The best tour operator and why?

felthorpe wrote:Have used Crystal, as everyone else here seems to agree.... adequate.

My experience of Crystal has been consistently inadequate, not enough suitable or well trained staff on the ground to do an adequate job. Because of their massive choice we've ended up going wit them on a few occasions but I would never use them again. Too many experiences that fall well below adequate.

andyhull wrote:

felthorpe wrote:Have used Crystal, as everyone else here seems to agree.... adequate.

My experience of Crystal has been consistently inadequate, not enough suitable or well trained staff on the ground to do an adequate job. Because of their massive choice we've ended up going wit them on a few occasions but I would never use them again. Too many experiences that fall well below adequate.

I've only used them once and as a result would not use one of their chalets again.
Otherwise transfers and flights etc were absolutely fine.
I'm using them this year as they go to the resort and hotel I want to use, but being half board it is not staffed by Crystal staff which can only be a good thing.

I went with Crystal last year. the only time I saw the rep was when he was skiing or having boarding lessons .Surely that's what the job is all about I wish i was young enough to do the same.

:D Great first post PORTMAN, welcome to the forums, I think you might fit in quite well.

Tony_H wrote:

LOTA wrote:

Tony_H wrote: Trying crystal again this season but half board so we won't have to suffer their dreadful food.

I'm a bit confused, Tony, as I always understood half board to mean breakfast and dinner! -)

Simples. Chalets are staffed by tour op who do the cooking, whereas hotels belong to the owners and tour op just put you up in it so they don't cook for you.


Massive difference

I know that Tone having been a veteran of more chalet and hotel hols since I can remember; if you'd said hotel it would have made more sense!!

Last time I went with Crystal it was to a hotel but only B&B, most flexible and enjoyable way to get around the resort and enjoy various restuarants and bars! :)

I am a bit reluctant on this, since in my early season days, reps were the subject of, errm, extended evening enterprises. On this basis, Inghams had by far, the best offer. Thomsons did come highly recommended....

Later, much much later, and by then, totally unconstrained from any non-value views on the subject, I discovered, for totally unrelated reasons, Inghams also seemed to have the best trained, and most knowledgeable individuals. That is not to say that there were some great individuals from other companies, ~ there were.

There was a northern company called Hards, but I would be forbidden, on this site, for drawing any inferences for ladies' preference for this company.

Sadly, Inghams management has undergone recent change, and it would appear there is a downward trend in demanded capabilities. There are still some great skiers working for many companies....

Dave Mac wrote:I am a bit reluctant on this, since in my early season days, reps were the subject of, errm, extended evening enterprises. On this basis, Inghams had by far, the best offer. Thomsons did come highly recommended....

Later, much much later, and by then, totally unconstrained from any non-value views on the subject, I discovered, for totally unrelated reasons, Inghams also seemed to have the best trained, and most knowledgeable individuals. That is not to say that there were some great individuals from other companies, ~ there were.

There was a northern company called Hards, but I would be forbidden, on this site, for drawing any inferences for ladies' preference for this company.

Sadly, Inghams management has undergone recent change, and it would appear there is a downward trend in demanded capabilities. There are still some great skiers working for many companies....

As I said earlier Inghams have been my favourite. They seem to employ reps who are generally interested in the skiing rather than just the boozing. I remember the trip where my wife tried skiing for the first time and the rep spent a good 20 mins at the welcome meeting pointing out things I should do on my own to then be able to take her back to once she was out of ski school for the day - most welcome in VDI as it was the first time I'd encountered the vagaries of its piste classification (the rep told me to keep the wife off Vert run if I wanted her to stick at this ski malarkey...)

I think it's wrong to suggest the reps from one company are all a certain type.
The crystal reps in our chalet weren't the slightest bit interested in serving the food properly, cooking it well, or ensuring the stock was kept up. They were however very keen on drinking heavily and maximising slope time. That does not suggest for one minute that all or ant other crystal reps are the same.

I have to say inghams seem to have a number of more "mature" reps who probably have a better knowledge of resorts etc and a wider experience all round.