ACTION OUTDOORS STUDENT SKI TRIPS WINTER 2018/19

Transcription

1 Daydreaming of your next Powder Day? Prices start from just 357 and with centres in top resorts, such as Tignes, Val Thorens and Les Deux Alpes, why wait? Action Outdoors can help you to arrange your Uni ski trip at a fantastic price and with minimal organisation for the group leader as the online booking system passes responsibility for payment to the individual participants. You will find our prices not only very competitive, possibly the lowest on the market, but they also allow you flexibility when planning the week. The Action Outdoors team have all been students themselves and are completely aware of the difficulties faced by a committee when organising a trip, especially when the first question asked is inevitably, How much will it cost? For a minimal cost, we will provide you with an all inclusive holiday, in a premier ski area, staying in a purpose built centre that accommodates everyone in one place, feeds them as much as they can eat and has a whole range of quality equipment. Everyone has access to 12hrs of instruction for free (for ALL ability levels) so you can rest assured that everybody can develop their winter sport abilities and still have time for free ski with friends. Who are Action Outdoors? Action Outdoors is the UK partner of a huge non-profit French organisation called UCPA. UCPA offer sports holidays for year olds for winter sports and many different summer sports. The centres are large - the majority sleep around 300 people in multi share rooms (normally 4 people to a room but this does vary between resorts), with shared bathrooms, dining facilities, social areas and their own subsidised bar. UCPA have been in existence for over 50 years and take in excess of people on courses each year. Our Typical Student Groups There are plenty of companies out there that tailor their energy into the evening entertainment but we like to concentrate on the skiing and it is the fresh tracks in the morning that motivate us. However, we know that your social secretary will have ideas up their sleeve they know exactly what your group enjoy and are in the better place to plan and promote the program. We will therefore, if requested, introduce them to the entertainment guru at the centre a few weeks before departure so that between them, they can pull together an evening program that is in keeping with your expectations. ACTION OUTDOORS PROVIDED AN EXCELLENT SERVICE TO ENABLE THE EASY ORGANISATION OF THIS YEARS SKI TRIP. THEY LET US DICTATE EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED ESPECIALLY AS WE DIDN T WANT NON-STOP PUB CRAWLS. IT WAS SIMPLY THE BEST TRIP EVER. Page 1

2 Action Outdoors Price Grid GBP Dated: 10th April 2018 Centre / Date 8 Dec Chamonix - Argentiere 15 Dec 22 Dec 29 Dec Feb 23 Mar Deux Alpes Mar Flaine (Lindars) Les Arcs Les Contamines 392 Plagne Plagne Le France Serre Chevalier Tignes Val D Isere Val Thorens The price per person includes: Accommodation for 7 nights Sat to Sat 10:00 Full board from Sat dinner to Sat breakfast Lift pass for 6 days (Sun-Fri) Equipment hire (ski/ snowboard) for 6 days (Sun- Fri) 12hrs instruction ski / snowboard Evening entertainment Tourist tax is the only additional cost, at 5.39 pp. Optional Extras: Helmet hire: 20pp Extended stay to Sat 14:00: 32pp, which includes lunch with late checkout, plus extra 1/2 day lift pass and 1/2 day ski hire on the final Saturday until 12:00 Full time lessons: 23hrs instruction 78 per person Special Deal Centre / Date 6 Chamonix - Argentiere Flaine (Lindars) Tignes The Special Deal price per person includes: Accommodation for 5 nights Sun 08:00 to Fri 18:30 (Leave Fri evening, check out of rooms Fri 09:30) Full board from Sun breakfast to Friday lunch Lift pass for 6 days (Sun-Fri) Equipment hire (ski/ snowboard) for 6 days (Sun-Fri) 12hrs instruction ski / snowboard Evening entertainment Tourist tax is the only additional cost, at 5.39 per person. Optional Extras: Saturday night arrival 32 Page 2

3 Why choose Action Outdoors? Action Outdoors (in conjunction with UCPA) offer possibly the lowest cost, and certainly the best value, ski holidays in the sector. Arranging your holiday If you have a large group, you can access the student group prices (please contact the office to find out more detail about group sizes required), which (except for the special deal) include: 7 nights accommodation Full board 6 days lift pass 6 days equipment hire 12 hrs instruction Individual Student Prices If you are a smaller group, or have some people that can t travel on the arranged date, all is not lost; UCPA also offer an amazing price for students booking as individuals. All that is needed is a valid ID card. There are also some great under 25 deals, for those who are not students. Please see our website for further details. Committee Decision As a committee, you can then decide the following: Free place ratio (we can adjust the per person price to allow free/reduced places for committee members/organisers) Marketing material (Posters and flyers) Ski Trip hoody / T shirt If you want to add on any options (e.g. half day extra ski on the Saturday) Individual Decision We will enable bookings to be taken and paid for on line by individuals, making the job of the committee treasurer much easier as they won t need to chase people for money. Travel We can help you to decide on the most appropriate travel options for your group size - just give us a call to discuss. To summarise, you can choose from the following group options: Your own travel A chartered coach from your Campus Low cost Snow Express coach seats from London A group airport transfer where arrivals are on the same flight Individual shared airport transfers which means that we can organise for multiple flight arrivals I AM REALLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOUR PATIENCE AND EFFORT THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING OF THE TRIP. EVERYONE IN THE GROUP HAD A BRILLIANT TIME AND I, PERSONALLY, ENJOYED EVERY BIT OF IT. THE RESORT AND MANAGEMENT WERE LOVELY AND IMPRESSIVELY PROFESSIONAL AND ORGANISED. Why not save on administration - allow individuals to arrange their own travel. If they book their own flights, we can add the options for them to add their own transfer to their individual booking - we arrange shared transfers that frequently leave the airport/resort. Page 3

4 Don t forget Snow Express (London Victoria to resort) from 99 per person. Page 4

5 ACTION OUTDOORS STUDENT SKI TRIPS WINTER 2018/19 Accommodation The accommodation is in purpose built activity centres that are designed to be both practical and functional, they provide a social environment where people can relax after a day s skiing. They also offer a very international experience with people coming from across the world to stay and ski in the French Alps - plus usually everyone is aged over 18 years so you don t need to worry about children running around*. The centres tend to be centrally located, both to the lifts and to the town centre. Bedrooms Groups will be accommodated together in dorm-style rooms. The size of the rooms do vary but in the majority of resorts they are 4 person, with a shared shower and WC facilities. There are cupboards in the rooms for individual belongings (which can be locked with a small padlock not provided). Males and females can be kept separate if required. If there are any odd numbers, then individuals may be accommodated with other UCPA customers of the same gender staying in the centre. In order to keep costs low, individuals are required to strip their beds and clean the rooms at the end of their stay. Dining The food is served in a buffet-style restaurant and caters for different tastes and appetite sizes. Breakfast tends to be continental in style - cereals, breads and jams, not the most luxurious but plenty of it. Lunches can either be hot and / or packed lunch depending on the resort. For the evening meal, there is always a variety of dishes which may include: soup, salads, pasta dishes, meat, pizzas, deserts and cheese, though this will vary on a daily basis. Vegetarian options are available. The tables do need to be cleared and wiped down after use. This is all part of how UCPA manage to keep prices so low. It is the UCPA culture. *Children are permitted in school groups at some centres. Page 5

6 ACTION OUTDOORS STUDENT SKI TRIPS WINTER 2018/19 THE ACCOMMODATION WAS IDEAL FOR UNI GROUPS. IT HAD EVERYTHING ON SITE, WAS METRES AWAY FROM THE APRÈS SKI BARS YET THERE WAS PLENTY TO DO FOR THOSE THAT WANTED A NIGHT IN. Page 6

7 Facilities All centres have a bar, games room, TV lounge, WiFi and ski shop onsite. Some even have a pool or spa. They are for adults only (except for some school holiday dates) so the staff are aware of what individuals require, but prefer that any drunken antics are not brought back after a night out. If you would like access to a room to bring the group together for a meeting or social event, then these can usually be reserved when sending details of rooming lists to Action Outdoors. Whilst on site just check with reception. Evening entertainment Each centre employs a person to co-ordinate the evening entertainment. It ranges from live music to quiz nights and karaoke. If your group would like to have some influence in the program, then please send your ideas over at least a week in advance. Lift pass The area which the lift pass covers depends on the centre. The Action Outdoors team will be able to advise. It is valid from Sunday morning through to Friday evening. For Tignes and Val d Isere the full Espace Killy is included so you can ski in both resorts, the pass alone costs for 6 days. What a deal! Equipment The equipment is provided according to the individual s standard, rather than budget, with the ski shop hosting a huge range of equipment and boots to suit everyone. If anyone in the group suffers from sore feet, then it is just a matter of popping in and exchanging the boots for a new pair. No Rep or committee members need to get involved! Instruction Instruction really is for all ability levels; from those who have never seen snow before to the lucky few fortunate to have grown up skiing or been seasonaires in the past. Everyone has access to 12 hours instruction and groups will be formed on the Saturday night by the UCPA Ski School. If people do not want to make the most of this feature, then they don t need to attend all/any of the lessons and can just let the instructor know in advance if they are not going to be at a lesson. However, as the instruction is a fully inclusive feature of the holiday, it makes sense to make the most of it. Please note that snowboard instruction requires a group of 10 of the same level to be viable. Page 7

8 ACTION OUTDOORS STUDENT SKI TRIPS WINTER 2018/19 Page 8

9 The Centres Resort Accom (UCPA rating max = 3 star) Nightlife Piste Lifts Runs Fact Webpage Argentiere 3 star A few bars 160km 63 18G 27B 30R 11Bl World famous off piste located minutes from the modern centre UCPA Argentiere Chamonix 2 star Fantastic 160km 63 18G 27B 30R 11Bl Slap bang in the centre of a very lively town UCPA Chamonix Flaine 2 star A few bars and clubs 265km 78 17G 64B 45R 15Bl Brilliant beginners area but plenty for all and accommodated in a fantastic centre UCPA Flaine La Plagne 3 star A few bars and clubs 225km 81 10G 69B 33R 18Bl A piste runs underneath the fantastic centre. Great for beginners UCPA La Plagne Les Arcs 2 star Walking distance to a few bars 200km 57 11G 53B 32R 19BL Huge centre which is great for big groups to keep them together. Good for beginners with challenging runs as well UCPA Les Arcs Les Contamines 2 star A few bars 120km 26 8G 12B 19R 9Bl Quieter ski area but plenty to explore. Pretty Alpine village. Great range of skiing UCPA Contamines Les Deux Alpes 2 star Fantastic 230km 51 14G 26B 14R 8Bl Lively ski resort with a huge range of pubs and clubs. Only a short walk to the main lift UCPA Les Deux Alpes Serre Chevalier 2 star A few bars 250km 63 23G 31B 39R 14Bl A sun sure resort that offers a huge range of skiing and a pool to relax in after a day on the slopes UCPA Serre Chevalier Tignes 3 star Good 300km 80 23G 66B 40R 27Bl A newly-renovated centre and a fantastic ski area that is popular with students UCPA Tignes Val d Isere 1 star Fantastic 300km 80 23G 66B 40R 27Bl Where the rich people go to party but amazing skiing on offer too UCPA Val d Isere Val Thorens 3 star Walking distance but good 140km 30 9G 28B 23R 7Bl Modern centre in an area that offers a huge range of pistes UCPA Val Thorens Page 9

10 EVEN AS PRESIDENT OF THE CLUB, I STILL MANAGED TO RELAX AND HAVE MAXIMUM SKI TIME KNOWING THAT EVERYONE ELSE WAS DOING THE SAME. THE WHOLE GROUP WAS HAVING FUN. Page 10

11 Committee Decisions Dates Often University students don t have much flexibility with dates due to the constraints of term time. Early uary is the cheapest time to go skiing, with prices picking up on a weekly basis until the peak period over the school half term. Prices then stay high until after Easter when they decrease rapidly back down to the uary rates. Obviously the more expensive periods relate to the more popular weeks due to French holidays. Take advantage of great early season rates in December in snow sure resorts such as Tignes, Val d Isere and Val Thorens. Numbers Unless your society has been running ski trips for a few years so can predict the numbers, it is better that you base your numbers on a realistic figure and if the trip proves popular, then numbers can increase as much as availability allows. Unique to UCPA Apart from the great price, you also get: Everything on site (ski shop, restaurant, bar) making the organisation very simple. Plus the centres are generally either ski in ski out or walking distance from the main lift and town. With fully catered buffets included in the price you don t need to worry about organising trips to the local supermarket for food and overspending on food. Everyone has a proper bed rather than squeezed onto tiny sofa beds found in the 4(6) person apartments, which are usually found in ski resort accommodation. Free place ratio If you want to keep the price as low as possible, then everyone will need to pay for their trip. However, before prices are agreed, if you let us know whether the committee would like free or discounted places, we can then spread the cost across those paying. We prefer to be upfront with our clients about our pricing structure! Marketing material Action Outdoors is able to provide posters to advertise the event around the student union and halls of residence plus flyers to hand out over freshers week. We can design a banner advert for your ski trip facebook page and e-posters to help publicise the event. We will help and advise as much as we possibly can to make sure that everyone is signing up! Ski trip t-shirt / hoody Why not arrange an item of clothing for the trip, we can add this option at the point of contract. Please note that the cost is added to the holiday price so if added after contract it will show as an additional cost. All we need is a design or logo from you, we do the rest. Team shirts! Page 11

12 Travel Options We don t tie you in to travel, but we are happy to help you plan low cost logistics for your ski trip! Self drive Some groups may like to drive through France in their own vehicles, though once at the UCPA centres, vehicles are not usually required. The majority of centres are either ski in / out or just a short walking distance to the slopes (Chamonix and Les Contamines are exceptions but there are regular bus services to link skiers to the lift stations). Some centres may have their own private car park (sometimes with a small charge) or use of a public one within walking distance. Please contact us to find out more information. Flights If you decide to fly, you can arrange your own flights to suit your group, either as individuals, or as a group booking. This means you can take advantage of the lowest fares. We can advise on which airport is the most suitable for your chosen resort. Airport Transfers We can arrange low cost transfers from the airport to resort. Transfers can be arranged for the whole group, or we can add the option to allow individuals to book their own shared transfer which means that the participants can arrive on a variety of convenient flights. Coach Action Outdoors are partners to a scheduled coach service, Snow Express. We can offer individual seats with departure either from London or Folkestone for low prices from around 99 per person. No additional costs to carry your baggage or ski equipment. Also with a very generous baggage allowances above those of airlines, if you are not sure- you can pack it without worrying about extra charges. Alternatively, we can organise a private vehicle for your group that will pick you up from your campus. The price for a private coach averages around 7500 depending on your location and date. This includes the channel crossing, tolls and drivers accommodation whilst in location. AS THERE WERE ONLY 18 IN THE GROUP, WE JOINED THE SNOWEXPRESS COACH AT DOVER. MUCH LESS HASSLE THAN A SELF DRIVE AND MUCH CHEAPER THAN FLIGHTS & TRANSFERS. Page 12

13 Further Correspondence We will keep in contact with you regarding payment and numbers. We will also be able to answer any specific questions about the resort. Each individual will receive joining instructions/holiday detail prior to travel. If you would like to tailor these specifically for you group, then this can be arranged very easily. Administration Deadlines We will send out the following s requesting the following information: Name list 1 month before travel (if your group have not booked on line) Suggested room layout 2 weeks before travel Expected time of arrival and group leader contact details at least 2 weeks before travel Page 13

14 Your Next Step Why not book your ski trip through Action Outdoors? We just need to know approximate numbers and when/where you would like to go. We provide a quote and then, if you are happy, a contract and invoice. We can reserve the places through UCPA for 10 days (unless stated otherwise) by which time we would need to have received the deposit as agreed and a scan of the signed contract. We are here to help make your ski trip as smooth and simple as possible, so please call or to discuss your requirements. groups@action-outdoors.co.uk Tel: Web: For the latest travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information please visit Page 14