Our schools package has been developed over the last ten years to provide groups with all the essentials for a successful school tour whilst keeping the costs to a minimum. Our experienced staff will be happy to discuss our packages with you in further detail. You can find out more about the different aspects of our package below.
STAFF PERKS
Our holiday package includes free places and concession as laid out below. If you have different requirements we are very flexible and can usually tailor a package price to meet your requirements.
Free Places: We provide all groups travelling by coach with 1 free place for every 10 full paying pupils. For larger groups of 35 - 41 full paying pupils we can give 1 free place for every 8 full paying pupils. For groups of 42 or more full paying pupils we can offer 1 free place for every 7 paying passengers. Very large groups may be entitled to additional free places which will be agreed at the time of booking. For all groups travelling by air the free place ratio is 1 for every 10 full paying pupils. Discounted pupils, staff children and extra adults do not count towards free place ratios.
Family Concessions: We offer each official group leader a range of attractive concessions for themselves and members of their families. These include a spouse or partner at the pupil price and the group leader's children at 50% of the pupil price. These concessions are only available for groups with a minimum of 30 full paying passengers and allow one child concession for every 20 full paying passengers. Any such concessions should be agreed at the time of booking as they may otherwise only be available to groups booking brochure-price holidays.
Flexible Inspection Visits: We can organise bespoke inspection visits to most of our resorts throughout the season. These can be short weekend or midweek breaks or full 7 day packages. These holidays will be provided at special rates for teachers. The first teacher would be entitled to a refund of £299 from the total cost when they run a school tour with a minimum of thirty paying passengers in the following season. For larger groups (60 or more paying passengers) two teachers would be entitled to a £299 refund.
For further details and a quotation please call our office. Tailored packages must be requested at the time of booking and at least 6 months prior to travel in order to allow for necessary arrangements to be made. All inspection visits are subject to availability.
RESORT STAFF
Resort Staff: Our resort staff are accomplished skiers and/or snowboarders who know the resorts well and their enthusiasm always contributes to a successful holiday. They are available 24 hours a day to liaise with group leaders to ensure that all of the holiday arrangements run smoothly.
Typically our resort representatives would travel with the group from England and would inform group leaders of the current snow conditions and weather forecasts along with any information about special events that may be taking place in the resort for the week in question.
Once in resort our representatives take care of collecting and distributing room keys and ski passes as well as liasing with ski hire staff to ensure pupils are equipped correctly and with the ski instructors to ensure lesson groups are properly structured. During the holiday the representative will provide details of the apres ski facilities that are available and make suitable arrangements for any activities that are required. The representaives are also on hand to deal with any medical situations that may arise and liaise with medical staff and the emergency insurance services.
OFFICE STAFF
Our office staff have a thorough knowledge of the elements involved with organising a successful tour and are always on hand to offer advice and support on best practice to group leaders whilst they are forming their group.
Pre-Tour Information: For all school groups it is important to provide accurate and timely information when forming the party. In order to assist our group leaders we provide a tailored powerpoint presentation about the specific resort and package that they have chosen for their group. This includes information for parents and pupils on where they will be staying, how they will be travelling, what activities they will be doing in resort along with practical information about what items to take on holiday.
We also provide all groups with promotional posters and flyers to help advertise the holiday along with passenger lists and payment cards to ease the task of getting a group together.
ACCOMMODATION
We offer a range of accommodation in a wide choice of resorts throughout the French Alps. Our accommodation has been chosen for its convenient access to the ski area and the village facilities, in many resorts our accommodation is located on the slopes.
Throughout our many years of organising successful holidays we have found that for many school groups accommodation in apartments offers an excellent and cost-effective option that allows pupils to visit high altitude world-class resorts at very competitive prices. Apartments in most resorts are located either directly on the ski slopes or within a short walk of the pistes, and in general are more spacious than hotel rooms with two separate sleeping areas and private bathroom facilities. read more/less...
All apartments are fitted with secure locking devices on both doors and windows, and all rooms are requested together on one corridor to aid group management. Our apartments in most resorts are in two star residences run by Odalys, Transmontagne, VVF Vacances, Pierre et Vacances and other reputable resort agencies. Rooms generally include a lounge area (which sleeps two at night), kitchen, bath/shower room, WC and separate bedrooms and/or alcoves in the larger units. Most residences have their own receptions, ski locker rooms and TV rental and some have their own bars, restaurants and lounge / meeting rooms. We never ask boys and girls to share rooms, nor adults to share rooms with pupils (unless requested in the case of a family group). Our prices allow for some under occupancy of the rooms for any adults and/or staff in the group. Where further under occupancy is required, supplements can be paid. For further details, please contact our office. Apartment sizes and layouts do vary from resort to resort and as such further details of individual residences are available on specific resort pages and/or on our website. Apartments are generally larger in size than hotel or hostel rooms and are available sleeping 4, 5 or 6 persons. Four bed studios are 20-30m2 with one or two separate sleeping areas, five bed apartments are 25-35m2 with two separate sleeping areas and six bed apartments are 30-40m2 with two or three separate sleeping areas. In all cases the lounge is treated as one of the sleeping areas. Kitchen areas are equipped with dishwashers, cookers, grills and fridge / freezers. For full board holidays or where requested, the main fuse can be removed so that pupils are unable to use the equipment.
All rooms are cleaned in between stays and in general room keys are available for collection from reception at 5pm on the day of arrival in resort (usually Saturday). Rooms are available until 10am on the Saturday following (although most groups travelling by coach vacate the rooms on Friday evening prior to departure). All rooms are centrally heated and furnished to a comfortable standard. Any problems with the rooms should be reported to our resort rep and/or the reception immediately. Blankets and pillows are provided in all rooms together with bed linen. In the rare situation where bed linen is not provided by the residences you will be notified in your final holiday information. All rooms must be cleaned by groups at the end of their stay, unless a supplement has been paid to have the rooms cleaned. On The Piste Travel Limited pay a damage deposit on behalf of each group to the reception. Where rooms are cleaned this deposit is returned in full to the company. If any substantial charges are levied by the reception in respect of damage or cleaning, these charges will be itemised and passed on to the group for payment.
Out of resort accommodation: We pride ourselves in offering accommodation located in the actual ski resort without the need to travel to the slopes each day. For groups on a tighter budget our out of resort accommodation in Brides Les Bains offers a viable alternative for a successful schools holiday with easy access to the local ski resorts. Please see the specific resort pages for further details.
INSURANCE
We have included our ‘Standard’ On the Piste winter sports insurance cover in all of our school holiday packages. Click here to view and/or print the full policy – Standard policy section covers only. There is a £65 excess on many sections of the policy. A Nil Excess option is available for a school group policy – please contact our office for details. For your own protection, our Booking Conditions require that you have adequate travel insurance if travelling outside of the United Kingdom.
Our insurance has been arranged through Fogg Travel Insurance Services Limited, specialists in winter sports insurance for over 30 years and is underwritten by Union Reiseversicherung AG (URV), and who are both authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. On the Piste insurance also includes the renowned Fogg Travel MEDI-CARD which is recognised throughout the skiing world, and enables your school group to ski with the knowledge that all rescue, transportation and medical bills will be automatically taken care of - meaning there is nothing to pay other than the policy excess amount in resort.
Your policy contains restrictions regarding Pre-Existing Medical Conditions of the people travelling. YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ YOUR POLICY CAREFULLY and to read the information below and to sign the insurance declaration on the booking form read more/less...
The On The Piste Travel Insurance operates on the basis that all Insured Persons are not travelling against medical advice or with the intention of obtaining medical treatment abroad. The insurance will NOT cover you if you have any undiagnosed symptoms that may require treatment in the future (i.e. symptoms for which you are awaiting investigations/consultations, or awaiting results of investigations, and where the underlying cause has not been established).
If you, or any other person travelling with you, have ever had treatment for any heart or circulatory condition, a stroke or high blood pressure, any breathing condition (including asthma), any type of cancer, any type of diabetes, any existing injury or other serious or re-occurring medical condition, any condition requiring long term prescribed medication or if you are receiving or awaiting investigation for any medical condition you must advise the Referral Helpline as per the policy terms to see if additional cover is available. Insurers reserve the right to impose terms. You will receive confirmation in writing of their decision.
No claim arising directly or indirectly from a Pre-Existing Medical Condition affecting an Insured Person will be covered unless:
You have declared that condition to the Underwriters; and
You have declared any changes in your health or prescribed medication; and
The Underwriters have accepted that condition or change in condition for insurance in writing prior to departure.
To declare a Pre-existing Medical Condition or a change in your state of health or prescribed medication, you should contact the Referral Helpline on telephone 0845 1300198 (Mon. to Fri. 9.30am to 5.00pm). Please note that calls to the Referral Helpline may be monitored or recorded for audit or training purposes.
Failure to declare any Pre-existing Medical Condition that is relevant to the insurance may invalidate the Policy.
IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT - PLEASE CALL THE HELPLINE.
‘Cooling Off’ Period
If after reading your policy you are not satisfied for any justifiable reason, you can return it to ON THE PISTE provided it is within 14 days of issue, in order to receive a full refund of premium, provided that a claim does not exist and travel has not taken place.
Important: Under the Association of British Insurance General Business Code of Practice we must draw your attention to some important features of your insurance including:
Insurance Policy
- This contains full details of the cover provided plus the conditions and exclusions which apply to it. You must read the insurance policy carefully.
Conditions and Exclusions -
There are conditions and exclusions which apply to individual sections and general conditions, exclusions and warranties which apply to the whole policy.
Medical expenses -
Your policy does not provide private health treatment unless specifically approved by the emergency assistance service. You should carry an EHIC (formerly E111) or equivalent and use this at state facilities when travelling within the European Union.
PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CONDITIONS
Please see IMPORTANT: STRICT HEALTH REQUIREMENTS ABOVE.
Property Claims -
These claims are paid based on the value of the goods at the time you lose them, and not on a ‘new for old’ or replacement cost basis, unless otherwise stated in your policy. Your policy will set out what proof the insurer needs to support a claim.
Policy Limits -
Most sections of the policy have limits on the amount the insurer will pay under that section. Some section also include inner limits e.g.: for any one item, or for valuables in total. You are advised to check your policy if you intend taking expensive items with you.
Policy Excesses
- Claims under most sections of the policy will be subject to an excess. Where there is an excess, you will be responsible for paying the first part of the claim.
Fraud -
The making of a fraudulent claim is a criminal offence. Your insurer may be recording details of claims on an anti-fraud register.
Reasonable Care
- You are required to take all reasonable care to protect yourself and your property and to act as though your are not insured.
Telling Us about Relevant Facts
- You must tell Insurers or ourselves before you travel about anything which may effect your cover. This information must be complete and adequate. If you are not sure whether something is relevant you should tell us anyway. You should keep a record of any information you give us. If you do not tell Insurers about something that may be relevant your cover may be refused and Insurers may not cover any related claims.
Complaints - The Insurance policy includes a Complaints Procedure which tells you what steps you can take if you wish to make a complaint.
Hazardous Holiday Activities - The policy may not cover you when you take part in certain hazardous activities e.g.: paragliding. If you are taking part in activities that present a risk of injury, including scuba diving and water sports, check that your policy covers you.
Law - The contract will be subject to English Law unless otherwise agreed.
These details are not a substitute for your insurance policy.
TRANSPORT
Coach transport offers an easy to administer and cost-effective door to door service for transporting your group to resort. Coach travel keeps your group to together and means it is only necessary to load and unload luggage once per journey. We have carefully vetted a small number of preferred suppliers and selected coach companies with brand new fleets and many years experience of alpine tours. All our coaches are fitted with 48/49 reclining seats with safety belts, audio/video systems, toilet/washroom, snack bar facilities including hot drinks and air conditioning/forced air ventilation. Each coach has a large luggage capacity and is fully equipped for winter use including snow chains. On busier weeks of the season, coaches may be hired in from alternative companies. Where this is the case, we have a list of preferred suppliers and ensure that vehicles are of the same high standard. read more/less...
Larger Groups: On request, we can also provide limited numbers of 57 seat and double deck coaches with 69/73 seats of similar quality. As quality larger vehicles are scarce, we do require as much notice as possible in order to reserve the vehicles and a supplement may be payable.
No Supplements for Small Groups: Where group numbers are less than those necessary for sole occupancy of a coach, we can arrange for you to share a coach with another small group or, more likely, other individual skiers at no extra cost. If you would like the exclusive use of the coach, you can pay a small group supplement: 37-35 paying passengers £13, 34–30 paying passengers £26, 29-26 paying passengers £44, 25-23 paying passengers £59, 22-20 paying passengers £70.
Cross Channel Services: Most of our groups are booked with P & O European Ferries who provide an efficient service between Dover and Calais. Their frequent sailings, often every 45 minutes, have helped to further reduce journey times to and from the Alps. At certain times, and with our group’s consent, it may be necessary to use other operators such as Sea France and the Channel Tunnel. The Channel Tunnel normally incurs a supplement and must be requested by our groups at the time of booking.
Meals En Route: Meals on the journey to resort are not included in our holiday package but we do provide all our passengers with a discount voucher for the purchase of breakfast at a convenient service station en route to resort.
SKI PASSES
In all of our holiday packages a resort ski pass is included. In certain larger resorts an extension pass is available, please see the resort guides for further details.
Wherever possible, ski passes are available for collection on the Saturday evening following arrival in resort and are valid (on a standard 9 day holiday) until the lifts close on the following Friday. Lift opening times do vary depending upon the time of the year, but are usually open from 0900-1630 at Christmas and 0845-1715 at Easter.
All six day passes require a passport-sized photograph (unless stated) which should be collected by group leaders prior to the holiday and given to our staff in resort. In some resorts a supplement is payable for ski passes for older children.
EQUIPMENT HIRE
All of our ski hire equipment is reserved with SkiSet, one of the largest chains of rental equipment suppliers in Europe who have shops in all of our resorts. All the hire shops have a full range of modern ski and snowboard equipment which is well maintained and the SkiSet technicians are available throughout the week to provide help and advice. Ski equipment hire is included in the price of our holiday package. read more/less...
The make of equipment does vary from resort to resort and from season to season but the brand of equipment is usually Rossignol, Salomon, Head or similar. The equipment is usually collected on Saturday, the day of arrival, and taken back, after skiing on Friday, the last day.
Where group members require the hire of specific equipment (such as more advanced / race-standard skis or boots of size 14 and over) group leaders should inform our office prior to departure. The safe-keeping of the ski/board equipment is the responsibility of each group member and ski breakage insurance (under normal use) is included in the holiday price. Skis / snowboards and boots should be kept in lockers during the week, or where they are not available, they should be kept in the room. Equipment must not be left unattended at any time.
Where a snowboarding option has been selected relevant equipment will be supplied from the same hire shop.
Helmet Hire: With increasing emphasis on safety more and more groups are requesting helmet hire as part of their package. Helmets can be provided in all of our resorts by our ski hire shops.
LESSONS
Lessons are arranged with internationally recognised ski schools such as the Ecole du Ski Francais and Ecole du Ski Internationale in all our resorts. Our holiday package includes 2 hours ski lessons daily with options available to increase the amount of tuition to 4, 5 or 6 hours a day. Please see the ‘prices’ page for details of additional lessons. read more/less...
All the instructors speak good English, hold nationally recognised qualifications and are chosen for their enthusiasm for the sport so essential in the success of a school skiing holiday. Standard class sizes are approximately 8-12 pupils of a similar standard per instructor. In most resorts lessons are organised in standard blocks to fit in with the opening of the lifts. These may vary depending upon the time of the season (lifts are usually open for longer during Easter than at February half term). Groups can request preferred lesson start time(s) and where this fits with the ski school planning, the request will usually be granted.
Where group numbers for lessons fall below those necessary to hire an instructor, where possible pupils will be offered the chance to share with another group, if this is not possible the group will need to pay to hire an additional instructor or pay for the individuals to join with public lessons.
Snowboarding Lessons: We can arrange snowboarding lessons on request. We request that in order to ensure workable group sizes, group leaders only offer snowboarding where suitable numbers of pupils are available. Class sizes for snowboarding lessons are usually slightly smaller than those for ski lessons - i.e. 8-10 pupils.
CLOTHING HIRE
Clothing Hire: We are happy to be recommend Ski-Force to our school groups who are looking to hire clothing and accessories in the UK. Ski-Force have been involved with school skiing trips since 1986 and offer a truely specialised service from jackets and salopettes through to sunglasses and goggles and will be happy to provide an information evening at your school. For detailed information please visit Ski-Force's website or call them on 01543 411422. Please remember to mention On The Piste Travel in order to benefit from our specially arranged deals for school teachers.