Your Ski and Snowboarding Trip with Ardmore Educational Travel

Personal Service

All parties have their own special requirements and it is our aim to provide for yours. We promise the highest standard of individual personal attention to all our Party Leaders.

When choosing your holiday if anything appears unclear or you have a question, a special requirement perhaps, please do not hesitate to telephone our trained Reservations Staff who will be delighted to help. It is your ski and snowboarding trip and we want to provide exactly what is right for you.

The utmost care is taken with every detail of your booking. Every aspect of your trip is discussed and settled with Party Leaders before departure. Room allocations are advised in advance of departure, usually four weeks before – no awkward surprises when you arrive in resort! A full written itinerary for your week’s programme, together with final travel details is issued three weeks before departure.

When in resort our Resort Representative will be with you throughout your stay to ensure everything goes as planned. When you book with Ardmore you are a name not just a computer reference number! From start to finish personal, friendly and professional service.

Getting there

Ardmore offers two options of getting to resort, by air or by executive coach. If you would prefer to make your own transport arrangements to resort, this is no problem, simply give our Reservations Team a call and we will quote you a discount against coach prices and make all ground arrangements for you at your chosen resort.

Transport by Air

Air ski courses are by weekend flights (except Christmas and New Year) from London airports: Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton or Stansted.

For Austrian resorts flights are to Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Ljubljana or Zurich; for Italian resorts to Innsbruck, Verona, Milan, Venice, Bergamo or Florence; for Swiss resorts to Geneva, Berne or Zurich; Flights from Regional Airports may be available on request at a supplement.

At the time of publication we are not in a position to confirm precise information on airline, aircraft type, flight times or airports, either of departure or destination, as flight schedules for Winter 2008/2009 have not been finalised by the airlines. Information given on your confirmation of reservation may be subject to change when confirmed information is available. We shall confirm whether your flight is Saturday or Sunday no later than 12 weeks before departure and confirm full flight details of departure airport, resort airport, airline and flight times no later than 6 weeks before departure. Minimum party size for groups travelling by air is 20 full paying passengers.

All flights are provided by scheduled and/or charter airlines licensed by the UK Civil Aviation Authority or their EU counterparts. Resort transfers are provided by coach companies licensed by the appropriate government department of the country concerned.

Transport by Executive Coach

With the fast, safe autoroutes of Europe connecting directly from the channel ports to within a few miles of most ski resorts, and the high specification of modern vehicles, coach travel is without question the most efficient and economical method of group travel. Combining speed, comfort and flexibility together with huge savings over air travel, over 90% of our party leaders now choose to travel by coach.

Ardmore coaches are of modern specification, fitted with all the latest features for your comfort and safety. All vehicles are prepared for continental winter travel, carry snowchains, and are fitted with passenger seat belts, forced jet-air ventilation and heating, radio, microphone, video/DVD, wc and washroom, on-board drinks facility. Your coach remains in resort with you during your stay and is available for daily transfers to the skilift stations and your programme of evening entertainments. All coaches are provided by UK companies licensed by the UK Department of Transport. An experienced crew of at least two drivers will be responsible for your journey with all travel itineraries scheduled with strict compliance to the EU Drivers’ Hours Regulations.

Standard seating for Ardmore coaches under contract is 48/49 seats although we are usually able to contract double-decker coaches of up to 74 seats, for large parties on request. Please note: where a double-decker coach is requested an automatic supplement of £18 per paying passenger is added to defer the higher costs of these vehicles.

Your coach will collect your party direct from your school or departure point, in time for an early evening channel crossing from Dover. On arrival in France your journey continues overnight to arrive at your resort early afternoon. For the return journey your coach will leave resort after an early evening dinner on your final day, retracing your outward route overnight for a midday sailing to the UK and return to your departure point.

Quality Accommodation

Our party leaders tell us that one of the items that significantly distinguishes Ardmore from other companies is the excellent quality and value of our hotels. So much so that many of our parties not only repeat their booking with Ardmore but choose to return to the same hotel year after year.

Your standards are high and so are ours. All hotels offered in this brochure have been selected after careful search and inspection by Ardmore staff or directors and are chosen not only for their comfort and quality of food but also the welcome extended to our groups.

All accommodation is licensed by the relevent national and/or provincial authorities giving assurance that accommodations offered comply with all required hygiene, fire and safety regulations.

Meal arrangements are on a half-board basis. Lunch is not included in tour prices as the majority of our groups prefer to sample the exciting variety of delicacies available at mountain restaurants. Packed lunch if required may be pre-booked at a supplement, details on page 5. Also at most of our ‘doorstep skiing’ accommodations a simple hot lunch may be pre-booked at a supplement.

For coach holidays, meals included commence with evening dinner on arrival day through to evening dinner immediately before departure on your final day. On air holidays, meals included commence with evening dinner on arrival day through to breakfast on your final day.

Quality Ski & Snowboard Equipment

Ski equipment provided is high quality latemodel general-purpose carving skis with automatic step-in bindings and ski stoppers, together with comfortable foam-lined modern clip ski boots. For snowboarding, quality modern snowboards are provided together with either hard or soft snowboarding boots. All equipment is supplied by licensed local resort suppliers. Insurance for accidental breakage and/or loss of hired equipment is covered by the travel insurance included in tour prices.

Professional Ski & Snowboard Instruction

Expert tuition not only makes skiing and snowboarding more fun but, just as importantly, safe. Ardmore does not make compromises in this important area and in every resort we only use the officiallylicensed National Ski/Snowboard School. All Instructors are qualified to the high standard required of their professional body. Ardmore offers three choices of level of ski instruction: 6 x 2 hours per day (included in prices) and the option at a supplement of either 6 x 4 hours per day or fully supervised 6 x 6 hours per day.

Fully supervised skiing includes five hours of structured lessons and practice with the Instructor and a supervised lunch hour. Ski class sizes average 12 paying party members to an Instructor.

Snowboarding courses, available at a supplement, provide 6 x 4 hours snowboard instruction.

Helmets for Skiing & Snowboarding

In Italy the wearing of helmets is obligatory for children under 14 years of age for skiing or snowboarding. For groups booking Italy, Ardmore will arrange helmet hire for those group members aged less than 14 years on departure date – FREE of charge.

Evening Activities Programme

A full week's programme of evening activities is available for your party. The range of possibilities is dependent upon choice of resort and of course your time of visit. Activities will only be arranged with suppliers who hold the appropriate operating licence.

Ardmore will provide information and prices with your Final Details Form so that your programme may be arranged and popular activities booked ahead. Payment may be made in the UK in Sterling or otherwise in local currency on arrival in resort. Prices vary from country to country as well as resort to resort but, as a guide, an average budget of £4 per paying passenger per activity should be allowed.

Party Leader Concessions

Here at Ardmore we recognise the enormous amount of their own time that party leaders put into arranging a ski course and for this reason we offer very generous concessions to enable the party leader to bring their family skiing. Up to three members of the party leaders family may be brought at halfprice!

One such concessionary place is available with a party of 20 full paying; two concessionary places with 34 full paying and three for a group of 40 full paying. Party leader family concessions are restricted by coach capacity when a bonus free place(s) is taken. Half-price is calculated from basic student price. Liftpass supplements for older students & adults as well as adult, airflight and other option supplements must be added as applicable after discount is applied. Children under 8 years cannot be included for ski instruction. Passengers travelling on concessionary places are not included in the count for free places. These concessions are available to the party leaders immediate family only and are not transferable to other members of the party.

Party Leader Inspection & Preview

We also recognise the importance of inspection and preview visits in enabling party leaders to familiarise themselves with the way we operate and also with specific resorts and hotels.

Inspection visit

Party leaders who have booked a tour with a minimum of 40 full paying passengers are invited to join a free inspection visit to one of our resorts. Party leaders of smaller parties are invited at a concessionary price: –

In addition the party leader may bring one companion at a concessionary price of £229. On an Inspection Visit basis you will be joining another school’s ski and snowboard tour and choice of resort and accommodation is subject to availability. You will receive return coach transport to the resort, half-board accommodation, and wintersports insurance but will be required to pay the cost of liftpass and ski equipment hire if these are required.

Preview visit

In the event that it would not be possible for you to join an inspection visit and a preview visit is required to a particular resort or hotel then we would be very pleased to offer assistance. On the basis of a confirmed booking of 40 full paying passengers, we will arrange free of charge two nights accommodation with bed and breakfast for two in a twin-bedded room at or near your booked accommodation, together with liftpasses for your chosen resort and will arrange ski/snowboard equipment hire if you require. You will need to organise your own transport; the favoured choice being a weekend low-cost airflight and hire-car.

The benefit of either an Inspection or Preview Visit applies only to the person signing the Booking Form and is not transferable to friends and colleagues.

Guaranteed Free Place Ratio

Standard free place ratio is 1:10 for both coach travel groups and air travel groups. This may be increased to a 1:8 free place ratio for coach travel groups by payment of a supplement of £15 per paying party member and for air travel groups by payment of a supplement to be advised, per paying party member.

Free places are guaranteed for both coach and air travel following receipt of Second Deposits provided cancellations do not exceed 10% of your party.

In addition for coach travel groups only an additional bonus free place is given conditionally upon 42 full paying passengers paying the final balance. The above is on the basis of a 48/49 seater coach. For groups requiring a larger coach a bonus free place is given conditionally upon 62 or more full paying passengers paying the final balance. Please note: where a double-decker coach is requested an automatic supplement of £18 per paying passenger is added to defer the higher costs of these vehicles.

Piste Closure Guarantee

Our unique piste closure guarantee covers all departure dates, be it winter or even glacier skiing in the summer.

In the unlikely event that all skilifts in your chosen resort/ski area are closed for any reason for one whole day or more, due to adverse weather/snow conditions, Alpine will transport you to the nearest skiable resort within a practical 1.5 hour maximum travelling time and provide liftpasses so that your ski course may continue at no additional cost to you. In the unusual event that it is not possible/practical to transport you to another skiable resort Alpine will compensate each party member with £25 for each whole day’s skiing lost.

Additional Adults

Supplement payable by all adult party members (except on free place ratio) aged over 18 years on departure date is £55 on all dates. Please note the facilities and provisions for additional paying adults are the same as for students with particular reference to bedroom occupancy. This supplement does not constitute a single or twin room supplement (£70/£39) and accompanying adults must be prepared if necessary to share 3 and 4-bedded rooms. Liftpass supplement shown for older students & adults must also be added.

Ski Coach Party Sizes

There are no minimum party sizes over the prime holiday departure dates of:

On these dates there are no price supplements for small parties and we are very happy to arrange ski trips for any size of party. Obviously coach transport and other arrangements are amalgamated with another party or parties to enable economic operation and some flexibility and cooperation is required. Occasionally it may be necessary for small parties to use the resort’s skibus services to the skilifts. Parties with over 25 paying passengers will always be collected from their school or chosen departure point, but smaller parties may be required to make their own arrangements to travel to a rendezvous point convenient for the main coach. For all other departure dates ski course prices are for a minimum of 40 full paying passengers. For smaller parties a small party supplement is payable.

Small party supplements

Except on departures over the prime holiday dates specified, the following supplements per person for coach parties of less than 40 full paying passengers are payable.

Small party supplements for air travel, and lower numbers for coach travel are available on request. Please note that payment of a small party supplement does not constitute a supplement for exclusive use of a coach which is also available on request.

Lunches

Lunch is not included in tour prices as the majority of our groups prefer to sample the exciting variety of delicacies available at mountain restaurants. Packed lunch may be pre-booked for most resorts and accommodations at the following supplement:

Please note: At most of our ‘doorstep skiing’ accommodations a simple hot lunch may be pre-booked and details of supplement required is available on request.

Extra Ski Instruction

All prices include 6 days x 2 hours ski instruction. Supplement required per paying party member to increase ski instruction to 6 days x 4 hours or full supervision 6 days x 6 hours (includes 1 hour lunch supervision):

NB:\ Where extra ski instruction is requested it is intended that this should be for the whole party and/or for units of a minimum of 10 of the same standard.

Snowboarding

Snowboarding supplement in all destinations (excluding Andorra and Sunday River when snowboarding is 5 days) includes 6 days x 4 hours instruction and hire of snowboard equipment for 6 days. NB. Ski equipment not supplied as well. For snowboarding in Panorama, no supplement applies.

Snowboarding Taster – Supplement £20. One day snowboarding course on final day. Instruction hours as booked for skiing.