who do you think is doing the best deals for next season

[mummydoc]

i have only just recovered from hrs of surfing the net and calculating costs for this year ( am off in 2 weeks on a very cheap trip to claviere with crystal ) so mumsnetters i know some of you are very good at this sort of thing, who do you reckon is offering the best deals os far for next year.

Have no idea how this would compare to Crystal but ski2.com are offering to fix euro prices if you book by the end of july and you get a refund if the euro goes above ?1.20 per £1... they do Champuloc in Italy and run their own childcare and ski school there.

Blurb from the email i got from them anyway:

As you will be aware the fall in the value of Sterling against the Euro over the past couple of years has made booking a ski holiday through a tour operator more beneficial than ever. Operators publish prices based on a specific exchange rate, allowing you to pay for your holidays in Pounds Sterling, with the tour company taking the risk of any changes in the currency exchange rates.

Take advantage of our early booking offer for next winter and you are not only guaranteed a quality ski holiday to Champoluc at a competitive price, but we will give you the financial benefit if the fortune of Sterling changes positively over the coming months.

Book your holiday at our early booking prices shown below and if the value of Sterling increases beyond 1.2 Euros to the Pound, we will give you the value of any further gain back in Euros to spend on your holiday! To complement this generous offer, we are will also waive our right to surcharge those that book early, if the value of Sterling decreases further.

Sunday Times said there would be few good deals next year.

What are your requirements? Ie Do you need chalet and catered or are you happy with self catering? If the latter, and you are prepared to drive a bit, suggest staying out of resort and driving in everyday. Should be able to get something v reasonable if you don't go for Val d'Isere or similar.

We have a little house within 1 hour of 20 resorts (nearest is Les Orres - 20 mins drive) which we rent to friends for £350 during high season. There are some"cheap" resorts nearby and I would think that family of 4 could do it for well under £1500 including flights, hire car and passes.

It does require some effort though.

I can't imagine the Euro/Sterling rate to get much worse (for the Pound), so I would probably wait a little before booking a hotel/chalet/appartment in the Euro zone.

I would, however, book flights as soon as possible as there is not exchange rate element and you do get better prices the earlier you book. I've just booked flights to Salzburg with BA next winter.

In any case I would always book the flights and the accomodation separately and direct. You can always get a cheap transfer to the resort, either by train, bus, taxi or car hire. In my experience it works out cheaper overall.

I am looking for my own family and friends group at the moment (and I'm in the business) but not booking just yet. We are a group of 8 with varying requirements and so are looking at various options.

I would suggest however, that if you know your dates (especially if they are a peak holiday week), you book your flights for a hub such as Geneva. That gives you a huge choice of resorts in France and Switzerland, within 2 hours maximum - there are lots within an hour or so.