Ski/boarding europe what a hassell
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MY SKI TRIP TO EUROPE
Myself and my husband have been planing this trip since August
We live in Perth Australia. I would like to let other people out there how hard it is to go and ski there it's a joke.
I have never been to Europe before my husband has but only Rome.
So because we love to ski/board we thought we would go in winter. Thought we would go for 4 weeks give us time in Paris and to ski.
So we booked our flights they were cheap flights could not exchange or refund.
Booked our time in Paris for a week. We were going to ski Chamonix. But changed our mind and decided to ski Italy and Swaziland instead.
Then it came to book our accommodation in the ski fields we were not told before booking all the ski fields in Europe only do 7 days min stay.
We Only had 11 days to ski so can't stay 11 days in Courmayeur only week to week.
Was a dream to go and ski Zermatt but also out of the question as w-week.
My travel agent said the only place in Europe we can go for 4 nights is st mortiz 'Yea' the most expenses resort in europe we had no where else to go so we booked there.
Now only few weeks till we go. We have not booked our train around to the ski resorts. My travel agent said she could book some trains but not others and that we would have to book it when we are there. NO NOT me I need it planed down to a T And the other reason is because we only speek English so don't want to get stuck. As we are going there on a weekend through to Courmayeur. The tunnel through chamoniz is closed I herd. She said we would have to go up to Geneva and two more stops to the ski field on a bus. That's just to get to Courmayeur one of the two ski fields. Then we have to make our way back to Geneva after st mortiz as we are flying out back home from there. We do have another way fly it. But can't get direct flights into courmayeur and st mortiz
I so wished we had booked to go to Japan or America
Any feed back would be great
you're crossing Switzerland, we've got probably the best public transport system in the world (and I've tried quite a few), it sounds to me that your problem is not having the best travel agent in the world ) You can book and pay for the public transport online, it's the only country in the world to my knowledge (and I've tried quite a few) that this is possible. If you tell me the exact journey I'll tell you how to do it but with a spark of initiative you can do it via http://sbb.ch/en/index.htm
I've heard the skiing in Swaziland isn't too good you may want to skip that.
Your travel agent has obviously pulled a fast one, or needs to retrain...I did 4 nights in Alpe d'Huez a couple of weeks ago from Thursday to Monday and booked an extra day at the on the Monday we were due to leave so stayed until the Tuesday. It is certainly possible to book flexi stays in many european resorts as I have spent many an evening pricing up short ski breaks.
I do hope you are able to put the hassle of the booking process behind you and have a fabulous time anyway! :D
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Started by Little ski in Ski Chatter 30-Jan-2010 - 91 Replies
Little ski posted Jan-2010
MY SKI TRIP TO EUROPE
Myself and my husband have been planing this trip since August
We live in Perth Australia. I would like to let other people out there how hard it is to go and ski there it's a joke.
I have never been to Europe before my husband has but only Rome.
So because we love to ski/board we thought we would go in winter. Thought we would go for 4 weeks give us time in Paris and to ski.
So we booked our flights they were cheap flights could not exchange or refund.
Booked our time in Paris for a week. We were going to ski Chamonix. But changed our mind and decided to ski Italy and Swaziland instead.
Then it came to book our accommodation in the ski fields we were not told before booking all the ski fields in Europe only do 7 days min stay.
We Only had 11 days to ski so can't stay 11 days in Courmayeur only week to week.
Was a dream to go and ski Zermatt but also out of the question as w-week.
My travel agent said the only place in Europe we can go for 4 nights is st mortiz 'Yea' the most expenses resort in europe we had no where else to go so we booked there.
Now only few weeks till we go. We have not booked our train around to the ski resorts. My travel agent said she could book some trains but not others and that we would have to book it when we are there. NO NOT me I need it planed down to a T And the other reason is because we only speek English so don't want to get stuck. As we are going there on a weekend through to Courmayeur. The tunnel through chamoniz is closed I herd. She said we would have to go up to Geneva and two more stops to the ski field on a bus. That's just to get to Courmayeur one of the two ski fields. Then we have to make our way back to Geneva after st mortiz as we are flying out back home from there. We do have another way fly it. But can't get direct flights into courmayeur and st mortiz
I so wished we had booked to go to Japan or America
Any feed back would be great
Admin
reply to 'Ski/boarding europe what a hassell' posted Jan-2010
So you have four weeks in Europe? Brilliant, well ditch your clueless "agent" - and get some skiing sorted.
Hmm. Well, about 10 million Europeans manage it each year, and a million Brits... and a rather large number of Aussies... 8)
That's nonsense. There are loads of hotels in and around ski resorts that are nowadays quite happy to do flexible stays. There is an increasing quantity of accommodation available for odd durations and there are hundreds of independent chalet operators who are generally more than willing to accommodate.
You should have come here - we list hundreds of them.
If your holiday coincides with half-term (i.e. mid-February) then you will find the options more limited, but even half-term is not booked out this year.
Contacting the Tourist Office in your preferred resort (they all have e-mail and 99% speak English) is worth doing.
:shock: Well, do let them know there are over a thousand ski resorts in Europe... did they just start with the most expensive and not bother with the rest? :roll:
Relax. Switzerland is superb for public transport and there are excellent "tourist" tickets that allow you to travel just about everywhere with minimal strife. We're lucky to have some English-speaking (!) Swiss residents as regulars and I'm sure they can help you out.
Sounds like your agent would have stuffed that up too... 8)
So...
Tell us what you've got booked and where you want to go, and be prepared to do a little work yourself (that's gotta be better than paying an agent), and start looking forward to your trip! 8)
Little ski wrote:I would like to let other people out there how hard it is to go and ski there it's a joke.
Hmm. Well, about 10 million Europeans manage it each year, and a million Brits... and a rather large number of Aussies... 8)
Little ski wrote:all the ski fields in Europe only do 7 days min stay.
That's nonsense. There are loads of hotels in and around ski resorts that are nowadays quite happy to do flexible stays. There is an increasing quantity of accommodation available for odd durations and there are hundreds of independent chalet operators who are generally more than willing to accommodate.
You should have come here - we list hundreds of them.
If your holiday coincides with half-term (i.e. mid-February) then you will find the options more limited, but even half-term is not booked out this year.
Contacting the Tourist Office in your preferred resort (they all have e-mail and 99% speak English) is worth doing.
Little ski wrote:My travel agent said the only place in Europe we can go for 4 nights is st mortiz
:shock: Well, do let them know there are over a thousand ski resorts in Europe... did they just start with the most expensive and not bother with the rest? :roll:
Little ski wrote:NO NOT me I need it planed
Relax. Switzerland is superb for public transport and there are excellent "tourist" tickets that allow you to travel just about everywhere with minimal strife. We're lucky to have some English-speaking (!) Swiss residents as regulars and I'm sure they can help you out.
Little ski wrote:I so wished we had booked to go to Japan or America
Sounds like your agent would have stuffed that up too... 8)
So...
Tell us what you've got booked and where you want to go, and be prepared to do a little work yourself (that's gotta be better than paying an agent), and start looking forward to your trip! 8)
The Admin Man
Ise
reply to 'Ski/boarding europe what a hassell' posted Jan-2010
Little ski wrote:
MY SKI TRIP TO EUROPE
Myself and my husband have been planing this trip since August
We live in Perth Australia. I would like to let other people out there how hard it is to go and ski there it's a joke.
I have never been to Europe before my husband has but only Rome.
So because we love to ski/board we thought we would go in winter. Thought we would go for 4 weeks give us time in Paris and to ski.
So we booked our flights they were cheap flights could not exchange or refund.
Booked our time in Paris for a week. We were going to ski Chamonix. But changed our mind and decided to ski Italy and Swaziland instead.
Then it came to book our accommodation in the ski fields we were not told before booking all the ski fields in Europe only do 7 days min stay.
We Only had 11 days to ski so can't stay 11 days in Courmayeur only week to week.
Was a dream to go and ski Zermatt but also out of the question as w-week.
My travel agent said the only place in Europe we can go for 4 nights is st mortiz 'Yea' the most expenses resort in europe we had no where else to go so we booked there.
Now only few weeks till we go. We have not booked our train around to the ski resorts. My travel agent said she could book some trains but not others and that we would have to book it when we are there. NO NOT me I need it planed down to a T And the other reason is because we only speek English so don't want to get stuck. As we are going there on a weekend through to Courmayeur. The tunnel through chamoniz is closed I herd. She said we would have to go up to Geneva and two more stops to the ski field on a bus. That's just to get to Courmayeur one of the two ski fields. Then we have to make our way back to Geneva after st mortiz as we are flying out back home from there. We do have another way fly it. But can't get direct flights into courmayeur and st mortiz
I so wished we had booked to go to Japan or America
Any feed back would be great
you're crossing Switzerland, we've got probably the best public transport system in the world (and I've tried quite a few), it sounds to me that your problem is not having the best travel agent in the world ) You can book and pay for the public transport online, it's the only country in the world to my knowledge (and I've tried quite a few) that this is possible. If you tell me the exact journey I'll tell you how to do it but with a spark of initiative you can do it via http://sbb.ch/en/index.htm
I've heard the skiing in Swaziland isn't too good you may want to skip that.
Snowb4ndit
reply to 'Ski/boarding europe what a hassell' posted Jan-2010
Little ski wrote:
MY SKI TRIP TO EUROPE
.
Then it came to book our accommodation in the ski fields we were not told before booking all the ski fields in Europe only do 7 days min stay.
We Only had 11 days to ski so can't stay 11 days in Courmayeur only week to week.
Was a dream to go and ski Zermatt but also out of the question as w-week.
My travel agent said the only place in Europe we can go for 4 nights is st mortiz 'Yea' the most expenses resort in europe we had no where else to go so we booked there.
Your travel agent has obviously pulled a fast one, or needs to retrain...I did 4 nights in Alpe d'Huez a couple of weeks ago from Thursday to Monday and booked an extra day at the on the Monday we were due to leave so stayed until the Tuesday. It is certainly possible to book flexi stays in many european resorts as I have spent many an evening pricing up short ski breaks.
I do hope you are able to put the hassle of the booking process behind you and have a fabulous time anyway! :D
Take Life With A Pinch Of Salt... A Wedge Of Lime, & A Shot Of Tequila :-)
Brucie
reply to 'Ski/boarding europe what a hassell' posted Jan-2010
Little ski - are you serious? Have you heard of researching the internet, as almost everything you require will be available to you there. As admin says, start by looking on this site here!!
I went trsvelling in Australia a few years ago and did everything myself, flights, booking camper vans, cars, trips, and that was in the days before t'internet!!!!!!!!!
Its Europe you are visiting not the moon!!
And if your travel agent wants you to stay in St Moritz, and travel via Geneva to get to Courmayeur or Chamonix for a days ski-ing she needs a serious geography lesson. or a larger scale map!!!
Ditch the agent, do some research, fly over, and have a great holiday!! :D
I went trsvelling in Australia a few years ago and did everything myself, flights, booking camper vans, cars, trips, and that was in the days before t'internet!!!!!!!!!
Its Europe you are visiting not the moon!!
And if your travel agent wants you to stay in St Moritz, and travel via Geneva to get to Courmayeur or Chamonix for a days ski-ing she needs a serious geography lesson. or a larger scale map!!!
Ditch the agent, do some research, fly over, and have a great holiday!! :D
"Better to remain reticent and have people think one is an idiot, than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt"
AllyG
reply to 'Ski/boarding europe what a hassell' posted Jan-2010
Everyone,
I think she's booked the ski-ing already, and just needs help with the transport between Geneva and Courmayeur, and Courmayeur and St Moritz, and St Moritz and Geneva (although I may have got it the wrong way around - I am a little bit confused myself!).
Littleski,
Best of luck with sorting it all out. I have found myself that travel agents only want to sell you the standard package. It isn't that other options aren't available, it's that they're too much trouble.
We went to Australia ourselves a few years ago, and the travel agent wanted to book us hotels in Cairns, but I wanted to go self-catering to the northern beaches, so I booked it myself on the internet. And likewise, I wanted to go camping in the Kimberleys but not with a tour group, so I hired a Toyota Landcruiser and flew in to Broome did the Gibb river road, and then flew back out from Kununurra.
I hope you have a great time in Europe with the ski-ing and visiting Paris :D
Ally
I think she's booked the ski-ing already, and just needs help with the transport between Geneva and Courmayeur, and Courmayeur and St Moritz, and St Moritz and Geneva (although I may have got it the wrong way around - I am a little bit confused myself!).
Littleski,
Best of luck with sorting it all out. I have found myself that travel agents only want to sell you the standard package. It isn't that other options aren't available, it's that they're too much trouble.
We went to Australia ourselves a few years ago, and the travel agent wanted to book us hotels in Cairns, but I wanted to go self-catering to the northern beaches, so I booked it myself on the internet. And likewise, I wanted to go camping in the Kimberleys but not with a tour group, so I hired a Toyota Landcruiser and flew in to Broome did the Gibb river road, and then flew back out from Kununurra.
I hope you have a great time in Europe with the ski-ing and visiting Paris :D
Ally
Tony_H
reply to 'Ski/boarding europe what a hassell' posted Jan-2010
Is the first post some kind of wind up?
If not, simple solution as others have said - ditch the travel agent who is clearly trying to pull your leg and make money out of you, and book it all yourself. Plenty of people on here will help.
If not, simple solution as others have said - ditch the travel agent who is clearly trying to pull your leg and make money out of you, and book it all yourself. Plenty of people on here will help.
www
New and improved me
Far Queue
reply to 'Ski/boarding europe what a hassell' posted Jan-2010
:shock: :cry:
Wow, I'm stunned. And you being an Aussie as well.
Not much point retyping everything, but I totally agree with Mr Admin, you should have had no problem booking short duration stays in most decent resorts (school holidays aside, but as you are already back this was not the case). Plenty of people in the UK just pop over for anything from a 1 night to a 5 night stay.
Ise is correct, the Swiss travel system just has to be about the best in the world. In my experience, they link their timetables for everything, trains, buses and even Lake ferries if you are using them. I have never had issues with the Italian system either, and in my experience most people in the Alps speak (to some extent) English (much to the shame of most Brits, who cannot reciprocate in any way), or they will be able to work out what it is you need fairly easily.
Finally, you did not mention wether you enjoyed the Skiing and Boarding :-) Was it worth it?
Wow, I'm stunned. And you being an Aussie as well.
Not much point retyping everything, but I totally agree with Mr Admin, you should have had no problem booking short duration stays in most decent resorts (school holidays aside, but as you are already back this was not the case). Plenty of people in the UK just pop over for anything from a 1 night to a 5 night stay.
Ise is correct, the Swiss travel system just has to be about the best in the world. In my experience, they link their timetables for everything, trains, buses and even Lake ferries if you are using them. I have never had issues with the Italian system either, and in my experience most people in the Alps speak (to some extent) English (much to the shame of most Brits, who cannot reciprocate in any way), or they will be able to work out what it is you need fairly easily.
Finally, you did not mention wether you enjoyed the Skiing and Boarding :-) Was it worth it?
Topic last updated on 06-February-2010 at 22:22