J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by msej449

It's a slightly special situation. We were due to fly out the day before, but I was too ill to travel. So we were all packed. I felt much better that morning and so we went for it. Also helped that it's our apartment, so all our clothes and equipment are already out there.

Best we have managed is just under 8 hours from booking the flight to being in the apartment, and that was using train, télépherique and bus at the Swiss end as well.

10:00 Decide to go Skiing
10:15 Book flights (at big discount 'coz it very late!)
10:40 Taxi arrives. Driver says he has to get petrol but don't worry ....! Leave Brighton
11:30 Arrive Gatwick N
11:45 Checkin (BA) - Bypass the queue because we're late ...
12:00 Security, Then direct to Gate
13:10 Flight departs
14:20 Arrive Geneva
14:47 Train Geneva->Martigny->Riddes
17:15 Télépherique Riddes->Isérables
17:25 Bus Isérables->La Tzoumaz
18:00 Walk into apartment

However. I wouldn't recommend cutting it quite so fine. That time 'round it all went amazingly smoothly and we we so late and the flights were so cheap that we weren't worried if we missed it.

So eight months later, this has now finally come to a close.

My home contents insurer, Ecclesiastical - who would strongly recommend to anyone - have sent me a big cheque to replace my stolen Canon digital SLR and lens, as new. I reckon they've only needed about 2-3 weeks to handle this.

The remaining 27 weeks is down to the AA and their claims handler Drakefield Insurance Services. I reckon the AA still owe me upwards of £400 but I just can't be bothered. What they paid out was close to 10% of what the house contents insurer paid, but took them around fifteen time longer to process.

I suggest that you bear my experience in mind when you come to renew or take out your travel insurance.

The EU Education website posts the full details of all higher education and school holidays:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/facts_and_figures_en.php#calendars

which is a big document. The summary chart above is useful, but it might be worth double-checking on Eurydice once you've settled for a specific week.

We have a thread on this topic every year. So I thought I'd get in early. Plus now is the time to be thinking about ordering your winter tyres - they're manufactured during the summer and the stock is finite, so by mid-winter stocks can be low/empty. Rather than the usual comments, I thought that I'd write a narrative:
___________________________________________________________________

You're driving along a French road on the way to skiing in the Alps. Outside, the temperature is around 0°C to -2°C and the skies are grey. "We're fine – the snow chains are in the boot, so we're prepared. And we're front-wheel drive anyway." you say. But you are already at a disadvantage against the French and German cars around you. They have their winter tyres on and you're on the summer tyres fitted as standard to all British cars. This means that when you brake, you'll take 20%-25% more distance before you come to a stop, even on tarmac.

Now it starts to snow and after a while you're driving through patches where you're alternating between tarmac and snow. But you can't stop easily and anyway, the chains aren't suited to this. "If it gets heavier, I'll put the chains on – but no one else is, so let's see. I can't keep putting them on and taking them off." The car starts to slide a bit on the snowy patches and you slow down to compensate, but everyone else seems to be coping fine. That 25% difference in stopping distance is now more like x2-x3 but it's not obvious. And there's a queue building up behind you. "Can't these people see it's snowing?" In fact they can, and since this is a regular winter situation, that's why they have their winter tyres on. They don't need to slow down until the conditions are much worse. And it looks like they're behind a typical English driver who seems to think that having chains solves everything.

Snow now covers the road, but it's not that deep and you're debating whether to stop and put the chains on when you approach a corner and slight incline. Each car ahead happily takes the corner at 50Kms/hr but when you do the car slides alarmingly. You just about keep it on the road but halfway up the incline (it can hardly be called a hill) you gently glide to a halt, skewed slightly into oncoming traffic, the wheels spinning. Further back in the queue, another English car coasts gracefully into the rear of a French delivery van and at the corner, a similarly unprepared young Dutch driver pitches quietly into the ditch.

Your chains are still in the boot.

It might be worth contacting rental agencies in a few resorts to see if any owners are up for a season's rental. By this time, owners will be starting to get an idea of rentals for the coming season, and some might consider a guaranteed let to one person. My feedback form our agent is that rentals in Switzerland are weaker this year than alst, and last year - although the snow was great - wasn't that great for owners.

Also, you may find that some private chalet renters would be up for having someone resident to handle arrivals/departures and be on-site for support. If the owner is renting for self-caterers or has someone come in to cater, then most agencies are stretched to provide good change-over support. If I had a big chalet I think I'd be amenable to losing one room so that I had someone responsible resident.

Just a thought ...

The resorts around the Valais are offering a Valais ski Pass this winter (I think they trialed it last year). From their description:

The Valais SkiCard is a hands-free lift-pass that works on a prepayment system. It can be used for all ski resorts of the Valais, most ski areas of Vaud and some resorts in the Pre-Alps of Fribourg. It also gives access to the thermal baths of the Valais and the Gianadda Foundation in Martigny. Valais Skicard holders can charge their card with a desired amount of money without having to queue at the ticket counters. Acting as a cashier, the pass scanner, registers your age and price category and automatically deducts the exact amount from your Valais SkiCard each time you go through the control gate.

In theory, you would be able to stay down in the valley somewhere cheaper and try out a range of resorts. Has anyone actually used this?

Downsides are the obvious ones of having to drive somewhere every day and less obvious one is that I'm not sure how much cheaper valley accommodation would be. But I'm not sure about the

Hello everyone. Well, here we are again, and would you believe that the AA and Drakefield, their partner claims management company are still refusing to pay out? We're now approaching six months since I made my original claim.

If any of you are considering renewing your insurance and going with The AA, or are with the AA and are up for renewal, then my advice is to consider my case before you go ahead.