 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone done their own thing and been to Whistler? I mean a DIY holiday. Can anyone give me some ideas/pointers as to how to go about it.
We are looking to have room only or log cabin type accommodation in the Whistler area.
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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With schedule flights as shockingly expensive as they are right now, e.g., for me 670 euros UP - I'm not seeing any value in DIY to western canada. In fact only yesterday I contacted www.skisafari.co.uk and have asked them to quote me a package for Whistler as they're currently doing deals for Whistler which there is no way I can beat myself!  Best of luck!
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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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| Alexandra wrote: |
| With schedule flights as shockingly expensive as they are right now, e.g., for me 670 euros UP |
I'm not sure why that's shocking.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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laundryman, You're right, it's not really "shocking" - I suppose I'm still thinking in prices of a few years back when it was more like 500 for me. When you add on the price of a room + transfers and the TOs are knocking out a holiday for 700 quid, there's just no way DIY can do it from my pov.
Those of you who own private jets are possibly able to do it cheaper. 
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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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I used the whistler blackcombe website to identify accommodation then fored off emails to see what deal they could give me. I did get one at the Holiday inn (a few years ago now). Flights to Vancouver then a shuttle from teh airport up to whistler. Quite straight forward once you get started. Can't comment on prices though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Whistler is easy to do DIY
BA or Air Canada for flights
Pacific coach lines for door to door transfers from the airport
alluradirect for accomodation
When you say "Whistler area" what do you mean? - Whistler is a fairly large place and is divided into many different areas.
Price wise it's going to be expensive because due to our dodgily managed economy and huge deficit the pound is roughly 1.50 to the canadian dollar (which isn't very good!). Also be aware that from july GST and PST will change to HST which I think means some things that previously only attracted 5% tax will attract 12% (Which was previously the combination of GST and PST) - Lift tickest, and restuarant bills are I believe some of these.
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| Alexandra wrote: |
| With schedule flights as shockingly expensive as they are right now, e.g., for me 670 euros UP - I'm not seeing any value in DIY to western canada. In fact only yesterday I contacted www.skisafari.co.uk and have asked them to quote me a package for Whistler as they're currently doing deals for Whistler which there is no way I can beat myself! Best of luck! |
I agree^
Zoom made it possible with flights under £300 as well as offers from everyone else but now you might as well go for a package. Look in to Canadian Affair, they did a flight and hotel to Banff for the same price as they were selling flights on their website.
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I always used to do DIY to Whistler normally booking the BA flight direct. Agreed you probably can get cheaper packages but you can end up paying big supplements if there are only two of you as many of the hotel rooms are for 4 people. Used to stay at www.alpinelodge.com it is a 10 min drive out of town but they have their own complimentary Forrest Gump bus which drops you off and picks you up from the base stations so it works out really well. They also provide free ski guiding either just to show you around or if you fancy some gnar the owner Jeff Carr used to be more than happy to take us to the goodies. He is a proper old school hard core skier, guess he is in his 50s now but he used to ski with Scott Schmidt and co back in the 80s and is ridiculously good.
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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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| stuarth wrote: |
| When you say "Whistler area" what do you mean? - Whistler is a fairly large place and is divided into many different areas. |
Never having been there I don't really know! Just accommodation near a lift would be a good start. Are there ski buses? If so then a bit further out would be OK.
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There are buses between all the different areas: the bus round the main village is free, the buses to the outlying areas are about a dollar, but if you stay in a B&B you'll sometimes get a lift to and from the base anyway. The whister website has maps which show the bus routes. including the free areas.
Allura as mentioned is a good place to find a condo, also try VRBO. the whistler question is a local free newspaper with an online sitre that 's worth a quick look My pal has recently done three long stints in whistler, all three within the free bus zone, each succesively closer to the slopes and in fact said he wasn't really impressed with the last place as the lifts started quite early in the morning and woke them
If you fancy being loked after in a B&B, I can recommend staying with Joern and Jackie at Cedar Springs, http://whistlerinns.com/cedarsprings/, we've stayed there both times we've been and they're great hosts - Joern is a cordon bleu trained chef. They also hosted the german women's bob team during the olympics, maybe Joern's cooking helped the girls to two gold medals, who knows?
Also check out my resort report in the trips section
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Another thought would be to rent an RV. Last year my girlfriend and I flew to canada (opodo.com was the cheapest) and then hired an rv (cruisecanada.com) and roughed it out in the car parks around whistler. The only downside was you had to be quick off the mark inthe mornings otherwise the local authorities were slightly over-zealous about issuing warnings! My arguement was I'm staying in an RV because I dont want to pay $50 CAD for the RV park!
Anyway, just a thought! Happy snorkling 
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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 did Whistler DIY this year and I personally think this is the best way to do it. Flights with BA (used airmiles) hired a car for 3 and half weeks as we were travelling a bit and rented a condo in marketplace. Boked ski passes on line and saved on this.
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We have use Canadian affair for the flights, and either alluradirect or ownerdirect for condo. You could pre book lift pases and skis with both of them the last time we used them, that was 12months ago.
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You know it makes sense.
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Did Whistler/Blackcomb a few years back when the wife and I flew to Vancouver to see some friends. We managed to persuade them to take up skiing.
We hired a MPV, booked accommodation and based ourselves at Squamish, which is about 35 miles from the resort, as it was a lot cheaper and drove to ski everyday.
I believe the ski pass is a bit cheaper if one purchases it using a local resident bank account.
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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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Like lots of others have mentioned, we booked our accommodation with alluradirect.com, stayed in Glacier's Reach in Village North, right by the bus stop. Two bed condo with jacuzzi bath and hot-tub on the deck.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| saikee wrote: |
I believe the ski pass is a bit cheaper if one purchases it using a local resident bank account. |
Not sure about that (except for the Chamber of Commerce deal on seasons passes for employees of members I believe) , but if you are a Canadian resident you can get an Edge card which is cheaper by a reasonable amount. If you are there for long enough a 15 day season pass works out well because you also get the same discounts as a full season pass.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stuarth,
Not sure if it was legal to do so but a resident could buy ski passes for his/her guests and charged to his/her credit card, assuming the resident has several credit cards. It is one of those ski passes that money is deducted from the credit card every time the ski pass is used. We of course gave the ski passes back to our host on completion.
North American ski passes are so expensive, relative to the Alps, that skiers are finding ways to lower the cost.
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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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it used to be the case that Whistler could certainly be done a good bit cheaper than a TO by going DIY , whereas somewhat strangely Banff was the opposite. I could never get close to a TO price for Banff.
As said, airfares have taken something of an hike to Western Canada. AC and BA have always been expensive but in prior years the likes of Zoom and KLM were more reasonable. Zoom went bust and KLM seem to have noticed that they could up their prices and did so. As such the difference may be less now. You can check by getting a quote from say Ski Independence f
You might find a charter from Gatwick which is cheaper than the scheduled carriers.
For me, the bus from the airport is a no brainer. It leavesfrom just outside the arrivals area and will drop you either at your door, wherever that is, or pretty close to it.
I have used Allura on numerous occasions and never had any problems with them or the accomodation. If you get your act together and book before usually mid November they have fairly hefty discounts on lift tickets
If you want ski school you can do that online or via Allura as well....not sure about discounts there.
The exchange rate is awful right now.....I can remember $2.25 to the £ and it was $2 ish for a long time.......a lot less now and that makes it expensive.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've just got back from my DIY trip (KLM for flights and Alluradirect for accomodation). - Certainly this year's trip was the most expensive, thanks to hikes in the air fare and the fall in the pound relative to the CAN$.
I got my lift tix during the discount period (pre 15th November...... then the resort extended the discount period, probably to encourage Olympic-averse travellers to think again), and was fortunate to book my flights before KLM (i) reduced the baggage allowance to 1 x 23kg and (ii) introduced a whacking £150 each way charge for ski carriage: I'm going to have to think very carefully about next year's trip as a result.
If you need to carry skis, then you might be better off with a TO that can offer lower carriage rates - In the past I've used Ski Independence.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
he wasn't really impressed with the last place as the lifts started quite early in the morning and woke them
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poor dab! The heart bleeds.
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Air Canada tried to sting me for a load extra at the airport for skis too - despite when booking it asking about ski carriage and me selecting them and it not trying to charge me more.
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Helen Beaumont, yip, did the same here. Hired a Limo to get there from the airport (bus was full ). I seem to recall something about Air Canada only allowing/insuring hard shell ski bags on their planes ?
View from my apartment
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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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| rayscoops wrote: |
| I seem to recall something about Air Canada only allowing/insuring hard shell ski bags on their planes ? |
they just make you sign a release if you take a soft covered ski bag
i heard a rumour that Virgin and (maybe) Emirates were looking at opening a London - Vancouver route, which would have added some welcome competition, but can't see any evidence of this on their websites
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You can easily make the drive from Seattle to Whistler if it makes finding flights easier. The boarder crossing is no problem (well it wasn't in '05)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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The drive from Seattle to Whistler is probably 5+ hours. The border going into Canada is OK, but heading the other way, well, leave lots of time.
The best car hire option is to ring the Avis office in W (only Avis of the rental companies has an office in the village IIRC). They will do a special rate for two one ways - one up from the airport and one back down. 604 932 1236.
I'd like to think the SRB's time in W during the Olys might persuade him that's London-Vancouver is a route for Virgin, but not holding my breath.
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