Whistler Blackcomb - 22 Jan to 19 Feb

A snowHead

We're down to our last couple of days in Whistler now, and will be sad to leave on Saturday. It's been a phenomenal four weeks.

I'd been before, in 2007, but wasn't really good enough then to appreciate what makes Whistler great - its combination of alpine bowls, gladed terrain and 'go anywhere you want' (within reason) approach.

Snow-wise, we've had one terrible day (rain all the way up to 2000m), an awful lot of good to very good days, and are currently standing at seven powder days. Overall, it's been exceptional. The locals tell us it's a pretty good season, but not unprecedented.

So the skiing is fantastic. But the icing on the cake for us has been the unremittingly friendly people (both Canadians and others), great food at sensible (for a ski resort) prices both in the village and on the mountain, great value accommodation, excellent management of lift queues, the courtesy of fellow skiers/boarders in those queues, and the overall sense that we're welcomed with open arms.

Besides Whistler I've only ever skied in France - in the 3V, Espace Killy and Les Arcs - and have good memories from all three. But having done it the Canadian way, I can't think of a single reason to go back. The only advantage offered by France is the lack of jetlag. Pricewise, Whistler is more expensive for a week but the difference diminishes significantly over ten days to two weeks; over four weeks, it's worked out notably cheaper because accommodation and food is so much cheaper (and better).

BC is, I gather, littered with dinky little resorts close enough for a multi-centre visit. I sense a road trip coming on...

A snowHead

my only downer on whistler is the crowds but now I have discovered the Blackcomb backcountry gates...
surprised you find food reasonable. with the CAD exchange rate right now, for me it falls into the category of places where you put it on the credit card and fill a bit ill when the bill comes through Confused

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Weekend crowds can be a pain, but they are so good at managing the lift queues, and you can virtually always find a route to yourself down the mountain. I've been on dangerously crowded pistes often in France; it's happened maybe twice in four weeks here.

Food - I've paid 9 euros for a watery soupe de legumes on the mountain in France. Here I can get a freshly made hot pulled pork wrap with all the trimmings for less.

You can spend a fortune eating out in the village, but our restaurant bills have been comparable to equivalent places in the UK.

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i have to agree with you - fabulous skiing and what fabulous customer service. we go to europe at the moment because children are too little to manage it, but i would go in a heartbeart if that wasn't an issue (so i have plans for my 40th in a few years time...)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Never worry about little kids being able to manage it - ours are now 7 and 5 and have now skied three years in a row at Whistler. Wouldn't take them anywhere else - fantastic snow, ski school and a great place for us too. They have one morning of being up at the crack of dawn and that's it for jetlag.

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After all it is free

Heads; I am sold on Whistler for 2012.
Where can I get a package or book it myself accom for half term week without getting a mortgage to pay for it?
We are 2 ads and 2 teens, prefer s/c
can anyone advise pls?

FiDuroe, try Ski Independence.

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FiDuroe, Most operators do packages to Whistler. We have always gone with Ski Independance but this year Virgin were cheapest.

If you want S/C I would do it your selves and in which case Allura is definitely the way to go. Be careful where the accommodation is though as there are many areas to what is called Whistler. We like to be in the village as hat way we can walk every where we want to go and do not need to get buses at all. We stay at the Delta Suites which are sort of a hotel but really a condo. We get a 2 bedroom mainly because we need 2 bathrooms ! These have a lounge with dining area and a kitchen. It is at the edge of the pedestrian village walk and 5mins to the lifts walking. Always been happy there hence this will be our 5 trip.

Flights. get Air Canada as it gets in earlier than BA and gives you chance to get settled, gear, food/shopping, passes and crash. BA you are too late for most stuff and have to do it in the morning. Not tried Thomas Cook so can't comment.

2 super markets in main Whistler town, the one at Market Place is the best but the one in the centre is ok too just smaller. Not sure about the other 2 main areas, Creeekside and Blackcomb as I have not looked.

We use Summit Ski hire at the centre (even though they have an offshoot in the hotel, never has enough choice and you always end up changing something at the main centre) so there is no carrying of skis. They have storage (FREE) in the shop downstairs. So you walk there change boots, pick up skis, and walk 20Metres to lift. You can pay to leave ski boots if you want but we carry ours.

Not sure how old teens are or how good but it is worth knowing there is a ski ridetribe thing the ski school does which will "look after" them all day leaving you to go at your own pace. In my case much slower Shocked

than the crazy kids. It is good value for the 5 day deal. Same for adults there is a Ski Esprit offering which is half lessons and half guiding round the mountain with various levels of competence. One pain is the bars being very hot on no-kids rules which is strange coming from over here and pub culture. We were "moved" at the Longhorn to the outside family area at the set time which I can not remember what time it was now few years ago. She is 20teen this year so has ID. No drinks or allowed in bars until 19 over there.

If you are eating out then do not forget to book a table the night before as just turning up is not an option at core time. Best value is the Old Spaghetti Factory and well worth a night off cooking. There is takeaway Pizza which are good too from Avalanche (Behind Cows Icecream). Loads of other places too. We do breakfast in but eat out most evenings.

We always go at Easter and a week all in costs about £8000ish for 4, eating out most nights. I am sure you can do it for less but it should not cost more than that if you are trying to keep the cost manageable. Do not forget to book before November to get the early booking discounts.

Hope that helps

snow reports

We have stayed at a variety of places, but can recommend the Aspens on Blackcomb for a really spacious 2 bed / bath apartment and a great ski in / out location. You have to walk (catch free shuttle bus) into whistler village to go out for the evening, but there are definite savings to be made if you can be bothered. Otherwise, this year we stayed at the Sundial Lodge - awesome location just right by the Whistler Gondola in the main village. Very reasonable rates outside of the peak days but we skied at Christmas / New Year, so have no experience of cost for half term week. If you have teens that can manage to walk a little further with their own stuff (our 5 and 7 year can only manage a few paces without whining!) then there are plenty of apartments further away through the village centre. We always book direct with www.whistlerblackcomb.com and have been pleased with the one stop shop approach to it. Very easy to deal with them, and they will sort out ski hire, lessons and passes, and bus transfers which makes life easy.

As they don't do half term in Canada (as we understand it) that, in itself, should not affect the costs markedly. What will affect cost is if you clash with a major US or Canadian holiday such as Presidents Week. If you do prices will go up in the resort for accomodation and there will be crowds, as will be the case at weekends in high season. Weekdays on non holidays should not be a major issue.

You can do a tour op or go DIY. Either way you get the same basic components. In my experience for Whistler DIY is a good bit cheaper but if the ash cloud descends again, you will have been better off with a tour op.

From Europe the scheduled flights are by BA, AC, KLM and Lufthansa. Now all of the prices seem broadly similar. If you are flying from London then BA and AC fly direct from Heathrow. The others fly from Amsterdam and Frankfurt respectively. As I generally fly from Edinburgh and find Schiphol a much nicer experience than Heathrow, I have tended to go KLM. That said, the timings on AC and Lufthansa are the best as they get in early-mid afternoon. The other two get in early evening.

You will need a transfer to Whistler. There are various options available. You need to cross Vancouver to get to Whistler from the airport. The whole journey should take 2.5-3 hours. That is why an early afternoon arrival is better than early evening (bearing in mind your body clock is +8 hours as well). This transfer can be booked online

I always use Allura for accomodation. Cross refer their location details to the accomodation maps on the resort website and that will give you some idea where you are to be staying. There are loads of 2 or 3 bedroom condos available for s/c

I also use Summit for ski hire and storage, for the reasons given. You can book it all on line.

Lift tickets and lessons can be booked online via the resort website or you can phone using the 0800 number on the resort website. Allura usually have deals on tickets and lessons. For certain periods you may find the adult tickets are discounted and the children ski free (that may be restricted to kids under 12 so dont get too excited there !!)

There are a multitude of restaurants in the resorts at varying price points. They used to be relatively cheap(ish) (as compared to the equivalent standard here) before the £ tanked against the $ Canadian. Now the prices are much of a muchness with here. Portion size is generally massive though.

You know it makes sense.

Did I really read 8 grand for a week???? Always fancied whistler but that is seriously expensive compared to Europe.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

kitenski, Yep about £2000 each for everything (hotel, travel, transfer, lessons, ski hire, lift tickets, eating out every night) in a suite that slept 6 for 4 people, that is what it costs us. We do go out for a daft meal, once, which will cost over £300 - and that is worth it too. There are many cheaper options that would knock the price down and as this thread shows the longer you go the cheaper it is - pro rata. We can only manage a week and it has always been in school holidays. Still happy with the value as it is a great place with brilliant customer care, and they speak a version of English.

We did go over New Year one year and that was a crazy rip off, the price of everything was jacked up. Even the restaurants have a special menu that came out that week. It was good fun, but not to be repeated as the price was about £3000 per person that year when it was all added up. The headline price was the same as Easter but it was all the extras that all had special pricing. They have a special rate higher than high for that period.

Yes I do know Europe is cheaper just back from a week in Italy and that was less than £1000 but no women with me so we can get 4 in a room and manage with a single bathroom ! Also no lessons, less food cost but alcohol balances that out.

You would have to price up what you want. There are much cheaper options outside the peak times going for 2 weeks I bet would be similar to a (expensive resort) Europe trip which was the theme of the OP. Go for 4 weeks like they have and it is cheap. Oh that I could get the time off.

A snowHead

Jake43, that accords with what I've just paid for a holiday in Whistler which, unfortunately, had to be a for a peak half-term week - through Ski Independence. My total spend (absolutely everything, including lift pass, parking at LHR, resort transfer, spending on sundries, etc) was £2,100. It was self-catering and we only had one (fairly fancy but not outrageous) evening meal out. I stayed in Glacier Lodge Blackcomb - mainly because it was near Club Intrawest where my friends who are Club members were staying, and where we ate and generally hung out: it was OK, though far from luxurious, and about five minutes' walk from the lift.

Contrast that with a week in Tignes, off-peak with Inspired to Ski - £1,200 including 5 half-days of tuition (no lessons in Whistler) as well as half-board, ski pass etc. Reasonable, but again not luxurious, chalet hotel accommodation.

I'm a single traveller, so that tends to up the price a bit. No ski hire in either place, I take my own.

A snowHead

Hurtle, Sounds like I am getting off lightly then. BUT did you enjoy it? Presume you would prefer to go to France.

kitenski, Better get saving up Confused

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Jake43, yes, I enjoyed it very much indeed, thank you (though it was unusually cold.)

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We spent about £9,000 all in for our four week trip (for 2) including £1,000 on skis - which we bought in the UK beforehand.

Had we gone for a week, stayed in the same place (2 bed apartment), done Ski Esprit, eaten out every night and hired skis, we'd have spent around £1,750 each as far as I can make out. The main difference in cost relative to Europe is the airfare, of course.

If I only had a week I'd still go, but I'd definitely look at ways of maximising time on the mountain - six days' skiing is never enough even when you haven't travelled 5,000 miles for it.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We are off tomorrow - also staying at the Glacier Lodge - for 14 days. Cost for flights, accommodation, lift tix, car parking at Manchester and transfers to and from YVR comes out at around £4k for the 2 of us.

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Acacia, We stayed last year and it was the best trip I have ever had stayed at Delta Suites and eat out every night and drank every night to excess and it only came to £2500 all in 11 nights.The best food place for us was The Keg,the steak was fantastic and the Indian was ok aswell for the hangover food Laughing

round the back of the supermarket upstairs at the end wink

food on the slopes is miles better than the euro crap aswell.I wish i was going hope you have a wicked time. Mr. Green

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

ajrduff, Ah but if you get the Air Canada flights you can get in 6.5 days as you are ready to go on the first day and get til 12 on the last. Do a bit of first tracks and that is loads of skiing for my pathetic unfit body.

Acacia, See you out there we are off on Tuesday

After all it is free

ajrduff, You would not even think of using BA if you went at school holidays as they tend to be on strike ! Yes it is later back but noon is ok for the last day and the getting in earlier means we can shop for breakfast stuff, get the skis and passes sorted and be in the queue at 8.15am. Especially as we are awake at 4am with the time difference still not sorted.

We did use BA one year and nearly missed the flight back as the road down was shut with a crash. Lucky the plane had a delay so we caught it as we got to the airport 10 mins before the flight should leave.

Help!!

Whistler Blackcomb - 22 Jan to 19 Feb

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