FAQs
About your quotation
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Although your quote gives me 1 free member of staff per 10 paying children by air or 1:8 by coach, I would like to take more staff than this. What should I do?
If you make us aware of this at the time you ask us for a quote, we will adjust the price accordingly. If you make us aware at a later stage, we will charge you for adding an additional adult. This will often be slightly more than the price per person for child because of the additional cost of accommodation, ferry crossings, lift passes, ski hire etc. -
Does the price you will quote me include a Ski rep or courier?
Yes it does. He/she will help you in liaising with the centre with regards to matters such as accommodation, equipment, ski-pass, restaurant, evening activities...
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We have our own insurance. Will you give me a discount if I don’t take yours?
Normally, the price we quote will include insurance. However, if you do not wish to use our insurance please let us know when you ask us for a quote and we will adjust our price accordingly. We will also require you to sign a disclaimer to formally advise that our insurance is not required.
About your booking
How much do we need as a deposit for a Ski trip?£75 per passenger for a trip by coach or £150 when booking a trip by air.
After 6 weeks, a second deposit of £150.
A third deposit of £150 is due at the mid way point between the date of booking and date of departure.
The remainder is due 10 weeks before departure.
We want to organise a Ski trip in 6 weeks time (short notice). Is this OK?
It all depends on the time of the year. If you are booking following a special offer you have seen on our website, then there should be availability even for short notice travel. We are flexible about last-payment dates but we really need full payment at least 2 weeks before travel.
If we get 2 coach-loads can we have a discount?
If you have 80 paying (the normal minimum number for 2 coaches) then the price per person is the same as for 44 paying. Really you should have 88 paying (44 on each coach) to qualify for that price, so you are already getting a discount effectively!
Itinerary
Can we go one way by Eurotunnel and the other way by Ferry?It depends on your dates of travel as the Eurotunnel have peak dates where they will not give crossing allocations to tour operators. If it is possible then there will be an additional cost (please enquire at time of making a provisional booking).
Can we travel by North Sea Ferries?
At a fairly heavy supplement it is possible to travel by North Sea Ferries (around £12 supplement per passenger for a reclining seat per crossing therefore £24 return. Overnight cabins are more expensive please telephone the office for advice)
About our coaches
Do the coaches have toilets?Comfort stops will be made regularly at motorway service areas. Toilets should be used at these areas as much as possible but on Executive Vehicles there are toilets which may be used "for emergency use" (The toilets have a very limited capacity and constant use will lead to overflow or unpleasant smells. It is not permitted for the driver to empty his toilet anywhere other than at licenced toilet "dropping points" which are very scarce.)
Do all your coaches have seatbelts?
Yes, all coaches (for school groups) must have seatbelts by law. NB: they are usually lapbelts and not 3 point belts like the ones in cars
What are the drinks facilities on the coach?
There are usually tea/coffee making facilities. You pay the driver for drinks. (We recommend that children do not use the hot drinks facility for safety reasons.) Some coach companies will sell cans of soft drinks, but this needs to be arranged in advance.
Is there a first aid kit on the coach?
Yes there is, but we suggest you take your own as well (your LEA/school regulations will probably require that you take your own).
How many TV screens will our coach have?
Usually there is just one TV monitor. It depends on the vehicle allocated.
Will there be a microphone on the coach?
Yes. If it is essential please tell us so that we can advise the coach company allocated.
Do you have any coaches with trailers to carry the ski equipment?
Yes a few, but we need at least 3 months notice to arrange this as they are in great demand and come with a supplement.
Where can I find more information about your coaches?
You can find more information in the Transport section of our main website.
Passenger numbers
We've got more passengers than our quotation allows for, can we take some more?Depends on the time of year and how many more passengers. Please telephone the office for advice.
What happens if we don't get 40 passengers?
We do our best to give our groups as much flexibility as possible regarding numbers and depending the dates of travel there may even be the possibility of sharing a coach with another school in order to keep your price the same. However if this is not a possibility and you must take your own coach then the price will increase. We will send you a Re-quote showing the new price. It does get significantly more expensive below 25 paying passengers.
Does the 49 seats include the drivers seat?
No - there are 49 seats for passengers, excluding the driver.
We have 50 passengers, can one of them sit in the courier seat?
The courier seat is only for drivers or official couriers/guide and not for passengers. The Group Leader or other Adult may opt to sit in this seat.
We have 137 passengers, how many coaches will we have?
It depends on the vehicles available on the day(s) of your trip. It could be 2 x 71 seaters (ie DDs) or 3 x 49 seaters. We will normally try to tell you nearer the time.
Drivers
Will the driver speak French/German/Spanish/Polish...?This is very unlikely.
Use of the coach
When and where will we have stops on the journey?The time and location of the stops will depend on the prevailing traffic conditions on the day.
Can we use the coach in the evenings?
It depends. On the first night, this will not normally be possible because the driver has been driving all day. On other nights it is usually possible to use the coach provided we are informed in advance and this is shown on the itinerary. Also the driver must have his 11 hr break over-night, so if they get back very late (eg midnight) you will not be able to use the coach the next day until late morning.
Can we eat on the coach?
It depends on the driver as some prefer it if food is not consumed on their vehicle. When pupils do eat on the coach please make sure that they put all rubbish in the rubbish bags.
Can we leave things on the coach?
Yes, but at your own risk - no valuables! You cannot go back to the coach to get things if the driver is on a statutory rest break.
Can I have the coach company's telephone number?
No - if you have a problem or the coach is delayed then please call the 24hr Emergency numbers that are in the Final Information Pack as we have all the out-of-hours numbers for coach companies & drivers.
Health and Safety
Have your drivers been Police and Criminal Records Bureau checked?Normally Yes. We ask all Coach Operators to take all reasonable precautions to ensure that drivers allocated to school tours are "child-friendly" and have been appropriately vetted.
Does your company have a Safety Management System?
Yes and we publish our Safety Management System for the benefit of Group Leaders, Teachers, Parents and LEA's.
How often does your company conduct inspections of Hotels or Coach companies?
Our Safety Management System gives details of all aspects of the frequency and scope of vetting of the Hotels and Coach Companies we use.
Do you provide Risk Assessments for all the places on our itinerary to be visited?
We have a great many Risk Assessments for most of the places that you are due to visit. There is no substitute for Teachers and Group Leaders conducting their own risk assessments in the light of the special needs of pupils and passengers that they are taking however.
The Price
How can Halsbury Travel Ski offer such good prices?We do not rent the centre on a season basis and therefore we do not have to pay whether we fill it or not.
We do not produce expensive glossy brochures to advertise our products.
Thanks to may yea
The Ski Package
What is included in the price?Absolutely everything!
- return travel by coach (or air with supplement)
- Comprehensive Wintersports Travel insurance
- 6 day ski-pass
- 6 day ski equipment
- 24h ski-lessons with fully qualified, friendly ski instructors
- 6 or 7 nights Full Board accommodation in excellent slopeside accommodation
- 1:8 free place ratio by coach 1:10 by air
- Apres ski programme
- group leader family discounts
What kind of equipment do we get?
For skis: this season or last season. Not older for your own safety and comfort. There are different types of skis available depending on your level.
For snowboards: usually no more than 3 years old.
What sort of accommodation do we stay in?
- really close to the pistes (usually within 3 min walk).
- open buffet
- students in 4 – 6 bedded rooms with teachers in twin rooms
- en-suite showers, toilets to share between 2 rooms
- newly refurbished (depending on chosen resort)
- in-house entertainment including: PS2, stage and disco facilities, soccer table, cinema, bar (alcohol served to adults only)
In any case, please feel free to contact us. Our friendly staff will be more than happy to give you advice to help you organise your trip.