Joel Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 Me and some friends (bout 3 or 4 of us) want to go snowboarding before Christmas. Where do you reckon is a good place to stay? I was thinking Austria as I did skiing there back in secondary school and was only £400. Will need snowboard hire, lift passes, etc (not so much boots). What do you recconmend? I have only done snowboarding once and still need to know some basics but will be doing a lot end of summer on dry slopes. budget would be £500 (preferably cheaper). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyseemonkeydo Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 A couple of years back I went with a place called Action Outdoors and I would highly recommend taking a look. Basically it's a French company which was set up to supply their Olympic/competition team training throughout the season. They've now branched out to allow tourists to use the facilities and offer a completely inclusive package at really good prices. Included in our package which cost about £420 was a weeks accomodation which was 4 people to a room in bunks but all really clean and tidy. Two rooms (up to 8 people) sharing a bathroom/shower. You also get 3 all you can eat meals a day (really good food) together with snacks twice a day. The price also included board and boot use for the whole stay, lift passes for the whole valley in which we were in and 5 days of lessons given by really nice guys catering for all levels from absolute beginners to seasoned boarders. Finally, the price included a coach from London, and you could upgrade to a flight for an extra £50 or something. All in it was a wicked holiday and really well set out. If you use the lessons (which you don't have to), it's easy to switch between groups and you basically do what you want.Anyway, worth a look . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boswell Posted May 12, 2008 Report Share Posted May 12, 2008 I would just go for a last minuet deal in france. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haydon_peter Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Mammoth BUMP.Looking to go boarding in January/February on the cheap.I have had a look through action-outdoors and it seems to be great value although sadly its not as cheap as Dave mentions it was a few years ago, maybe its because I am looking last minute and all the cheap deals are gone? Currently through action-outdoors its looking likely to be just over £600 all in for a week in January, although prices seem to increase in February then again in March.Does anyone else have any other suggestions or advise?What French resorts do people recommend? I have been to Les Arcs in the summer and part of me really wants to go back there in the winter!Dave, was it fairly social in the action-outdoors chalet you stayed in? I might be going on my own, were most people already in groups of friends or were there other singles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD™ Posted December 17, 2009 Report Share Posted December 17, 2009 Can I suggest going to your nearest hill? The commons near me will be rideable by the morning, and thus I will (hopefully) be taking advantage. It's no Les Gets, but it's cheaper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish-Finger-er Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 (edited) Mammoth BUMP.Looking to go boarding in January/February on the cheap.I have had a look through action-outdoors and it seems to be great value although sadly its not as cheap as Dave mentions it was a few years ago, maybe its because I am looking last minute and all the cheap deals are gone? Currently through action-outdoors its looking likely to be just over £600 all in for a week in January, although prices seem to increase in February then again in March.Does anyone else have any other suggestions or advise?What French resorts do people recommend? I have been to Les Arcs in the summer and part of me really wants to go back there in the winter!Dave, was it fairly social in the action-outdoors chalet you stayed in? I might be going on my own, were most people already in groups of friends or were there other singles?Erm the february and march price increases are basically because your looking to late to get the super early deals, but theres still enough time for them to not be uber last minutes. Its all about spending hours trawling the web(first choice ski/crystal ski (same company), lastminute.com, direct ski etc)when you say all in, whats that including??booking a week to 2 weeks before last year you could of got half board in 4 star hotels in france and italy for sub £200, including transfers, flights, etc(even a meal on the plane) so with gear hire and lift pass your looking £400-450 ish. (we got 4 star in saulze half board, for £250, could of got it for £180 in other resorts, but we had to have a sunday changeover day)going solo is always gunna be more though, theres deals on last minute, to brides les baines(in the 3 valleys) for £159 in january solo, it is on a coach mind(although it does mean theres no ski carriage charges/you can rent gear in this country)we just booked canada last week for £299 for 10 nights, thats room only, buts its canada. and were getting longer skiing(comparable to paying £220ish for the 6 nights)If your trying to go on a budget, go half board, and make sure its somewhere with a buffet meal. We were basically stuffing ourselves with eggs, bacon,toast etc at breakfast, making up a ham and cheese roll and grabbing fruit on the way out, eating the ham and cheese roll on the first lift up in the morning. skiing all day, coming back, grabbing a €2.50 slice of pizza on the way back down in the avro, having a shower, chuckin a few pints down us, and goin to the evening meal (which was 5 course) and just absolutely pigging out, 2 or 3 main courses, sometimes having like 5 or 6 desserts.meant that if you didnt want to go out in the evening, the option there was to just go and fall asleep after your feed. (we did it once by accident,but if you aint got no one to hang round with in the evenings, and you want to save money, it could be a good shout), Italy would of cost us £470 without alcohol (total cost was £900). and of course our food bill would be massive if we hadnt. going on your own is a bit crap I'd think,although depends on how/who you are, in sauze last year in the whole resort, we only saw like 5 or 6 groups of young people, of which we only really managed to socialize with 3 of (with the ones we didnt bother talking too, 1 was a bunch of geordie lads who just seemed like they thought they owned the place,another was 3 banging fit girls, but they where all rather well spoken and didnt want to know us, and 2 fit birds who where out trying to take everyone for a ride(whilst not giving a ride),which it took the aformentioned geordies 5 or so days to work out. so there wasnt many people you could socialize with. I assume it would be better in the more party orientated resorts, but pass.Other options are, going on somewhere like snowheads(Ski forum) and just browse the trips bit,theres always people needing someone to make up the numbers, as theyve booked a chalet and someone has dropped out, or organising solo group trips, quite often get good prices, and you are at least going to have some common groung with the people your going with(as in your not just a randomer that tagged on with them in the bar the night before). or going to one of the snow festivals (the big snow/snowbombing) as they have singles deal, and youd be sharing a chalet/dorm with others, but bare in mind, your basically going to a festival with snow, so dont expect early nights and if clubbing/getting on it aint your thing, it aint gunna be brilliant. I would say im going back out to either canada(if i can get the same deal again) snowbombing, pas de la casa(however, although preferably half board), or somewhere else half board in march and youd be more than welcme to tag along(if fish gets a job, he may be coming, but I somehow dont see it) but not knowing who Im going to be going with yet, how long for, and the fact, that if getting lairy every night aint your thing, it may not be your scene, I wouldnt go counting on it. Edited December 18, 2009 by Fish-Finger-er Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomR Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 SCUK Winter Bash. www.snowboardclub.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haydon_peter Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 By all in I mean coach to and from London, accommodation in 4 bunk dorms, 3 meals a day, lift pass, gear hire, 5 half day lessons (optional, by the middle/end of the week I would hope to be heading off exploring) and insurance - totalling around £620 for one week in Les Arcs at the start of January. (VERY Last minute so I doubt I will make that trip and end up paying more on another trip if I go with action-outdoors)There is really only 1 other person I know that is thinking about going so getting our own chalet isn't really an option. The other people I know that are going away are going with their g/f's and friends+their g/f's so it would have been a couples fest and would have probably driven me crazy!Fish, you can be my last resort but I might be getting a little old to get properly lairy every night () Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haydon_peter Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 Confirmed - I'm on my own or I am not going at all I cant really afford it but have wanted to go for years and was planning to just put it on the credit card or something.Who else is up for a t-f snow holiday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willy Posted December 18, 2009 Report Share Posted December 18, 2009 If your going solo and looking for a good time, get on the ski forums in the UK and find groups that have a seat or two left on a bus thats going to anywhere in the alps. The party villages will be more fun, but alot more expensive. The other idea is get onto the Uni's as they always have seats spare and if your willing to prop up an extra 100 quid and buy the organiser alot of beer they will always take you along. Call people, get on the web, get on the forums and find stuff. I can sit and chat all day about the cheap and good resorts, but thats pointless 1/2 weeks before a trip. I'd go for the Uni busses myself, jumped on one at the end of last winter which cost the students 400, cost me 550, 100 to bung myself out, 50 to bribe the organiser with beer. Spending not included. Lastminute and stuff are good, but most of the cheap hotels/hostels are easier to get hold off if you just go on the mountains website and ring them directly, ask if they have alot of space, if they do, explain you want to come, but cant afford there costs, most small hotels will offer you cheaper rates. Let me know how it goes, got a few mates that are working in the french alps at the minute so might be able to throw you a couch or something. Good luck!PS most of what Fish said is good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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