 Poster: A snowHead
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Dear Snowheads,
This is my first post so please be gentle.
I have booked my first snowboarding holiday to Sauze d'Oulx, going Feb 8th for a week.
Being complete beginners the tour op suggested a beginner snowboards pack (level-0) as a cost of £270 per person. This includes equipment hire, lessons and beginner lift pass.
I am trying to keep the cost of this holiday down as much as possible without ruining it. Therefore I wanted to check with Snowheads before parting with £540 of my hard earned cash, to see if £270pp is a competitive price, or whether I could save more by organizing it myself?..
Many thanks,
Drew.
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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'm not a boarder, but am a skier, and £270 looks like it might be quite good value, but it completely depends on the detail. For example the instruction cost/value would depend on the quality of instruction and the size of the groups, as well as how long you are in instruction for and for how many days, and the equipment hire would depend on ...well... how good the equipment is. And it depends on what amount of terrain you can access with the beginner liftpass, and more importantly, if you will have to fork out for a full one on day 3 anyway.
If it were me, I would get some more details on e.g. which school they use, how many hours per day, what the beginner liftpass covers, etc. and then do some comparisons using e.g. www.sauzeonline.com
It may well be a fab deal, but without the details, it's a bit hard to say, as it could also be a bit of a swindle!
D
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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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Big_Drew, welcome
Back of envelope calculation
http://sauzeonline.com/winter/es_ss1.asp
Hire of boards and boots 90 euros
Lessons Mornings 120 euros
Lift pass 100 euros
So approximately equal, but perhaps much convenience.
This is for group lessons. Decide if that is the best pattern. It probably is for first-timers, but you may want fewer lessons in a smaller group. Others may advise better on that.
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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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thanks for your response.
The tuition is 2 hours per day for 3 days.
I have no idea of the quality of the equipment?, I was told it will be with whoever Neilson have a contract with. The lift pass is for the full mountain.
hmmm???
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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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thanks beequin! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Big_Drew, beginner lift pass? whats that then?
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also apparently the group size is maximum 15 people... sounds like quite a lot of people to me?.
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rayscoops - my mistake, the lift pass does encompass the entire mountain.
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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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Well the liftpass at Sauze is EUR180, or about £150, and the equipment rental is EUR100, or about £80, which makes £230, in which case there is about £50 left for instruction.
It doesn't sound like a lot of instruction for complete beginners (6 hours is really just one full day), and 15 is an awful lot in a group, so it sounds like the instruction might be a bit of a barely worth it item in the package. It might however be great, it's just very hard to say.
So I guess you are talking about £50, the money you will effectively 'lose' if the instruction is cr@p.
If it were me I would probably organise it myself and get better/more instruction, however, an alternative would be to go for the package, but expect to spend more money on instruction when you are out there. I would think that 6 hours might not be enough for a beginner to get the most of their first holiday anyway. You will no doubt be able to get around the beginner runs, but you may well be able to progress much further in your first week with the right instruction. I would be looking more along the lines of 2 or 3 hours x 5 mornings or something. That's just my opinion though!
An advantage to the package would certainly be convenience, as well as potentially socially in terms of being in a group with lots of other Neilson guests from the UK (which could be a pro or con depending on how you view it!).
D
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Big_Drew, for a group of 15 they will end up paying you ! you will get hardly any time with the instructor irrespective of price
How many of you are going out there, you may want to simply buy your own ski pass, and depending how many are travelling with you, have some private lessons, and work out how much lessons will be,
as beequin, for 5 days the lift pass Euros 100, boots and board Euros 90, and work out the lessons 2 hours x 3 days based upon how many of you there are !
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Well the liftpass at Sauze is EUR180, or about £150,
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Sadly, more like £180 now. 
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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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pam w, you're right, £1 = EUR1.126 today...ouch!
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There are only 2 of us going. Still in a bit of a predicament..
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You know it makes sense.
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thanks for all of your opinions. keep them coming. At the moment I'm thinking of sticking with the pack to save me the bother, then when we are there if theirs' too many people in the group we may have to seek other options, llike further tuition.
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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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A quick look at the resort's website shows 3 ski schools (I assume that in this context that may include snowboarding too), two of which specifically offer instruction in English. The private rate (quoted for skiing and I would not think it would be very different) is
1hr 1 Person €32
1hr 2 Persons €40
1hr 3 Persons €45
1hr 4 Persons €50
You could try emailing them.
http://www.sauzeonline.com/index.asp
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Poster: A snowHead
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Big_Drew, as it is your first hol, I say go with the pack. As you get more experienced with snowsports you get a feel for these things, and can start DIYing the whole process, flights, accom, the lot. But first time round let the TO hold your hand.
If you'd rather sort your own lessons out, get down to your local snowdome (if you have one) before you go. I learnt to board at Milton Keynes, never had a lesson in the alps. Not sure about the cost comparison but you'll def get an english-speaking instructor and almost certainly a smaller class.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not sure about the cost comparison
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the snowdomes tend to cost a bit more - but it does help you get up the learning curve quicker on holiday.
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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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You should have booked Romania for your first time boarding....Cost me £300 for the entire holiday - food, drinks, 3 days boarding tutition, lift passes, equipment etc etc! Plus the currency isn't the Euro so makes everything cheaper 
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