Any skiers out there?

[andyfromotley]

Thinking about a ski holiday in Jan. Me, Mrs AFO, kids 7 and 3. All complete novices. Cheapest packages seem to come out at about 3 grand for everything, food lessons, kit, transfers etc and a bit of child care if we wnated it.

Can i do it cheaper myself? i can get flights to geneva for about £40 each if we fly on a thurs? Is it poss to book it all myself? Can you get accom thurs to thurs, where would i go? Transfers? Is it all too much hassle?

Any advice gratefully received

Andy

 

[User482]

Skiing's expensive. The lift passes will make your eyes water, as will the price of food and beer in the resort. You can save a few quid by arranging the accommodation direct, and drive down to the Alps.

 

[mr Mag00]

most french resorts sat to sat, it is not cheap anymore with the euro/£ as it stands. however it is fun!! enjoy!!!

 

[TheDoctor]

Yes, you can do it cheaper. And it's easy...
I'll do a longer post this evening (at work now...)

 

[spire]

If that price includes lift passes and ski hire, you've got a bargain.

But unless the £ improves against the €, stand by for eye-watering extras when you're there: beer is £8 pint on the mountain.

 

[BigSteev]

First thing I'd suggest is that as complete novices you don't go to one of the huge resorts (Val D'Isere, Meribel etc) as you'll be paying for a lift pass that will give you access to a huge area but you'll only see a tiny fraction of it.
Places like Bulgaria, Andorra etc will be much cheaper and give you adequate terrain for your abilities, or if you're set on France, maybe a smaller resort like Valmeinier.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Some of the smaller Austrian resorts might be suitable. Perhaps have a google at what is available in St Johann im Pongau.

You'd probably get a more comprehensive response if you get it moved over to the cafe.

Incidentally, one option which might work out cheaper and still be feasible could be to stay on the German side of L Konstanz (where there is no skiing) and drive into either the Austrian Tyrol or Switzerland every day. Accommodation would be a lot cheaper that way.

 

[Dayvo]

Although Sweden and, more so, Norway are expensive countries, they have excellent and affordable skiing facilities for all ages and abilities.

http://www.inghams.co.uk/ski/NOR/index.html

http://www.ski-norway.com/

http://www.plentyofsnow.com/sweden/

There is guaranteed snow, plenty of activities, such snowboarding, skating, cross-country skiing, Telemark skiing, rides on dog sleighs, hot baths etc.

Best time to go (with regard to daylight hours) is mid-February up until end of April.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Use Directski and take a self catering apartment in Brides les Bains. This has a lift connection directly to Meribel but hardly anyone knows about but for ski instructors and those in the know. I'm fairly sure that you can get Meribel Valley only passes that are cheaper than the whole Three Valleys. I went with my youngest son a couple of years ago and it cost about a grand for the tow of us and we were skiing Courcheval 1850 (the most expensive ski resort on earth) within 40 minutes of leaving the appartment. Learn to ski at the Skidome in Manchester first!

 

[very-near]

Geneva is very pricey, Easyjet there, hire a car from the airport (do this online), and stay in a chalet in the valley near Annecy and drive up to the lifts when you want to ski to save on transfers. Annecy is a stunning town (use the ski stores by the base lift to keep dragging the kit around)
I went to Geneva last year and drove to Annecy for the day. It is only about 40 minutes up the toll road from Geneva airport and Semnoz is about 15 minutes drive from Annecy up the mountain.


http://www.lakeandalpinehomes.com/ski-resorts.php


Alternatively, my sister and her o/h has taken her kid to Bansko in Bulgaria a few times for better VFM.

Linky to the prices there. http://banskoaccommodation.blogspot.com/2008/11/bankso-lift-pass-prices-for-new-season.html

As you are novices, It might work out cheaper to pay per day or half day on the ski passes if your missus doesn't want to ski every day. Annecy has so much going for it, you will want to spend a couple of days looking around it.

The 3 y/o might be a bit young for instruction in a group and you will probably get hammered on 1 to 1 tuition.

I'd recommend 'Livigno' in Italy as a great resort as this is where I went ski'ing a few years ago, but it was a 4 1/2 hour transfer after the flight to Milan (Bergamo) which is hard going on the little ones.

 

[theclaud]

At the risk of getting all Noodley - shouldn't this be in the Cafe?

 

[Crackle]

At the risk of getting all Noodley - shouldn't this be in the Cafe?

What are you talking about?

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

Remember that the Channel to the skiing areas is a 10-12 hour drive - fast toll motorways nearly all the way. Stay at a Travel Lodge near the Channel Tunnel and you could be in Sansicario in the Susa Valley later that day. There are deals to be had on self catering appartments and the quality of ski teaching is superb compared with ESF a few miles away on the French side of the border. The progression is also excellent, with none of the usual, nothing in between a beginners slope and something with a 30 degree lip. You'll save with the cheapo local pass confined to the village area.

 

[theclaud]

What are you talking about?

Sometimes, I wonder that myself! Wibble.

 

[4F]

Borovets, Bulgaria. Excellent skiing, cheap, not in the euro zone but food can be a bit ropey if you end up in the wrong hotel.

http://www.bulgariaski.com/borovets/index.shtml