Short Ski Break Advice needed :)

amanda n wrote:all the regulars here seem to recommend diy trips i have read bandits blogs and she is very brave all the travelling, so i thought i might give it a go, and it will give me something to pan over the long boring sunny months

I'm not teaching granny to suck eggs but knock up a spreadsheet so you can track what you will spend, you can even cost fuel, mappy will work out your petrol costs for you, and I forgot to add tolls to my previous posting :lol:

not im grateful i don't have a clue to planning it so all useful infor for me, also winter tyres and chains. thanks, keep thinking i will add them to my sheet as i go along

amanda n wrote:not im grateful i don't have a clue to planning it so all useful infor for me, also winter tyres and chains. thanks, keep thinking i will add them to my sheet as i go along

If you do decide to drive let me know your wheel size, I have a few pairs of snow chains in the garage that you could borrow :wink:

thanks but as i say it will def be next year. 2 trips left this season then save like mad

amanda n wrote:all the regulars here seem to recommend diy trips i have read bandits blogs and she is very brave all the travelling, so i thought i might give it a go, and it will give me something to pan over the long boring sunny months

amanda I'm very flattered that you think I'm brave because I travel in Europe, for me it's all down to planning and preparation. I don't feel brave at all!
I did drive out to Switzerland last April, and I would say it was quite a long drive by myself, so if you are the only driver, you also need to factor in the cost of a overnight stay.

Interesting one this, and one that really goes beyond short break.

For every trip, I have a cost speadsheet, (else, how would you know how many Euros to get) The spreadsheet has a data cell ~ "No of nights". Hence you can change the duration and see the effect.

Like a few others on this site, I have a regular base that I go back to. There are good cost benefits to this.

1. Generally, a season pass costs about the same as two weeks skiing.
2. You cost a place to stay that suits your life style needs. This could be an apartment, a hotel, B&B, a large cupboard. (Did 4 weeks in a cupboard one season) You learn the lowest cost.
3. You also learn the lowest cost ways to eat, drink and travel.
4. Once you have set up some local relationships, you can leave skis and kit there. Hence you avoid ski transfer/hire costs.

My cost splits are:
Flight, Transfer, Accomodation, Day cost, evening cost, lift pass.

So many people are attracted by a "deal", and then discover to their horror, that the day and evening costs are treble what they imagined, and in many cases dwarf the "deal" charge.

There are a good few ways to reduce costs, and Whickers mentined a couple of them. Local knowledge is a big factor.

Where would you suggest as a base for something like that, Dave?

thought you had gone away tony ?