 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm thinking of booking for next year.
How safe (snow wise) would it be to go to either:
Bardonecchia, Courmayeur or Les Deux Alpes at the beginning/middle of March. I know that Les Deux Alpes would probably be a safe bet.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jb1970, I nearly always take my ski holiday in early/mid March. There's only one season I can recall having really bad snow and that was in La Plagne on a Uni trip back in the early 90s. Obviously there are no guarantees with snow conditions, but March is usually a good time to go.
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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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Mid March would be pretty snow sure at all of those resorts.... in fact at every resort
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Has anybody ever booked this far in advance?
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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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March is the best month to ski in the Alps. Highest chance of dumpage, not too cold, good chance of sun too.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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jb1970, no, I think you would be the first
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| jb1970 wrote: |
| Has anybody ever booked this far in advance? |
For Xmas and Feb half term quite a lot of people book a year in advance. Never bothered myself, I just tend to see what I feel like (and how much money I've got spare) come December time and then start looking. I'm thinking of going in March or April this year and I haven't even started to worry about that yet - right now I'm just waiting to see if the latest storms deliver enough to make some decent off piste a possiblity.
For mid March next year I wouldn't bother booking yet, it's not the busiest time and there should be plenty of options so why not wait 12 months and book wherever looks best at the time. If you book now you're just tying up your deposit and commiting yourself to something with no real benefit.
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I agree with clarky999, March is the best month. Most hotels change their season to 'low' around the 3rd week so prices can drop substantially then
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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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jb1970, I normally book my next ski holiday within a couple of weeks of getting back, so almost a year in advance. Best way to bag those elusive single rooms.
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| Quote: |
For mid March next year I wouldn't bother booking yet, it's not the busiest time
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the beginning of March IS a very busy time in France - next year the French school hols finish on 11 March. You'd have to be a glutton for punishment to go to a French resort in the school holidays unless you had no choice.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| jb1970, no, I think you would be the first |
LOL!
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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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Why would you want to book it 13 months in advance? Why not wait until nearer the time then you can just pic where ever has the best snow.
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Ricklovesthepowder, although we book independently of each other my group of ski buddies all aim for the same hotel and since we have two singles, we need to bag those single rooms before someone else does. The hotel we're staying in this season was fully booked by early September for our week so lucky we booked ahead.
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You know it makes sense.
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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| jb1970, I normally book my next ski holiday within a couple of weeks of getting back, so almost a year in advance. Best way to bag those elusive single rooms. |
That's why I'm doing it - will be going on my own unless I can team up with a buddy!
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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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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
For mid March next year I wouldn't bother booking yet, it's not the busiest time
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the beginning of March IS a very busy time in France - next year the French school hols finish on 11 March. You'd have to be a glutton for punishment to go to a French resort in the school holidays unless you had no choice. |
Wasn't aware that the French hols ran on that long. Still, if you look outside France it is a farily quiet time compared to Feb half term and New Year.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| Why would you want to book it 13 months in advance? Why not wait until nearer the time then you can just pic where ever has the best snow. |
to get a cheaper rate, cheaper flights, rooms you wanted in a specific hotel, to secure a deal at last years prices etc etc
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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| jb1970 wrote: |
| Has anybody ever booked this far in advance? |
You have to be careful booking more than 12 months in advance, as the usual tour operator regulations are different outside of a 12 month period. Normally you would be covered for cancellations, force majeure etc but these protections have a de facto limitation of liability beyond a 365 day period (364 days if it's a leap year).
What this means in practice, is that you would instead be bound by the Tour Operator Supplier-Sourced European Regulations.
Based on that, I would wait a couple of weeks.
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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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| kitenski wrote: |
| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| Why would you want to book it 13 months in advance? Why not wait until nearer the time then you can just pic where ever has the best snow. |
to get a cheaper rate, cheaper flights, rooms you wanted in a specific hotel, to secure a deal at last years prices etc etc |
You won't get any flights with the low cost carriers as their schedules aren't out yet. You also miss out on the options of late booking discounts, you can't possibly know where the snow is best and you are missing out on any new hotels or chalets that operators may include in their programs. Booking at this years prices is no big deal, the pound is so weak now there is every chance that prices could be lower for us Brits next year (if interest rates go up in the UK the pound may benefit).
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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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unless you need to book for a large group or a specific place with limited places then if i was you id wait and see what offers you can get. Get an idea of where you want to go and stay, then wait till next feb and book a late deal. save yourself the difference of your liftpass or better still maybe the price of another holiday.....
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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'd just go for it. If you know where you want to go, do it. If you've not got snow in those resorts in March, the chances are wherever has got snow is going to be so packed it will be hell.
We regularly book early season weeks nearly a year in advance. We always stick to high altitude with lots of other resorts nearby. Hedges our bets, but at some point we'll get it wrong. Later in the season I'd have no problem booking months in advance. Unless you are going to wait until a month before the trip nobody has any idea of where the snow is going to be best anyhow, so you may as well book a year in advance if you're planning to book it more than a month in advance.
It's all very fashionable to wait for the last minute and pick the perfect resort for perfect snow, but the simple fact is 99% of customers don't do this and have brilliant ski holidays with great conditions. There's a reason why they are ski resorts. Because it snows fairly reliably between Christmas and Easter.
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Mr T, you're on top form today.
Nice work.
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| jb1970 wrote: |
| Has anybody ever booked this far in advance? |
Yes.
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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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It is one hell of a commitment. I think you should wait.
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| laundryman wrote: |
| jb1970 wrote: |
| Has anybody ever booked this far in advance? |
Yes. |
I am looking at booking my pre christmas ski trip, some excellent deals out there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| lightningdan wrote: |
| laundryman wrote: |
| jb1970 wrote: |
| Has anybody ever booked this far in advance? |
Yes. |
I am looking at booking my pre christmas ski trip, some excellent deals out there. |
I'm sure there are; there are always good deals for pre-xmas - right up until the day of departure usually 
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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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| lightningdan wrote: |
| laundryman wrote: |
| jb1970 wrote: |
| Has anybody ever booked this far in advance? |
Yes. |
I am looking at booking my pre christmas ski trip, some excellent deals out there. |
Bit of an issue next year - many of the TOs have messed around with their changeover days over Xmas because Xmas Day is on a Sunday. Most have tried to avoid the Saturday (Xmas Eve) and Sunday (Xmas Day) flights and transfers, which means trips are running from weekday to weekday before Xmas, then midweek to midweek over Xmas and New Year, then either a 3-4 day or 10-11 day trip first week in January. Worth knowing if you are looking at prices.
There are some great deals out there at the moment, especially if you have a large group. We saved about £100 per person vs last year's trip, I guess because TOs are desperate to avoid empty chalets if they can get a group booking that can fill a chalet this early on.
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lightningdan, pre christmas? where? where's guaranteed to be open? if it's not glaciated...
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You know it makes sense.
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| Monium wrote: |
Bit of an issue next year - many of the TOs have messed around with their changeover days over Xmas because Xmas Day is on a Sunday. Most have tried to avoid the Saturday (Xmas Eve) and Sunday (Xmas Day) flights and transfers, which means trips are running from weekday to weekday before Xmas, then midweek to midweek over Xmas and New Year, then either a 3-4 day or 10-11 day trip first week in January. Worth knowing if you are looking at prices.
There are some great deals out there at the moment, especially if you have a large group. We saved about £100 per person vs last year's trip, I guess because TOs are desperate to avoid empty chalets if they can get a group booking that can fill a chalet this early on. |
Most of the hols we've looked at are Friday 23rd travel or Saturday 24th. The previous week seem to be 16th/17th. The OH wants to go out on 17th so we're back for Christmas - but she's a teacher so is already off work, I'd rather go on 24th which means I have to use up less work holiday entitlement and take advantage of bank holiday days off!
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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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| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| jb1970, no, I think you would be the first |
We booked more than a year in advance for half term 2011 and still only got our second choice! (We wanted to go from Doncaster, so were a pit self-limiting in this respect.)
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Poster: A snowHead
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| jb1970 wrote: |
| queen bodecia wrote: |
| jb1970, I normally book my next ski holiday within a couple of weeks of getting back, so almost a year in advance. Best way to bag those elusive single rooms. |
That's why I'm doing it - will be going on my own unless I can team up with a buddy! |
If you are on your own surely you should be booking to go on the eosb?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| under a new name wrote: |
| lightningdan, pre christmas? where? where's guaranteed to be open? if it's not glaciated... |
I know its a risk, but... 2 children 2 adults, full childcare required, chalet full board starts getting expensive. So if I can get all of that for £1200.00( learner week) or so I would be very happy. It will cost £2.5k-£3.6K to go for christmas or new year. I have used the company before and know where I want to stay. I have been skiing that week for the last couple of years and had no problems. This year it was icy but be had a massive dump, which people in January would have had to use with no new snow. It is always going to be a lottery, look at the level of stress this year seems to have caused people waiting for the snow.
If there is no snow, children still love being in the mountains.
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