Is it just me?

We're almost there - we pretty much aren't tied to school holidays this year actually, but a trip to Corfu in April is possibly putting a dampener on any ski plans.

Have to say in all our DIY holidays though we've been to some pretty well known resorts. 3 vallrys, Grand Massif, Les Saisies, Les Houches...(and skied the whole of Chamonix area)

I wouldn't budget to the point of going somewhere like Bulgaria. I just really wouldn't fancy it.
I'd rather tailor make my budgeting!

Tony_H wrote:Not sure why people arent factoring in lift pass prices to this as without that you aint going skiing people ;-)

The lift pass price is nothing to do with the TO - everyone has the freedom to buy direct or through an agent.

It isn't about the "total" cost, this thread started with an observation that TOs are "REALLY" expensive.

nellyps wrote: Or does there not appear to be much choice with the TOs this year and everything is REALLY expensive?

I disagree, and thought it interesting to see if we can directly compare TOs with DIY
(excluding Ski-hire, lessons, lift-passes and other add-ons that are equally available to both package and DIYers.)

I am on a TO package at £590
AllyG is on "semi-DIY" £554
("semi" because I don't class catered as full DIY)

So looking for a comparable of FULL DIY (UK to large french resort, self catering, during non-school hols, winter 2013) to see just how much can be saved.

Anyone?

andyoneil wrote:
Chalet board including tea/cakes, cocktails and aperitifs before dinner, choice of two whites and two reds, brekkie and (perhaps crucially) help yourself to leftover bread/meat/cheese/fruit etc for a packed lunch ...

paid £750 pp from Inghams

I really like the sound of the breakfast leftovers going in your picnic lunch :thumbup:

What a good idea! I wonder if our chalet would let us do this?

And your price with flights, transfers, and lift pass is almost exactly the same as ours for anyone getting the cheapest flights - ours comes to £742, before the group discount.

AllyG wrote:

andyoneil wrote:
Chalet board including tea/cakes, cocktails and aperitifs before dinner, choice of two whites and two reds, brekkie and (perhaps crucially) help yourself to leftover bread/meat/cheese/fruit etc for a packed lunch ...

paid £750 pp from Inghams

I really like the sound of the breakfast leftovers going in your picnic lunch :thumbup:

What a good idea! I wonder if our chalet would let us do this?

It's frowned upon in my experience. But I'm sure very easy in the larger "chalet-hotels".

Some chalet staff have little enterprises on the side, I think we've paid them about 3 Euro/day for them to make us baguette lunches before.

smartski wrote:
It's frowned upon in my experience. But I'm sure very easy in the larger "chalet-hotels".

Some chalet staff have little enterprises on the side, I think we've paid them about 3 Euro/day for them to make us baguette lunches before.

Definitely not frowned upon in this 10 person Inghams chalet as we did exactly this last year in that chalet at the urging of the chalet staff "it'll only get thrown out" was their cry!

Crystal do a "Mountain Munchies" and charge you for preparing the sandwich but this was DIY (to confuse the thread somewhat!)

I mentioned lift passes as that's crucial for working out the total cost of a trip which I reiterate costs me pretty much £1000 all in with TO package, one of which included club med to at moritz :-)

One well-known hotel in a very well-loved (and unloved) resort, has the sign over the breakfast bar: "please leave the dining room with a full stomach and empty hands!"

AllyG wrote:

I really like the sound of the breakfast leftovers going in your picnic lunch :thumbup:

:shock: :shock:

Ugh, egg yolk, milk and muesli all dripping out the bottom of my back pack. No thanks :twisted: