Erna Low & Baboo Celebrate Oxford-Geneva Ski Flight Connection

What a fantastic evening we had at the London Oxford Airport in Kidlington celebrating the launch of  Baboo’s new Oxford-Geneva winter flight route!   Our friends at WeLove2Ski.com were on hand to help raise awareness for both the new flight service and for the British Ski Cross team who will take to the Olympic slopes for the first time ever at the Winter Olympics 2010 in Vancouver.  

Guests received their very own boarding pass and entry into the evening’s prize draws which included a week’s stay in a studio cabin for four in Avoriaz, two sets of free flights from Oxford to Geneva, and a pair of custom made ski boots from Daleboot, courtesy of Outdoor Traders in Abingdon.  The proceeds from the prize draw went to support the Ski Cross team’s Olympic  fundraising efforts.  David Surley, Head of Customer Services at the airport, was on hand  to offer First Class service to all our guests and charmed everyone with his tales from the tarmac. 

Being an Oxfordshire resident myself, I can vouch for anyone living in the Oxford area that flying via London Oxford Airport to the Alps is the only way to travel!  Parking five minutes from the terminal, quiet, relaxing lounges before you board, baggage and security cleared in seconds and you’re on your way to the slopes.   From the turnout last night, Baboo is on to a winner here!  Have a peek for yourself below at the evening’s entertainment and don’t forget to book yourself in to one of our favourite French ski holidays close to Geneva and grab yourself a seat on the easiest most convenient ski route from Oxford to the Alps this winter!

My three minutes in the spotlight — thanking our many friends and guests for coming out and celebrating with us on the night.

The endlessly entertaining David Surley from London Oxford Airport.

And finally a lovely thank you from the GB Ski Cross team! We’re looking forward to seeing them race down the slopes in Whistler this February!

Party your way to the slopes… as Oxford airport flies to the Alps this winter!

Any new way of getting to the Alps is alright by us and that is why we are all very excited about the new ‘full frills’ service operated by Baboo Airlines. Starting on the 19th of December, Baboo will fly every Saturday between Geneva and Oxford Airport with seat prices from just £89 one way, including taxes, luggage…and even ski/board carriage! the perfect way to start your ski holiday!

Check out www.flybaboo.com for more details and reservations.

Why not join us as we celebrate the launch of this new service?
We have teamed up with Baboo and prolific ski website www.welove2ski.com to welcome guests at the VIP lounge at Oxford Airport for drinks, canapés and masses of prizes to be won including 2 return flights OXF-GVA, a week’s accommodation in the Alps, a pair of specially fitted Daleboots, a custom fitting ski boot fitting (both courtesy of Outdoor Traders, Abingdon) and plenty of goodies from our friends at www.welove2ski.com. All monies raised from the event will be donated to the British Ski Cross Team, who are in final preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Taking place on Thursday 26th November from 6.30pm at Oxford Airport, the event is completely FREE and open to EVERYONE… so do pass it on to family and friends in the area who may want to join us.

Just RSVP to Alex (alex.yellowlees@ernalow.co.uk) so we can keep an eye on numbers.

Baboo takes off from Oxford this winter

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Sappho x

Mass snows in Snowmass!

‘I’m talking about a little place called Aspen!’

Everyone knows Americans like things BIG and their snowfalls are no exception! After receiving over 60cm (2 feet) of snow last weekend, Aspen/Snowmass is hotting up (well, not literally) to open in 9 days time.
Opening weekend sees have the return of the FIS Alpine Women’s World Cup race on Aspen Mountain and it’s a great way to kick off the season and combined with great terrain, events, snow, restaurants and nightlife, Aspen sure looks inviting this season…. And not too heavy on the purse strings either…

Ski holidays to Aspen start from £881 per person, based on double occupancy in a Ridge View room at The Stonebridge Inn. Price includes 7 nights lodging including daily continental breakfast from 01 December 2009, direct flights with British Airways from LHR-DEN, shared shuttle transfers to resort and all applicable taxes and surcharges. Please note: flights into Aspen airport can also be arranged at a supplement if preferred, subject to availability.

mass snowmass snows Photo: Jeremy Swanson

Snowy Downtown Aspen Photo: Daniel Bayer

Snowy Downtown Aspen

Grab a bargain with our top weekly ski deals

Calling all blog readers who want to grab a ski bargain this winter! Take a peak at our personal favourites below and find the rest of them of our ski deals page on our website.

New Year skiing for only £180
Erna Low is offering a week in Puy St Vincent over New Year for £180pp (reduced from £220pp). This price includes 7 nights accommodation in a 1 bedroom apartment at the Residence Le Hameau des Ecrins on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 26th December. The apartment sleeps 4 people and is located in an ideal position at the foot of the slopes in Puy Saint Vincent 1800.

15% off and FREE breakfast in Serre Chevalier
Erna Low is offering a week in Serre Chevalier in January for only £186pp (reduced from £214pp). This price includes 7 nights accommodation in a luxury 2 bedroom apartment at the Best Western Premier Chantemerle with FREE breakfast and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 9th January. The apartment sleeps 6 people and is located in an ideal position in the buzzing main resort of Chantemerle.

Luxury in Morzine for only £223
Erna Low is offering a week in The Lodge in Morzine for only £223pp (reduced from £270). This price includes 7 nights accommodation in a luxury 1 bedroom apartment at The Lodge Morzine on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 9th January. The apartment sleeps 4 people and the residence boasts a gym, jacuzzi and sauna as well as a bar and restaurant.

HUGE savings in Avoriaz
Erna Low is offering credit crunch skiing for only £91pp (down from £164 pp) in Avoriaz this winter. This price includes 7 nights accommodation in a studio/cabin apartment in the Maeva Residence Antares on a self catering basis and includes return Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade, departing on 16th January. The apartment sleeps up to 4 people and is located in the high altitude, ski in ski out resort of Avoriaz. 

Visit our website on www.ernalow.co.uk or call the sales team (George, Katie, Rob, Kirsty or John) on 0845 863 0525 for more information.

Be sure to check back often for our very own pick of the best deals!

Getting to the Alps by train…at a glance!

Victoria, our admin manager, looks into the benefits (and the all important price tag!) of travelling to the Alps by train this winter.

I read an article in ‘In The Snow’ yesterday about a company called www.snowcarbon.co.uk who are dedicated to getting to the Alps by train and it got me to think about it all a bit more.

So I’ve read up a bit on what the trains are like and what routes they do.  The TGV only has seats and is therefore good for day trains, but a cheap option for night trains too, while the Corail Lunea doesn’t run as many trains but has a nice reclining seat or couchettes.

Am I leaving a carbon footprint?

Just to give you an idea of an indirect train price check this out for the 19th Feb return 27th Feb 2010 currently available… it certainly seems really easy and a great idea for the eco friendly travellers among us.

Outbound: London St Pancras 17:55, arrives in Paris Nord 21:17 > change to Paris Austerlitz departs 22:34, arrives next morning into Bourg St Maurice at 06:39.
For standard class seat on Eurostar and reclining seat on a Corail Lunea train from £90
For standard class seat on Eurostar and bed in a six berth couchette on a Corail Lunea train from £215

Inbound: Bourg St Maurice 21:30, arrives Paris Austerlitz 06:21 > change to Paris Nord departs 08:07, arrives London 09:36
For standard class seat on Eurostar and reclining seat on a Corail Lunea train from £65.50
For standard class seat on Eurostar and bed in a six berth couchette on a Corail Lunea train from £76.50

Personally I’d be quite happy with a reclining chair!

I’m going to be heading on my ski holiday to Arc 1950 by this type of train in March so I’ll be an expert at train travel when I return, sales aren’t yet open for me but I hope I can bag a bargain like this when they do!

If you want to book or simply find out more, talk to Victoria directly on  0845 863 0525 or check out www.ernalow.co.uk

After Olympic snowfalls, Whistler opens this weekend!

Whistler must be cruising the luck wave at the moment, not only are the 2010 winter Olympics heading their way in February but they have also just announced they are will be opening 12 DAYS EARLIER than expected after epic snowfalls across North America and Canada in the past week.

Whistler Mountain is opening its doors early, this Saturday, November 14, with Blackcomb Mountain following in its footsteps on Thursday, November 26.
According to our friends over at Whistler, 70-100 cm of snow fell over the past seven days creating the perfect base to welcome skiers this weekend. And, with the cold front moving across the south Coastal Mountains, forecasts indicate another 65cm of snow could fall by Saturday. Combined with the onslaught of their 160 snow canons, and this early season is off to a very white start. Envious? Us? Maybe just a little bit…

Let the season begin!

you better get working if you want to be ready in time!

Looks cold! wrap up warm Whistlers!

Ski holidays to Whistler start at £1193 per person, based on double occupancy in a deluxe studio at the Pinnacle International Hotel. Price includes 7 nights lodging on a room only basis, direct flights with British Airways from LHR-YVR, shared shuttle transfers to resort and all applicable taxes and surcharges. Available through Erna Low www.ernalow.co.uk 0845 863 0525

Learning to parle Français on a singles holiday in France…

Kirsty, one of our friends over at holiday company GoLearnTo.com, tells us about heading out to France to pick up French… we’ll have her on skis next!Working for learning holidays company GoLearnTo.com, it was always a bit embarrassing to admit I couldn’t speak a second language, especially as we sell so many amazing language courses. I love France, the food, the wine, the cities, countryside and the mountains so decided to put aside my very own version of Franglais and take some time out to learn French on a French course in France.

The real test of learning a new language... the market!

I’d never been away on my own before so was very excited if a little nervous embarking not only on my first singles holiday but also on my first language course.  I decided to learn French in Nice as for me, it has it all; a great beach, the Cours Saleya food market so I could indulge my passion for French food and close enough to the slopes for a weekend skiing in between my French lessons – what more could a girl want on her first solos holiday?

On my first day, the teachers scared the pants off me, they only spoke to me in French, I mean, I was in France yes and here to learn French but qu’est ce que c’est?  On the plus side, my classmates were a fun group and we together we managed to get through it.  That afternoon, we all went out for lunch and as the wine flowed, somehow what and how we’d been taught earlier all seemed to make sense. 

During the week, my confidence in the language soared and I couldn’t wait to get out of class and practice my new found Français.  And, as promised I managed to convince a few of my classmates to join me to head to the slopes for a weekend of skiing as we practiced our French on unsuspecting lift operators, barmen and waiters.

All in all, my first singles holiday and French course was a huge success and something I will definitely do again. Go, see for yourself, travelling solo and learning French gives a holiday in France a certain je ne sais quoi.

Living the Dream! Enjoying the pre-season action before embarking on a gap year ski course in Whistler

Our very own ski bum in the making, Cody Yellowlees-Bound, recounts his experience at the ski show before heading out to Canada with Alltracks Academy.

Most people have no idea what they want to do on their gap year; my best friend certainly doesn’t because his options are simply too overwhelming.  Opposed to that, I spent the first half of 2009 researching what I’ve been looking forward to my entire life. I looked at over ten different companies that ran gap year ski courses trying to weed out a course that offered me fun, structure and life experience before I finally settled on the Alltracks Academy. Now I’m jetting off to Whistler for 11 weeks to get my level 1 and level 2 ski instructor qualifications, and I’m counting down the days until I leave.

Cody and the Alltracks team at the ski show

What I read on the Alltracks Academy web page looked pretty unique, but what really got me excited, was the work they let me do with them at the London Metro Ski and Snowboard Show in October. Initially I was just there to give an example of one of the individuals going on a gap year ski instructor course as part of their career break, since I couldn’t really talk to people interested in the course in detail (that will come next year!). However, as the day progressed, I got to know the organisers of the course: Paul, Jonathon and Lindsey, and as I did so, all the questions I asked them about the course where answered. I found myself becoming familiar with all the detail of my ski camp, as well as the 4-week programmes and snowboard camps that they run in Whistler and Banff. Soon I was explaining to others everything they, and previously I, wanted to know. Things important to the experience, like a guaranteed view to improving my skiing skills, with small groups of skiers of similar ability, individual lessons and video playback. Accommodation was often a hot topic, and I enjoyed explaining how our lodgings where right in the middle of things within the whistler village, and people seemed to enjoy hearing it too. I listened to plenty of horror stories where others had been led to believe that they were twenty minutes walk away from the action, but instead ended up having to take twenty minute bus journeys everyday to the town and slopes. Just like me, they also appreciated that dinners were provided, and that the lodgings also had free Wi-Fi. What particularly makes me feel safe and comfortable about the Alltracks Academy is that there is always quick and convenient support available; if you e-mail Paul or Jonathon with any queries, or even call them, you are going to get a reply within 24-hours, full-stop. Trust me, sometimes it’s 24 minutes, crazy quick. Then there’s the little goody bag of bonuses, like lessons in first aid, off-piste skiing, avalanche training and the general flexibility of the camp; I still haven’t decided if I want to switch to snowboarding or do a freestyle course after my level 1. Working for Paul at the ski show has assured me that one of the biggest decisions of my life was the correct one and it has got me animated about the trip. I’ll meet a diverse group of people from all around the world, not just gappers like me, but also people on career break, and who knows, perhaps there’ll be honeymooners there, or even girls (frightening thought right?). I’m going to whistler in January, and I’m not looking back.

Cody Yellowlees-Bound: Ski Bum (to-be)

Cody will be blogging direct from the slopes of Whistler this winter so be sure to check back regularly to hear all his news on the course, the action and the Olympics!

Ski holidays to Whistler start at £1193 per person, based on double occupancy in a deluxe studio at the Pinnacle International Hotel. Price includes 7 nights lodging on a room only basis, direct flights with British Airways from LHR-YVR, shared shuttle transfers to resort and all applicable taxes and surcharges. Available through Erna Low www.ernalow.co.uk 0845 863 0525