 Poster: A snowHead
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Group of 8 looking at Val Thorens, Tignes, Cervinia and maybe Alpe d'Huez (we were at AdH last year so don't really want to go straight back).
We're all on a severe budget so will be planning to so most of our cooking (and drinking) in the apartment.
In terms of general living costs for a week, do any of the above stand out to any of the snowheads as being particularly cheap or expensive?
And is there anywhere I might have missed?
Thanks for any replies!
Edit: date is March 19th, not 16th as I had originally stated.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 2-02-11 10:57; edited 1 time in total
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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 U have tight budget, this resort is not a good choice,, but how are you skiing? black red blue? or offpist? I must know to give U a advice 
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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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None of those resorts are at the cheap end of the spectrum.
Less known resorts in France, Italy and most of Austria will be cheaper.
If you want really cheap go to Andorra or Bulgaria.
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Livigno maybe i did that date 4 years ago and got an apt package with Neilson for £265 each
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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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Consider french pyrenee's much much better value than alps. You've chosen some french resorts very popular with the Brits which does not add up to a cheap holiday in lots of cases. Honestly Cauterets has some ace skiing and you can stay in a bb or maybe even half board for less than an apartment in val thorens. great mountains and great skiing much under estimated. No good if you are timid or learning, suits red run skiers the best.
If you are set on the alps and France i'd go for maybe Montegenevre. French part of the Milky way so enough skiing for most. Worth a look anyways
http://www.cauterets.com
http://www.montgenevre.com/
lee
http://www.greatskiholidays.co.uk
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Thanks for the replies. The reason for choosing those resorts was that they'd be high enough to be assured of snow that late in the season.
We vary hugely in terms of ski ability, from a couple of complete beginners (i.e. have never, ever put on a pair of skis) to people comfortable skiing reds and blacks all day.
No absolute experts, no real off-pisters, no snowboarders.
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None of those is remotely "cheap" so I'd suggest looking elsewhere.
If you are cooking and drinking at home, maybe the much vaunted "cheapness" of Austria would not be such an advantage - drinking and eating out is certainly cheaper in many resorts in Austria than in most French places, but I don't know whether apartment rental and supermarket shopping would be much different and ski hire can be quite pricey. As a guideline, a decent apartment (2 bedrooms, good cooking facilities, piste-side, in Les Saisies (a small French resort, 180 kms of lift-linked skiing), would cost 400 euros that week. But the best are already booked - it's a very popular week because it's the first after the crowded school holiday weeks and historically snow cover is about the best of the season.
You would need to ask questions about size of apartments and cooking facilities - if you are going to be catering for yourselves you don't want to find yourself in a tiny place with a microwave and two slow electric rings. Apartments will cost a lot less if you book direct (the cheap TO prices depend on cramming lots of bodies into a small space) and although there are some big and well appointed apartments in France there are also lots of cheap and fairly nasty ones. In general apartments in some of the other countries seem bigger. If you book direct though, you'll need to factor in transfers, which are often fairly expensive.
What's the budget?
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(amended thread title to March 19th instead of 16th. Apologies)
We're trying to put it together for €750 excluding food and drink. It should include ski school and equipment hire also.
Flying from Dublin.
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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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Six candidate resorts for "good value skiing in apartments for a mixed ability group"
http://www.greatskiholidays.co.uk/search/resort-value%20mixed%20ability%20apartments
of the six I'd pick out Kitz Serre Chevalier, and Flaine. Yes thinking about it, Serre Chevalier is a good shout!
We also skied cervinia a few years back (late easter) and it was great for a mixed ability group. fantastic nursery slopes to learn on and lots of easy blues mid mountain to progress to. the more experienced skiers in the group will get the most from the runs running down from the cime biancha.
very famous run, mad long to valtourneche as well. The downside maybe to cervinia is if, for whatever reason, skiing turns out not to be for you there is little else to do.
Cervinia is also very high so no worries about snow cover (To be honest your going at a time when that should not be a worry, i'd downgrade altitude as a priority to be honest, that puts Kitzbuhel in the frame - plenty to do off slope there!)
Lee
http://www.greatskiholidays.co.uk
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| dingbat wrote: |
We're trying to put it together for €750 excluding food and drink. It should include ski school and equipment hire also.
Flying from Dublin. |
I guess you're Irish so that will be €800 with food or €1600 with food & drink. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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dingbat, U should not be worry about the snow that week u will going, johnboy, was suggesting Andorra and Bulgaria, Bulgaria is cheap, but not Andorra, if we talk about to pay for all,transfer, appartment, food, drink, skipass, hire equipe, it will not be cheaper than the resort you was thinking about, and leeacarroll, suggest Cauterets, A nice place, but not more skiing that for a weekend, What airport will be cheapest for you to go to,, it will help to give some advice for cheap resort, the flight is including in your budget,,,
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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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freeheelskier,
There are usually loads of deals with this price range to Andorra. It is at the cheap end of the scale, for sure! It is very popular with the Irish.
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I wouldn't consider 19th March to be "late in the season". In fact, mid-March is often the very best time for snow. Almost any resort will have good conditions at that time.
That said, with the way this season is going, we might be mountain-biking by then...
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You know it makes sense.
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For your budget and for the requirements of your group you can get a great holiday to Arinsal in Andorra - excellent school for the beginners plus for the intermediates and advanced intermediates you've got Pal linked and a free bus to nearby Arcalis included.
For your group in Apartments Sant Moritz (really smart apartments in the centre of Arinsal) including flights (Aer Lingus) from Dublin to Barcelona, transfers, lift pass, school and rentals it comes in at €612.70pp (4 per apartment). This is with basic rentals and shared transfers so in your budget you can easily upgrade to better equipment and have a private transfer.
Arinsal has excellent nightlife and some really good restaurants as well. PM me if you're interested!
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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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dingbat, that is not sooo late! The resorts you mentioned will be open until the end of April and some good skiing can be had at the end of the season in the last few years!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Aerl lingus to GVA €200, transfers €50 return, €150 for apartment, that is Total €400. Lift pass, ski hire and food would eat up €250+. We are going the week before to Avoriaz! More expensive flight because of "Paddy's day", had to get another flight for my mother we had booked the flights in October for about €130 from Cork which is easier for us!
There are options but I would go DIY or leave it to the last week before getting a late deal from a TO! The problem is that not many TO's do end March from Ireland! 
If you want more info PM me! Have fun!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
transfers €50 return
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Roy Hockley, that sounds v good value. Who is that with?
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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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Chamexpress! To our place, which is close to GVA in fairness!
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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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Thanks for the replies.
Perhaps my reluctance to book lower places is rooted in arriving in Soll one year when it was 10 degrees celcius and green. Very green.
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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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Maybe just a bad year! Dont worry!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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leeacarroll, Im understand that Cauterets is OK for U, but dingbat, has looking for resort alot bigger than Cauterets, so thats the reason I think it will be to little for them, same as for me,, when I do the pyrenees I use to ski there one or to days, it depends of the snow,,dingbat, Piau Engaly is a better choice and not to expensive, if U want to go to the Pyrenees,, but as I have say I need to know where you want to fly? and why not fly to spain? Spain have excelent skiresorts,, with long season,
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dingbat, LastMinute.com today list a Gatwick flight on 19th Mar to s/c apartments in Brides Les Bains for £184pp and Chamonix at £213pp. That probably gives you change from €750 for lift passes and ski hire. Unfortunately the Dublin/LGW connecting flight might break the bank.
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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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leeacarroll, I know you premised your comment IMO but I cant agree that the Scenery in Valtournenche is any way close to that of the Dolomites (Dolomiti superski)! The view of the matterhorn is not so impressive from the Cervinina side! That said, a good choice for the OP.
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When we were in Livigno there were a lot of Irish there as Neison ran Dublin flights i think
plus it was St Pats week
if you search on google for pictures of TEEBORK there are some wild shots of a good night out there from some Irish folk
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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