To think they could ski in Europe?

[Panting]

NC’d as this is outing.

Got a letter from DD’s school with details of the school ski trip.

They’re going to the USA. Cost £1500.

AIBU to think they could just go to Europe for about half the cost so that people could have a chance of affording it? There’s no way we can stump up that much.

State school in London btw.

The school had worked at had a run of no snow ski holidays - there just wasn’t enough and it was too warm so they ended up skating and sledging for a week instead. That happened for about 4 years running at various sites so in the end they went for USA too to guareentee enough snow

I do find it strange that the school regards this as normal. If we were going to spend that sort of money, it would be towards a family holiday, not a holiday for one person...

DarthMaiden - there is plenty of snow in Europe. You really don’t have to go to the US to get decent conditions. I’ve skied every year since 1996 and only had one holiday where the conditions were bad and that was very late season and we took the risk.

Italy is very reasonable costwise even on the the slopes.

@Unnoticed

It depends where you go and when you go.

Most school trips tend to be in Easter hols as it is cheaper - by then only the more expensive and higher up European resorts have decent snow.

I’d agree if your going at half term Feb then the European resorts are fine - but they are also much more crowded and expensive then. The US season is much longer and far more reliable.

I’ve skied extensively in Europe and the US as you seem to have done and learned the hard way some years ago that late season in Europe is a waste of time unless you like skiing in slush past midday.

Oh, and the worse skiing holiday I ever had was in Utah. By 1.00pm every day it was too warm to ski and the "snow" was like skiing in porridge. Over 60 degrees in an afternoon so we sunbathed and used the outdoor pool

I think that most school residential trips have become excessive in cost and the reason for this is because they are usually outsourced to companies who make a profit. For example in the last two years of primary school I paid nearly £200 for a 2 night residential about 20 miles away. No coach, we dropped and picked them up. I pay about the same for 4 scout camps a year including the annual trip lasting a week with ferry and transport from north to south.

I have managed a ski trip for both myself and DD during school holidays for the last 3 years for under £1000. I admit this has been in Bulgaria and Romania but the ski instructors were amazing and my daughter can now do black runs, small jumps and parrellell ski.

If I may clarify - planning and leading an international trip is a phenomenally stressful task for which teachers do not get any extra pay or time. They might quite ‘fancy America’ but it is in no way a holiday for them. They give up their own holiday time in order to be on constant alert that a child has not got lost / injured / worse. They do not sleep properly because they have to take overnight shifts to ensure that the kids stay out of each others’ rooms. It is a thankless, stressful task.

I sympathise with OP’s point and I agree that this trip sounds expensive (although with the exchange rate and cost of insurance I’m not sure Europe would be that much cheaper) but the idea that international trips should be outlawed is surely a joke. Don’t send your children on the trips if you feel so strongly; they are not viable without a minimum number of students.

The flights to the US are more expensive, but everything else is cheaper. So actually, no, it wouldn't be half price to go to Europe.

DS (same age as OP's child, but now in college) went on several ski trips with school - each cost about £700.

£1,500 is ridiculous.

My school (girls' state grammar) did Europe and further away in alternating years so if you couldn't afford the further trips you could go on the Europe one the year after. That seemed an OK arrangement - while Europe every year would've been more inclusive people did like the further trips.

Thanks to all for your comments. New territory for us as dd was at a very different school before. So it’s interesting to hear others’ opinions.

£1500 per child for a school trip?

I know there's inflation, but neither my school trips (most to France, one to Spain, no skiing) nor my university field trips were anywhere near that expensive. If they'd been that much I flat out couldn't have gone.

I agree with Scotland being a bit risky for snow, but higher resorts in the Alps or Pyrenees are reasonably reliable.

Sounds about normal to me. The USA is a much safer and better environment to take children for a school skiing trip. They have all in inclusive facilities that cater for anything, health and safety, supervision and pretty much everything is higher spec, safer and much stricter.

Gosh, that is so expensive. I guess that means only 5 or 10% can afford it?

DS is going on a cadets weekend (£15)

I do find it strange that the school regards this as normal. If we were going to spend that sort of money, it would be towards a family holiday, not a holiday for one person...

So don’t send her and spend the money on a family holiday instead!

Both my DC went on the ski trip to Loon Mountain near Boston and loved it - just under £1000 each. The skiing is brilliant there - is that where they’re going, OP?

You have ages to pay - don't make other children suffer because you can't say 'no'. No wonder children are so entitled. 'I don't want my child to go so no one should go'. What about the people who would love their child to have that experience but couldn't pay X 4 for the whole family to go? We take the whole school to the west end every year (primary) because parent can't afford to take the whole family but can afford one.

JFC. Insane waste of carbon too - flying is about the worst thing you can do for the environment.

Which is, well, ironic when people complain about lack of snow. There’s a reason for that.

Do you never fly then, pansies?

My Dd is going to Ski in Austria at Easter with the school, £750 for the week, and going by coach.

JFC. Insane waste of carbon too - flying is about the worst thing you can do for the environment.

ODFOD. No one gives a shit what the tree huggers think.

OP - as others have said the USA is more expensive to get to but cheaper once you get there. I seem to remember school ski trips in the mid 90s costing about £700 to go on a coach to Europe.

My DS is going on the school ski trip to Italy and it costs about £800. No way would he be going if it was £1500.

School trips should be banned. It is just so unfair for those who cannot afford it for their kids, and the kids who cannot go end up being bullied because they couldn't go. Lose, Lose.

That's really bad! I'm so glad that my school wasn't like that. No one got bullied for not going on the expensive school trips as the people going on them were hugely out numbered by the people not going on them. In fact, I don't remember the school trips being discussed much at all, apart from the big ones like camp that everyone went on. And saying that, I missed out on school camp and had to listen to friends going on about it for ever more, but no-one bullied me because I didn't go.

DGD is going on the school ski trip to France, £1,000 or thereabouts, flying, ski-in-ski out hotel in a good resort on 17 Jan, so fingers crossed for decent snow. Probably late season trips would be cheaper. As skiers ourselves we thought it is very good value.

The only thing that bugs me is that the trip is entirely in term time not over half term; had we chosen to take her with us during that week we would have been in trouble over attendance,

Naturally the school is billing it as a "Learning Experience". At the introductory evening the nice young teacher leading the trip only let the side down once by callng it "this holiday" and very hastily corrected himself.

Well, anyone who wants to ski in Europe should be interested.

Last time I flew was two years ago, and I’ll fly short haul