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Custom made ski holiday

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I have always just booked a complete package with one of the big companys like crystal etc.

Im thinking about maybe booking a villa or apartment, then sorting flights and everything else seperate this season, to try and save some money!

Does anybody have any advice on booking this way? Or can recommend websites to book from?

Im looking at Austria, Italy or France this year.

Thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Advice would be

Easiest way to save money is to choose the week you go to carefully and to choose the reort with equal care.
Checking flight prices to see if midweek departures will save loads of cash and see if there are apartment owners willing to let on that basis.

1. Identify a resort
2. Search on Holiday Rentals or Owners Direct (or similar), or tourist office website for an apartment
3. Book flights
4. Book apartment
5. Hire a car (saves on transfers and supermarket bills and is just very convenient).

If you are going to a resort where a car is next to useless (Zermatt, Tignes, perhaps), then substitute 5. Book a transfer
Savings should accrue, but some package deals out of peak weeks can be very cheap so not guaranteed.

Edit : Car can also be useful if your cheap apartment is not proximate to the lifts or the resort is spread out (like Chamonix).


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 21-08-09 12:03; edited 1 time in total
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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?
beequin, has it right. Good point about the car vs transfer, as we have had trips where we have not used the car at all apart for the transfer and supermarket shop.

We usually book cheapie flights, either Geneva or Chambery, then wait to see the webcams and snow conditions in the resorts that we have shortlisted that are within reasonable driving distances. Then we start looking at accommodation. We tend to go to France and use Pierre & Vacances http://www.pv-holidays.com/ski_accommodation_france.php - nothing fancy, but you know what you are getting from one resort to another, and the ones we've been in have usually been well located for the slopes. P&V also have Maeva and MGM. It might help you to do a search on the forum when you have decided on a resort as there are loads of other snowHead who have apts etc.

Good luck.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Thanks for your comments, both very helpful! Very Happy
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
loffers wrote:
I have always just booked a complete package with one of the big companys like crystal etc.

Im thinking about maybe booking a villa or apartment, then sorting flights and everything else seperate this season, to try and save some money!

Does anybody have any advice on booking this way? Or can recommend websites to book from?

Im looking at Austria, Italy or France this year.

Thanks


Personally, I would be very dubious about doing it just to save money. By the time you have included transfers or car hire, you often dopn't save much at all, particularly if you can be reasonably flexible and book fairly late.

You may be able to make savings, but it certainly isn't guaranteed that you will, for similar quality accommodation.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
loffers, We usually drive and occasionally fly to Geneva, we pick a catered chalet, have used Ski Amis, Chalets Direct, we drive for convenience as we live near the big smoke and Dover isn't too far, when we fly the chalets that we have used have provided transfers, some included as a special offer or as an additional cost.

We always go catered, no arguing about who should cook and no washing up Smile, friends went to Flaine last year and found self catered to be expensive, I believe that catered represents good value especialy if they throw in some local wine.

There are lots of Snowheads who run their own chalets am sure that one will be along shortly to make a better case than I can for the independent operator, happy to make recommendations if you want.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
If you drive then just about everything can be custom made. If you go more a week then you can ski different resorts and more than one country too.
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