 Poster: A snowHead
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I am going to have some time free within the next year, to go travelling or something. I'm toying with a motorbiking holiday too, but the thing I'd most like to do is go skiing. I don't really have a budget set yet as I'm trying to get an idea of what I can do for a given amount of money.
So...my question; How much would it cost to go skiing for about a month or so? What would a basic room cost to rent? Is there such thing as a reasonably cheap ski pass? As a ball park, I could raise £1500 without too much problem, but it would start to get iffy over that. Help/ advice/ opinions welcome.
Many thanks, Nick 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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faithsdaddy, Welcome to Snowheads
For £1500 for 4 weeks you will be looking at budget everything. Straight off the top of my head I would have thought you were looking at something like this -
Travel - £150 - 200 approx
Lift Pass - £400
Equipment hire - £300? if they give you a discount for having it for so long
Lessons - £100 maybe to get you started?
food and drink - £150 if you're quite sparing?
Accomm - ????
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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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faithsdaddy, You could get a small studio in les carroz for eur 200 a week, with discounts for over 2 weeks, season pass for grand massif is eur 450 approx inc insurance if you buy it before 15th dec (ish) Then you have to eat etc January is cheapest time from about end of first week to first week feb. I am assuming your have own gear
Then you have to get here.....looks like you could do it just...just don't eat or drink much! 
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faithsdaddy, welcome to Snowheads.  I have a rather different suggestion. Look at http://www.action-outdoors.co.uk/datesandprices.aspx. Those holidays are absolutely all-in, 3 meals a day, everything except a few beers in the evening, and include equipment and tuition (up to very, very, high standards indeed, for real experts). They are around £500 a week in January, some are less, and that includes return coach travel from the UK, so would be cheaper for a 3 or 4 week stint.
UCPA centres are pretty sociable, international sort of places - I think you'd have a lot more fun (and would improve your skiing a lot more) doing 3 weeks with UCPA than 4 weeks in a teeny studio on your ownsome. You could do three different weeks, different centres, different kinds of focus depending on your interest and your existing skill level.
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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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Thanks for the replies so far everyone
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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faithsdaddy, a 4-6 week trip is fantastic way to do it. Gives you time to really get your ski groove on. Though, no matter how budget you go, it's going to be very tricky doing it for £1,500, especially if you're hiring equipment.
I've done it for the past two seasons, both times in Chamonix and both times with my own equipment. Both trips included the expensive Easter weekend. For comparison, Chamonix is not the cheapest of ski areas (such as Les Carroz suggested above) but is definitely cheaper than some. And it has a lot of terrain. I went for the 'comfortable budget' rather than 'totally budget' or 'luxury' range of accommodation.
For both trips I bought a season pass in October, getting a 40% discount (~€700). Both times, I booked my flights well in advance with Swiss and was able to get business class return tickets for under £250 (biz class meant extra luggage allowance). Econo class would have been half that price. If you're taking your own equipment, I have found that it's cheaper to fly Swiss than the budget airlines, which charge for ski carriage.
The first trip, I stayed in a chalet on a chalet board basis. Total cost of this trip including accomm, food, flights, lift pass, ski waxing/servicing ~£3,800 for 4 weeks. This excluded lessons.
The second time, I rented a small apartment in the centre of Chamonix town. This gave me the freedom to eat what I wanted when I wanted. And I was also able to pack a lunch every day so that I could eat on the mountain (I had a few fave picnic spots with stunning views) rather than in the busy mountain restaurants. Packed lunch is also much cheaper than the mountain restaurants. I budgeted €50 per week for food and found I spent a little less than this, even though I never bought economy-style food. Total cost of this trip including accomm, food, flights, lift pass, ski waxing/servicing ~£2,900 for 6 weeks. This excluded lessons and off-piste guides.
With some solid research, good planning and cheaper resort, you may be able to do it for about £2,200.
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If you're not too specific about where you want to stay and what you want to stay in then you could easily find accommodation for sub £750 for four weeks.
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faithsdaddy, Agree with carroz -Grand-Massif One of the best value season passes around and you get plus 3x Freebies inc Chamonix (maybe Verbier but not sure yet) -Make sure you buy the assurance if you take this option as it's around 23€ for the season and will provide mountain evacuation and injury cancellation. Alternatively the Chamonix passes go on sale on 15th October after the priority list closes for previous season pass holders. Prices for Chamonix come out late this week. As Carroz says, buying before the season starts gets some great discounts. pam w, suggest re UPCA is a good one although jumping reports will increase lift pass costs dramatically. My best guess is Cham passes will come out around 800€ or so.
Remember to factor is ski tuning/waxing if you're not able to do this yourself and with good snow that will be weekly, ice etc every few days or so. With skiing upto around 2400/2500m, Flaine offers some of the best on a budget ski packages around and you funds effectively rule out Switzerland this year. Flaine/GM passes are available on-line from 15 October too.
Hope you enjoy the season!
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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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| Quote: |
jumping reports will increase lift pass costs dramatically.
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not if you go UCPA - passes are included in those prices, as is equipment and top class tuition/guiding. Otherwise yes, jumping resorts if you are travelling independently would put prices up a lot.
You can get some passes (e.g. Mont Blanc Evasion) which cover such a range of resorts that you could move within the same pass area.
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Obviously you will be self catering,and cooking your own food and eating sandwitches at lunch not going to restaurants. Even so I rather doubt 6 weeks. 4 weeks, yes, perhaps, if you have your own skis and boots. It would help to go to a less famous area (such as Haute Maurienne - you can ski several resorts using a shuttle bus) or a village on the edge of a famous ski area.
The way I do it with a group of friends, sharing rooms in cheapish hotels but eating in mountain restaurants, and skiing off piste with a guide for 6 days, costs me about that for an 8 day week, including lunches and drinks.
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sun 28-08-11 17:59; edited 1 time in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Can highly reccomend the UCPA for this sort of thing as I did myself last year.
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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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What you really need to find is some way of staying in the alps for free in return for a few chores, I would offer to help but 6 weeks isn't long enough,
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nixmap, hi, i just was looking for such an opportunity- to live and ski for free in the Alps.
I will be able to stay during about 3 months, i have some working skills,and skiing skills for sure.
Adore mountains and all kind of outdoor activities
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You know it makes sense.
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naturall ski, You sound to good to be true, hope you get a PM.
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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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lightningdan, why too good?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yum
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's pay back time nix, well done!! I hope she is "to good to be true" not;
Might be masque in a dress, come to haunt you.
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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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Mrs M always has the final say, but we are already talking as she sent me a message on the other thread.
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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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| lightningdan wrote: |
| Might be masque in a dress, come to haunt you. |
The though had crossed my mind especially after the spelling mistake in the message..
Not that I would be suprised
A) Masques evident thirst for vulgarity already might lead someone else to suggest gender orientation suppression traits.
B) Masques tends to get increasingly desperate as his arguments grow weaker.
Nix. 
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