Who's going skiing and where? 23-24
Discussion
Snow last year was pretty grotty in early April last but most of Avoriaz was still open. No snow in Morzine at that time but all the lifts were still running. Later in the season I think it did snow heavily again. Resorts certainly don't close after Feb.
Of course anything goes this year with the energy crisis.
Of course anything goes this year with the energy crisis.
Chamonix in January for lift accessed off piste. Will take ropes harnesses etc. to make sure we make the best of it if conditions allow.
Hut trip in March maybe Austria - mellow hut to hut or hut accessed touring so we can sleep high and get acclimatised.
Then following week in the Bernese with a guide for some 4000m ticks if plans come together
? Norway end of April
Hut trip in March maybe Austria - mellow hut to hut or hut accessed touring so we can sleep high and get acclimatised.
Then following week in the Bernese with a guide for some 4000m ticks if plans come together
? Norway end of April
Does anyone have any evidence or sense of how prices might have been affected this year?
Unfortunately I've missed the last 3 seasons now due to Covid and always used to budget on £1,500/head a week for the lads trip including beer money and lift pass, with modest accomodation. More than that for the wifey trip as she insists on posh accomodation.
We are discussing this coming season now for the lads trip but whilst I love skiing there is a point where I will view it as poor value if it's gone daft. For example if that £1,500 has now become £2,000 I may still go but if it's now approaching 3k I will simply spend my hard earned on other things.
European alps BTW, Austria or France
Unfortunately I've missed the last 3 seasons now due to Covid and always used to budget on £1,500/head a week for the lads trip including beer money and lift pass, with modest accomodation. More than that for the wifey trip as she insists on posh accomodation.
We are discussing this coming season now for the lads trip but whilst I love skiing there is a point where I will view it as poor value if it's gone daft. For example if that £1,500 has now become £2,000 I may still go but if it's now approaching 3k I will simply spend my hard earned on other things.
European alps BTW, Austria or France
Lotobear said:
Does anyone have any evidence or sense of how prices might have been affected this year?
A lot depends how you book/where you go/where you spend your money.Basic accomodation prices seem to be up a bit - but I think alpine areas are getting extra energy bill protection from their respetive governments as the ones I've seen haven't gone up enough to cover energy bills doubling.
It looks like airlines are still limiting flights vs. pre Covid levels so prices are higher - and they are being hit quite hard by oil costs too.
Hire car prices are up a LOT. Basically they put off replacing fleets during Covid and then found themselves in the middle of the computer chip crisis so facing issues all trying to replace them now - so increased demand/reduced supply/price rises to try and make the same profits off fewer hires.
Not sure how general resort prices will fare but expecting eating/drinking out to jump up and drive a lot more eating/drinking in.
Probably the best ways to control the price you pay are:
- To book a full TO package, so you know exactly what it will cost.
- To leave it last minute and book a TO package at discounted prices - accepting that you could end up with no deal/no trip.
- Book everything yourself, so you can choose where to spend/where to save.
Lotobear said:
Does anyone have any evidence or sense of how prices might have been affected this year?
Unfortunately I've missed the last 3 seasons now due to Covid and always used to budget on £1,500/head a week for the lads trip including beer money and lift pass, with modest accomodation. More than that for the wifey trip as she insists on posh accomodation.
We are discussing this coming season now for the lads trip but whilst I love skiing there is a point where I will view it as poor value if it's gone daft. For example if that £1,500 has now become £2,000 I may still go but if it's now approaching 3k I will simply spend my hard earned on other things.
European alps BTW, Austria or France
I don't know how much beer you drink, but £2000pp seems a very healthy budget to me. Our week in Val T at Easter this year came at around £1300pp for a big 3-bedroom apartment in the centre of town, ski passes, tunnel & tolls, plus self-catering/eating out for a family of 4.Unfortunately I've missed the last 3 seasons now due to Covid and always used to budget on £1,500/head a week for the lads trip including beer money and lift pass, with modest accomodation. More than that for the wifey trip as she insists on posh accomodation.
We are discussing this coming season now for the lads trip but whilst I love skiing there is a point where I will view it as poor value if it's gone daft. For example if that £1,500 has now become £2,000 I may still go but if it's now approaching 3k I will simply spend my hard earned on other things.
European alps BTW, Austria or France
Lotobear said:
Does anyone have any evidence or sense of how prices might have been affected this year?
Unfortunately I've missed the last 3 seasons now due to Covid and always used to budget on £1,500/head a week for the lads trip including beer money and lift pass, with modest accomodation. More than that for the wifey trip as she insists on posh accomodation.
We are discussing this coming season now for the lads trip but whilst I love skiing there is a point where I will view it as poor value if it's gone daft. For example if that £1,500 has now become £2,000 I may still go but if it's now approaching 3k I will simply spend my hard earned on other things.
European alps BTW, Austria or France
Well our hotel in St Anton has increased 25% for the same room in the same week from 2022 to 2023. Thats for a standard double room B&B ... I hear similar from other people booking trips. Lift passes are 358 euro up from 326 last season ... assume food and drink will also have gone up. It has always been a reasonably expensive town anyhow ... thankfully I don't drink much these days but we do enjoy the restaurants so I think we'll be spending 25% more than previous years .. Unfortunately I've missed the last 3 seasons now due to Covid and always used to budget on £1,500/head a week for the lads trip including beer money and lift pass, with modest accomodation. More than that for the wifey trip as she insists on posh accomodation.
We are discussing this coming season now for the lads trip but whilst I love skiing there is a point where I will view it as poor value if it's gone daft. For example if that £1,500 has now become £2,000 I may still go but if it's now approaching 3k I will simply spend my hard earned on other things.
European alps BTW, Austria or France
I've go two trips there ... Jan with the Mrs, March with the boys, although our apartment is pretty cheap in March so suspect I'll spend about the same on both trips :-/
i’ve got a spreadsheet with last years figures and looking up/ planning for this year, and there’s some changes
flights- really depends on when you are planning on going. but I have noticed that jet2 currently have half price ski carriage (£15 each way). but also if you already know your dates jet2 have flights up for winter 23/24 already (offering £1 ski carriage) and easyjet has their 23/24 flights up too
accommodation- i’ve only been looking at self catering stuff, but it’s maybe 10% up on last season. again very date dependant
car hire- big increase! (non peak/ half term week- geneva airport) previously looking at £300-350 for a small estate sized car, that’s now up to £5-600!! i think if i go this winter i might just go for a private transfer, as by the time you add fuel/ tolls into the mix, there’s not much in it
food/ drink- no idea! would just need to wait and see when we get there. we don’t eat in the fancy places and this year would be taking a 3yr old, so not exactly going to be out late drinking beers/ eating nice dinners, so prob balance out for us
flights- really depends on when you are planning on going. but I have noticed that jet2 currently have half price ski carriage (£15 each way). but also if you already know your dates jet2 have flights up for winter 23/24 already (offering £1 ski carriage) and easyjet has their 23/24 flights up too
accommodation- i’ve only been looking at self catering stuff, but it’s maybe 10% up on last season. again very date dependant
car hire- big increase! (non peak/ half term week- geneva airport) previously looking at £300-350 for a small estate sized car, that’s now up to £5-600!! i think if i go this winter i might just go for a private transfer, as by the time you add fuel/ tolls into the mix, there’s not much in it
food/ drink- no idea! would just need to wait and see when we get there. we don’t eat in the fancy places and this year would be taking a 3yr old, so not exactly going to be out late drinking beers/ eating nice dinners, so prob balance out for us
I've booked 4 days in Cervinia in early January for the second part of my honeymoon - anyone been there before?
Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
flight147z said:
I've booked 4 days in Cervinia in early January for the second part of my honeymoon - anyone been there before?
Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
Friends I know have been there a couple of times in deep winter have come back with wind burn so wrap up warm and invest in a a face mask it is very high up and the wind whips around the bowl! Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
However they did enjoy themselves, I quite fancy it sometime as it's got a lot going for it. From feedback it has great snow, and a large varierty of well kept, though relatively easy pistes. Obviously great scenery (it is the other side of the Matterhorn), but as as you point out you can ski round to the Zermatt side, where there are more challenging pistes. the village is not too traditional, but more attractive than the usual french moutain top apartment block resorts. Overall, a more than decent (i.e. cheaper) alternative to Zermatt and good for altitude skiing.
flight147z said:
I've booked 4 days in Cervinia in early January for the second part of my honeymoon - anyone been there before?
Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
We stayed in Cervinia pre Covid, so Jan 2020 ... Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
I'd been over from Zermatt back in 2007 but didn't really get to see much of it. I must say, we really enjoyed the week we had ... definitely one we'll return to in the next couple of years. The town is quite small and compact .. which I prefer ... nothing is far away. We stayed the White Angel Hotel right up on the mountain ... its classed as ski in/out ... it has a shuttle running up/down all afternoon and evening. Plenty of decent restaurants to eat in dotted around ... food quality was what I would expect in Italy!
The terrain on the Cervinia side is pretty tame ... massive wide pistes ... mid Jan very quiet so you could just cruise around on piste. Its a huge bowl which gets lots of sun ... and it can get v cold, especially up on the Plateau Rosa ... but well worth the views and long runs down either side.
The Zermatt side personally I felt had better/more challenging terrain but was much busier ... I'd still rather stay in Cervinia than Zermatt for that reason.
The altitude means the snow up top stays v cold ... so, even if its mild or a late starting season, chances are you'll have some of the best snow in Europe when high up.
Any recommendations for airport transfers from Geneva in the post-COVID world? I've used Alpybus in the past but know that a lot of the companies had to cut their fleets right down. It'll be two adults and two kids (1 and 3) and open to a shared transfer if they run frequently enough...
dirtbiker said:
Any recommendations for airport transfers from Geneva in the post-COVID world? I've used Alpybus in the past but know that a lot of the companies had to cut their fleets right down. It'll be two adults and two kids (1 and 3) and open to a shared transfer if they run frequently enough...
https://www.bensbus.co.uk/Just booked Courchvel 1850 for start of March, and I absolutely cannot wait 
Haven't been skiing for 2.5 years
and last time we arrived home just as everything was shutting down/locking down, the world was going mad, and Geneva airport was full of people wearing masks and looking worried, because no one had any clue what was happening.
Only 24 hours earlier we had been up on the slopes getting pished on Aperol Spritz, and had absolutely not idea what was going on in the world. If we had known, we would never have come down from there
Haven't been skiing for 2.5 years
and last time we arrived home just as everything was shutting down/locking down, the world was going mad, and Geneva airport was full of people wearing masks and looking worried, because no one had any clue what was happening. Only 24 hours earlier we had been up on the slopes getting pished on Aperol Spritz, and had absolutely not idea what was going on in the world. If we had known, we would never have come down from there
JEA1K said:
We stayed in Cervinia pre Covid, so Jan 2020 ...
I'd been over from Zermatt back in 2007 but didn't really get to see much of it. I must say, we really enjoyed the week we had ... definitely one we'll return to in the next couple of years. The town is quite small and compact .. which I prefer ... nothing is far away. We stayed the White Angel Hotel right up on the mountain ... its classed as ski in/out ... it has a shuttle running up/down all afternoon and evening. Plenty of decent restaurants to eat in dotted around ... food quality was what I would expect in Italy!
The terrain on the Cervinia side is pretty tame ... massive wide pistes ... mid Jan very quiet so you could just cruise around on piste. Its a huge bowl which gets lots of sun ... and it can get v cold, especially up on the Plateau Rosa ... but well worth the views and long runs down either side.
The Zermatt side personally I felt had better/more challenging terrain but was much busier ... I'd still rather stay in Cervinia than Zermatt for that reason.
The altitude means the snow up top stays v cold ... so, even if its mild or a late starting season, chances are you'll have some of the best snow in Europe when high up.
Thanks - this is a helpful write upI'd been over from Zermatt back in 2007 but didn't really get to see much of it. I must say, we really enjoyed the week we had ... definitely one we'll return to in the next couple of years. The town is quite small and compact .. which I prefer ... nothing is far away. We stayed the White Angel Hotel right up on the mountain ... its classed as ski in/out ... it has a shuttle running up/down all afternoon and evening. Plenty of decent restaurants to eat in dotted around ... food quality was what I would expect in Italy!
The terrain on the Cervinia side is pretty tame ... massive wide pistes ... mid Jan very quiet so you could just cruise around on piste. Its a huge bowl which gets lots of sun ... and it can get v cold, especially up on the Plateau Rosa ... but well worth the views and long runs down either side.
The Zermatt side personally I felt had better/more challenging terrain but was much busier ... I'd still rather stay in Cervinia than Zermatt for that reason.
The altitude means the snow up top stays v cold ... so, even if its mild or a late starting season, chances are you'll have some of the best snow in Europe when high up.
dirtbiker said:
Any recommendations for airport transfers from Geneva in the post-COVID world? I've used Alpybus in the past but know that a lot of the companies had to cut their fleets right down. It'll be two adults and two kids (1 and 3) and open to a shared transfer if they run frequently enough...
We're booked on Findtransfers.com - mentioned in one of my posts above. You submit your trip requirements and the individual taxi firms or transfer operators get back to you with prices. Bit like Shiply. You can check feedback online through the site to help make up your own mind.Not tried this before though as previously used Alp2Alps, but they quoted over €1000 this time, I suspect all the Lithuanian drivers and vans they had have gone now, But I got a great deal on 8 people in a minibus to Les Gets (€480 return) so hopefully works out.
flight147z said:
I've booked 4 days in Cervinia in early January for the second part of my honeymoon - anyone been there before?
Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
I did Zermatt 5 years ago with Mrs Loto and we paid for one day over into Cervinia - the longest piste descent in the Alps unless I'm mistaken - I wanted to do that?Given it is very high altitude I expect it is going to be very cold at that time of year!
My lift pass also gives access to Zermatt so will be nice to ski two countries in one trip!
We tried on three separate days to get over but the winds are savage on the top and we were never able to go. The 200 Euros we paid, and lost, still irks me to this day!
FWIW I was left strangely unimpressed by Zermatt, nice town and upmarket but I've had better skiing elsewhere at cheaper places.
I've just run some numbers on last year vs this year:
Last year, all inclusive in Val Thorens, 6 people sharing twin rooms, 3rd week in March: £1,026 per person
This year, exactly the same place, same week etc: £1,415 per person.
Stick ski pass, lunches, general boozing on top and I can see this getting out of hand. I imagine we'll have to look for cheaper accommodation, maybe even self catering. Sad sign of the times, but for us the skiing and lunching up the mountain is really the main event, so I'm happy to lose some creature comforts on where we stay the night.
Last year, all inclusive in Val Thorens, 6 people sharing twin rooms, 3rd week in March: £1,026 per person
This year, exactly the same place, same week etc: £1,415 per person.
Stick ski pass, lunches, general boozing on top and I can see this getting out of hand. I imagine we'll have to look for cheaper accommodation, maybe even self catering. Sad sign of the times, but for us the skiing and lunching up the mountain is really the main event, so I'm happy to lose some creature comforts on where we stay the night.
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