davyboy

I've not been skiing since I started working and my parents insisted I paid.

I'm thinking about taking my wife and daughter, and am amazed at the costs! No wonder I've not been since.

What would you expect a good ski holiday to cost per person? Any good smaller resorts?

If I'm going to spend the kind of money being mentioned especially at half term I'm thinking a camping weekend in Wales can be my summer holiday!

darts_aint_sport

I would have expected most deals to be had would have been if you booked a few months ago?

Or just clench your **** and hope lastminute.com has something the week before you go.

hodgy0_2

I am taking the familly in march (and have been for the last 3 yrs)

you cant do it for less than £800 per person (week)-- but that was at 1.30 to the pound so prob £900 now

davyboy

Lift pass £150
Ski School £100
Ski Hire £60

X 3 =

davyboy

What's the views on all inclusive Clubmed Ski holidays?

The "all inclusive" tags fills me with dread, but the Child care and activities is a bonus.

austinwrx

I reckon I've been 30 to 35 times now, although not at all in the last 4 years as to be honest got a bit bored....... I'd recommend

"max ski" if you search the web for it. A friend runs the company.

if you've got all the gear and can ski- its cheap ish........ its the hurdle of buying the gear and learning thats the inital problem.

Iain Young

Last time I went last year , we rented a flat (for 3 people sharing) which cost about £300 for the week, ski pass was about £100 for the week. I was the only person who skiied, so the cost for me (for the week) worked out at around £200 (+plus travel).

All depends on where you go...

hodgy0_2

my fairly rough calculations are as follows

ferry = £100
Petrol/tolls/resort parking/AA recovery = £500
5 bed Apartment = £1600
Ski Hire X5 = £400
Lessons £400
Ski Pass X 5 £500

that makes £3500 divided by 5 = £700

This does not count the additional cost of eating out etc

davyboy

Not may ski passes seem to cost £100, more like £150.

We have no gear, and need to learn.

davyboy

It's also boring! I went a few years ago, and an hour was enough! I'm rusty but can still ski without falling on my ****.

It might benefit the daughter.

hodgy0_2

5 is 2 Adults plus 3 adults (kids are a bit cheaper)

what you can do is go after 4th April, many resorts drastically reduce prices on Ski Passes and hire etc

and the last two times I have been in April the snow has been awesome

Nido

Sierra Nevada (although not exactly small) can be good in March, the prices have started to drop by then and decent snow also

All depends if you can get a deal on cheap flights as to how cost effective it is. If you can get some of the crazy Ryanair ones (and there are plenty about at the moment, was only looking myself the other day) then it'll probably work out quite a bit cheaper than Alps etc, particularly accomodation and food & drink

dpb

youll be lucky tho to get a good snow coverage !

Been up there similar times and they were making liberal use of the snow cannon , and by the time i arrrived it was a rutted ice rink

Nido

How long ago was that?

They now have some of the best snow making setups in Europe

51st state

just returned from les duex alpes ,

ski passes were £182 as the euro is strong,
we found a good deal on Ski holidays | Ski Deals | Igluski.com
Holiday Id: 18362393

£370 , included flights, transfer, breakfast (cooked) cake , tea and biscuits at 1pm and 3 course evening meal with as much wine as you can drink
had its own sauna and hot tub(outside on balcony)

school holidays are expensive, as hodgy says april can be awesome , last april i went to val d isere and it snowed for 4 days , best snow all year !!! again i found a deal the same as above but for £320

what i would say is that austria is cheaper than france and italy and has better facilitys on the mountain they have hotels not chalets
bulgaria is cheaper again (been to borovets and was ok, make sure you stay at the big hotels though!!!!)

Kevin Greeley

Going with IGLU to La Plagne next week.
Half board, flights & transfers - £240.
Lift pass - £189 (free upgrade to Les Arcs) - ouch! (would have been £245).
First time with IGLU - usually use Inghams square deals: Inghams Holiday Prices

davyboy

Are there companies that offer transfers from Geneva to Les arcs for instance?

davegtt

I did some lessons at the beginning of this month at Xscape in Castleford (they have one in MK too).

We booked to go to Kranjska Gora in Slovenia on the 31st of this month. Looks a good resort, especially for beginners. £400 half board hotel, all equipement hire and Lift passes included We found that on firstchoice-ski.co.uk

Theres plenty of deals out there, First Choice are offering a free lift pass to the holidays in Bulgaria if you want to get a cheaper holiday. And they dont use the Euro either so bit more value for money too.

Cant wait

Matteeboy

Davy - I have mates that run a hotel and bar in Alpe d'Huez so can get cheap everything but still manage to get through £1200 minimum (for two) when skiing.
Just don't think it can be done on the cheap unless you get cr4p accommodation.
I did a Uni trip to Risoul once on the cheap and it was pretty poor - too late in the season, terrible accommodation and naff hire kit.

Not been for a while now as I just think it's too pricey but keen to go again once the little one is a bit older.

I do think it's worth going to the best resorts though - Ones in Switzerland,. France or Austria. Cheaper alternatives seem to disappoint all too often.

On the upside, there is nothing like being in the mountains on a crisp sunny morning after a dump of snow.

TSL Motorsport

My sister and her friend are off to Bulgaria in Feb an it's £400 each including flights. She's going with Balkan Holidays, they've got some really good offers but it obviously would depend on when you go i.e. school holidays being more expensive.
Lins

davegtt

Ignore those saying it cant be done on the cheap and all the **** about best resorts only found in Switzerland France and Austria. visit UK Snowboarding Community and Snowboarding Forums | GONEboarding and talk to the people who have been to the resorts. You'll get a proper answer. Everthing can be done on the cheap if you spend enough time looking around

You get one breath people saying others spend too much money they dont have etc etc then the next theyre telling you to not do it on the cheap...

Matteeboy

Dave - my point is that when I DID do it on the cheap, it was cr4p.
And when I have been to "unusual" resorts it has also been cr4p.
Best ski holidays have been to well known resorts (my favourite being Meribel) with tonnes of good runs and off piste - but they have cost a fair bit.

In fact we travelled for 5 months to Oz and NZ after getting married. At the end of our trip we got inspired to go skiing (after seeing snow in South NZ - in the Summer!). We drove down to Alpe d'Huez from Cornwall and spent two weeks there. Those two weeks cost very nearly as much as the 5 months of travelling and we got free ski hire and cheap lift passes!! Brilliant holiday though.

davegtt

I know the costs of certain trips, my holiday in 2 weeks for 1 weeks snowboarding will cost me approx the same as one months spending money and accomodation in Central America when I did my travelling. Its all relative though. Europe is expensive, thats something we have to live with.

Remember the OP is a beginner and will be having a lessons, I dont think he needs to spend £1200 to go to a top of the scale resort to learn.

Matteeboy

Dave - good points. But I'm assuming Davy is not a bad skiier?

You are right though - a beginner can learn anywhere, as long as the snow is okay. Lessons are usually pricey though.

Clarebabes

Dave can ski, but is rusty. I broke my leg when I was 18 quite badly, so have confidence issues! Hollie is a beginner. My main concern is that I'll hold Dave back and Hollie will hold me back. If she doesn't want to ski, we're in the poo cos there'll be no one else to look after her.

Matteeboy

Clare - how old is Hollie?
We had a similar situation when my little sister was 4 - my folks paid for a nanny type person to help her ski and look after her. Again it was a bit pricey but really freed them up.

How about you both have lessons each morning (at different levels) then ski together in the afternoons?

My Mum bust her leg skiing five years ago and has only just got her nerve back. Takes a lot to get confident again.

davegtt

Not that bad, misses had lessons last year in Borovets (Bulgaria) and it cost £45 for lessons, 3 hours 3 days. Not bad. £40 this year if I wanted lessons in Slovenia, again 3 hours and 3 days but Ive had my lessons at Xscape (which was pricey but chose to do that so I can enjoy my holiday rather than spend it learning

davegtt

Clare, whilst looking around we've noticed alot of the bigger hotels at Ski resorts offer a creche for the little ones if thats any help. I appriciate some people may not want to leave their kids through the day though.

davyboy

I like the sound of that. Slovenia is cool as it's still in the alps.....I just can't bring myself to look at Bulgaria!