got things down to a fine art |
I couldnt have put it better myself 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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They were great when our kids were ickle; as we could palm them onto grannies for a weekend, but not a week.
I can also blag a sneaky weekend trip from the brownie point bag easier than a full week.
It doesn't eat into your holiday allowance too much.
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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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Another distinct advantage is that you can wait right until the last minute to arrange accommodation and therfore pick a resort with most of the white stuff.
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Just done a ski weekend in Scotland and had no problems getting cheap accommodation for the weekend 
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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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zebedee, anywhere with empty rooms will be more than happy to welcome you.....
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| magic_hat wrote: |
| kitenski wrote: |
I've never, ever had conditions I won't go out in, even if I'm there for a week!!
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I've never missed a day either - but this was the very closest i have come. Total white-out, visibility so poor it was dangerous, driving snow blizzard, ridiculously strong and cold winds, slopes i had never been on before, no other people to see or follow, couldn't see my own boots in the snow let alone my skis! |
Head for the trees or tree lined runs, should help massively............
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Simple.
If money is the limiting factor, do a week (or two, or three, whatever your bank account can afford).
If time is the limiting factor, do as many weekends as your time and money can bear (on top of the week long ones). 
The only downside of weekend trip that can NOT be mitigated, is weather. Namely, the weather at the airports. If there's a big storm that delays your flight for more than half a day, you're really, seriously stuck.
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magic_hat, Good subject!
I do 4 or 5 w/ends a year as I can't get whole weeks off work - I'd make the following points.
Things should be arranged in this order; accomodation / flight / transfer. Accomodation is definitley the most awkward to sort.
Be aware that hotels usually run their week long holidays from saturday-saturday so they'll rarely let you stay (say) Fri-Mon night inclusive. For this reason the optimum ski w/end for me is leave late Weds night back late Sunday night for 4 full days skiing, 2 days off work. Car hire / taxi is the only real option for the transfer outside the Cham/PdeS areas.
Don't sweat hiring skis & buying passes - both take 5 mins, especially on a thursday morning 
Regards the weather - I agree a rubbish day disproportionatly effects the weekender - but then on the plus side he's going again in a couple of weeks time so...
Yes they can cost the same as a cheapy week - you'd never choose to go for w/ends on price alone.
Don't agree about going to a resort you know - what's to learn? you rock up, get a map and you're off - I love going to new places, it's the thrill of the unknown. This probably applies more if you're a fairly competant intermediate or above.
As wrongsideof30 says, don't get too drunk, and avoid the month of feb...
It can be knackering - although you soon perfect the art of zen-like tolerence of airports/ryanair/car park transfer buses. Plan a w/end doing sod-all if possible to follow the skiing one.
I'm off on Weds to Cervinia - 6 of us, 1p flight to Turin, £80 hire car, 4 nights in the Sertorelli (400€) and as rungsp says "Monday morning....it just felt like you had a short holiday....much, much more than a weekend. What's not to like?"
Repeat the dose on the 1st March
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| red 27 wrote: |
Things should be arranged in this order; accomodation / flight / transfer. Accomodation is definitley the most awkward to sort.
Be aware that hotels usually run their week long holidays from saturday-saturday so they'll rarely let you stay (say) Fri-Mon night inclusive. |
totally disagree with this. i prefer to leave accommodation to the last minute so i can follow the snow. there's usually somewhere in resort that hasn't sold all its beds and will therefore relent on the saturday to saturday policy or if the worst comes to the worst stay down in the valley and live with a short drive in the morning.
this can get a bit unwieldy if there is a big group of you but if it's only up to say 4 it's not a problem
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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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Arno, We booked flights in November for the best prices and left the hotel until last week! Luckily we found a lovely (I hope) hotel with 3 double rooms for the 3 nights
We did the same in France last year and thanks to easiski got a hotel at short notice. The only thing we're doing different this time is a taxi transfer, actually works out cheaper than car hire 99 euros one way!
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I have to say I always book flights first, as soon as I see a great price, accommodation (only for two of us) can wait until it's late enough for owners to be happy to release un-let rooms to weekenders, or for me to decide where the conditions are best!
Either way, weekends in the snow rock
D
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You know it makes sense.
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| Arno wrote: |
| totally disagree with this. i prefer to leave accommodation to the last minute so i can follow the snow. there's usually somewhere in resort that hasn't sold all its beds and will therefore relent on the saturday to saturday policy or if the worst comes to the worst stay down in the valley and live with a short drive in the morning. |
Fair point.... I think I should have said "I prefer to" rather than "things should be"  I'm fussy about hotels...
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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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Deliaskis, Thanks for that, definitely something I'll look into for next year
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Poster: A snowHead
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The other thing is the definition of a weekend. We have a winning formula of out Friday night, back Weds night.
5 days skiing = 1 whole week (nearly)
2 days of work at the end of the week = long weekend!
abc, sums it up pretty well.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Deliaskis wrote: |
I have to say I always book flights first, as soon as I see a great price, accommodation (only for two of us) can wait until it's late enough for owners to be happy to release un-let rooms to weekenders, or for me to decide where the conditions are best!
Either way, weekends in the snow rock
D |
Totally agree, last year we only decided on which resort on the plane (5th of Jan so enough accomm and Austrian Tourist info very good)
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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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Ski weekends suck.
You overpay, underski and undersleep.
Much better to wait, and go for 2 weeks at a time.
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magic_hat, did Les Contamines fit the bill? I agree about the weather on Saturday; have to admit I stayed indoors and looked out at it, though I did clear the path a couple of times and went out up through the woods on the raquettes for a breath of fresh air.
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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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| Quote: |
You overpay, underski and undersleep.
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Only the overpay part is true.
It's skiing you otherwise couldn't do. So, I'd say that's actually overski.
only losers undersleep, due to poor planing.
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Ski weekends rock.
My advice: if you can do 4 or 5 day weekends. This avoids the expensive Friday afternoon/Sunday evening flights. 4 days on the slopes for 2 days off work is the best balance of cost/holidays/skiing.
Book flights early, hire car early, and be brave (and as Arno says) and hold out on the accommodation. It can be the hardest thing to find, but following the snow is worth it. Hotels that only like Sat->Sat bookings become a lot more flexible nearer the time. If you have a car, worst case, you can stay further down the valley.
Think about choice of airport properly to maximise your resort choice, and time from landing to being on the road.
Get a sat nav that has European maps on. Drive becomes far easier.
They work best early/late season. Here you can be picky about where has good snow, and there are almost always enough beds in the resort. I normally do weeks in Jan-March and weekends in Dec, April, May.
Make sure ski-weekends are for you/your group. Ski weekends are great for people who are fit, energetic and ski nuts. They work less well for the reluctant skier who looking for a relaxing holiday.
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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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sometimes its the only weekends that I get to do - fantastic time up to now.
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kamikaze, you rock - spot on my suicidal japanese friend, although I bite the bullet and always fly back Sundays as Mondays is my big day in the smoke...
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FAQ
, but the good news is we get to try a new ski area 
