Who's going skiing and where? 23-24

[timlongs]

prand said:

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.

I live in the French Alps (near Les Arcs) and know lots of friends running legit transfer companies. The Lithuanian drivers have certainly not gone and there was carnage caused by them last season. They took on far too many bookings, didn't turn up for transfers, drivers working 18 hour shifts, and police stopping and impounding vans. I think in one hit they took 18 vans off the road... They probably don't get paid properly, and live in substandard accommodation, and most don't have the relevant documents. If the price is super cheap, there is a good reason.

[Marcellus]

UTH said:

Given the above, with a ski pass about £300 it seems......club Med at £2,145 per head suddenly looks good value, given our other option is £1,700 with ski pass or so.....

I wonder if I can convince my group to be happy with a £2,500 holiday. Doubt it.

Things are silly in the 3Vs this season with the World Cup coming to resort; the Organisers have been offerring weekly let owners the full seasons rent (at full weekly let rate) for a 4/6 weeks of the season which understandably owners are taking as it's the easy option for them!

[UTH]

Marcellus said:

UTH said:

Given the above, with a ski pass about £300 it seems......club Med at £2,145 per head suddenly looks good value, given our other option is £1,700 with ski pass or so.....

I wonder if I can convince my group to be happy with a £2,500 holiday. Doubt it.

Things are silly in the 3Vs this season with the World Cup coming to resort; the Organisers have been offerring weekly let owners the full seasons rent (at full weekly let rate) for a 4/6 weeks of the season which understandably owners are taking as it's the easy option for them!

Hmmmmmm, didn’t know about the WC. Might be worth looking elsewhere this year. Although my next fave of St Anton is unlikely to be cheap.

[JEA1K]

UTH said:

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.

Sounds like the best option. The last time we were really squeezed financially (2010 ish?) we started staying in self catering apartments so we could eat in ... plus when doing a week or over, we kind of get sick of eating out every night anyhow. We've always found nice apartments in most places (Swiss, Italian or Austrian - we don't go to France!) so I can't way we've had any bad experiences, I suppose it depends what you value personally.

[T1berious]

JEA1K said:

Sounds like the best option. The last time we were really squeezed financially (2010 ish?) we started staying in self catering apartments so we could eat in ... plus when doing a week or over, we kind of get sick of eating out every night anyhow. We've always found nice apartments in most places (Swiss, Italian or Austrian - we don't go to France!) so I can't way we've had any bad experiences, I suppose it depends what you value personally.

We tend to do a similar thing in Whistler. 12 Days so it makes more sense for us to do an apartment. We've seen prices push up 20% on accommodation.

Flights we booked earlier in the year (April) for a March 2023 holiday to manage costs.

I think the 22/23 Ski Season will work out to be our most expensive.

[RC1807]

T1berious said:

We tend to do a similar thing in Whistler. 12 Days so it makes more sense for us to do an apartment. We've seen prices push up 20% on accommodation.

Flights we booked earlier in the year (April) for a March 2023 holiday to manage costs.

I think the 22/23 Ski Season will work out to be our most expensive.

Whistler has been our most expensive family holidays ever, Christmas 2012, then again in 2015. Family of 4, peak season flights and accommodation, but THE BEST skiing we've ever had - and such polite queueing.


Jan 2023, we've booked Flaine (aka Kent South), again. Apartment deal for €500, shuttle bus stop right outside the door. Indoor parking.

Pondering on whether it's a good idea to get a season ski pass, which is half price if it's bought before the end of November (€550 per adult), vs. €274/week if bought in the same period. (Usually €320/week) If we buy the season pass and book off-peak weekends and a 2nd week after the Feb school holidays, we'd save.

[Carbon Sasquatch]

RC1807 said:

Pondering on whether it's a good idea to get a season ski pass, which is half price if it's bought before the end of November (€550 per adult), vs. €274/week if bought in the same period. (Usually €320/week) If we buy the season pass and book off-peak weekends and a 2nd week after the Feb school holidays, we'd save.

And the more weekends you do, the more you'll save. It practically pays for itself

[The_Doc]

Carbon Sasquatch said:

RC1807 said:

Pondering on whether it's a good idea to get a season ski pass, which is half price if it's bought before the end of November (€550 per adult), vs. €274/week if bought in the same period. (Usually €320/week) If we buy the season pass and book off-peak weekends and a 2nd week after the Feb school holidays, we'd save.

And the more weekends you do, the more you'll save. It practically pays for itself

My parents have both just renewed their Portes du Soleil Season passes.

€57 each for over 75s,

they are 77 and 78 and both ski about 8-10 weeks of the year. Although that's a glorified ski up to his favourite bar for lunch for my dad!

[Cold]

Sunshine opens some of its lifts on Thursday (3rd Nov). Lake Louise is set to open on Friday (4th Nov) also initially with just a few lifts.

Proper early bird stuff.

[UTH]

Has anyone got experience/opinions on Meribel 18th March for a week?
I've always gone to Val Thorens as it's higher so better snow late in the season, but my group have suggested Meribel "as we did VT last time"

My gut feeling is Meribel will be nothing but slush most of the time at that time of year, but has anyone been who can confirm?

[deckster]

March 18th isn't late season! If you were a month later I'd agree but mid-March will be absolutely fine.

[UTH]

deckster said:

March 18th isn't late season! If you were a month later I'd agree but mid-March will be absolutely fine.

Ok good stuff, for some reason I'd always had mid march onwards as late season, but you're right, more like april onwards isn't it.

[rustyuk]

Was browsing the usual sites yesterday and to be honest the prices outside of school holidays don't seem much higher if not the same as last year.

It's all the add-ons that seem mental, lift passes, equipment hire, car hire, transfers, airport parking etc....

[deckster]

UTH said:

deckster said:

March 18th isn't late season! If you were a month later I'd agree but mid-March will be absolutely fine.

Ok good stuff, for some reason I'd always had mid march onwards as late season, but you're right, more like april onwards isn't it.

Lower down and in a poor year you'd be right. But Meribel is high enough for late March not to be an issue even in an uber-stty season.

[JEA1K]

March is definitely late season.

We've been going late season for 25 years (mid March) and have had basically all types of weather ... including some of the best and worst snow conditions I've seen. Its pot luck but chances are you'll get longer days, plenty of sun and won't freeze your nuts off

[interstellar]

We’ve booked for Feb Half term in Morillon near La clusaz. Looks nice.

Macron wouldn’t let the kids in last year so we had a BA vouchers but we had to add £500 more in uplift in flights and car hire.

Not so bad really, looking forward to it!!

[//j17]

JEA1K said:

We've been going late season for 25 years (mid March) and have had basically all types of weather ... including some of the best and worst snow conditions I've seen. Its pot luck but chances are you'll get longer days, plenty of sun and won't freeze your nuts off

In my experience you often get the best conditions late in 'the season' - but then the modern 'season' is based around the Christmas/Half Term/Easter school holidays, rather than when the mountains have the best snow.

I've also been Feb half term skiing in the Alps and had to strip down to just my base layer sat in the sun eating lunch because it's been in the high teens in the sun.

[UTH]

//j17 said:

JEA1K said:

We've been going late season for 25 years (mid March) and have had basically all types of weather ... including some of the best and worst snow conditions I've seen. Its pot luck but chances are you'll get longer days, plenty of sun and won't freeze your nuts off

In my experience you often get the best conditions late in 'the season' - but then the modern 'season' is based around the Christmas/Half Term/Easter school holidays, rather than when the mountains have the best snow.

I've also been Feb half term skiing in the Alps and had to strip down to just my base layer sat in the sun eating lunch because it's been in the high teens in the sun.

These days me and my group are very much there for a sunny lunch on an amazing terrace as much as we are there for the skiing. I've skied most of my life, so I've done the 'up at dawn, first on the powder' type skiing, these days I know I'm good enough to cope with all types of snow but certainly don't feel the need to be trekking around looking for the perfect powder all day. As long as there's actually enough snow to get back to the hotel/chalet, then I'm happy.

[RoamingBull]

Cold said:

Sunshine opens some of its lifts on Thursday (3rd Nov). Lake Louise is set to open on Friday (4th Nov) also initially with just a few lifts.

Proper early bird stuff.

Yes I see there’s plenty of snow and more to come.
Love skiing the Rockies. Wouldn’t swap it.
Will there come end of February.

[oddman]

interstellar said:

We’ve booked for Feb Half term in Morillon near La clusaz. Looks nice.

Macron wouldn’t let the kids in last year so we had a BA vouchers but we had to add £500 more in uplift in flights and car hire.

Not so bad really, looking forward to it!!

Morillon is near La Cluzas as the chough flies but is on the opposite side of the Valley to the A40/Arve Valley and not linked

Morillon is part of the Grand Massif (Samoens/Morillon/Les Carroz/Flaine) Ski Area

Although the area is not high altitude (I think about 2400m in Flaine) it's got a pretty good snow record, and good snow making and lots of kid friendly skiing.