J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by andymol2

No but it does indicate the crazy mark-ups.

crispyapplepie wrote:..... If you would spend £3.70p for a bottle of beer in uk on a night out why would u complain about 3 euro for a coke etc? It's no different.

Can't say I would joyfully spend £3.70 on a bottled beer at home when you know you can buy a case for not much more!

I guess some people have been conditioned into accepting being ripped-off.

My comments were not particularly aimed at the Swiss resorts where he exchange rate has hit the Swiss tourist industry - however that is not the same as inflation.

As a rule of thumb the French resorts poular with foreign skiers seemed to have had a bout of astronomical inflation somewhat out of step with their counterparts in the other Euro countries.
Perhaps this was prompted by the arrival of Russians and lulled them into thinking that people would pay whatever was asked. Dual pricing was clearly going on in Les Arcs 3 or 4 years ago with the French / locals getting a better deal than outsiders.

Is it illegal - probably not but I doubt I'll go back there for the forseeable future because we felt we were being ripped off.
Going to Sauze D'Oulx again this year - prices seemed similar to 5 years ago - sure a bit on inflation but nothing like the greed of the 3V or Les Arcs.

Call me a heretic if you will but have you considered Ebay?
A cheap option for often barely worn ski boots - look at it as a mail order hire shop.
Different manufacturers have subtle differences in sizes - so what I would suggest is search on the net for each manufacturers interpretation of the mondo size for it's eauivalent in Euro shoe size or UK shoesize for your daughters current size (I'd wait until the winter)

Then search eBay - find some that look in good nick & put a bid. if they don't fit then put them back on eBay & all you are down is the cost of postage.

The average "boot fitter" in a hire shop isn't going to spend too much time on a hire boot.

At the end of your hols flog them on eBay & repeat next winter|!

A cheaky option is to try a few on at a ski outlet like Decathlon!

Some of it is about the costs of operating, some is about maintaining a profit margin and also about staffing. Many of the staff will have completed their contracts and left for their summer jobs and thus aren't available to work.

There price charged and the cost of operating may well be puzzling.
Some operators may opt to keep prices high to squeeze as much out of the visitors as possible others may reduce their prices to entice more visitors.

People will vote with their feet if they think they've been ripped off. Why have Fench ski resorts been quieter and the Austrian ones busier?

How do you define Alpine other than "in the Alps" which applies to all ski resorts outside of the Alps (Pyrenees, USA, Canada.....).

It's got snow, mountains & trees although the price of booze is grim & the natives more polite.

Plantar fasciitis is generally worse when you first walk on it - particularly after you restart activity after a rest and eases (at least to an extent as you get going). So what you've described isn't typical for that.

Ski boots surround the foot in a pretty rigid structure & if they don't suit your feet (and feet come in a variety of shapes) they may well put pressure & loads on parts of the feet that are not accustomed to it which is a recipe for pain.

Remember our feet are not intended to wear shoes let alone ski boots. However bare feet in ski bindings isn't an option so the key thing is a skilled boot fitter who will select the right boot for your feet and modify it to fit you better. I fear some boot fitters work on the theory that that is required require is to fit moulded footbeds with arch supports. Ultimately these can have the effect of putting loads onto parts of the feet that were not designed or accustomed to taking those loads.

The right boots properly fitted shouldn't hurt.

Ebay.
People will buy your old skis and this may be a better bet than the economy hire options.
Boots - well if you've got children with growing feet - recycling their old boots is fine - The postage on Ebay purchases is rarely as much as boot hire - you recoup the purchase price when you sell them on again. Generally less smelly than 3 year old hire boots that have been worn by 25 or 30 different people.