 Poster: A snowHead
|
Every time I go to price this up I'm just coming up with ridiculous prices. Just out of curiosity can anyone give me an idea what they are paying for this week?
It seems to me that all in (lift passes and equipment hire) I'm getting self catering in France for a little short of £4K and possibly half board in Austria for a similar amount. Maybe I'm out of touch but this is starting to hurt cost wise. I'm really struggling to justify this cost especially when my French holiday would be staying in shoe box accommodation and doesn't include any meals.
Can anyone give me a reality check? What are others paying? Is this the going rate and am I just too poor to ski at half-term now?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Are you within driving distance? You can get a decent apartment for four people for under a grand. Eurotunel maybe £120, another £250 for tolls and petrol (?), lift passes maybe £800-900 (?). That's quite a lot under your £4K. What were you being offered for that amount of money?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
That was a TO - so flights/transfers/SC accommodation/ski hire x 3.
Driving, while not out of the question, would be a bit of a challenge for a number of reasons (not least my gas guzzling Jeep with less than 20MPG!) but fair point about doing it that way, Rob.
I do object to the high cost against the low quality accommodation and I think it's that, that's killing it for me as much as anything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Avoid the known TO's who are in the family market. Half board in Briancon per person is £250 each, train £800, lift passes about £800. Do it independently, go for a place no one else wants to go to but make sure it has a lift into a decent ski area-Briancon fits the bill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| johnnyh wrote: |
| I do object to the high cost against the low quality accommodation and I think it's that, that's killing it for me as much as anything. |
I had the same frustration when we used to ski in Feb half term. There are nice apartments available for sensible money, although we found it was better to book direct with owners or local agents rather than TOs in the peak period. There wasn't a huge amount of price difference (although £4K does sound very expensive), but we did think we were getting better value for money by booking DIY.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
We recently booked Mittersill (small resort in Austria with access to the Kitzbühel ski area) for the Feb half term, we paid £250 per person for the flights and about £175 per person for the bed and breakfast (there's 3 of us).
We have our own skis so the flight includes carriage, taxes etc.
We'll have to work something out with the transfers and then have the lift pass to buy, which is about £200.
So it is slightly less than the quotes you've been getting. But everyone booms up the prices for this week so I wouldn't expect anything too cheap.  ..
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last year we did it for about £600 a head including everything - lift passes, ski hire, food (self catering), insurance. We went to les Saisies so the lift pass was a better deal than in some places - they did a family deal too. We drove and used Tesco vouchers for the tunnel crossing. This year I am staying at home with my elder son (A level revision) and my husband and other son are going to Belle Plagne by train which is much more expensive than driving (lift passes cost more too) so I reckon on nearly £900 each - but that does include absolutely everything. Going as a family of 4 does cut the cost per head. We have skied at half term for the last 4 years and it seems to get more a lot expensive every year - takes a lot of effort to keep to budget. I would think all the good deals on apartments will have gone by now. Perhaps a smaller resort might be cheaper - we went to Valloire twice and really enjoyed it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
johnnyh, self organising - 8 nights half board at a good hotel in Wengen, family of four, two double rooms. Including flights and transfer tickets about £3.8k plus I guess another 1k for lift passes, ski hire for the kids and lunches.
Those prices for s/c in France seem nutty, especially given French apartment sizes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
To be honest £4k for four people sounds about right for a peak week. I don't ski during school holidays myself but I always expect to pay around £800 for a week for flights, half board hotel, transfers, ski carriage and lift pass.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
especially when my French holiday would be staying in shoe box accommodation and doesn't include any meals.
|
the grammar of this sentence suggests you haven't yet booked your shoebox. There's little left but the dregs now but you can rent (or could have rented if you'd booked earlier...) a spacious 2 bed apartment, slopeside, for 1100 euros - or less in some locations. Say 700 a week for passes. 500 to drive. If you self cater in a reasonable way (eat well, drink well) I don't see why it should cost £4K £3K, maybe.
But still crowded, potential for hideous delays on the local roads, especially if it's snowy.
skiing at half term is only for people who have absolutely no choice. Easter is a good alternative - it's late this year, but in a high resort should still be good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
johnnyH.....if you have a destination in mind, it is worthwhile e-mailing the tourist office direct and asking if they or any hotels in their area have any accommodation / ski pass deals. This is much more likely at the start and end of the season and in the less well known resorts. Often at Feldberg in the Black Forest of Germany a deal is available all winter such as 4 nights accommodation with 5 day ski pass from 165 euro each. You can drive in 8 hours from Calais on good motorways or fly to Basel (easyjet or swiss) and hire a car. If you prebook ski and get good discount. It is possible to have for four people with 5 days skiing, travel by car from uk, use ferry, self catering for £1500 plus food. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
pam w, no - not booked partly due to price, partly due to other issues. Absolutely zero alternative other than Easter (which we did last year) as two children in school and wife's a teacher. Just feel like I'm getting too old for paying this kind of money for quite frankly poor accommodation which under any other circumstance I would not dream of staying in.
herrprentler, will take a look at what you've suggested.
kevin mcclean, i've taken a quick look at your suggestion and it seems interesting. However I'm totally struggling with train to Briancon part. How can I get a price on this? Eurostar doesn't go direct so I assume I have to book from Paris but I can't seem to find an easy way of even getting a cost let alone actually booking a ticket.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johhny, I guess you may be very late for the train now, I suspect. Anyhow, go to Rail Europe website, and you will find opportunities to book tickets. I now reckon that these will approach £100 each way,if there are any left.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| Quote: |
Just feel like I'm getting too old for paying this kind of money for quite frankly poor accommodation
|
It doesn't have to be poor accommodation - a number of people here, with direct experience, are telling you that there's perfectly good, pleasant, well equipped, accommodation available that doesn't have to break the bank. But in our resort there's nothing left (I've looked for a few people), even grotty things are rented - and the good ones went months and months ago. We're away but a niece with a small boy is borrowing ours. Often people book for the next year as soon as their holiday is over.
How did your Easter holiday last year pan out?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Johnny - You can save a pile of money for a bit of effort. Get some dirt cheap flights to Paris, Take the flight at 3.00 AM on a Friday morning. Easyjet or Ryanair only run thiese flights to get a plane in the right place for next morning, so you usually find one for not much more than the taxes. Hire a car (small frugal one) and drive to an area 20 miles from your favourite destination. Have some nice accommodation for maybe 200 quid a week. Not much you can do about gear and passes, but you should be able to get decent accommodation, flights and transport for well under a grand. Another grand for the gear and passes leaves you quid in
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| pam w wrote: |
Often people book for the next year as soon as their holiday is over.
|
That's also my experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
As kevin mcclean suggested, look for a resort that doesn't have many tour ops (or go for one in Switzerland/Austria that doesn't have Brits (The French resorts will still have the French holidays clashing with ours)
Depending on the age of the kids, look for somewhere slightly out of resort that has a free ski bus (or train) into resort. You'll get a lot more for your money if you don't need ski in ski out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
At that time of year you do need somewhere which doesn't have Brits or French - and somewhere which doesn't have school holidays of their own at the same time. I'm always a bit puzzled at how many people flock to the big French resorts (or the little ones, for that matter) at half term - unless (like my niece) you've got free accommodation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Swiss side of the PdeS or 'spanish' Andorra - that's where families I know go at 1/2 term. Drive to the former, fly to the latter.
Worth a look...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
Aren't there some nice small Austrian or Italian resorts which are reasonable at half term? There are plenty that TOs don't go to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
pam w, Easter this year worked well by luck rather than design. Went to Saint Sorlain, pretty much only Brits there, snowed on arrival (which it desperately needed) snowed a bit more a few days later. By end of the week it was all gone. Very hot, nice French place. Accommodation was dire, but better than many (had a freezing pool with a wrinkled liner). But we muddled through and found a really nice local bar for food and took sandwiches to the mountain for lunch. So got lucky once, not so sure we'd be lucky again. Still cost best part of £3k or more with spending.
Currently looking at various options but still feeling the financial pain. Can sense better value for money accommodation in some of my searches but concerned that the overall costs are still going to be too high this year. Driving is compelling but for my fear of getting caught in traffic or worse, investment in snow chains, fact that I would be doing all driving as mrs johnnyh doesn't drive my car, 6 hour + journey to tunnel for me too!
May have to find myself a new hobby : - (
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Can you leave in a hurry? There are some fantastic deals available for the Christmas holidays. Two days ago I snagged a trip to St Anton over Christmas for £550 each (flights, accommodation, chalet board, incl all supplements); the same chalet at half term was £1,250 before adding supplements for flights and under occupancy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jonny Jones, seen this sort of thing and kind of working on that for next year. Trouble is children love skiing but love Christmas at home too so it's been an impossible sell! We now have family coming over too, so great idea and if it was up to me I'd grab one like a shot. But this year I think it's going to have to be the hell that is half-term, the long shot of Easter or nothing at all. Thanks for the input though and enjoy yourself in St Anton at Christmas, I honestly can't think of anything better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
johnnyh, St Sorlin sounds as if it suited you well, except for the dire accommodation. Who did you get that through? This apartment looks very nice - 2 beds, 60 sq m. near the pistes. 800 euros a week Easter hols. http://www.homelidays.com/saint-sorlin-d-arves/appartement92485fr1.htm
That's quite expensive, because it's big (our place is 40 sq metres and we live in it quite happily for weeks on end, 2 bedrooms).
There's no need to stay in dire accommodation!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
johnnyh, yes, half term is basically just a tour operator and airline bonanza and, depending on the place and the local holidays, others cash in as well. It's a nonsense. Personally, I'd avoid at all costs and think about somewhere nice and high for the late Easter hols or even Whitsun half term - had many a great week at places like Kaprun and Hintertux then and paid peanuts compared to Feb half term.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| johnnyh, yes, half term is basically just a tour operator and airline bonanza. |
No it’s not.
You have to remember that the ski season only lasts for a few months each year. From the available time an entire industry has to fund itself for the whole year. Anyway, we’ve been here before many times
Back to the question.
We were fully booked but due to a cancellation we have some (2) family (quad) rooms near the piste (105m) departing Gatwick on 19th Feb for a week.
Tell you what johnnyh make a donation to the DSUK minibus appeal for £3,000 and I'll give you a ski holiday for 4 people at HT, I'll throw in flights, meals, 3* hotel, lift pass, equipment, etc
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Think the way to do it cost effectively is a DIY. I bought return flights from Stansted to Grenoble for £197.31 for all four of us for half term and booked at the end of October. Car hire might be say £250. Still cannot understand why people would drive as must cost about the same if not more with all the hassle !!
Think what you need to be careful of is going too cheap and then not getting a resort with the variety of skiing to float your bot. It's not ski in/ski out and there is not much by way of night life, but these apartments are fairly new, only 10 mins off the motorway, have a pool and you ski the 3v - http://www.cela-orelle.com/. Just a 15 minute bubble ride up in the morning but it's not a big issue. Think you'd get a 4 person apartment for £1,000 and then passes/ski hire for about £1,000. Skiing is great and the ESF instructors speak good English of you need them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Thanks for the PM's
Just to be fair to everyone, thought I'd post this
yes the offer is open to anyone
and No...... I'm only giving away "1" room - bit skint ya see 
(& need to maintain the hard-fought-for TO image of meaness )
The room is in the The Renzi (100m from piste) and no this isn't a self plug to sell more rooms as it's fully booked all season.
1st come, 1st served
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
If you are looking for self catering we have found some nice appartments on the ski collection and peak retreats websites (the companies are linked I think). Peak retreats have just started doing rail inclusive packages. I think Briancon (mentioned above) is one of the places they offer. Snowcarbon website is also quite useful and lists resorts that are easy to get to by train. As you are now within 3 months of departure the cheapest half term rail tickets would probably have sold out booking directly with eurostar so a rail/appartment package might be a good option.
La Clusaz is a very easy resort to get to by train as you can get the TGV to Annecy and then a local bus - it is cheaper than some of the more well known resorts near moutiers, bourg st maurice and I've noticed it has had very good snowfalls already.
I'd have thought it would be possible to have a holiday for £3000 for a family of four at half term. We have booked a cheaper week this time but I have been looking at the half term prices realising that sooner or later we will have to pay them!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
We are fully booked at half term, so not trying to flog our apartments but just to give an indication of price in smaller French areas... We offered a 55m square, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, self catering apartment (but with breakfast delivery included), + decent kit hire and lift passes for Les Portes du Mont Blanc (Megeve-Jaillet/Combloux/La Giettaz/Cordon) for a total of 1900 Euros or roughly 2100 Euros if you wanted the entire Evasion Mont Blanc domain (445km). Even though that doesn't include travel, it's still coming in under £2k...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Thanks for the input from everyone on this. I can see there are a lot of ways to carve this up and for us I guess it will be an annual event until the children leave school and Mrs Johnnyh retires from teaching.
Having spoken with Wayne I've taken up his offer and am planning our family trip to Italy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| Wayne wrote: |
| Bode Swiller wrote: |
| johnnyh, yes, half term is basically just a tour operator and airline bonanza. |
No it’s not. |
There's always the odd exception but generally it is. Go try booking a flight for half term. Most TOs HAVE to max out the price for survivability but that doesn't stop it being a bonanza.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| rob@rar wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
Often people book for the next year as soon as their holiday is over.
|
That's also my experience. |
And mine. Our regulars cancelled this year, but another family booked within three days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
Having spoken with Wayne I've taken up his offer and am planning our family trip to Italy!
|
johnnyh, Fantastic! Have a really good holiday. My son in law ( a keen skier, and teacher) took a school trip to Folgarida at half term the year before last. He thought it was excellent. The snow was great, and so was the instruction (he said he learnt plenty, though none of the kids listened. )
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Sweet jesus.......some of the prices on here are simply outrageous.
For me there is only one solution.....take the kids out of school for a week and go outside of half term....i do this every year.
Our family has a week in La Plagne including Ski hire and lift passes (sc) for £1500....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snapzzz, not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to do that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Affordable half term skiing. So easy, even a child can do it.
I don't know why we have to have all the "OMG, I spent £9k for a family of four!" stuff every year. You bunch of mugs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
please, no unpleasant comments. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
) and instead of doing the usual boozy Magaluf trip in summer. A couple of friends and I (being keen snowheads) decided to go skiing instead. There is no way we were getting out of school so we were restricted to school holidays. Christmas is too close to January modules to worth thinking about and Easter being so late his year is a tad risky and also getting close to summer exams, so Feb half term it was.
) is this optimistic?
