Frequently asked questions Sauze d'Oulx

Sauze d'Oulx Frequently asked questions
The office staff are always happy to help you, but are kept very busy. We have put together this page with the answers to the most frequently asked questions. We would be grateful if you would check here before emailing the office. Thank you.

**If you fancy a smile, click here to go to our "Top 10 SFQs", (The ones that we wish we never asked and that certainly don't deserve an answer). INSTRUCTIONS Q: How do I use this page? A: These frequently asked questions are divided into the categories listed under INDEX. They appear on the page in a logical order. i.e. first section, how do I book, second how can I pay, third section, flights and transfers and so on. You can either scroll down or click on the category in the alphabetical index below to go directly to it. Each category is sub-divided into individual questions. You can also scroll through the questions or click the link to go directly to your question. There are links to the "top of section" and from the top of each section there are links to come back to the "index" or to re-read these "instructions". Wherever the letters or words are in grey and underlined, just click on the word to go to that information. If letters or words are in black and underlined, it means that you have already visited that link. In many browsers you can click the "Edit" command at the top and select "Find (on this page).." and enter the key words you are looking for e.g. Transfers. This facility will take you through the page stopping each time the word transfers occurs. INDEX ABTA & ATOL Accommodation Apartments Catered Accommodation Accommodation - check-in and check-out times Activities for non skiers Après-ski Booking your holiday or short break Equipment Guiding Insurance Lift passes Paying for your holiday Ski school and lessons Resort information Travel information ABTA & ATOL Q: Is Flexible Breaks ABTA or ATOL registered? A: No. Flexible Breaks SA is a Swiss company so ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) is not applicable, and as we do not organise fights, neither is ATOL (Air Travel Organisers Licence). However because our on-line payment centre only accepts credit cards and not debit cards, all our customers automatically enjoy the obligatory protection offered by their credit card company under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. BOOKING Q -aa: How do I book a holiday or short break? A: Please click this link to go to the page entitled "How to book" PAYMENT Q -ba: How do I pay? A: Payment is made by credit card in Euro. Full payment details will be emailed along with your booking form. click to go back to: index or instructions Q -bb: Which credit cards do you accept? A: We accept Visa and MasterCard. There is no online credit card charge however in resort credit card payments carry a 3% handling fee. FLIGHTS and TRANSFERS see also Ryanair FAQ Can we book our flights with you? Which airlines fly to Turin? Which airlines fly to Chambery? For which flights are there free transfers? Can we book non-standard transfers? If we do not use the free transfers, is there a reduction in cost? Who will I meet at the airport and where? How long will the transfer take? What time do we have to leave the resort for our homeward flight? What time do we need to check out of our room? Are child seats provided in the transfer vehicles? Is there any restriction on the baggage we can bring? Q -ca: Can I book my flights with you? A: No. Our keyword is "flexible" so we do not have any chartered seats. We are continually monitoring the situation, but it is far more cost effective for our customers to take advantage of the frequent excellent special offers available from many low-cost airlines e.g. Ryanair. Q -cb: Which airlines fly into Turin? A: There are several, for up-to-date information, please see our "flights news" page for details. Q -cbi: Which airlines fly into Chambery? A: There are several, for up-to-date information, please see our "flights news" page for details. Q -cc: Which flights do you offer free transfers from? A: We offer free transfers meeting flights arriving from 13UK airports plus Dublin and Brussels. For up-to-date information, please see our "airport transfers" page for details. Q -cd: Can we book transfers that do not coincide with these times? top of section A: Yes where possible we will arrange transfers for non-standard flights. There is of course a supplement to pay for this service. For up-to-date information, please see our "airport transfers" page for details. Q -ce: If we make our own way to resort and do not take advantage of the airport transfer do we get a reduction on the price of our holiday? A: No, as the transfer is free of charge we cannot make any refunds if it is not used. Q -cf: How will I know who to meet at the airport? A: You will be met from your flight by a AirportHoppers/Flexible Breaks representative who will be carrying a AirportHoppers/Flexible Breaks sign. They will be standing in the arrivals hall as you leave the baggage reclaim area. If there is a choice as you enter the arrivals hall, they will be to your left. Your driver will allow 30 minutes after your flight is due to land to allow time for immigration procedure and baggage reclaim. If you do happen to get through quicker don't panic just wait in the designated area and watch for the Flexible Breaks board at the correct time. Q -cg: How long is the journey from the airport? top of section A: Journey times assuming there are no hold ups such as heavy traffic or adverse weather conditions: Turin to Sauze d'Oulx: between 1 hour and 1 hour and 15 mins from airport to resort and vice-versa. Chambery to Sauze d'Oulx: between 1 hour and 45 mins and 2 hours from airport to resort and vice-versa. Q -ch: What time do we leave resort for the flight? A: Most airlines have a check-in policy, which requires that you be at the airport 2 hours before the flight. This means that normally we leave the resort approx. three hours before the flight for flights from Turin and three and a half hours for flights from Chambery. Departure times will be posted on the notice board in your accommodation. It will be your responsibility to check that these are correct for your flights. Q -ci: What time do we have to be out of our room on the day of departure? A: In line with most holiday accommodation, check-out time is 10.00 am as the room will need to be prepared for the new arrivals. If you want to keep your room until your departure, you should book it for an extra night. Q -cj: Do you have child seats in the transfer vehicles? top of section A: No. If you require a child seat, please arrange to bring one with you. Q -ck: Is there any limit on the baggage we can bring? A: Yes. Most airlines have a weight limit for the free baggage allowance and ski carriage. Above that permitted limit they are entitled to make a charge. For the transfer you must let us know how many ski or snowboard bags your group will be bringing. Flexible Breaks does not charge for their carriage. There is a space on the booking form for you to advise us of this. Some of the new range of large snowboard bags that are about 2 metres long, with wheels at one end may not fit inside some of our vehicles and may need to be transported on luggage racks outside the vehicle. In bad weather this may mean that they will get wet and or dirty from road spray. If you intend to use this kind of luggage please make sure that you bring adequate protection for your bags. Although our drivers will assist you where possible to load your luggage into the transfer vehicle, for health and safety reasons, they are not permitted to lift bags heavier (or that appear to be heavier) than 20 kgs. We will always do our best, but we cannot guarantee to have room to transport skis or snowboards if you have not advised us that you are bringing them with you. click to go back to: index or instructions ACCOMMODATION CHECK-IN / CHECK-OUT Q - d1a: What time is check-in and check-out? A: Whilst we will try to have your room ready on arrival, the official check-in time is after 4.00pm and before 10:30pm. Check-out is before 10:00am. Passengers on a Flexible Breaks airport transfer can check in outside the official hours. If you arrive in resort under your own steam (self arrival), you will need to give us an arrival time. This should be between 08:30 and 12:00 or 16:00 to 22:30. Outside of these hours we will endeavour to have a member of staff available. There is a fee of €40 for this service, if available. CATERED ACCOMMODATION What is half board? What is half board in the hotels? Is afternoon tea provided in the chalet? Do you cater for all nights of our stay? What times are meals served? What happens for dinner the night of our arrival? (late flight) Are special diets catered for? Are children allowed in the chalet? Are there special meals for children? How far is the chalet from the town centre and nearest lifts? Q -da: What is half board? A: Half board consists of breakfast and evening meal. Q -db: What is half board in the hotels? A: Hotel breakfast usually consists of a cold buffet with cereals, tea, coffee and orange juice. Dinner is normally three courses and offers a choice for each course. Drinks are not included. Q -dc: Is afternoon tea provided? top of section A: We do not provide afternoon tea. However if you fancy an early snack, Sauze has plenty of aperitivo bars where pre-dinner snacks are offered free of charge. Q -dd: Do you cater each night of our stay? A: Yes, we cater 7 days per week. Q -de: What times are meals served? A: As each accommodation is different you will be advised of meal times by the accommodation staff on arrival in resort, but generally breakfast is sometime between 08:00 and 09:30 and dinner from 19:30. Q -df: What happens for dinner if we arrive on a late evening flight? A: Dinner is not generally provided for late arrivals, however there are various places in the village where snacks can be purchased until late. Q -dg: Do you cater for special diets? top of section A: Yes, we do within reason, but only if mentioned at time of booking. Q -dh: Do you allow children in chalets and hotels? A: Yes, we allow children but for consideration to other guests we expect them to be well behaved and they must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times. Q -di: Do you provide special meals for children? A: No. Q -dj: How far is the accommodation from the town? top of section A: All accommodation is very close to the town, please refer to our maps page for exact location. click to go back to: index or instructions APARTMENT ACCOMMODATION Where are the apartments located? Is linen provided? What equipment is in the apartments? Can we arrange to have some supplies left on arrival? Is the apartment cleaned during our stay? How do I get the keys for the apartment? We are on the evening flight can I keep my apartment 'til we leave? Are cots available? Q -ea: Where are the apartments located? A: Please refer to our maps page for exact location. Q -eb: Is linen provided? A: Yes, we provide sheets and towels. Additional linen can be provided during your stay at €15.00 per set. Q -ec: What else is provided at the apartment? A: All our apartments are equipped with cutlery and crockery + pans for cooking. Electric kettles and toasters are not provided as the Italian electricity supply is easily overloaded. Q -ed: A: Q -ee: Is the apartment cleaned during our stay? A: No, but it can be arranged on request. There will be an additional charge for this. Q -ef: How will we get the keys to our apartment? top of section A: If you are being met at the airport, the representative meeting you will have your keys and will take you to your apartment. If you are arriving independently, we will meet you with the keys on arrival. We will require a €10 refundable deposit for each set of keys provided. Q -eg: If I am on the evening flight, can I keep my apartment until I leave? A: If you want to keep your apartment until your departure, you should book it for an extra night. Q -eh: Can you provide a cot? top of section A: Cots must be requested at time of booking and will be provided if available. We cannot guarantee that cots will meet British Safety Standards. The decision to use a cot is solely at the discretion of the parents. The inclusion of a cot may restrict room space. Cot linen is not usually provided. click to go back to: index or instructions EQUIPMENT Can we hire clothing in resort? Can we pre-book ski and boot hire? What are carving skis? What are top carving skis? Will my hire skis/board be insured? How much will it cost to hire skis, snowboard and boots? Q -fa: Can I hire ski/boarding clothing in resort? A: No, but there are various companies in the UK that hire clothing. Q -fb: Can I book ski/board and boot hire with you? A: No, Equipment can be booked in resort. See Guide prices ski hire Q -fc: What are carving skis? A: Carving skis are the latest generation of ski which generally make turning much easier and are a great benefit to skiers at all levels. Standard carving skis recommended for beginners and superior carving skis are for intermediates. Q -fd: What are superior and carving skis? A: Superior carving skis are high performance carving skis and and race carving skis are only suitable for more experienced skiers who want to benefit from high performance equipment. Q -fe: If I hire my skis or board they insured? top of section Sometimes damage to hire equipment is covered by your holiday insurance. If not you may take out insurance in the ski hire shop. This covers you for damage to equipment but not for theft. Q -ff: How much does it cost to hire skis, snowboard and boots? A: There are various grades of equipment and it depends on how many days you need them for. For up-to-date information please see our price list SKI SCHOOL AND PRIVATE LESSONS Q -ga: Can I pre-book ski school or private lessons? A: Yes, email info@sauzedoulxproject.it who provide private lessons mornings and afternoons meeting at Clotes or info@scuolascisauze.it who provide ski school in the morning and private lessons in the afternoon, meeting at Sportinia. We would strongly advise pre-booking, especially at peak times. click to go back to: index or instructions LIFT PASSES Why should we pre-book our lift passes through Flexible Breaks? Do we need photographs for lift passes? Is there a discount for children or senior citizens? Do beginners need a lift pass? Can beginners get a local pass or should they get an area pass? How much will my lift pass cost? Q -ha: Why should we pre-book our lift passes through Flexible Breaks? A: Everyone benefits if you book you lift passes through Flexible Breaks and the price is the same: We cannot help you with in resort lift pass purchases. 1) You benefit because you save time and inconvenience and should you lose the pass and it is found, it can easily be returned, as it will have our company name stamped on it. 2) The lift company benefits as queues are reduced at the lift office if one person from the company goes to get passes rather than each individual. 3) We benefit as we receive a small commission from the lift company at the end of the season, which helps to keep our prices competitive. In any event, it is a condition of booking for stays of less than 7 nights, that you book your pass through Flexible Breaks. Q -hb: Do we need a photo for our lift passes? A: No. Q -hc: Is there a reduction for children or senior citizens? A: Yes, please see lift pass prices Q -hd: Do beginners need to buy a lift pass? top of section A: Yes, because you will need to access the slopes with a ski lift. This means beginners need to use the lift system from day one. Q -he: Do beginners need to buy a Milky Way area pass? A: Yes, the multi-day passes are all only for the Milky Way ski area (no local passes are available), and cost less than buying a daily Sauze pass every day. With the excellent instructors on hand in resort, you should be heading on to new slopes by the end of your stay. Q -hf: How much will my lift pass cost? A: It depends on the dates and number of days. For up-to-date information please see our price list. click to go back to: index or instructions SKI GUIDING Q -ia: Do you offer a free ski or snowboard guiding service? A: Due to local regulations and for insurance reasons we are not allowed to offer "ski guiding", however many of our resort staff are good skiers and boarders, know the area well and are working here because they love to be out on the slopes. They are delighted when they are invited to ski with you for the day. INSURANCE Q -ja: Can I book my holiday insurance through you? A: You can book insurance through Fogg Travel Insurance Limited. For details click here. Piste insurance is available for €2.00 per day. This covers you to be taken off the mountain and for immediate medical attention in resort but not for on-going treatment. This must be booked when you order your lift pass. THE RESORT What is the ski area like? How far away is the lift system? Is there any queuing? Is there much off piste? Is it expensive to eat/drink on resort? Is there a good choice of nightlife? Is The resort good for beginners? Q -ka: What is the ski area like? A: Sauze d'Oulx is at one end of the Milky Way (Via Lattea), which is one of the largest ski areas in Europe with over 400 km of pisted run. There are 39 blue, 93 red, 32 black runs and over 88 lifts and well over 1000 snow cannons for making artificial snow. Sauze d'Oulx alone has over 100 km of pisted runs, 7 blue, 25 red, and 4 black. There are 19 lifts and hundreds of snow cannons covering several pistes, which go from the top of the ski area down into the village. Q -kb: How far away is the lift system? top of section A: The nearest lift is the Clotes chairlift which leaves the resort about 100 m from the village centre. Q -kc: Is there any queuing? A: Hardly ever, except sometimes at weekends and during Italian school holidays. Unlike many resorts, which cater almost exclusively for holidaymakers, there are only about 2000 holiday beds in Sauze. The rest of the accommodation is owned by Italians from Turin and Milan, who come up for a few weekends during the season and during Italian holidays. This means that except in the Italian holidays and some weekends the pistes are often empty, even during February half term. Although New Year is busy, Christmas week is surprisingly quiet. Q -kd: Is there much off piste? A: Obviously this depends on snow conditions at any given time, but the area is fantastic for off piste when there is new snow, with various different gradients. Q -ke: Is it expensive to eat/drink in resort? A: No, there is a huge variety of restaurants both on and off the slopes. Prices are often cheaper than in many other resorts. Alcohol prices are similar to the UK. Q -kf: Is there a good choice of nightlife? A: There is a huge selection of bars to choose from (some with live music), and 2 nightclubs. There is something for all tastes and for all times of the day and night. Q -kg: Is the resort good for beginners? top of section A: Sauze has been popular with British skiers for over 40 years and consequently has an excellent English-speaking ski school. There are many slopes for beginners and intermediate skiers. click to go back to: index or instructions LEISURE AND APRÈS-SKI Q -la: What is there to do for non-skiers?** A: Sauze is a picturesque resort with several interesting shops and a weekly market. There are many lovely walks. It is very easy for non-skiers to meet up with the rest of the group for lunch at a central point on the slopes e.g. Sportinia. There are 2 beauty centres, offering massage, beauty treatments, sauna and spa facilities. Turin is within striking distance (1 hour by train) for site seeing and shopping, as is Milan (2 hours 30 mins by train) and the historic French market town of Briancon (1 hour by bus). There are also various après-ski activities, including an adventure park, helicopter trips, skidoo rides, bar crawl and party nights.

A: Yes where possible we will arrange transfers for non-standard flights. There is of course a supplement to pay for this service. For up-to-date information, please see our "airport transfers" page for details.