Lift Passes an Ski hire

Hi all this is our second year of skiing and after getting a good deal last year an basically being spoilt rotten I was wondering is it best to book our ski hire an lift pass through a holiday site or wait an do it in resort??
We are also looking for some lessons for an intermediate level so is it worth going through the schools or booking private?

Hi

I can only speak from my experience in Niederau in Austria but we always have booked a package hol through Inghams inc ski school, ski hire and lift pass. I priced it this year in the resort and Inghams were only a few pounds/euros more expensive, so I think it's worth it so that you don't have the hassle when you arrive or on your first morning before you can ski.

Regarding ski school, we have now been to ski school in classes three times and have booked again for next year. We've learnt a lot from different instructors in what are very good ski school classe. Our friends booked private lessons (they are quite experienced) and I know they found them worthwhile also. :)

Thanks for the reply.
the one thing that struck me last year was we were beginners so classes was deffo a good idea but no one said that if you move up a class then a lift pass was required, in fact we knew nothing of this till we turned up on the second day to be told ' come here tomorrow when you have purchased a pass'
That cost us about £100 each. I felt a bit cheated so wondering if I actually did get a 'Deal' :(

Hi scousefly,

Unfortunately these are what tend to make ski holidays usually more than summer holidays. The prices do tend to vary depending on which resort you pick. General rule I have seen is the bigger the ski area, the more expensive.

I have hired through the tour operator and booked myself. For ski hire probably best to search on line.
e.g.
http://rentasport.sport2000.fr/uk/
http://skirental.twinner-sports.com/
you can also search on line for lift passes, but I've not seen much varriation in prices when it comes to passes. Advantage of passed through the tour operator are that they will bring them to you.

Where are you going this time?

At the end of the day best compare prices.
Hope this helps,

Cheers,
Llew

If you want to ski, you are going to need a lift pass. Your instructor will want to take you on different slopes which will aid your experience, and you will also want to explore more as you progress. Its usually between £100 and £150 depending on where you go. You can research this before you go.
But my experience tells me that booking lessons is best before you go, but book ski and equipment hire in resort - you will always find it at better rates, and the tour operators always have a specific rental outlet they use, which may not be either the best of the cheapest.
For example, in Mayrhofen they use Ski Set in Mannis, who I found to be quick to get you in and out without paying specific attention to what you need. They charged something like £75 for intermediate skis and boots.
However, Sport 2000 charged about £10 more, but their equipment was newer, the service was far more personal, and they included storage, which was right under the main gondola lift.
Alternatively, there was a new shop with brand new skis and boots, who charged 50 euros for a weeks hire. It definitely pays to spend your first evening shopping around.

I have always bought lift passes on the tranfer bus so the rep delivers them to your hotel that night. They guarantee not to charge you any more than the price in resort, but feel free to go and queue up for it yourself.

Hi,

I always buy passes/ lessons before I go to save ski time! Local tourist info sites usually have links to all this. I know specifically that in Les Arcs www.lesarcs.com/?lang=en gives you everything you need.
If you are beyond beginner I can recommend private lessons-you aren't tied to ski school every day, you'll have a smaller group and you can decide what you want to do. The instructor can advise on where you can go later in the week based on weather/ favourite pistes.