J2Ski Holiday 2014

What about one of these http://www.mountainsunltd.com/ - they are flexible with the dates, so you can go for as long as you like, the price also includes transfers from Geneva so you would just have to arrange your own flight/train.

Although the ones in France may be a bit on the small side (apart from the one in Tignes which doesn't sound like its on the list).

Ally,
You're talking to someone who skis at Easter so slush on lower slopes is my surface!

Samoens is a village at 700m.
The skiing starts at Samoens 1600m. You have to get a gondola to the slopes.
So, the skiing would get no more slushy than anywhere else at that height at the time of the year and you have acces to 265 km of skiing including Flaine(open and high) and Les Carroz and Morillon, more sheltered and better scenery.

It's worth a consideration I'm sure.

Though I think it's rather a long way away for me to say if I'd be going!

I have rung Skiworld, as suggested by Andyhull (who has organized lots of group ski holidays).

They were very helpful. I explained that I was only making a general enquiry for 2014. This is what they said:

1. They will normally only hold a chalet for the exclusive use of a group for one week whilst the group sorts out how many people want to go.

2. Their deposits are £150 per person.

3. They will accept group sizes starting from 7 in the group. For a group size of 15 there may be 2 free places depending on the date and the chalet.

4. Their chalets are in the main resorts/villages - not the little villages like Monchavin.

5. They sell package holidays which include flights. However, when I pushed the poor guy on this he said that they would allow flights to be from different U.K. airports (regional ones would cost slightly more), and they would even allow the direct Eurostar (to suitable resorts), OR no flights at all for certain people, with a discount for this.

6. They would accept individual payments from group members - most people apparently do it by bank transfer - as we have done for the 2013 group holiday.

7. They will accept name changes free of charge up to 10 weeks before the holiday. Between 10 and 4 weeks before the holiday there will be a charge of £35 per name, and less than 4 weeks before the holiday the charge will be £50 per name.

I asked him for a general price and he said around £600 for early February to include flights, transfers, and the catered chalet.

Looking on their website for 2013 they do deals on certain dates/to certain chalets, like 2 lift passes for one etc.

I thought they seemed fairly flexible and willing to be helpful - which is encouraging

So - it means another group decision. Do we book a chalet directly with the owner (like we have for the 2013 holiday) or do we use a TO like Skiworld?

NellyPS wrote:What about one of these http://www.mountainsunltd.com/ - they are flexible with the dates, so you can go for as long as you like, the price also includes transfers from Geneva so you would just have to arrange your own flight/train.

Although the ones in France may be a bit on the small side (apart from the one in Tignes which doesn't sound like its on the list).

Nelly - I know all about the one in Tignes Les Boisses, because that's where I was just over a week ago

Their special out of season deals are amazingly cheap - which is why I went

My daughter and I paid £169 each for 3 days ski-ing with them, including transfers to and from Geneva, 3 nights and 3 days of breakfast, lunch (if you wanted it), tea and supper, 3 days lift passes for the whole Espace Killy, and ski and boot hire. The only extra we had to pay was the return flights to and from Geneva for £100.

And as you all probably know by now, we were incredibly lucky and we masses of snow, and sunshine, and practically the whole resort to ourselves with no lift queues

I did think of this chalet, Les Melezes, for the 2013 group holiday, but I discounted it because I didn't think it was of a high enough quality for the rest of the group. I mean, I don't mind the facts that they had duck tape covering the worn out stairs, we could hardly shut the bathroom door, the food wasn't very good etc. The staff were very kind and helpful, the skis seemed practically brand new, and we were only there for the ski-ing.

I don't know what their other chalets are like, but I'm sure they'd be worth considering (and they might be a bit 'posher').

That's why I said we need to discuss budgets. I'm sure some people are like me and they don't care much about the quality of the accommodation or the food, but to other people these things are very important.

Dids - I'm not expecting anyone to book this 2014 holiday just yet - but it's a very pleasant way of occupying the time until we can all go ski-ing again and we might actually make some useful progress towards organizing the 2014 holiday

I think you are putting yourself forward as organiser again Ally!

Dids1 wrote:
I think you are putting yourself forward as organiser again Ally!

Oh dear

I suppose it's getting to be a habit now

Thinking about it i don't think i would have to make March a priority for me in 2014. Seeing as its quite aways off i could do any month and organise my family trips around that.

Snapzzz wrote:Thinking about it i don't think i would have to make March a priority for me in 2014. Seeing as its quite aways off i could do any month and organise my family trips around that.

Thanks Snapzzz
It might be a good idea to make the date a starting point. As far as I can remember all anyone has said about this is that Nelly says she can't manage January and I'd prefer the beginning of February.

Once we have a date we could all pencil it in for our advance diaries, or in our heads, and remember not to book anything else at this time.

I'm assuming that the people who don't want to go in our school holidays will again outnumber those poor people who have to go in school holidays.