 Poster: A snowHead
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Interski, the coach-based ski operators who are primarily based in the Italian Alps, are highlighting a 20% growth in business for coach holidays (generally) in the first month of 2009. They operate their own British ski school for groups in the Val d'Aosta, so their business is somewhat different to most tour operators. In the face of the credit avalanche they are projecting further success next winter.
This report from Ski Rebel magazine.
| Quote: |
| Interski are taking cost saving even further for Winter 2009/10 by offering inclusive ‘crunch busting’ packages for customers traveling by coach on selected dates. These include transport, half board hotel accommodation, daily snack lunch on the mountain, ski/board, boot and ski clothing hire as well as lift passes and insurance with low season pricing from £589 per person. |
Would you catch the bus for that price?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 1-05-09 15:14; edited 2 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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Saw loads of them in Courmayuer. Their hire skis and boots are all Interski branded and quite a few people had also clearly hired branded clothing...
I did a couple of bus trips in my Uni days, Cambridge to the French Alps. Definitely wouldn't choose it now I live further up the country and tend to ski in Italy and Austria rather than France, but a good option for people on a limited budget...
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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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| Quote: |
Would you catch the bus for that price?
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Not for any price or financial inducement thanks. Last time I did it (1989 to Courchevel) the thing started limping half way through france. So they arranged a rendez-vous with coach coming up from spain with a drunken bunch of northern chavs on board. We swapped coaches and the smell of puke and other bodily fluids was enough to put me and everybody else off for life. 24 hours of abject misery and you spend a week skiing knowing that you've got to do the whole thing in reverse. No, let the plane take the strain.
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I'm suprised that the Interski model still works with flights being so cheap now? Doesn't really matter how cheap the bus is, surely anyone asked "Want to spend £50 more to cut your journey by 70%" is always saying yes?
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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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UCPA are cheaper and better  Don't mind the coach now I live down south, and have done it twice this last season. Set off after work on a Friday evening and be in the resort mid-morning at the latest on Saturday ready to ski. Similarly coming back you can often get a full day's skiing in. No faffing with luggage once it's on the bus, and no stupid luggage allowances to pack around.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 1-05-09 13:24; edited 1 time in total
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Boredsurfing, I think that's precisely why our Uni trips went by coach. But in my advanced years, 20 hours on a coach would definitely not be an inducement now...
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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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Lock them in the bus and go. The bus driver will deal with any situations en route.
In the resort the instructors will keep strict discipline over the teenagers, and the teachers can have a nice holiday. They should definitely be with a specialised schools operator if they're unsure of themselves.
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| Quote: |
| In the resort the instructors will keep strict discipline over the teenagers |
You're having a giraffe if you think this is the case. Sure, the instructors that post on here can probably be all trusted, but I've seen trips where Austrian instructors (age from 18, part time jobs while at school/uni) have slept with the schoolkids they've been teaching and have had to be physically thrown out of rooms by school staff members.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Anniepen, 1:10 is a normal ratio, and 16 is tiny for a school group.
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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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Anniepen, we had a similar group in our hotel in Courmayeur this season. They were students from a sports college in Glasgow, aged about 16-19, around 20 of them with two tutors and one dad who came along to help. In fairness they were a pleasant enough bunch, but very noisy, especially during the night. Our only other gripe is that they 'stole' all the breakfast cobs and croissants to make themselves packed lunch, which meant there wasn't enough breakfast to go round. However, by the end of the week the hotel had cottoned on to this and brought more cobs out...
The point I'm making is be careful where you place them if you accept this booking. I would expect a lot of people would not want to be in the same hotel as a large group of teenagers/children...
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| ......Would you catch the bus for that price? |
Wouldn't catch the bus again at any price - after having done several trips in the past. Would rather not go skiing in the Alps than have to do it again.
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You know it makes sense.
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I wasn't in Europe this year, but recall reading that Italy had a record snow year...could this have helped Interski out?
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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've taken another look at the Ski Rebel article and it actually quotes the 'Coach Tourism Council' as the source of the 20% increase figure, which seems to apply to coach hols generally, not specifically Interski or skiing for that matter. I've edited the first post accordingly.
Apologies for the error.
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Poster: A snowHead
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My son (aged 13) went with Interski this April to Courmayeur. Had a great time and by all accounts they had a good journey. I think at that age with loads of other like minded youngsters they didn't worry too much about the time spent on the coach, too busy messing around !
Not for me though, couldn't think of anything worse 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
Anniepen, we had a similar group in our hotel in Courmayeur this season. They were students from a sports college in Glasgow, aged about 16-19, around 20 of them with two tutors and one dad who came along to help. In fairness they were a pleasant enough bunch, but very noisy, especially during the night. Our only other gripe is that they 'stole' all the breakfast cobs and croissants to make themselves packed lunch, which meant there wasn't enough breakfast to go round. However, by the end of the week the hotel had cottoned on to this and brought more cobs out...
The point I'm making is be careful where you place them if you accept this booking. I would expect a lot of people would not want to be in the same hotel as a large group of teenagers/children... |
Don't worry - when I said more hassle than it's worth, I was referring to for me, as well as the teachers 
Lizzard I do realise 16 is a small group, but even so, the ratio seemed madness. 16 teenage boys against two feeble adults ...... 
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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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In my experience Interski / other tour operator coach trips with school groups involve (in no particular order); Mamma Mia, High School Muscial 3, Wild Child, St Trinians and Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging. ALL OF THEM, ON ALL FOUR COACH TRIPS I DID THIS SEASON, aaarrrgghhh!!!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anniepen, most school groups are perfectly civilised - inner city sink schools don't do ski trips.
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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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Lizzard, saying that I did teach a group this year from a school where the 5 A - C pass rate was only 30%. The teachers told me no one wanted to send their kids to their school! The kids on the trip though were obviously the ones whose parents could afford the £1k or whatever it was to send them...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I wouldn't ever pay to go by coach, but when I'm getting paid to do it, then I'll suffer it.
beanie1, you were lucky/unlucky. My 2 trips this year involved Transformers (twice), Iron Man (twice), St Trinians, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Casino Royale, Top Gun (In German!), then it started getting worse. We had Mean Girls, Don't mess with the Zohan, Balls of Fury, Happy Gilmore, several that were so bad I can't remember and the one where two yr 7 lads had their eyes popping out of their heads at the sex scenes!
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Did the Ski club Uk not have an article on this kind of thing this week?
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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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Went from Bushmills, Norn Iron to Les Carroz on a coach when I was 15. Took 48 hrs with stop in Paris, great craic, but I was 15 and was an expert at sleeping at the time. Don't think I could do it now!!
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| Doss wrote: |
My son (aged 13) went with Interski this April to Courmayeur. Had a great time and by all accounts they had a good journey. I think at that age with loads of other like minded youngsters they didn't worry too much about the time spent on the coach, too busy messing around !
Not for me though, couldn't think of anything worse |
I went on a few 6 hr bus trips as a teen and think you are spot on...now I prefer to walk to the lifts...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Elizabeth B wrote: |
I wouldn't ever pay to go by coach, but when I'm getting paid to do it, then I'll suffer it.
beanie1, you were lucky/unlucky. My 2 trips this year involved Transformers (twice), Iron Man (twice), St Trinians, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Casino Royale, Top Gun (In German!), then it started getting worse. We had Mean Girls, Don't mess with the Zohan, Balls of Fury, Happy Gilmore, several that were so bad I can't remember and the one where two yr 7 lads had their eyes popping out of their heads at the sex scenes! |
Please don't tell me that you consider a cinematic piece of genius such as Happy Gilmore bad? 
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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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| Lizzard wrote: |
| Anniepen, most school groups are perfectly civilised - inner city sink schools don't do ski trips. |
I don't think 16 teenagers would need to be from an inner city sink school, or a bad background, to be a handful away from home 
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Agreed. Lizzard's having a laugh
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You know it makes sense.
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Anniepen, tbh, I've rarely had a problem with kids on school trips. Yes they'll be a bit noisy, but if anyone is going to cause real trouble it will be the staff.
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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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Got to say I agree with Elizabeth B there. The bunch in our hotel this season, although very noisy, were pleasant and friendly. The two tutors (we nicknamed them Miss Jean Brodie 1 & 2) were mardy old biddies who simply refused to speak to us after we beat them in the pub quiz. Snigger...
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FAQ
