 Poster: A snowHead
|
Sorry to do this, but there is so much choice; so looking for some recommendations.
Heres the background: closenit family of 5, 3 kids aged 11 to 15. Only EVER skied/boarded in Scotland, which was pants this year, and my kids will have grown up and left home soon: I want to go to a nice catered lodge in Europe, travelling by plane preferably (Leeds to mid-Alps looses to much precious holiday, nonetheless miles is not a problem)).
Abilities vary from experienced skier(SWMBO) to competent-back-edge-boarder-with-no-ambition teenager.
Budget to include ski-passes sub £3k, but we all have own equipment. Night life not an issue. Prefer typical village to resort, but we want the best possible guarantee of snow/accesible weather.
So, in short: anywhere would do, any TO could do it, but where would you reccomend?
Oooh; and the fly in the ointment: it has to be half term Feb!
Polite comments please,
Strax
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
| Strax wrote: |
Budget to include ski-passes sub £3k,
Oooh; and the fly in the ointment: it has to be half term Feb! |
Sorry to say it but you won't get anything decent for that price at half term.
I think if you go to a small resort and do your own wasking up, etc you may be able to find something, but I don't think that's what you're looking for?
Most TO's will charge around £800 at Half Term, for a full inclusive package (lift pass, flight, hotel, equipment, etc). Some will charge "a lot" more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 is dead right. Your budget is too tight. Either change the budget, or change the spec. One way of doing the latter is to go at Easter.
You could also self-cater. If you are a close-knit enough family for the 3 kids to share a room and/or spill over onto a sofa bed you could rent a good slopeside apartment for about £1000 euros a week. If they are close-knit enough to sit together in the back of the car for long enough you could also save a lot by flying (Liverpool/Geneva returns at half term would cost you £1300) but I appreciate it's a very long way to drive.
Look at the Easter hols - snow is usually still fine, early April, the days will be longer and the slopes much less crowded. You'd need to head somewhere with a range of slopes with different aspects, to cope with the morning freeze/afternoon slush Spring syndrome) and preferably some fairly high altitude areas.
At Easter, though probably not at half term, you could afford to wait for a last-minute tour operator bargain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
along with many other places, those apartments suggested by altis do not yet have any rates for next winter - for DIY hols there is still plenty of time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Try Gstaad or St Morritz , they are generally less crowded than other resorts at half term.
http://www.palace.ch/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
nixmap, hardly budget resorts though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hi
I think for 3k you may have to go self catering, 3k is a lot of money but at half term you could be paying 3 times what you would pay in a quite week in Jan.
Try some of the satelite villages of the main ski resorts, you still get the full benifit of a majot resort but at a cheaper price.
Try snow lutions forum follow the link and try and post your request, you never know you might get a deal
Good luck
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads  on Sun 1-09-13 20:54; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
What about Croatia, etc? A mat eof mine did a family of 3 holiday, ski passes the works, ski school, creche, etc. All in for 1500 quid a year ago. It wasnt half term however.
Im considering a family ski season if I can get work, etc sorted. Any one done that or looked into it? Ideally France.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Really? I'd be surprised if either of those properties were available for half term. In fact, I'd be surprised if you can find any suitable accommodation for the OP in Saanenmöser for half term, let alone for the budget they are looking at. The accommodation there is not going to be cheaper than the equivalent in other countries.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jet2 from Leeds to Salzburg.
From there, look at Ski Amade, Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Zell am See/Kaprun, or a smaller resort such as Maria Alm. All within 90 mins and easily accessible by taxi/transfer service/Postbus from Salzburg Airport.
Your budget will probably only stretch to self-catering, but a reasonable apartment should be available for around €1000. Look at Holiday-Rentals or google. Alternatively, contact the local Tourist Office, who usually have an online accomodation enquiry service - e.g. www.saalbach.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Sod that lot, Italy is around 25% cheaper than typical alpine resorts, fly to Turin, get a private transfer up to sauze and stay in a private rental.
Make it even cheaper and drive there, I'm a advocate of the latter as its cheaper, not as hard as you think and ends up as prt of the trip rather than a chore.
That said if you only have a Mini then it might not be feasable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
We had a deferment on a half term booking so now have 2 apartments free for that week. They are 43m and 48m square, 2 bedroom apartments with sofa bed in living room (or it might be possible to have a triple bedroom in the larger apartment - there's space but I can't remember off the top of my head whether all the additional beds are booked or not), and that plus 5 lift passes for a 100km area, daily fresh boulangerie breakfast, and 3 course evening meals on 6 nights (though we don't do the all inclusive wine thing) would actually come in under your budget.
The apartments all have full, proper kitchens so you could pick and choose to alternate self-catering and catered as it suits you, to save some money to help with flights etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
*PIMP ALERT**PIMP ALERT**PIMP ALERT**PIMP ALERT**PIMP ALERT*
So... we are selling half-term by the room this year, check the link below to have a look at everything we offer.
We are in Ski Amade about 70km south of Salzburg and about 45min transfer from the airport there.
Half term with fully catered and other extra bits and bobs... 5 bed family room (double plus extra bed with adjoining bunk bed room, esnuite facilities and balcony) €499pp with 50% discount for the kids = €1746.50
Only have Sun - Sun available (17th - 24th)
Ryanair have cut their Sunday service this season (from Stansted) but we are pretty flexible with check-in dates and I had a quick look on the website and flights came in Tue - Tue for under €700
Transfers €200
Ski passes...
Ski Amade do a great family deal where the 3rd kid gets a free ski pass - so €200.50 for adults and €95.50 for kids = €592
Grand Total = €3238.50 (about £2700)
So... ta-da... fully catered, half-term, under £3000
*END OF PIMP ALERT**END OF PIMP ALERT**END OF PIMP ALERT**END OF PIMP ALERT**END OF PIMP ALERT*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hey you guys are awesome!
Thank you for the help and guidance, here's my plan:
try for Chalet la Giettaz first, if that fails we're flying to Italy...even in SWMBO's Discovery, I ain't driving to Italy for a week!
Regret Austria seems too far to drive, and too expensive to fly. Maybe next year..
Thanks to you all who responded.
Strax
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Strax, the difference in actual miles is miniscule and the cost considerably less - tolls for Austria = 7.90 Euro for the entire route! It takes me just over 10 hours of quite liesurely driving to reach the Channel and that is driving on my own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| Samerberg Sue wrote: |
| Strax, the difference in actual miles is miniscule and the cost considerably less - tolls for Austria = 7.90 Euro for the entire route! It takes me just over 10 hours of quite liesurely driving to reach the Channel and that is driving on my own. |
From Leeds use P&O from Hull to Rotterdam on friday evening then away you go, in Austrian resort by mid evening Saturday at a steady pace, ferry about £400 with 5 bed family cabin and diesel about £300, tolls (as mentioned) sod all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Strax, Sat to Sat flights are about £1000 with Ryan air... £200 each ain't bad really for half term week!
That works out at about £0.10 a mile ... 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
I ain't driving to Italy for a week!
|
I don't blame you. I drive to the Alps regularly, and sometimes to Italy, but there's no way I'd do it from Leeds for a week. Especially in a Discovery!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| miranda wrote: |
Really? I'd be surprised if either of those properties were available for half term. In fact, I'd be surprised if you can find any suitable accommodation for the OP in Saanenmöser for half term, let alone for the budget they are looking at. The accommodation there is not going to be cheaper than the equivalent in other countries. |
At the time i looked both were available at half term and both were well inside budget.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is it Feb half term only due to the kids school holidays? For a fair while now we've been going at the Easter break. Never had bad snow and the prices can be substantially cheaper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
nixmap, ah well, someone snapped them right up overnight because I checked just after I posted and they weren't available - I was intrigued by Saanenmoeser as a suggestion because I know from experience it was extremely difficult to get half term accommodation there a few years ago, even well in advance. And lift prices for a family of 5 where no one is under 9 and catering in a place that has hotel restaurants only to choose from will take the cost for 5 over the budget of 3000 GBP I'd have thought. I remember The Bahnhof was closed when I was there last - maybe it was reopened by someone with a much cheaper restaurant or something. Either way, flangesax and I have both shown it is possible to meet that budget with catering in other countries too, without a concrete prefab in sight. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
