2 trips to Europe or 1 trip to USA/Canada

brandyaitch wrote:My original plans for 2010 were a group trip to France in January and a late booking 'wherever the price took me' in March.

The group booking has failed miserably with 10 of the original party of 14 dropping out, so I am considering the options of either a 10 day trip to Canada/USA or 2 trips to the Alps/Pyrenees.

I have often read that 'all skiers must have at least one trip across the pond'.

Is it worth the extra cost and travel time for the 'American experience' and if so where is recommended ?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Heck yeah come over here! It's a good cheap ( for you, lucky devil) time. Get a huge SUV while your over here

Ice Ghost, I have done three Denver/Breckenridge return journeys, ie 6 trips, all in March, and never taken longer than three hours.

I think you drive too slowly. 8)

So, how does two Euro trips compare with one USA trip?

Flight timeEuro~ 2hrs at airport + 2 hours flying, both ways, and times two trips. Total 16 hours.
USA ~ 2hrs at airport + 8 hours flying, both ways. Total 20hrs.

Cost ~ say St Anton or Zermatt, same order as Breck/Vail.
Euro, Flight, transfer, 2 room apartment, £630 pp pwk, two trips, £1260 pp. 12 days skiing, = £105/day

USA ~ March 6~ March 20, Assume 4 people
Direct Flight, £410 return, inc taxes. You can get for £350, but longer flying time.
2 room condo, high standard, $4100, = £2540, = £635pp
Car Hire, Denver Airport, Chevy Uplander 7seater. $380, = £238, = £60pp. You would need some additional insurance, but I don't know how much this would cost. Add some cheap fuel cost. Say £90 pp in total.
Total USA cost £1135 pp
13 days skiing, = £87/day

I understand that there are bargains to be had, but that works both ways, and I am not trying to prove that a USA trip is a lower cost, merely that it is of the same order. The standard of accomodation in the USA is much higher than in Europe.

Dave Mac wrote:So, how does two Euro trips compare with one USA trip?



Cost ~ say St Anton or Zermatt, same order as Breck/Vail.
Euro, Flight, transfer, 2 room apartment, £630 pp pwk, two trips, £1260 pp. 12 days skiing, = £105/day

I know we all buy ski hoidays from different places and at different costs, but £630pp for a week in a self catering apartment would give me a heart attack.
I regularly pay no more than £500pp for a week fully catered chalet, and have had it for a lot less than that too on special offers.

Not sure you can get quite sich good deals to Amercia, as when I have looked its about £700pp for a week self catering over there.

In which case, 2 weeks in Europe wins hands down.

My first thoughts about setting a Euro rate, were to set a "TonyH" rate of £500, since you are consistly the regular deal finder. However, This would not have compared well with American properties, so I felt it would not be a fair comparison. In order to reflect the ski area qualities, it seemed fair to look at St Anton and Zermatt, these being two quality ski areas, where you might get accomodation standards approaching that of the USA. The rate quoted for the condo, was for a 2 bedroom, large living room, kitchen. It also had a full size indoor swimming pool in the block.

Neither the Euro, nor the USA search involved "special offers", all were at standard rates. I am sure that with a bit of effort, the USA prices could be beaten. Just as the Euro ones can.

I understand that the conventional view is that skiing in the USA is expensive. So, I have tried to take an objective view. My point is that, the costs come out at a similar order.

With regard to your second point, since I have broken down the cost, which bit do you query? Flight, car hire, or condo rental? I only checked one web site for each, so I it would be very lucky if these were best value, first time off.

Dave, £500 for a 4 star chalet in europe including travel is not a special offer. Its just a decent price. I paid that in St Anton last Jan, and I am paying that again for the 2 forthcoming trips this season. I therefore think its about right for what you are getting. No special offers here mate.

I havent been to the other side of the Atlantic, mainly because I dont want to spend 10 hours on a plane to go skiing, and also because the cost has put me off, bearing in mind its nearly always self catering, and not forgetting the excessive lift pass prices over there, making Zermatts look cheap!

Having not been to America, I cant make a direct comparison. But my personal impression of the costs are that you can have 2 good value weeks in Europe for quite a lot less than 2 weeks in the US and get to see different places too.
Just my humble opinion like.

That is all fair enough Tony. I am not really trying to influence opinion, but to take an objective view. I am challenging convention. Your logic assumes you can get one of these deals in a top class area, for £500, in Jan and Mar. Yeah, I know, you are gonna do it!

That is why I split the issues up into flying time and cost. If you take your figure of £500, and multiply by two, £1000, then divide by 12 days skiing, that is £84 a day, same as USA, but you have the evening meal thrown in. Fair enough.
It is difficult to compare accomodation. When we have taken condos in Colorado or Canada, we have always taken large places, since we always have a friends from both countries head in. They get condos close by.

8 hours flight. I flew 24 hours to ski in Australia, Tino must have been 18 hours to South America. My mate is flying from Aukland to Munich, to meet up in Niederau in March. Thats all a personal shout. Theses type of trips are one offs.

Yes, you are right about lift pass costs. I think this winter will make the operators smell the coffee. On the other hand, the mountain management in Colorado is unmatched anywhere in Europe.

I have to say, I wouldn't do South America again unless it was for at least 10 days riding. I was fortunate enough to get business class tickets for next to nowt (54 EUR) but door to door it was 24 hours, if I had flown economy I would have been shattered and unable to ride 40 minutes after arriving (with a broken collerbone and fractured skull) )

Am definately going to try North America sometime, an 8 hour flight in economy is bearable and if done right can be out your system fairly quick, especially going west. However I think I will do Canada rather than the US.

Researching North America this year I found transfers to resort to be extortionate, when you are used to public transport in Europe you get spoiled I guess. Dave is completely right about the standard of accomodation, this is not limited to ski resorts either.

The thing that makes me lean towards Europe more is the fact there are so many nationalities in resort, a real mix of cultures. I don't imagine the US can emulate that.