 Poster: A snowHead
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 s, I'm torn.
Usually I set my week's skiing budget at around the £2k mark - to cover everything, from accommodation to lift passes to feeding ourselves to childcare. Last year we went a little over, the year before that a little less.
But then I always, always build up a bit of a bespoke package - I spend at least two months of my life on the internet tracking down deals and pricing up individual itineraries. I'm a born independent traveller, on the basis that I always believe I can sniff out the cheapest deals on any aspect of a ski package.
But then I see deals going down on the package sites where a quick price-up gets us all there, homed and fed for £700, I wonder whether I'm being a fool - should I stop being a control freak and trust in the package TOs rather than build my trips step-by-step-by-step?
What do you regard as an 'acceptable' ballpark for your main week away? And do you go independent or use TOs?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've just booked Big White for £1000 per head: hotel, flights to Kelowna & transfer. Lift pass is £182. I could have done it for about the same independently but wanted the security of a bonded TO this time. Used Ski Independence.
I've always been happy with TOs, but then again I've only used them when I've been absolutely certain that they are providing exactly what I want.
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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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Try and limit to about £750pp total spend.
This year's Zermatt New Year is going to blow that and come in around £1kpp, but it's special so I don't care.
And am also a control freak independent.
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When you go and to what sort of Luxury is obviously important.
We go over new year so perhaps the most expensive time as it suits kids + work..+ We have fully catered medium lux proper chalet (ie not a pseudo chalet which is actually a small hotel - with 20 odd people), slope side in Europe. Or a Lux hotel in Austria or Switz
For a family of 4 (one is <2) I recon on spending all in between £1,500 and £1,000 per person so 4*1500 max..we have done both independent and TO..
TO was easier and cheaper...so we’re going independent this year...as we left the sorting out to someone else....
I'd say you's struggle below £750pp for a family to a decent resort where you maybe can't wait for last minute or need child care but the sky is the limit but on a dimishing return basis..
The boys trip is different..
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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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paulio, so where do you compromise? Or if not, where do you make the biggest savings?
Obviously I have the childcare aspect built in, but even that only adds a hundred or two to the total price.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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You guys PAY for it 
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Just heard from my son, who has a job cooking for the season in Meribel, for a French family, 3250 euros a month, plus accommodation and ski pass. He's just finished an M Sc and is in debt, and given that he can feed himself from the kitchen and save loads, he reckons he'll be square by the end of the season. So just add £600 a week for your own cook. 
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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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Hurtle, tell me about it...I've lost count of the number of trips that start off with 'ooooh, that deal looks too good to refuse', and ends with 'well, I get a bonus in July, that'll pay for the overspend' 
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Don't 'compromise' anywhere, really. That's just how much ski holidays cost.
£150 flight, £150 accomodation, £50 transfers, £150 lift pass, £50 gear = £550 and the rest on food and booze.
That's based on the spreadsheet I've got for last year's half term gig anyway. Off peak tends to give savings on flights and accomodation but levels to about the same (i.e. more eating out, less eating in).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Independent as UK operatos do not cater for families great than 4 - we have 3 kids. Usually cheaper too with private transfers included, so none of that fannying around waiting for the delayed Manchester flights etc before the bus leaves airport (had to wait 2 hours at Lyon airport the last time I did a package), nor do you have to leave resort miles ahead of schedule when leaving.
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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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Much depends on what we get flights for, but next season with early-booked EJ flights, very nice catered chalet on sole occupancy (group of eight), plus ski hire, lift passes etc it's about £650 pp - that's out of school holidays though. Could almost double it for half term
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Our budget over the last few years is around £700-750pp (no children). We booked everything separately. £120pp flights to Chambery,
£280pp accommodation for a fully catered chalet in Le Bettaix (south of Les Menuires - 3 valleys), £65pp transfer and you pay for lift passes etc when you arrive. Prices are 225euro for lift pass and 75euro for ski hire. Any nights our after that is extra! I think it's a pretty good price for the area of skiing available! 
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You know it makes sense.
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Don't know try not to think about it. But for trip at half term (13 year old daughter and me), independently organised. BA Gatwick - Zurich - £230, Swiss Rail Transfer - £67, Studio for 2 - £400, Lift Passes - £320, Private Lessons - £250, Food & Drink Oh dear I know I shouldnt have done this  Basic holiday at £350 each though is a steal for half term.
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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 don't set a budget just try to do it as cheaply as possible. Typically works out around £1k per trip
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Poster: A snowHead
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My cost for 8 days of skiing in the Dolomites next early March is £1,160 each plus lunches and drinks. This includes taxi from/to the airport / Arabba/Cortina, and our favourite guide coming from France and put up at the hotels with us for 6 days and providing transport around the area in his minibus.
To Jackson Hole for 9 days skiing (ie 11 and-a-bit total) my cost is £1,600 each almost exactly plus all food and drink (mostly cooking in condo). This includes the 4 day Steep and Deep camp and flights which would have been £150 less if I'd waited till now to book them.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 30-10-08 16:38; edited 4 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just checked the figures for the forthcoming Feb 09 half term trip, and it's £520pp for flights, accom, transfers, lift pass, and equipment, so looks like the £750 budget is working out fairly nicely again there.
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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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paulio, that's good going. You must have worked hard on that.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Just heard from my son, who has a job cooking for the season in Meribel, for a French family, 3250 euros a month, plus accommodation and ski pass. He's just finished an M Sc and is in debt, and given that he can feed himself from the kitchen and save loads, he reckons he'll be square by the end of the season. So just add £600 a week for your own cook. |
Blimey - don't put that on natvies you'll have them all trying to kill him.
Good work - he must be a fantastic chef to be able to command those wages...
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I don't tend to set a budget as such, its more of a 'feel' of being worth it or not (accepting that skiing is not cheap) but thats not to say its limitless. Don't tend to think too much about budgeting for food as even if you're not on holiday, you still gotta eat. Just a case of not eating in the expensive restaurant every night.
A little comparison story of TO vs. independent:
Last season we went SC in Morzine last week of Feb and the flight, transfer and appartment cost came to £1130 for two of us using a TO.
A group of 4 friends booked everything independent and they paid about £50+ less per head.
Our flights were Sat and Geneva airport was horrible (they managed to get us on the wrong plane going home). Their flights were Friday and Geneva airport was no problem.
Their appartment was much better equipped than ours but its location meant a 10-15 min walk to the ski lift. Ours was ski in-out, next to the lift.
Our transfer coach dropped us off and picked us up at the appartment, their coach droped them off and picked them up at the coach station, a 15-20 min walk across town from their appartment. They weren't all on the same flights and two of them had to change coach on the way back (one of them left his personal DVD player on the first coach, never got it back).
This season we are going back to Morzine first week of March with 2 of last years group and they decided their savings last time were not worth the extra hassle so we have the same appartment as last time and they have the one next door. And using the early bird booking, it's costing us £60 less than last year.
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bertie bassett, yes indeed. My daughter, who has just finished her first half term teaching in a very tough comprehensive had a few choice words to say about it, too! He is a good chef - he's a sushi specialist but a great enthusiast for all kinds of good food and has worked in some good restaurants in Melbourne and Brighton, but he's not a full time professional. Just done his M Sc (in Robotics), can't get money for a Ph D until Sept 2009, so he's killing time productively. He was offered the job through a staffing agency he free-lanced for in Val D'I, and is flying to Paris next week to meet the family, so they may hate each other on sight. There's no way he'd fit in working for a TO on a "it's Thursday so it must be lasagne" sort of basis. On his job in a very flash chalet in Val D'I he would telephone the clients the week before to discuss what sort of food they'd like, what the kids liked, etc.
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what recession.. 
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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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| Jeraff wrote: |
Our flights were Sat and Geneva airport was horrible (they managed to get us on the wrong plane going home). Their flights were Friday and Geneva airport was no problem.
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What happened that they managed to get you on the wrong plane?
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Just booked a package for a fair amount less than two grand per person for 2 weeks b&b at fairmont blackcomb with $1100per room food/bev credit, pvt transfers, deluxe upgrade, lounge at H'row etc. Equiv in Alps at half term was a lot more than 2 grand per person.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jb1970, I mentioned it on a previous thread some time ago....
"....Geneva airport - aaarrgghhh two hours waiting for bags on the way out. On the way back after going through the departure gate, there were two coaches but no officials to say which one. Other passengers confirmed we were on the Gatwick one, only to find out when we boarded the plane that it was a different Gatwick flight! Our plane was two planes along. Got that sorted at no extra delay but then takeoff delayed 1hr 20 mins due to baggage not being loaded".
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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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I quite often book independently and save money but always keep an eye out for package bargains. I have booked 2 weeks in Banff for 2 including flights transfers, B&B, 3days lessons and 10 days big 3 lift pass for £1850 for 2 with Inghams.
There is no way I could have done this cheaper booking independently.
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You know it makes sense.
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Apartment for the 6 of us, including lift passes and equipment hire £1150 for wk 23-Jan to 31-Jan.
Ferry £70ish
Fuel £550
Tolls £120
We are taking all of our food and drink for the week with us, say £300
Comes in at about £370 pp
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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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youspurs1, I'm impressed. Nice work.
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Poster: A snowHead
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youspurs1, that is pretty immense...could be a plan for next year - by which time I'll have my all-singing, all-dancing 4x4 that I can load with people and stuff and save some cash
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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youspurs1, out of interest, what's your resort?
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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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We can hire a whole chalet and self cater it for 1500 chf a week inc linen and final clean and it will sleep 8-9 but we put 6 max in it. Transport about £250 by tunnel or less if we go by ferry......so we are around £1000 for 5 peeps at this stage.
Everything goes to pot when you add passes and skis and eating etc etc but never really add it all up. Sounds quite good and we will do the same with 6 peeps and 2 cars this time. We might invite over a guest or 2 as we have room.
If we go to a hotel, then start at £300 pppw so 1000 a week should easily do doable. If you add guides and helis, then it can get way out of hand, but one or the other should keep it reasonable-ish.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I always budget a grand for a 7/8 and hope to come away with not spending it all. But i have my own kit and tend not to bother with lessons, so that (a) reduces the pfaff and (b) reduces the costs
Prefer independent to TO but if a TO has a late deal or a big group going then will go with the flow..
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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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paulio, Val Cenis, booked through Snowtrex
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
....Geneva airport - aaarrgghhh two hours waiting for bags on the way out.
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Geneva is infamous for being slow with bags on a Saturday. One advantage of going independent is that you can choose the ski airport that is most convenient for your chosen resort (for ski resorts in france check out this <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116111161690405295942.00044e983af7e429963ea&ll=45.587134,6.399536&spn=1.153275,1.647949&z=8&mid=1225447649>Google map )and you don't have to travel on the busiest and most expensive day of the week.
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slikedges, wildly jealous 
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Independent from Dub - Zurich - St Anton in February. Flights, accom in St. Anton + overnight in Zurich on way back, train, ski hire, ski pass - €950. For food and drink, there's mastercard
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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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Independant - Christmas week to Tignes - exactly £1909 for a family of 5.
Not including food - which we'll stock up on in the supermarket Bourg on the way up.
But including ferry, tolls, petrol, carparking, accomodation, Ski passes, ski hire for 3, overnight accomodation etc
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FAQ
