 Poster: A snowHead
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Single Mum with 2 lively teenage boys aged 16 & 18 years, trying to find a very cheap way of taking them sking over the Christmas period. Live in Surrey, ideally ferry/tunnel from Dover & no more than 5 hours driving from Calais to a resort. 18 yr old has been sking before, 16 yr old beginner (Mother happy to chill in bar!!) Would be prepared to share journey, or any other suggestions. Will also need to hire equipment or would it be cheaper to buy on Ebay. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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sue12, 5 hours from Calais just about lets out the whole of the alps! Most of the resorts are about 7-8 hours from Calais. Don't buy on ebay as you'll end up with old rubbish which won't help anyone. Remember that the first week on skis is the most important week of your skiing life (and we are talking about a life skill), so the right gear is very important. How cheap is cheap? You should be able to get some decent apartment deals for that week. 
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Hi Sue12 welcome to 
What a great idea! As you probably realise though skiing is not the cheapest of holidays, but you don't need to be spening '000s to have fun. As you sound a bit new to the game then allow me to suggest a 'late deal' with a Tour Operator
Nielson have some great deals on at the moment - http://www.neilson.co.uk/weekendoffer.aspx - I'd suggest either Niederau or Sauze D'oulx on that list might do the trick. although I haven't been to either resorts myself. Perhaps also look at the self-catering options - Meribel Mottaret might be an option there, if you're prepared to do the work in terms of buying/cooking. In ski resorts pretty much everyting is open as normal over the xmas break - with perhaps the odd early closure on xmas eve.
On top of the prices listed you'll need to budget for lunches up the hill (if you don't make a pack lunch), lift pass (around £100-£175 depending on resort, younger son probably won't need a lift pass initially, check with ski-school 1st), Lessons (perhaps £100 each) and any evening meals drinks etc.
Being away at Xmas in the mountains is truly magical - I only wish I'd done it well before I got into my 30s
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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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Hi
Thanks for your replies, looking to travel on the 24th Dec, looked at the Neilson website, travel only on 20/21st - but great deals! Other site no prices. Possibly cheap option is return ferry to Calais is £69 plus petrol, (1000 miles should cost approx £160 petrol) allow maybe 7 hours driving to get to Alps. Require really cheap but CLEAN accomodation (which I'm not looking forward to!) but boys are desperate to go. I really don't know anything about skiing, my concern is all the other costs, assume you can hire boots & ski's, are these expensive? Are there any other costs apart from the lift pass.
Is it really possible to go sking on a budget or should I take them to Milton Keynes for a day?
Mother is youngish!! & trendy & excellent at cooking & cleaning could I be a chalet maid? 
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sue12, as it is Christmas, most accommodation will only be available Sat/Sat or Sun/Sun. It is possible to go on a budget, but you will need to allow about 8-9 hours driving time.
La Clusaz is one of the closest resorts, and probably won't be too expensive. I haven't been myself, but it was on our list of places to go when we first drove there.
Check out the tourist office website, or Erna Low for self-catering accommodation (Erna Low's prices include the ferry). Shop in the nearest town for your food rather than in the resort. I think Erna Low often do special offers on lift passes and ski hire too.
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sue12, Welcome to SnowHeads As above, your dates won't give you many, if any , choices. Peak weeks such as Christmas and New Year are pretty strictly Sat-Sat or Sun - Sun and although Christmas week 20/12 - 27/12 is less busy than New Year 27/12 - 3/1/09, it's still popular. You will definitely need to drive 8,9, 10 hours to reach somewhere you can actually see snow and ski!
Equipment (boots, skis) can be hired in resort and the prices vary hugely. Borrow ski gear if you can, but if not do check out Ebay and also TK Maxx - you could always sell it yourself after the holiday IF you don't get hooked. It IS possible to go skiing on a budget, but a lot depends on what that budget is, and it's a lot less likely to be do-able at Christmas or New Year, both of which are within the dates you are planning. Good luck - if you go, you'll love it!
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sue12, Flaine is good for budget accommodation, and is a reasonable driving distance. Great for beginners too, I learned to ski there, although it isn't the prettiest of resorts.
Erna Low have apartments from about £600 for Christmas week, including eurotunnel crossing.
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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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Hi Su21, definately check out the deals on the internet from the Tour Operators. Try J2ski.com, IfyouSki.com, Iglu.co.uk etc. There are some really good deals around as the Tour Ops are struggling to fill hotels/chalets due to the dreaded Credit Crunch. I always drive to the Alps out of preference, but be-aware, the costs really do add up. Fuel, ferry, tolls, food on route, chains (legal requirement), parking in resort etc. By the sounds of it, you'll be doing all the driving which from my experience can be very tiring. The Tour Op deals could end up saving you alot of money. Good luck, let us know how you get on. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
no more than 5 hours driving from Calais to a resort
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Realistically the Vosges is the only option at that distance as far as I can see. The resorts are very low and Christmas is early in the season - chances of there being little or no real snow are quite high. Driving to the Alps will ake you eight to 10 hours. Check out www.viamichelin.com for driving times and costs.
If you don't want to drive so far, you could look at bussing it: http://www.eurolines.co.uk/Destinations/Ski.cfm for overnight travel direct to alpine resorts. Unfortunately the site seems unable to give times and prices, so you'd have to call them. Eurolines are usually dirt cheap though.
Your problem with midweek travel will be accommodation, which usually is only available from Saturday to Saturday, as people have said. However, I have a mate with a studio apartment in Les Deux Alpes which she will let to midweek arrivals - pm me if that's of any use to you. You can get a bus as above direct to 2Alpes. (I never knew this, handy information!)
Your essential in-resort costs will be lift passes and equipment hire. I don't think you're likely to save much (if anything) by buying on eBay, and you are then stuck if the equipment doesn't fit/isn't suitable/hurts feets - you can always go back and change your hired equipment if there's a problem.
The rest of your costs are just food and entertainment as usual, and this needn't be excessive - in eg 2Alpes both swimming and skating are included on the lift pass, the local supermarket isn't significantly more expensive than usual, and over Christmas there are various free entertainments (fireworks, Santa dishing out sweeties etc). And there's always sledging.
Of those Eurolines destinations, Les Deux Alpes and Serre Chevalier will be cheapest and easiest (bus straight to resort rather than to a town nearby). Avoid Val d'Isere and Tignes, horribly expensive.
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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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sue12,
The black forest in Germany might be an option if you dont want to drive more than 5-6 hours. The The Germans are also less tied to sat-sat or sun-sun bookings as the resorts are less dominated by tour operators. The resort on the link below is a little higher than the Vosges has a bit more skiing and is a little more snow sure. The long range weather forcast for December is dry and cold so you might get away with it!
http://en.feldberg-schwarzwald.de/
If you can make it down to the Alps I would steer clear of any of the large well known resorts, there are plenty of small and medium sized resorts that will not be rammers over xmas try the link below to give you an idea. If you want to do it really cheaply there is usually plenty of accom available in the valley towns such as st jean de maurienne and st michel de maurienne and then drive up the hill to the resorts, although it is more hassle and you not likely to have snow at valley level. Link below will give you an idea.
http://www.maurienne-tourisme.com/index_uk.asp
Good luck!
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Hi
Many thanks for all your replies & good advice, seems driving is no longer an option, add the cost of snow chains, tolls, further fuel than original budget & as I'm the only driver, 8 hours + would be quite tiring. Bit naive to think I could jump in the car & drive somewhere. (Boys are students hence I'm poor!) Next year sun hol without them!!
Will look at cheap package deals, or maybe flight, accomodation separately, Ryan Air have very cheap flights - any advice?
Where to take teenagers, as evening entertainment could also work out costly.
Is it really possible to go skiing on a budget?
Many thanks
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You know it makes sense.
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| sue12 wrote: |
Hi
Many thanks for all your replies & good advice, seems driving is no longer an option, add the cost of snow chains, tolls, further fuel than original budget & as I'm the only driver, 8 hours + would be quite tiring. Bit naive to think I could jump in the car & drive somewhere. (Boys are students hence I'm poor!) Next year sun hol without them!!
Will look at cheap package deals, or maybe flight, accomodation separately, Ryan Air have very cheap flights - any advice?
Where to take teenagers, as evening entertainment could also work out costly.
Is it really possible to go skiing on a budget?
Many thanks |
Yes it is but it tnever feels like it when taking the family!!!!!!!!!!
Single skiing holidays of a long time ago where as cheap as chips 
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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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| sue12 wrote: |
| Will look at cheap package deals, or maybe flight, accomodation separately, Ryan Air have very cheap flights - any advice? |
I REALLY would look for a cheap package given (as I assume) it's your first trip it will make the process easier. Otherwise you need to find somewhere than can hook easilly into ryanair cheap flights to give cheap transfers, but coming from surrey myself I much prefer gatwick over stansted. BUT if you're looking for a peakish week then the accommodation would be trickier. The cheap / lastminute packages at £199 can be very hard to beat - even staying at a cheaper hotel off season, I was paying 45 quid a night for a room.
| sue12 wrote: |
Where to take teenagers, as evening entertainment could also work out costly. |
Make sure they ski all day every day, so hopefully they might be tired. Look for places that have free off-piste stuff to do - e.g. swimming pools, often free to enter with a ski-pass. The french seem to have a habit of putting cinemas in ski-resorts too, and depending on venue might have english language films. I would also take them to a bar or too - not to encourage underage drinking but they'll have to start somewhere  and a traditionally alpine bar is perhaps a better environment than an english stand-up and drink to you fall down factory
| sue12 wrote: |
Is it really possible to go skiing on a budget? |
Yes. It's harder if you want to go peak weeks and with beginners as (a) deals are harder to find and (b) they'll need lessons. OTOH a smaller ski area (and thus cheaper) will be perfectly fine as the boys learn their turns. If you went on the 3rd or 10th of Jan you'd have deals coming out of your ears and quieter slopes/less queues etc. BUT don't give up hope yet - as mentioned above look for the less 'brand-name' resorts - as they are more expensive in terms of lift-pass, kit hire etc - i.e. if you've heard of it then you probably don't want to go there for cost reasons (courchevel, meribel, tignes, val d'isere, St. Anton etc etc) - for more info go to http://www.wtss.co.uk/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=100 and select 'beginner', 'cost', 'off-slope' and check Europe, and you'll get a bunch of recommendations that you could then cross-reference against the tour operators offers. If you could get a late deal to Alpe D'huez with flights and transfers that should 'tick most boxes' - but note that speedos are required there for the boys to go in the pool - and yes we really do mean speedos not boardies or similar!
Good Luck
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
sue12 How about a Morzine Christmas.
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We can offer you our last room over christmas. a triple room (one bed on a mezzanine). En Suite.
Cost from Wednesday 24th to Wednesday 31st of 900 pounds sterling(usually £1140). This is for Bed and Breakfast.
You can come earlier or later if you wish at present.
Nina will be doing a christmas dinner which will be extra.
May eat in other nights depends on guests wishes, and Nina's frame of mind. And how hard she has skii'd.
Cost of ski/boot hire is approx 140 euro's
Cost of lift passes, both class as adults I'm afraid. Depending on the area
7 days Morzine-Les Gets 161.20 euro's
7 days Portes du Soleil 225 euro's
Ski school lessons for the beginner 190 to 200 euro's approx.
Add to that 150 pounds sterling for return airport transfers for 3.
That gives you an idea of costs excluding your flights and food.
Not sure if that is in your budget, hope it is.
Hope we can be of assistance. Contact us on apexgroup@free.fr if you want more info.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, that's a new and original variation. Imaginative!
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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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Not original I'm afraid. Nicked it from Skiidy Gonzales, one of our local transfer companies here in Morzine. Good mates but competition.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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sue12,
for the past 3 years i have done "budget" trips which have worked out at @ £150 pp for flights, accomodation and transfer (hire car from airport). however this has always been early season ie. december or january but not xmas.
we usually self cater, food and drink!, and make our own entertainment and this has kept costs down. try smaller, less well known resorts for cheaper lift passes etc. we have been to combloux, a small village near megeve, which is approx 1hrs drive from geneva. a 6 day lift pass was under 100 euros, only problem is it is low level so can be a bit dodgy with snow cover.
it can be done on a budget bit you need to research things like flights, car hire, accomodation etc.
i will admit we have upped the anti this year and are going to val thorens for a week, bigger accomodation, private transfers etc. so have "blown" the budget.
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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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can't tell where to go just don't buy on e-bay!!!! here, it is even less expensive - http://levelnineskis.com . you'll find what you need
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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sue12,
You say you want to get away over the Christmas period. The Christmas week itself starting 20 or 21st December will be expensive. If you go the week before Christmas you may be able to find something. Silver Ski have some cancellations have a look at their website. Don't forget you have to pay for hiring ski equipment, a lift pass and lessons on top of any package ski holiday.
Also search Ski Solutions and If You Ski websites for late availability deals.
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sue12, try looking at Teletext (ITV). Have seen some good deals on there for Christmas week e.g. Chatel for 259 GBP, HB inc flights. Departs 21st. Be prepared to phone around and bargain hard!
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Chasseur, does one bargain with deals from teletext ?
i have often bought deals from there but never bargained and if anything they ripped me off at the last minute, maybe because I did book in a hurry.
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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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take a look at the family deals at
http://www.espritski.com/Specials.aspx
there are lots of good 3up deals, and this includes most stuff
when booking quote "takethefamily.com" and you should get another 5% off
have fun
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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sue12, Go for Lizzard's suggestion. Fly to Grenoble cheap with Ryanair. Local bus to resort - dirt cheap. The apartment is very nice - it used to be my home (no, I'm not the friend who owns it now). There are a number of free lifts in the village so you wouldn't have to get liftpasses to start with unless you can already ski. Don't take them to MK - very expensive - the money is better spent on lessons in resort. Get private lessons for the 3 of you, and then have lots of fun. It can be done.
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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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| Quote: |
Is it really possible to go skiing on a budget
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What size of budget? Your earlier question - is it possible to go skiing cheaply? is easier to answer. The answer is NO. Especially with horrendous current exchange rate. There's lots of good advice above. From my own experience (including several years with adolescents) I would urge you to tell your boys that skiing is an extremely expensive holiday, and that going out to bars and eating big lunches on the mountain are RIGHT OUT. At the age yours are we used to give them some spending money just about enough to buy themselves a plate of chips and a drink at lunch time, plus a few bob extra. They had to decide how to spend it. They usually headed for the nearest supermarket and stocked up on cheap beers and stuff, and took choc bars or rolls filched from the chalet breakfast for lunch. It saves a lot of grumbling and arguments if they have their own money to spend - just as long as you make it clear that lunch is NOT on you.
The advice about avoiding Christmas if you can is good. The first week after New Year would be best, if that's possible.
In your situation a last minute deal in a catered chalet might be your best bet. It is more expensive upfront but you'll have tea prepared for you straight after skiing (so if you fill up at breakfast time and have a Mars Bar in the pocket you can survive without lunch if necessary). You'll also get unlimited plonk with your dinner and, unless you're unlucky, plenty of edible food and good company. It's more fun for teenagers than sitting round with Mum all evening.
Don't buy gear on Ebay. Definitely, absolutely, not.
A place like LDA with free lifts for beginners will save you lots of money.
This all might make a ski holiday sound more like a punishment than a pleasure, but it's the best way of sharing a holiday with kids the age of yours, and despite my being so mean about bars and lunches they were all hooked early on and never grumbled. Well, not in my hearing anyway or I'd have left them at home next time.
The other family "deal" we had was that if we were going skiing (we always went the first week of January, which is far cheaper - this might be a possibility for you too and would be much preferable if possible) then that was our Christmas present to ourselves. They didn't get a stack of goodies AND a ski holiday.
Make sure that any relatives likely to buy them presents get them something ski related (like fleece neck warmers) or some euros to spend.
One last thing - you can hire ski clothing from Filarinski in Havant, if there's nothing closer to you.
Have fun!
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Last year I spent a long time comparing package deals with DIY holidays. In the end I concluded that a cheap package is the cheapest way if you want catered accomodation. The previous year we'd taken an allocation on arrival holiday for £380 inc flights and transfer and ended up at Courcheval 1850 about 50m from the lifts.
Regarding driving to the Alps, I did it twice last year. Just a matter of relaxing into the job. It takes about 10 hours from the channel ports.
I've never managed to do a really cheap skiing holiday. It's generally worked out as about £100 per day by the end. However, I went mountain biking in Wales last weekend and it ended up costing me £100 per day all in.
Most catered holidays have so much good food that I reckon you could survive without buying lunch. Either that or call in a patisserie in the mornintg and stock up on croissants and the other goodies they excel in.
Don't let any of this put you off though, skiing is a lot of fun.
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, ooh you are such a mean old bat! Are you my mother?
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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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Lizzard, very likely. Are you the one that complained when I chopped up one Mars Bar between 4 as a dessert? 
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Poster: A snowHead
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pam w, you are my mother! We all used to complain about that, not that it changed anything.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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