 Poster: A snowHead
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Looking to go skiing for a week as per normal this year, however this time round money is tight so looking to do it on a very low budget. Would love some advice from somebody that has done this.
Previously been to Soldeu and Val Thorens. Intermediate skiiers. Need ski hire included. Would love to spend sub £500. ANy ideas? Anytime between Jan and march.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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First week of January after New Year seems to be the cheapest week of the season, often with plenty of last minute offers available. Sit tight and look for a late booking...
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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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Passo Tonale, Italy
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Try Action Outdoors - travel, ski pass, accommodation, food, equipment hire and tuition in a variety of places, including Flaine, for under £500.
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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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SharkEnergy, I normally aim for £400-£500 for a week's ski holiday, half board, flights, transfers, single room. Recently (i.e. in last five years) I have done Passo Tonale, Kitzbuhel and Courmayeur on that budget and have booked La Thuile for next season. On top of that I have to budget for lift pass (usually £150+) and ski hire (usually £70-ish), plus €100 spending money. I always go in March.
I normally book way ahead to guarantee a single room, but the really budget way to do it is wait until the last minute and get a tour op discount. There were people in my hotel in Courmayeur last season who booked last minute and paid £279 per person (sharing double room).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Shop in Lidl from now until January and the money you save will pay for a proper holiday 
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Is that £500 including lift passes as well? What about accomodation; SC, Hotel, B&B, Catered Chalet?
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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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I'd recommend the UCPA too, if you don't mind sharing a room with others. It's all inclusive and friendly too, I've stayed at the Tignes one twice, and I tell you the food is better than most tour operators catered chalet, and plentiful too. I put the UCPA option in my "How to Ski on a budget" post on our blog. Other options include going on an off peak day, sacrificing aki time and just doing a weekend, going somewhere cheap (Bulgaria etc). Have a look here for more low budget ski inspiration http://bit.ly/ooGKb
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| Quote: |
if you don't mind sharing a room with others
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in some of the places, including Flaine, you can get a double room for not much extra money - that's what my daughter did.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Each year we go for 5 night to soldeu, not paid more than £60 for flights and the hotel is 30 euros per night B&B, car hire incl fuel + tolls is about £50 each. All depends on what you want from the hotel.
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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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SharkEnergy,
Probably best keep away from large/well know French resorts + have a look at some fully inclusive deals ( e.g skitopia ). Plus as mentioned, wait as late as you can for last minute deals in chalets etc; should be able to come in on budget if your careful.
Good luck
Mitch
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wait till the last week of March, rocket ski always seem to do BOGOF on hire and passes that week to several resorts. I went last year, booked in feb and went for £199 for 7 nights, flights, transfers and HB hotel. 
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You know it makes sense.
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dlawless,
Although they have less accomodation on their portfollio this season maybe wont see such offers !
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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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Hi,
Last year I went to Vars (Risoul is in same ski area) for under £500 DIY, although www.skihorizon.co.uk got us a good deal on lift passes. Staying in the PV Albane apartments for under £100 a head, which are right on the piste, so ski to door, and have an outdoor swimming pool. Cheap flights were about £80 all in. List pass were £120 through ski horizon (I think they are £150 if bought at resort), ski hire through www.snowrental.com for about £70. Then just transfers and food/drink on top. Admittedly, Vars was quiet, a handful of restaurants, a few quiet bars and one dubious looking disco that we didnt go to. I think Risoul has a bit more nightlife if thats what you want. The skiing was pretty good, lots of cruisy blues and reds, a few blacks, including the 'KL' speed piste and also the very long and challenging red 'olympic' run. Some of the lifts are slow, there are still a few evil drags around (most are avoidable) although there are some fast quads but there are no queues at all and most of the pistes are quiet, making the skiing very enjoyable. Worth considering?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Sharkenergy
Suggest you consider Flaine the first week it opens = rates will be low, ski passes 50% off (less lift) and less people. Book early December ( assuming snow conditions are/look promising)cheap flights too.
www.flaine.com or www.grand-massif.com. I will be there and will ahve a ball.
BTW are you skiing solo or in a group?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you have at least 1 to share you can do the big french resorts for less than £600 (I know you gave the figure of £500), it just needs plenty of internet searching/the odd half day pass (when it's crap weather or hangover day)/ and drinking in the appartment! You can still have a few beers in town off the lifts but it's the clubbing that racks up the euros!
The more of you the cheaper it becomes!
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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 need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Mitchell wrote: |
SharkEnergy,
Probably best keep away from large/well know French resorts |
Don't you mean the Haute Savoie?
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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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Hold your fire, and book 24 hours before you leave; early January. The TOs will be desperate for you. (Provided they still have space on a flight, which is the only sticking point.)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SharkEnergy, How many of you are going? If there's a few of you doing it yourself can be very cheap.
Last year 3 of us went to Austria for under £250 each for 4 nights. We basically booked very cheap sleezeyjet flights well in advance, booked a car rental between us then just turned up and looked around for cheap accom which we managed for £35 a night between us. I must add however that we only ate crisps for the duration of our stay.
NB
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NomadicBoo, Any particular flavour to keep the costs down 
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Roy Hockley, Ready Salted. Only problem is the excess salt causes cramps on the slopes. 
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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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4 of us going. In the end taken a chance on arinsal in late march. Half board, flights, skis, lift pass and transfers for 520. Andorra spending is dirt cheap. Reading this my big worry is we could have got that cheaper if we were more patient!
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| Quote: |
the excess salt causes cramps on the slopes
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cramp's more likely to be caused by low salt. Pack 'em in.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
the excess salt causes cramps on the slopes
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cramp's more likely to be caused by low salt. Pack 'em in. |
Yep. I just realised what a stupid comment I made. Must be the high saturated fat content.
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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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snowcoach.co.uk £298-£698 all in. Cheap but can be good fun.
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A shameless plug coming up...here at Crystal we've just launched a new "Crystal Ski +" product which is fairly and squarely targeted at skiers like yourself Sharkenergy - ie people who love skiing but are bit more skint these days
We've bundled up flight, transfer, accom, ski hire (through SkiSet) or ski carriage, and local lift pass, and have been able to negotiate some low rates which translate to fantastic prices. Cheapest is £479 for 2 or 3 star self catering in La Plagne on most dates in January & March. For about another £50 you can upgrade to area pass. All you've then got to pay for is your beer & sandwiches during your stay. There are other similar Ski + packages just over the £500 mark
First post on Snowheads! Will only make a shameless plug when absolutely necessary...
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You know it makes sense.
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mprior99, Welcome to  s.
Plug some prices on here, full cost of holiday. Ignore the self catering option as you are much dearer than DIY from my experience! Hotel, and catred chalets please!
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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mprior99, that's not bad.
However, - DIY to my apartments in Chamonix...
- booking flights today (Easyjet Gatwick)
- 3* apartments, I would expect bigger than the usual in La Plagne, 3 minutes from lifts (admittedly at max capacity but that does not involve sofa beds, corridors or mezzanines! everyone has a bed in a bedroom)
- skis from our usual supplier (not SkiSet, who didn't impress)
- transfers
- full area pass (not MBU)
Comes to about €459
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Go in January or late April
Ebay for any equipment you need
Buy flights early (so somewhere like GVA where there's a lot of choice), OR fill a car and drive
Pick a smaller cheaper resort that's having a good season for snow.
Buy accomodation late. A good deal on a nice place is worth taking, if you're in a hellhole you'll want to go out much more.
Get a kitty together & do a big shop at a carrefour near the resort
Packed lunches on the mountain
You can do it surprisingly cheaply if you put your mind to it.
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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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lol I sound like Whitegold.
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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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| Quote: |
lol I sound like Whitegold.
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no you don't. He wouldn't go for packed lunch on the mountain.
off-peak you should be able to find a good quality apartment, with a proper bed in a bedroom (nobody in the lounge) for £100 - 200 a head, depending on grandeur of resort.
Self catering only makes financial sense if you self cater though and are either pretty well organised and decent cooks, OR prepared to live on rubbish. If you want someone else to cook, a catered chalet is probably a better bet
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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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| SharkEnergy wrote: |
Previously been to Soldeu
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If you decide on another trip to Andorra, my company is offering minimum 30% off all rentals across Andorra plus discounted lift passes and lessons in Grandvalira. From this season we're also organising airport transfers so you can put your own package together and save yourself some money.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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2 bed apartment in La Norma, sleeps 6 but only 4 going so we get a bedroom each. Lift passes included (1 day in Val Frejus and 1 in Aussios(?) inc) extra days lift pass for the departure saturday, so we get 7 days skiing (£9 a head) Top ski/sticks and boots x 2 top skis and sticks x 2.
Arrive 9th Jan
Snowtrex
£782 for the lot.
Ferry Dover to Dunkirk, £32 return
Diesel, Nottingham to La Norma and back, 800 miles, 4 up in a C220 CDI with roofbox, roughly £160
Tolls £120
One night in Ibis Bourg en Bresse on the way home, £42 per room (x2)
Almost all food will be taken with us, just milk, eggs, wine and beer to buy locally.
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SharkEnergy, I see that a number of people have suggested waiting and getting a last minute deal. This has been a very good method of saving money in the past, but I'd be very cautious this year. All the TOs here have reduced their capacity hugely. I wouldn't, personally, like to bet that there will be very late availability.
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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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I saw on the skiworld website that they have a handful of chalets that they're offering deals on all season - flights, transfers, accommodation (chalet board), ski hire and lift pass all included. Possibly worth a look?
Amy.
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FAQ
'Top dollar' Crystal is scraped to the bone. What on Earth don't you get with 'budget' Crystal? 
