 Poster: A snowHead
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Going on a few trips next year which are booked up but one trip I havent booked is Feb half term with my son. Normally I pay the premium and get it booked early but im toying with the idea of waiting till last minute to see what i can get.
Are the days of getting a slashed price holiday a few days before over? Do the TO keep the peak week prices high even till the end?
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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Booking early gives you the choice which is especially important when you are taking kids. These days (with 2) I tend to book as early as I can to make sure I get exactly what I (read Mrs. M) want. The savings from booking early are similar to those from booking late, unless you are talking within the last couple of weeks.
DIY trips can work out a lot cheaper than TO bookings. I booked next Feb's trip to Austria as I left the hotel this year and got a 5% discount for booking early and another 2% for being a repeat offender. That combined with booking BA flights very early and a handy cheap train transfer means I saved about £1800 on what Inghams were offering the same holiday for in their preseason brochure.
Similar for the Christmas trip Switzerland. I booked the hotel independently, used my BA miles for the flights and just have the train to organize again. The hotel has already offered to collect us from the station, and was OK with a Sunday to Sunday stay without any hassle. Even with the £25 per person I ended up paying for the flights and the £50 airport parking it worked out significantly cheaper that some TOs were offering the same week in the same hotel for (without flights).
If your son is older and you don't really have any special needs/desires then it might be worth leaving it late and taking your chances. I have done the ones where all you know is which country you are going to, not even the resort, and that is quite exciting.
I have never tried it, but if you believe the money saving expert web site there is always a chance that you can haggle with the TO - anybody tried that one?
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-holiday-haggling-guide#haggle
They claim a 5% discount on a holiday to Barbados.
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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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My son is 16 and we are both intermediate snowboarders and arent oo fussed about where we go. Im quite looking forward to leaving it till a couple of days before we want to go to get a package.
I remember hearing a few years ago that people could get £1500 holidays for like £500 if you wait till a week before.
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surfstar, wait wait wait!!! I've only ever booked one holiday early, and that was 10 weeks before we went. Unless you or your children have any special needs etc, it really isn't worth booking now. Things do get cheaper. The only advice I would give, is if your doing things yourself, get the flights booked ASAP as they will go up. If you know when and roughly where your wanting to go then just book your return flights, then sort out accommodation and transfers nearer the time.
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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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Not sure I'd want to leave it until last minute to book Feb half term as it's the week most likely to sell out or if you do book late then whats left might be left a premium and no saving is made.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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stevew, is correct.
For most weeks of the season if you are flexible about everything and happy to take what you find then you can get some real bargains if you wait.
But, for Half Term and New Year the demand far exceeds the supply of holidays and so, whilst you might find a last minute cancellation, you might also find yourselves without anything. If that is ok, and you'll just go at Easter instead for example, then waiting might work for you - and there are occasionally some real bargains around 2/3 weeks before. If not, then I would book in advance.
The other thing to bear in mind over the half term week is that whilst accommodation and packages drop in price last minute, flights and train travel significantly increase. So, you might want to think about the idea of either only looking at packages including flights, or considering driving down - both of which limit your choices a little.
Good luck - whatever you decide - and happy planning!
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One major plus of booking last minute is that if the snow is a bit dodgy (which you'd hope it wouldn't be in Feb!), you can go where the best conditions are.
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This year I booked maybe only 6 weeks in advance. It cost me ~£800 for a week in Avoriaz at the beginning of March including lift-pass and ski hire but also the single person supplement. If you can wait, it's certainly worth it. It wasn't half-term tho, but it was during the last week of the French holidays so certainly wasn't the lowest of low 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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I would agree with Snow and Sunshine, on this one. Half term and New Year are the peak weeks that book up early. I have had people contacting me in the past around Christmas time saying they can't find anything for February half term and everywhere seems to be booked up.
Our apartment is booked up for Half Term and New Year and we are still receiving plenty of enquiries for both weeks.
At Christmas and Easter you shouldn't have a problem but I think it would be advisable to book something now for half term, at least you will have some choice of accommodation. If you leave it to the last minute it will be either a cancellation, very expensive or something not very desirable.
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Some sound advice there. I will look in to both options but am still thinking I will wait till last minute. Really id like a package trip with flights so I dont have to think to much but driving down wouldnt be an issue either.
Cheers
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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surfstar, I'm a believer in last-minute but not for UK half term. Booking with a UK tour operator for other weeks of the French peak (e,g, first week of March) is a different matter, not that I'd choose to go to France those weeks anyway if I had any choice.
DIY to France could be a problem too - all but the grottiest accommodation is likely to be booked far in advance.
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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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I've worked seasons for 2 different toup ops now. I was simply amazed by some of the last minute deals that people were getting, £260 for a week in a 4 star catered hotel in Les Arcs in January (which they apparently booked 2 days prior to travelling). Staggering.
However, as pam_w says above, you won't get this in half term, in fact half term weeks were sold out well in advance. If you have to go in half term then you'll have to bite the bullet and book in advance. If anything the price goes up closer to the date.
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| Quote: |
which they apparently booked 2 days prior to travelling
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yes, last minute means last minute - not 5 weeks before! We got a great deal to a super chalet in Courchevel 1650, booked 3 days before. some of the last minute North America trips looked tempting till you looked up the lift pass prices.  But that was the first, dead, week in January - not half term.
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You know it makes sense.
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Last minute means afternoon before for the best deals. You can really get steals then but as it's supply and demand you can't be at all fussy.
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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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I would not like to risk it for half term partly because I travel with a big group and half term does tend to sell out. A friend of mine has gone at half term for the last two years and picked up very good deals though.
DIYing can be a lot cheaper at half term than brochure prices but it does depend a bit on your transport costs.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ok after reading the responses ive booked a lovely chalet for son and now the wife and dogs in Turracher Höhe Austria. Its off the tourist track and a steal compared to France so were going for 10 days!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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surfstar, Sounds great - have a good holiday!!
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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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| Quote: |
This year I booked maybe only 6 weeks in advance.
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I not sure if this booking late or early. IMHO late booking is within a week of going and early booking is earlier than a month before departure. What are other people's perceptions?
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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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| johnE wrote: |
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This year I booked maybe only 6 weeks in advance.
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I not sure if this booking late or early. IMHO late booking is within a week of going and early booking is earlier than a month before departure. What are other people's perceptions? |
I'd say anything less than 6 weeks is last minute as if there are going to be massive discounts they will be available from then - you can wait longer and maybe get bigger discounts, but its still last minute its just that your options are more limited.
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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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johnE,
Booking early DIY style is as you checkout of the hotel for the previous trip, and as soon as the flights are released.
To get early booking discounts from a TO you have to book from their "preview" brochures.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sack the Juggler, Dont think you will see the "massive discounts" six week out! If I want a sneaky good price holiday, it has to be left for the week prior to departure! The problem is if you are after a particular hotel or chalet, or indeed a particular resort for a large group you may well have to book early. But the best prices and also possible less choice leave it 3-5 days prior to departure!
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| Roy Hockley wrote: |
| Sack the Juggler, Dont think you will see the "massive discounts" six week out! If I want a sneaky good price holiday, it has to be left for the week prior to departure! The problem is if you are after a particular hotel or chalet, or indeed a particular resort for a large group you may well have to book early. But the best prices and also possible less choice leave it 3-5 days prior to departure! |
maybe I've just been lucky the last two skiing holidays to the alps when I've have 50% discounts - or maybe 50% isn't considered massive - I agree that the longer you leave it the better discounts you will get, however it will also limit your choice and other "last minuters" will have raided the bargain bin before you get there! 
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Perhaps!
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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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| Ricklovesthepowder wrote: |
| surfstar, wait wait wait!!! I've only ever booked one holiday early, and that was 10 weeks before we went. Unless you or your children have any special needs etc, it really isn't worth booking now. Things do get cheaper. The only advice I would give, is if your doing things yourself, get the flights booked ASAP as they will go up. If you know when and roughly where your wanting to go then just book your return flights, then sort out accommodation and transfers nearer the time. |
disaster move for half term and just two people.
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Does anybody have experience of booking last minute for groups of 8? We have a specific week (15th January)to go but we arnttoo bothered about resort. Will we have trouble getting in the same hotel?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We book from Ireland and are usually a group of 6. Never book more than a week in advance and go either first or second full week in Jan. Have never had a real problem. I'm guessing the situationis the same in the UK. One year choices were a bit limited, but that's the nature of the beast.
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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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redfoxjim, welcome to Snowheads
Firstly, your dates are non-standard so your choices will be reduced to properties happy to take a Tuesday to Tuesday booking. If you can work around that, then much will depend on what you are looking for, how flexible you are and what the snow is like then. Some people who aren't tied to school holidays, when demand is high, wait to see where the best conditions are and book something then. A group of 8 should be OK in a hotel but if you are also looking at catered chalets, that size group can be a full chalet so you'd be looking either for one that is fully available at the last minute or be happy to share a larger property with others. However, the main thing is your 'odd' dates which - in France certainly - aren't always easy to work around. We do have a fully-catered Chalet-Hotel which takes flexible bookings, but we're already fully booked w/c 12/1.
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