[Closed] Whistler on the cheap?

bump!!

Look to book some flights with Canadian Affair and hire a truck camper. Plenty of RV sites or better still camp in one of the many Provincial Parks.

With a Truck Camper, you can also head outta Whistler (which is V expensive anyway) and north to Sunshine Coast, Roberts Creek etc etc, where the riding is more 'natural' techy.

Altho if bike parks are your thang... stay in Whistler.

Like you say its all relative as i think we are cheap for what we provide as part of our package.

There are always cheaper options in whistler like staff housing, hostel, campground etc but once you factor in the other costs, logistics and sorting your own food etc you might get close to a similar spend at the cost of your leisure time.

just my 2c

Plus, you should see the evening meals our new chef/host duo are putting on the tables... superb!

How long a trip?

Probably tricky for a solo traveller ?

But for this year with 4 others we are doing it cheaper than our previous trips with T2R, and cheaper than what they and BBB quoted us this year by renting our own chalet. Works out about $20 a night each for accomadation.

That's the only big saving though as flights, transfer, food & lift tickets pretty much cost the same whoever you go with.

wysiwyg: Two weeks.

Bear Back - is that Jonny? I believe we've exchanged a couple of e-mails in the last day or two.

Sorry to hijack.
If Bearback reads this again can you tell me when is the best time to visit Whistler?
Looking to come over 2013 but not sure when and what to expect price wise?
Any info would be great - bren2709@hotmail.co.uk

Cheers

August was good for me but flights can be expensive, check www.skyscanner.com and pick the cheapest one around the time you want to go! Got my one way for £350, the day after was about £900! Only had a couple of long queues toward the end of the season.

Probably avoid Crankworx in July as it'd be really busy I imagine.

except crankworx is in august 😉

Hi Mike,

Yep, Jonny here.

Invoice on its way to you 🙂

Brendan, emailed.
June - mostly wet, quiet in resort and cheaper. Upper bike park only opens up later in the month.
July - typically warm, sunny, dry and superb riding conditions. More expensive as into school holidays/peak season. Lake good to swim in comfortably by mid month
August - as July, but warmer, sunnier and busier. Dry and dusty on the bike park. Hot days on the XC bike
September - perfect mix of sun, warm days and quieter in resort. Cooler in the evenings but lake still swimmable! Everything is open and pricing getting cheaper again. Gets wet towards the later half of the month.

As above, avoid Crankworx unless you are riding XC or love free Monster Energy drinks. Superb show to watch, but a downer if you want to keep lapping the bike park and don't care about riding the new stuff and seeing the pro's throw down some silly stuff. 30-45 minute lift lines on final weekend of Crankworx are not unusual!
Loose suggestions are Aug 12 2013 for Crankworx next year.

Price wise for 2013. We don't expect a change. We're pretty confident that our pricing is dialed in and represents very good value.
Airlines etc.. honestly.. no idea. We can only wait and see what market share Virgin pull away from the other airlines and what their response is.

If you tented it in the nearest camp site (nowhere near the bike park), ate off a camping stove and took a bus to the park and back everyday you could save some solid cash. However, it would be a nightmare unless your Ray Mears. If you have enough guys you could rent an apartment/condo but you'll have a hassle getting bikes in and out, probably loose your damage deposit because of the bikes eating the walls (always happens), have to cook your own food from expensive Whistler supermarkets and you won't have a workshop which if you're going to smash the park for two weeks is essential.

As a local, with no ties to Bearback apart from knowing a guide or two, you would be honestly be crazy to not stay with them.

Just to reiterate Bearback, we stayed with them this time last year, and once you take into account you are getting fed every morning and evening, have secure bike storage and spannering space, you are getting the guiding for pennies. I'd much rather stay with them again than up in the village itself.

We flew with Canadian Air...although cheap, both flights the 'leather seats' turned out to be pretty tired and the aisle seats tended to sag/be wonky where thousands of legs had been stretched into the aisle. Presumably as the leg room was what I think would normally be economy plus on a shorthaul...very cramped! This coupled with the fact that whilst we had a 35kg bike allowance on the way out, when we flew home they sent our normal bags off down the baggage conveyor, then informed us our bike bags were overweight. They were insistent the allowance was 30kg and we couldn't prove otherwise as the relevant T&C's I'd printed off had just been sent away in my bag! We refused to unpack anything, she double checked with a supervisor, still we refused, (politely of course) and in the end she just ushered us through quietly 🙂 But I think we got lucky...at their end the limit was obviously 30kg.

Think I would go BA next time, oh and avoid the stop over in Edmonton as it just adds loads of time towards the end of the flight.

I've been caught out with the Canadian 30kg limit - it's a health and safety thing I was told. I got stung for $400.

Mind you, I [b]had[/b] packed two bikes into a bike box...

anybody got any suggestions for airport transfers to and from vancouver - other than the perimeter bus, i've got the details for them. doesnt seem to be the same transport options as from say geneva airport.