 Poster: A snowHead
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Got our regular chalet last year at half term for 1500chf or thereabout...sleeps 9 but we had 4 adults and 3 kids and drove down,
The car carries 5 adults locally so the kids squeezed in anyhow with a roof box for kit...
If you rounded it up to £2800, absolute TOPS, that is £700 per adult and the kids are free, lift passes, ski hire and lessons and pretty much all the food.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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TotallyBoard, I hear what you're saying it's just we're not that close to the tunnel so add another 5 hours to the journey. Plus MPG on my vehicle is pretty poor so with say 600(?) miles to the slopes from Dover and 300 miles to get to Dover I'm looking at close to 2000 miles round trip. I reckon that will cost me over £400 on fuel alone without allowing for wear and tear snow chains etc. Yes, it's probably cheaper than 4 flights but it's a hell of a trade off in terms of time/effort (I'd be doing the whole trip in the drivers seat).
Gear wise, I guess we could buy some skis (I have some but no one else in the family does) but again it's a massive outlay. But I do hear what you're saying once you have it you feel as though you're saving money. Of course if you don't drive you end up paying for the carriage which sort of negates the point of saving money a bit. Plus gear needs to be upgraded as children get bigger.
Teacher issue is the same here. So no option of taking the children out of school anyway. I probably wouldn't want to do that anyway. I'm sure there are ways to trim the costs but fundamentally I'm still looking at four people going skiing which with the best will in the world is unlikely to come in much less than £500 per head. I've found lift passes to be so expensive now - closer to £200 than the £80 I used to think of them in my head as!
Guess it's time to get a bit creative with my ski holidays. Still not keen on Bulgaria though.
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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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pam w, have just been using the search facility as I have booked to go to Bisanne 1500 next half term (yes I know it's a bad time but we can't avoid it for the next 4 years). I see you are very familiar with the building we are renting in! (Think it's apartment C5 if my memory serves me correctly). I've done a SWIFT payment for the first time but I have a practical question and I wonder if you know the answer as you seem to be the Bisanne expert on Snowheads. We have to pay the normal "caution" which we have done by credit card in the past at the apartment reception in various places. If we are renting from an individual would this still be the case - the contract mentions a cheque in Euros but we don't have a French bank account - do the Fermes de Beaufortain operate system of credit card "cautions"? I have found all your posts on the Espace Diamant very helpful and interesting - can't wait to try it out!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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What a well timed thread! I am ever the optimist and hoping me and me lovely other half will get a week away late season - with our 3 month old (if he arrives on schedule!). We'll almost certainly self cater (did last year with a group and it was around £500 per head all in so we are definitely in the low budget camp!) but the big thing will be childcare. Does anyone know of any reputable resort / TO creche's that cater for babes that young??
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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always29,
Not sure about a 3 month old baby, but I know that Mark Warner has a kiddy clubs in most of their hotels. May be worth a call to ask them.
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always29, your budget will certainly have to go up if you start looking at the likes of Mark Warner. Taking granny would be cheaper. 
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pam w, don't I know it! I've had (and recycled!) brochures from ski esprit and ski familie, who have creches from 4 and 3 months respectively - even their cheapest weeks in the cheapest chalets would be more than doubling our budget so they were both definite no's! We've touted the granny option - not had any takers yet but I am sure the odd reminder won't hurt.
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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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kitenski, doh!....... teach the kids yourself and keep them over lunch...saving £418...or maybe you dont like them that much...or vice versa.........
okbye
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| always29 wrote: |
| What a well timed thread! I am ever the optimist and hoping me and me lovely other half will get a week away late season - with our 3 month old (if he arrives on schedule!). We'll almost certainly self cater (did last year with a group and it was around £500 per head all in so we are definitely in the low budget camp!) but the big thing will be childcare. Does anyone know of any reputable resort / TO creche's that cater for babes that young?? |
£520 a head in March for a catered chalet with decent English childcare.........
http://www.familyfriendlyskiing.com/price.html
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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kittenski - thanks for this but if we do go there will be a few of us and we'll be the only ones with a little one so think inflicting a family chalet on the few others we'd be going with would be a bit mean!
Do any tour operators who do the in chalet type creches have any self catering accomodation? The only resort I've found that does creche from 3 months is les menuires but L3V can be very expensive as we discovered last year!
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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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We had an amazing ski holiday in the US this winter. My wife and both of my children were happy)We spent about 2k£ for 2 weeks, so I think it's fine!
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Lots of resorts will do great deals around Easter if you book accommodation through the tourist office. Last year we booked an apartment in the centre of les Gets for 9 of us, including all lift passes for €1300. Self-drive (diesel car, don't overnight it), eat in and it's a cheap holiday. I found similar deals this year in Saas Fee, Ski Amade and les Sybelles.
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You know it makes sense.
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I know that for some it is impossible but i always take my daughter out of school for a week.
I refuse to pay the inflated prices they command at half term etc..
I normally pay around £1500 with crystal on their Ski+ deals......SC, lift pass, ski hire.
We take around £600 to pay for food/drink and a couple of private lessons.
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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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this years holiday with my family (4 of us) was around 7-8k in total. my parents book it all independently. if you book far enough in advance you can get very cheap flights.
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Poster: A snowHead
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if you book far enough in advance you can get very cheap flights.
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If the flights were cheap, something else must have been pretty pricey to add up to £8K!
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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 always look upon the 'ski holiday' as a challenge....more now than ever.In the past I've cracked some real bargains,but now find these opportunities getting scarcer.Got fed up with TO's long ago...so its DIY all the way.Like many,due to work,school etc,I have to plan early;so the chance of a last minute bargain never features for me.Generally self catering,so start the search early.As its usually 2wks,will always ask for discount(and usually get it )Used to fly and car hire,but got so fed up with wasting time at every leg,that I now drive all the way.Always stop mid journey,and happily recommend B&B Hotels(Troyes)as a stopover.Big shop in closest large supermarket,then its up to the snow.Biggest pain,to me,is lift passes.When,oh when,are the French going to drag themselves into present day,and offer non consecutive days?I generally,over a 2wk period,will not ski 2x6days....I want to ski around 10days,so why not a 10day discount?No doubt it is because they is French 
Anyhow,gave up budgets long ago.Budget and ski will never be close bedfellows.I console myself with the fact that,as I have had a lot of practise,I doubt if many could improve on my total spend...and settle for that
Final tip, don't add up receipts when you get back.Might force you to take up golf 
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FAQ
