The best tour operator and why?

Ian Wickham wrote:None of them complete waste of space ....... Only DIY now

Got to agree with the old fella :-)

Iceman wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:None of them complete waste of space ....... Only DIY now

Got to agree with the old fella :-)

Definitely best for you as you change your mind often & booking with a TO would cramp your style :lol:

Sure is my friend. Imagine having to make a decision and stick to it. No thanks, i do that every day in work ;-)

I prefer DIY these days, and since first skiing in 1973, I've seen tour ops come and go (anyone else remember Swans or Ski Plan?).

However, I was impressed with Mark Warner and Inghams, Crystal and Neilson are adequate, less impressed with Skiworld (dreadful experience in a clubhotel in Courchevel a few years ago). Ages since I've been with Thomsons.

If going tout op this season, I think I'd opt for one of the smaller, specialist operators where you pay the premium for a more personal service.

Ski Miquel consistently get great reports.

Been Neilson last 2 hold - first chalet board, cracking host, good food. Second, hotel run by them, really enthusiastic staff if a little young, but can't fault it, again, good food.

Trying Skiworld for the first time this season.

Only been with Crystal in the past, they were....okay....can't really say much more than that. And have done DIY.

As other posters say, it's really down to personal taste - what you want out of the holiday, the actual experience you have at the time, amongst other factors.

Expectations is key for me.

Used Crystal a fair bit - but would never stay in their own accomodation again.

Mark Warner were truly excellent last year and so were Total - but only when the pricing is added to the equation. And similarly Club Med - far more expensive and was it worth the extra over Ski Total????? Not sure!

But costings can be a smoke screen - twice as much doesn't necessarily give twice as good a holiday. Static overheads are similar re: travel and transport etc between the low budget and high budget operators.

And we all look for something different in a holiday - I will pay a premium for ski in/ski out, others are happy to walk or get on a bus to get to the lifts.

as most people have said - it's very much personal preference etc and one bad rep/property/meal can tarnish a whole company (perhaps unfairly) forever more in that person's eyes

Personally I've used all the big "high street" TOs over the years with Nielsen/Crystal/Thomson/First Choice and Inghams all getting a look in at some point.

Of late I've settled with Inghams more often than not for a number of reasons:

Right Resorts
Right Accommodation (chalets usually)
Right Flights (Newcastle - the smaller chalet ops don't seem to comprehend that LGW and MCR are not the only choices which actually makes them expensive once I've factored in diesel, parking and overnight stay)
Found staff to be helpful in resort
Found staff at home base to be helpful too (MANY changes to initial booking this year)
Lastly and most importantly for me: they could not have been better when my wife was injured by an out of control idiot in VT years ago)

DIY doesn't work for me personally due to location etc (and I've seen this year that I'm going to VDI significantly cheaper than the Tignes trip)

Just my 100000000,0000000 Greek drachmas worth....