 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Thinking booking a week in Canada in Feb to complement a week in Dolomites in Jan. Having not been to North America before and with pound etc what are the prices likely to be like and will it be better value than Europe? Anybody out there who can advise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
"Value for money" is very subjective - I would find more value in an 800 holiday to Alberta than a 1200 one to France...
Canadian dollar is currently trading at an almost 52 week high against the pound... but then it's the same with the dollar and the euro.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
mfamily2, remember to add tax to most of the advertised prices in Canada - tax differs by state Alberta is less than BC, plus add 15-20% for tips on all food & drink. Do a search on here, ther's been lots on this before. I agree with Alexandra on the VFM point, I pay more to ski canada every year and am very happy with the VFM, e.g. $10 for a bowl of soup compared with euro 10 in france, (but cheaper in Austria according to folk here)
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Given the travelling time I wouldn't go to Canada for a week unless it was a dirt-cheap last minute deal - 2 week minimum for me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| nbt wrote: |
| Given the travelling time I wouldn't go to Canada for a week unless it was a dirt-cheap last minute deal - 2 week minimum for me. |
Yep, two weeks normally, 11 days minimum. Door to door it's almost a days travelling.
As regards prices, judging by what others have posted regarding (the rip off Alps) I probably have a real good time in Canada for two weeks as people spend for one in France/Italy/Austria etc etc.
Beer is around £2-3 pint (Kokanee), less if they've jug offers, food probably half Alps prices or less.
Most hotels allow take aways delivered to the door if you stop in, most pizza places do deals and you can feed a family of four for £20 if you're feeling taught.
The dollars not brilliant, but neither is the Euro, and I sure ain't going to Scotland....... 
Me and the missus do around £800-900 for the pair of us, two weeks, with all the necessaries pre-booked. That's not excluding all the Jim Shaw Xmas stuff she brings back each year.
John.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
mfamily2, check out my Feb 08 Banff trip report with lots of useful price info here:
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewpost.php?p=992625
Exchange rate is now down to £1=C$1.77 
I agree that 7 nights isn't worth it in view of the long journey and that it takes a few days to get over the jetlag.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 nights is oh so worth it - I do it every time 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I was in Canada for the first time in Sept 08 when it was about CAN$2 to the £. Even then i thought it was more expensive than home (Northern Ireland). Great if you like meat though - you can get yourself a huge rib-eye steak for a few £!!! Certainly not cheap in the way you expect the US to be cheap. Eating out wasnt bad but by the time you added drink (wine very expensive) and tax and tipping (20%!!) it was hard to eat cheap.
I'd go for a week as in my experience you get the jetlag when you get home, but the flight is a bigger portion of the cost and time it makes more sense to stay longer. If there was only a few hundred in it i would go to Canada.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
mfamily2, it's not just the price, it's the experience. Only you can decide whether the experience is worth the extra price, and the only way you'll know is to try.
If you can afford it, do it. North American skiing is different enough from the Alps to make it worth the trip just to broaden the experience. Just make sure that you're not intimidated by tough skiing - take some lessons if necessary. If you won't tackle black runs, most Canadian resorts are pretty small places.
Myself, I'd take Canada over the Alps any time. But I'm realistic enough to know that many people feel equally strongly the other way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Jonny Jones wrote: |
mfamily2, it's not just the price, it's the experience. Only you can decide whether the experience is worth the extra price, and the only way you'll know is to try.
If you can afford it, do it. North American skiing is different enough from the Alps to make it worth the trip just to broaden the experience. Just make sure that you're not intimidated by tough skiing - take some lessons if necessary. If you won't tackle black runs, most Canadian resorts are pretty small places.
Myself, I'd take Canada over the Alps any time. But I'm realistic enough to know that many people feel equally strongly the other way. |
Yep...............
I don't like Canada..............I love it.
The terrain, the people, the vibe, the attitude, the space, the bars............
The northern lights, the Elk that come into town at night, the people who don't tread all over you in a queue.........
The big signs everywhere that tell you if you use our hill and hurt yourself, well, more the fool you..............
Canada, in my humble opinion, beats the Alps at any price.
"Oh Canada, oh Canada our home and native land......................"
John.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
BC johnny that price of £800/900 is that the total for both of you? that surely can't include flights/skihire/lift passes etc we would love to do Canada this year as we haven't skied for 3 years now but it is an expensive holiday, any advice on how to do it cheaper, we do like nice quality rooms though and would fancy big white due to ski in ski out but please share your knowledge as if we can get the price right we would go for it.
Many thanks
Andy
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
andyarmitage, that must be their spending money in Canada after having prebooked the package, lift passes and kit in UK.
I'm pretty careful and not a drinker, but we spent around £1400pp total on our 11 nt trip, £600 B&B package, £250 7days (+1 free night ski) of ski passes, £125 snowmobiling, £75 car hire, £350 food, drink, etc, no kit hire as we had our own skis & boots. I reckon you'd struggle to match that with the exchange rate this year.
A week in Europe is going to cost £5-600pp minimum, a week in Canada £1000pp minimum (i.e sub-£500 package if you can find one, £250 lift passes, £250 food and drink) and that's really tight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hey Luigi you do get around don't you Canada Dolomites not bad at all it looks like we will give skiing a miss this year unless we can find a last minute bargain to the Dolomites
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| andyarmitage wrote: |
BC johnny that price of £800/900 is that the total for both of you? that surely can't include flights/skihire/lift passes etc we would love to do Canada this year as we haven't skied for 3 years now but it is an expensive holiday, any advice on how to do it cheaper, we do like nice quality rooms though and would fancy big white due to ski in ski out but please share your knowledge as if we can get the price right we would go for it.
Many thanks
Andy |
No, I wish, spending money. We normally take that but bring, say $300 dollars back.
As regards the holiday price, £563 ea, paying an under occupancy supplement (would have been £450 without!), two weeks flights, transfers & acommodation. Staying in FAR (Fernie Alpine Resort), and though you have to walk to the lift I can board back to the lodge, which although reasonably basic is spacious, very warm, extremely clean and couldn't be in a better position. Has two jacuzzis but no pool/sauna.
Jump on the looney bus (a buck each way) and in ten mins you're in Fernie proper, with the bars/eateries etc.
Lift pass touch over £300 for 13 days, all booked earlybird.
Do I like it? Went last year, and probably for the forseeable future, for the main break. Been eight times now in last nine years to Canada. Whistler, Jasper & Kicking Horse.
John.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
BCjohnny, you're doing well there at about £1300pp for 2 weeks on the snow, Fernie's got to be one of the best value spots in Canada.
No wonder you keep going back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
BCjohnny,
I had heard/read somewhere that the bus to town was unreliable - is this fact or fiction on your experience?
We are staying at the Timberline Lodges so will need transport to town most evenings, are cabs an option?
Cheers
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 2-01-09 20:38; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
CP, When I was in Fernie last March the bus was fine for going into town but we got a cab back $24 including tip (the bar can order one for you) - we shared with another couple - you'll probably find folk in town calling cabs to get back to the resort
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| CP wrote: |
BCjohnny,
I had heard/read somewhere that the bus to town was unreliable - is this fact or fiction on your experience?
We are staying at the Timberline Lodges so will need transport to town most evenings, are cabs an option?
Cheers |
No, totally reliable in my experience. Just ask when the last bus is on any one night as it changes. If you're a nightowl don't expect a dedicated service though. Most nights you're good till 12ish, later Fri/Sat. On the uplift they tour the bars/eateries, sometimes more than once, for fares. The last places to get picked up are nearer the highway, the first in Main St.
We never got left behind. If you do, get a cab.............
The Timberline though has a "different" schedule to the Wolfs Den, for some reason, although they're only 150yds apart.
John.
p.s. Do the Griz Bar on the mountain, Saturdays........
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Oh yeah.......
Ask the bus driver for the pick-up schedule. Though not set in stone it's a good guide, and most of the bouncers know the "real" collection times so don't be afraid to ask. They'll even call the "Looney" to check the intinerary/times. Friendly guys.
CP, when you goin'?
John.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
BCjohnny,
Thanks for the info on the bus.
Nightowl's we are not - 4 adults and our Son who is 13, he will ensure we are exhausted after a day on the slopes.
We are flying out on Feb 14th for 11 nights.
Not long to go 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
Thinking booking a week in Canada in Feb to complement a week in Dolomites in Jan.
|
| Quote: |
I agree that 7 nights isn't worth it in view of the long journey and that it takes a few days to get over the jetlag.
|
While respecting anyone else's opinion, I disagree. We did Banff for a week a few years ago and of course it was well worth it - skiing in North America always is, irrespective of travel, jet lag etc. Once did 27 hours on a bus to Mayrhofen - nightmare journey but a fantastic autumn glacier ski - so that was worth it too!
I've heard the same "not worth it" approach taken by people who won't go to the alps for less than a week. Meanwhile, we regularly do one night trips for one and a half days skiing with no time off work. It feels like a week away - again definitely worth it. Great to get back to work (exhausted but buzzing) when somebody - who's just told you that they spent the weekend washing the car and queueing to get into Ikea car park - asks "Did you do anything at the weekend?"....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
mountainaddict, I'm with you. I know some folk are less able to tolerate long journeys but we just shrug it off. I did a day trip to Les Arcs lst year, straight from work friday night on Eurostar back overnight on the Saturday - I was knackered afterwards but loved it. Off to Big White for 7 days in March
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Everyones entitled to their opinion..............
One thing, re-reading my post, was that I didn't mention the cost aspect. Often two weeks is, say £30 more, than one weeks stay, so with the distance the economics just don't stack up.
There's a package in the Ingahms 2008/09 brochure for Panorama staying at the Pine Inn leaving on Feb 14th that puts 7 days at £767 and two weeks at £729!
Even allowing for the school holiday effect, most deals for this destination for two weeks are within £20-£30 of a weeks stay. I booked Jasper yesterday for two weeks going out on 4th Mar (as a single traveller), and week or 10/11 day prices were the same.
And the personal aspect of jetlag may be a big factor, as it affects people in different ways. When I travel east I suffer the lag when I get there, and am ok on return. When going west, ie Canada, the opposite is true, and it can take several days to get the body clock back in synch.
Anyway seven days in Canada, from a personal point of view, beats seven days anywhere else, despite the travelling, so go for it.........
John.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| BCjohnny wrote: |
| CP wrote: |
BCjohnny,
I had heard/read somewhere that the bus to town was unreliable - is this fact or fiction on your experience?
We are staying at the Timberline Lodges so will need transport to town most evenings, are cabs an option?
Cheers |
No, totally reliable in my experience. Just ask when the last bus is on any one night as it changes. |
Info based on last years trip...............
Having just got back from this years trip.....................
The shuttle is being run on "different" lines this year.
The fare is now $3.00 pp each way, not $1.00 as last year. Apparently the towns businesses are not subsidising it anymore. A book of 10 tickets is available on the shuttle for $25.00.
The shuttle is less reliable, and seems to do the last run up now at around 20.15. If you want to stand a good chance of getting it back up the hill, catch it in 2nd Ave (the Main street). We regularly got it from The Central bar (renamed "A Bar Named Sue"), where it always seems to pick up. We were left stranded at the Park Place Lodge once, down by the Highway.
I would guess a lot of this is due to how "quiet" Fernie seems to be this year. Shame.
John.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On the jet lag question, the OL and I did a couple of one week hols in Lake Louise, years ago. The jet lag is a pain, but still but the trips were definitely worthwhile (but two weeks is better!). I found i was waking up rdiculously early for the whole trip, the OL slept like a hog until I dragged her out of bed from day 1. The evenings tend to end early, but it's Canada, so a 7pm dinner is regarded as the height of European sophistication.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
