Who’s going skiing and where 2019
Discussion
Amateurish said:
Not for everyone I know, but families travelling to France for Christmas / NY or half term could consider taking the train. It can be done in a day, and takes about the same amount of time as driving. To get to Morzine from the midlands, I normally count on 7 hours flying, 13-14 hours driving or taking the train.
When I did the sum this year, taking the train 1st class was cheaper than flying. We do this by using an interrail pass.
Right now, a family 1st class interrail pass for 3 days is £394 (includes up to 4 children). Add to this £60 per person supplement for Eurostar.
So total for a family of four is £634. This includes travel from anywhere in the UK to London.
Like I say, not for everyone, but we all enjoy the travelling experience. Especially in first class.
Is that train right to resort?When I did the sum this year, taking the train 1st class was cheaper than flying. We do this by using an interrail pass.
Right now, a family 1st class interrail pass for 3 days is £394 (includes up to 4 children). Add to this £60 per person supplement for Eurostar.
So total for a family of four is £634. This includes travel from anywhere in the UK to London.
Like I say, not for everyone, but we all enjoy the travelling experience. Especially in first class.
If not then for us we would need train Reading to Paddington then underground to st pancreas
But hat would be with a 2/4/7 year old
3 car seats for the transfer at the resort
2 sets of boots
2 sets of skis
2 cases for luggage
Pram
How is that physically possible?
Amateurish said:
Pack lightly, hire kit at resort. Obviously, it depends on the resort. For Morzine, the station is much closer than the airport.
It's not for everyone. I've done it with very young kids.
Ok so we’d ditch the skis then but boots no way I’ve had hire on two separate trips crap. It's not for everyone. I've done it with very young kids.
But still 3x car seats + luggage nappies + kids toys all mean it’s a big pack.
desolate said:
If you are getting a train why do you need the car seats?
We used to fly in but then transfer by train.
As we’ve had 2x bad experiances with different companies We used to fly in but then transfer by train.
1. The return from hotel to airport - running late it turned up no car seats so said not good enough we paid for it he and the company said sorry no car seats available / not within the next hour or two. Up to you no car seat or miss flight.
2. Car seat was the wrong age group meaning squeeezing in a 6 year old into a up to 3 year old seat (no alternative) middle of night.
So we take car seats all the time - note these were not bargain basement options instead mid range of IMHO pricy. We got refunds but frankly that’s irrelevant we wanted the correct kit ordered and paid for.
Bunch of cowboys IMHO.
Bill said:
Or just go in term time. It's less busy and cheaper even with the fine.
That doesn’t work though you still have the 13 weeks to cover plus leave over and above that - finding child care in school holidays for 3 kids is not cheap/ extremely low availability (in our area when we’ve looked at least). EddieSteadyGo said:
Maybe he should approach his local authority to ask for a grant to assist with the costs. Or consider setting up a 'GoFundMe' page.
Haha I like that. But on a serious note what do you spend total cost in Feb half term week for a family of 5 3 kids 2 adults.
If it’s £10-12k fair enough but if it’s £2k then the flight options I’m seeing are at odds with that
lemmingjames said:
Did you do the drive back in one stint or stop over night?
My thoughts too. Surely the mega distances are utterly draining it’s minimum 2 huge days driving/ possibly 4 doesn’t that impact on your skiing? Tiredness etc. Or if driving it would mean out early Sat am but then travelling back a week Sunday to get the 6 days lift pass?
jonny996 said:
Thre does seem to be a school of thought that skiing and luxury go hand in hand & that is where your £8k holiday comes in but it is doable on a much smaller budget.
My apartment in the Alps on cost be £7K pa to run and every holiday I have there on top of that costs me £150 PP.
So 1 family holiday cost £7600 PA but 5 family holidays only costs us £2K each
Do you ever let it out to help reduce that £7k pa cost to run it?My apartment in the Alps on cost be £7K pa to run and every holiday I have there on top of that costs me £150 PP.
So 1 family holiday cost £7600 PA but 5 family holidays only costs us £2K each
EddieSteadyGo said:
WestyCarl said:
Dinner, no we cook in the chalet. drinks and snack lunch yes, but it's not a huge expense, covered by the 200 misc. (don't forget we're with kids and not with boozy mates 
)
Perhaps I need to come on holiday with you )Lunch on the mountain for 4 costs me around 90-100 euros a time, including juice for the kids and a couple of small beers. Even when it is just the two of us and we stop for a coffee, it costs 10 euros.
no point taking own food when it’s that cheapCAPP0 said:
Well all the people in that pic are randoms in front of me in the queue. But we saw lots of people with neck tubes, beanies under crash helmets, etc - it didn’t even make negative temps overnight here last night, so no idea what they were thinking.
Sounds like all the gear but no idea
j_4m said:
Being confident and to a decent standard also lets you get much more out of your holiday. I generally ski the whole resort on the first day so I can work out where to spend the rest of the week, which groomed runs are worth several visits and where the good off-piste areas are, if the terrain parks are open, all that stuff. Skiing really is a holiday that gets more enjoyable the better you are at it, simply because ability opens up more options to you. With that in mind I always advise people to spend their first few holidays in lessons until they're confident in all conditions; if you don't actually want to ski in low-light/moguls/slush/hardpack/whatever out of choice then that's all good, but it's got to be disappointing to want to ski but not be able to.
You need to go to the big resorts where even if you skied all day every day of a weeks ski holiday you’d just be scratching the surface. Yea I’ve got a Bansko cheeky trip booked end of March - 4 days on the powder.
Flights doing club return BA BUT burning 38,000 airmiles is built up so normal flight cost return £275 European club but 38,000 air miles gives me £200 off so a mere £75 return club class
.
Accommodation is free it’s our pad.
Transfer is €165 return - but that is shared between 4.
Ski pass will be £70.
Boots skis and poles have my own.
So £145 + food and drink for 4 days on the slopes club class travel and 2 further days travel.
Flights doing club return BA BUT burning 38,000 airmiles is built up so normal flight cost return £275 European club but 38,000 air miles gives me £200 off so a mere £75 return club class
. Accommodation is free it’s our pad.
Transfer is €165 return - but that is shared between 4.
Ski pass will be £70.
Boots skis and poles have my own.
So £145 + food and drink for 4 days on the slopes club class travel and 2 further days travel.
EddieSteadyGo said:
Interesting conditions in the Grand Massif. Snowed last night, after it had been groomed, so made for bumpy pistes today.
Skied down to Verland at the end of the day, which is circa 850m. Snow was very soft and wet lower down. Not great conditions, and I'm not sure how much longer the low altitude slopes will remain open.
Luckily, had trout stuffed with shiitake mushrooms for dinner, so not all bad
Fish stuffed with mushrooms......give me a pork sword any night of the week Skied down to Verland at the end of the day, which is circa 850m. Snow was very soft and wet lower down. Not great conditions, and I'm not sure how much longer the low altitude slopes will remain open.
Luckily, had trout stuffed with shiitake mushrooms for dinner, so not all bad
malks222 said:
I know its still this season, but just got an email from the company I've used before about early bookings for next season and its looking a bit pricier.
prices look to have gone up £100-200 compared to this year and they are dropping to only 5 nights catered to cover off some french employment law/ working hours thing?!? I've noticed a few chalet companies have made this change for next year.
Go out to bars etc for a nice bite to eat and get the atmosphere of the resort. Shut up in the chalet doesn’t sound appealing prices look to have gone up £100-200 compared to this year and they are dropping to only 5 nights catered to cover off some french employment law/ working hours thing?!? I've noticed a few chalet companies have made this change for next year.
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