 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Another attempt at money saving / stream of consciousness.
Its occurred to me many times before and just now when I've been pondering on the cheapest way to book my next holiday that there must be a cheaper way of getting lift passes.
There are numerous companies out there who offer really cheap deals for a weeks accommodation and a lift pass. I'm considering for example going a uni ski trip to Val T for £320 or £359 with a three valley's ski pass for 6 days. Now i know they ram students into "6 bed" shoe boxes on these things but it doesn't take genius to work out that they probably aren't paying €174 for the lift pass.
So my question is that given I generally can get free accommodation through friends Is there anyone that bulk buys these lift passes and sells them on cheap?
As an aside one of my friends has a place in VT and as such I believe is entitled to some discount but only on the VT pass but not the 3 valleys does anyone know what the crack is with that?
Thanks for any advice
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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can't offer any info for you but have to agree with you there has to be a way of getting discount price lift passes. almost 200eur pp next jan in mayrhofen is costing more than the accom or flight! also its not possible to get just a 6 day local pass for mayrhofen and glacier, you can only get zillertal arena when you want longer than a 3 1/2 pass which I think is a con job. we only want to ski locally but are being forced to by the zillertal pass. yes we could buy 2x 3 day passes but this is priced so as to make people buy the 6 day pass.
RIPOFF
Think if you buy 20 passes you get 1 free in in some resorts, WOW ! 
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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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creedgearoid, you want discount lift passes? OK ...
- be very old
- be very young
- have loads of kids
- get a job in resort
- get yourself a disability
- organise a huge group of mates and claim the free one
- qualify as an instructor
- work for a lift company
Otherwise you're just going to have to cough up like everyone else - sorry.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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All the gear...no idea!, I think TOs tend to get 10-20% off list prices for ski passes because they bulk buy (allowing them to sell you a pass at 'standard rate' and turn a tidy profit). I've never seen a non-TO company trying to provide the same service.
I suspect you could do it - I think some resorts will give you a discount (10%?) if you're buying a group of passes (like 15 or so), but I reckon the admin effort would be very high for not very much reward. Which is probably why nobody does it...
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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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| ChrisWo wrote: |
I suspect you could do it - I think some resorts will give you a discount (10%?) if you're buying a group of passes (like 15 or so), but I reckon the admin effort would be very high for not very much reward. Which is probably why nobody does it... |
maybe they do...
otherwise some resorts will give you a LP if you have a press pass but normally you would have to be invited. I had probably about 10 invites for free ski days last season but unfortunately didn't have time to take up any of them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
creedgearoid, you want discount lift passes? OK ...
- be very old
- be very young
- have loads of kids
- get a job in resort
- get yourself a disability
- organise a huge group of mates and claim the free one
- qualify as an instructor
- work for a lift company
Otherwise you're just going to have to cough up like everyone else - sorry. |
You missed one!!
-own property in that resort
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| ChrisWo wrote: |
All the gear...no idea!, I think TOs tend to get 10-20% off list prices for ski passes because they bulk buy (allowing them to sell you a pass at 'standard rate' and turn a tidy profit). I've never seen a non-TO company trying to provide the same service.
I suspect you could do it - I think some resorts will give you a discount (10%?) if you're buying a group of passes (like 15 or so), but I reckon the admin effort would be very high for not very much reward. Which is probably why nobody does it... |
I've heard similar numbers but thats with companies that have setup accounts with the lift-co. It's great for TO cashflow as they sell the ticket to the punter around say now time as part of a package and then only get billed by the liftco come the end of March - i.e. the month in which the ticket has been utilised. Clearly this can get screwed by changes in the exchange rate.
I also was led to believe that as part of getting an account with lift-co you had to sign up to 'RRP' pricing - i.e. charging the same as what the lift-co offers to the punter at the window, however based on what tignes spiritposted recently then perhaps this is starting to slacken off even in the biggest resorts.
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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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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| Lizzard wrote: |
creedgearoid, you want discount lift passes? OK ...
- be very old
- be very young
- have loads of kids
- get a job in resort
- get yourself a disability
- organise a huge group of mates and claim the free one
- qualify as an instructor
- work for a lift company
Otherwise you're just going to have to cough up like everyone else - sorry. |
You missed one!!
-own property in that resort |
My friend does but apparently you can only get a discount on the VT and Orelle pass not the 3 valleys which is a bit pointless considering if you own a place there you've probably skied most of what VT has to offer a million times.
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All the gear...no idea!, the 3V pass isn't discounted to anyone, which is why TOs only supply their staff with single valley passes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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All the gear...no idea!, don't no about the 3V pass but here in the PDS it's pretty hard to get any discount except for old / very young etc that everyone has already pointed out. The TOs and chalet operators like us get a percentage discount (between 10% & 20%) on passes bought for their customer and a certain number of free season passes (only about 1 or 2) depending on the turnover the put through the pass office the year before. To register for this service here you have to be a registered French company so not something you can do just to get a cheap pass.
If you own property here you can get a discount on a season pass if you show your taxation habitation or a workers pass if you show your work contract (both these go from 780e to 600e). Other than that the only way is if you keep your hands free card everytime you come, once you recharge it with a certain amount of days / money then you get a day free.
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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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If you had seen the recent thread on Valfrejus you would have seen T Bar's statement that "cheap pass €82 ( Last season may be more this year) which gives you five days skiing in any five Haute Maurienne valley resorts". These can be used on any day of the season and also allows a discount on other days at any particular resorts there ( Val Cenis now linked to Termignon and Valfrejus and La Norma and Bonneval sur Arc and several others). This is quite stunning good value. Hotels and food are also very good value.
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my aim in life is to live and ski long enough to get discounted lift passes. Nearly there! 
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You know it makes sense.
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Hahaha
Thanks for all the replies, i thought this was probably the case but many a fool never asked a question for fear of looking stupid.
Thanks for the heads up Snowball I'll have a look into that as will be needing another cheap snowfix later in the season and always up for trying something new and if its that cheap not a lot too lose really.
Had a fantastic week in march last year in based Puy St Vincent but did almost a different resort ever day with the ski galaxie pass all for well under £500 all in. I'd rather skrimp on everthing and go 2 or three times a year as opposed to blowing the best part of a grand on a weeks skiing.
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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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All the gear...no idea!, quite right too...always best to ask (I was hoping someone would come along and post a link where we could all buy lift passes for 50% off. Ho hum)
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Poster: A snowHead
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As has been illustrated above some smaller/lower profile resorts are obviously getting smarter with season and regular pass pricing in packages in order to draw in business. Unfortunately big name resorts have no incentive to do similarly until such time as skier visits start dropping.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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snowball,
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T Bar's statement that "cheap pass €82 ( Last season may be more this year) which gives you five days skiing in any five Haute Maurienne valley resorts".
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Can't remember if thats what I said but it is actually slightly better as it is the whole Maurienne valley. ie includes resorts like Valloire, Les Sybelles and St Francois as well.
All the gear...no idea!, There is a recent thread on season passes which gives some of the cheaper season passes f you fancy returning to the same resort a few times in the season. Maurienne valley pass is superb value though the resorts are not quite as big as most of those on the PSV pass, still very good skiing.
USA is siad by many to offer really good discounts if you know where to look. High base prices but the $ is a lot weaker than the € at the moment so it may be an opportunity to go there.
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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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All the gear...no idea!, as I've said on several other threads, the area has good off-piste if you know where it is.
T Bar, sorry, I added the word Upper since I had thought it was the case and you had left it out.
I'll be based in Val Cenis again in Jan. How far beyond Modane are the other places you mention?
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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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I own property in Serre Chevalier, I ca get a discounted season pass if I order it early, but so can everyone else on here. I have to be a permanent resident to get an even bigger discount. There is a new Ambassador programme for second home owners, but as I haven't received my information pack yet, I don't know what benefits I get from it.
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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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snowball, No probs.
http://www.maurienne-tourisme.com/forfait-ski-maurienne-sans-frontieres.asp
Is the link for info.
The nearest place beyond Modane is Orelle (accesses Val T, €11 supplement payable) which is about 10 minutes beyond Modane.
After that it is Valmenier/Valloire which I would guess was a bit over 30 mins beyond Modane.
Never been to any of the others beyond Modane but they look further. Weather can be quite different further down the valley which is worth keeping an eye on, the local forecast was reasonably reliable on our visit, which is why we visited Valloire when we did.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I saved a fair few pounds(around £80 I think) buying 4 'Grand Massiff' passes from Peak retreats last year. They only operate in France so check out their website.
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Does anyone know can you buy a season pass for the Maurienne valley? I had a look on the tourist website but couldn't find any links? I'm looking for good value season ski pass'. i know the grand Massif is on €429 before the 10th of Decemeber.... does anyone know of any other good value season ski passes?
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[quote]
You missed one!!
-own property in that resort
[/quote
Incorrect I'm afraid, at least as far as Val Thorens goes. We've asked about discount lift tickets at the local town hall (as property owners in Val Thorens) but were given a negative response. 
I think Avoriaz adopts a different approach, however.
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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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| Quote: |
does anyone know of any other good value season ski passes?
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too late for most - there are some discounts for early booking, but we had to buy before end October for max discount - we have property, but in our area (Espace Diamant) anyone can buy discounted season tickets, and being a property owner brings no further discounts. Our season tickets, discounted, cost about the same as two weeks normal pass, so they're a great buy.
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Bergmeister, no owner discount here either, but it does vary from one resort to another.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It is meant to be illegal to offer discounts to property owners that aren't available to others. I'm sure davidof posted something about it[/b], but haven't been able to find the thread.
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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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Hi, Ive noticed most of these replies have been concerning skiing in France, Ive had lots of ski trips to France & had a great time on them all. But now Im sick of the greedy French! 100€ for the bus from Geneva, 6€ for a bottle of water & 8€ for a beer! We now go to the Italian Dolomites, cheap Ryanair to Bergamo, only 30€ for the bus, beer half the price of France & best of all FREE SKI PASS if skiing 1st or last weeks of the season, subject to booking a hotel that is part of this tourism initiative. 
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