
Do we need to be affiliated to a University to travel with Off The Piste?
Absolutely not! You don't have to be a student or even a graduate to take advantage of our experience in organising perfect bespoke holidays. If you are a group of adults (or a family) we are happy to offer you the same quality service that we offer to graduates. If you are still a student you may find that your university or college already run a holiday with Off The Piste as we take over 70% of all UK student groups. If they don't or you can't go on their tour then we will be happy to organise a holiday for you.
What are the Check-In / Check-Out times?
No matter how you decide to travel to resort, your apartment will be available from 5pm on arrival Saturday, until 10am on the departure Saturday.
What is my username and password?
If you have forgotten your username and password, please email info@offthepiste.com with your booking reference number (found on your booking confirmation emails) and we will send you your log in details.
What time will the coaches be picking us up?
All passengers will receive an e-ticket two weeks prior to departure, which includes confirmation of the departure times and exact pick up locations. Please note that coach times are not finalised until this date, so we cannot provide this information any earlier.
Is ski hire cheaper through Off The Piste or in resort?
Our prices online for ski hire tend to be considerably cheaper than the prices in the shops. We also use ski hire shops that are close to your residence, offer a great level of service and stock a large amount or equipment to ensure that whatever your group size, everyone can be accommodated.
Why can’t I take my insurance option off?
If you select Endsleigh insurance through OTP you are insured from the moment you pay your deposit. This is to cover your for those eventualities which may arise before you even set foot on the mountain, such as holiday cancellations. There is a 14 day cooling off period which begins once your deposit is paid. During these 14 days you can cancel or downgrade your insurance cover. However once this period has lapsed you cannot cancel your insurance.
To cancel your insurance (within 14 days of booking only) please send a quick email to holidays@offthepiste.com quoting your booking reference number, explaining your request.
What are the cancellation charges?
If you cancel your holiday (either by doing so online, or by emailing info@offthepiste.com informing us that you would like to cancel) you will be liable for cancellation charges as per the table below:
| Cancellation Date |
Cancellation Charge |
|
56+ days prior to departure |
Deposit only |
|
29 - 56 days prior to departure |
60% of the holiday cost |
|
15 - 28 days prior to departure |
80% of the holiday cost |
|
0 - 14 days prior to departure |
100% of the holiday cost |
How do I action a name change?
To action a name change and receive a full refund (minus a £30 admin charge) you must email info@offthepiste.com with your booking reference number and the name of the person who would like to take your place. Please note this person must not already be booked onto the holiday. We will talk you through the procedures to follow, but it will involve you cancelling your place, the new member booking onto the holiday as a new booking, and us getting in contact to refund you over the phone.
When I log on all I get is a blank screen?
The most common reason for this is the user logging in with incorrect username and password. This is often because you have more than one account with us, and are using a combination of different usernames and passwords. The first thing to do is email info@offthepiste.com to request your username and password, and confirm they are correct.
If you are certain of your username and password you can try another computer in case the problem lies with your browser. We find that Mozilla Firefox works far better than Internet Explorer, so downloading this is often helpful. If none of these solutions work, please email or call us on 0845 680 1503 and we will look into the problem further for you.
I can’t pay by the booking deadline, can I pay later?
If you have not paid your holiday balance by the booking deadline date an automatic £20 late fee will be added to your holiday balance and we will contact you to confirm whether or not you still wish to travel. If you do not get back to us, or if you are unable to travel, we will cancel your booking and you will be subject to our cancellation charges.
What are communal damage costs in my deposit?
Your damage deposit, although primarily used to cover damage to your apartment, also forms part of a global deposit for everyone on your trip. This means that the if the residence charges for communal cleaning, damage or rubbish disposal caused by your group the charges will be divided between each passenger traveling in your party.
Should I buy my ski pass upgrade now or in resort?
It is much easier for you to buy your ski pass online, while booking your holiday. This means that you will be given the correct lift pass when you get to resort and will not have to worry about upgrading anything. This will usually save you a fair amount of money too!
How do I book equipment carriage for the coach?
This is simply an option on the Equipment page which you select. If you have booked equipment carriage for coach travel it will show up in the top right hand corner of your E-ticket. If you would like to add it to your booking you can call the office and purchase this, even after booking is closed.
How do I organise room allocations?
The system allows you to book you and your friends into a room, in order to do this you will need your friends booking reference number (This reference number is on your confirmation email(s) and can be viewed if you log into your online account and starts OTP000). You will be notified via email when the allocations are open.
You must log in as normal to your account and click on the button saying 'room allocation', it will bring up the rooms that are available. Click on the room you want and enter the ref numbers of who you would like to share with. You need to at least half fill a room to book one. Once a room is full it will disappear from the room allocation.
WE RECOMMEND THAT ONE PERSON IN YOUR GROUP GETS ALL THE REFERENCE NUMBERS TOGETHER AND BOOKS YOU ALL IN AT THE SAME TIME.
The booking form will be left online for 4 days within which time you need to get together with your friends and book into a room. After this point the room allocation will come offline and your group leaders will consolidate the rooms, this means if you have not filled a room you may be moved into another so we can create space. For example if we have 2 people in a 5 bed apartment and 3 people in another 5 bed apartment we may combine the two groups of people to form one 5 bed apartment and free up a 5 person apartment . We will always do our best to keep groups of friends together, however it is best if you can fully occupy rooms.
I want to be in a room next to my friends
When you allocate your rooms you will see that each room is preceded by a four digit reference number. We will do our best to allocate you near the people with adjacent room reference numbers but there is no guarantee of this.
Can I cancel one of my holiday options?
With the exception of transport and insurance options, you can log in and change your selections at any point up until the booking deadline.
To change your coach pick up location please email info@offthepiste.com.
Endsleigh insurance cannot be cancelled or downgraded unless you do so within the 14 day cooling off period. The cooling off period begins on the day you pay your £90 deposit.
How do I get a refund?
You must call the office with your booking reference number and card details, and we can refund you over the phone. We do not issue cheques or bank transfers.
When will I get my deposit back?
You will receive your deposit 4-6 weeks after your return from your holiday. It will be automatically paid into your bank account once we have the funds back from the residence, and cleared up any charges made against your group. Once they have been refunded, you will receive an email informing you that it has been paid, and if there are any charges, informing you of what they are. If for any reason the refund fails, you will also be emailed asking you to call the office for a manual refund.
What is the luggage allowance for the coach?
One soft-shell bag and one piece of hand luggage will be permitted on the coach. If you are bringing your own equipment you will need to purchase equipment carriage on the booking system which will entitle you to bring one ski/board bag in addition to your other luggage.
I have not received my confirmation email. Where is it?
This should have been emailed to the address you gave us at the time of booking. Sometimes email firewalls do not accept our automated messages. In this case, or if you have provided us with an incorrect email address, please contact info@offthepiste.com or call 0845 680 1503.
Where can I be dropped off on the coach?
The coaches follow the same itinerary on the way home as they do on the way out. If you would like to get off the coach at a different drop off point from where you boarded, please make sure you inform the drivers when you load the coach to come home so that your bags can be removed from the coach at the correct stop. In some cases the drivers may agree to drop you at a stop different to that on the outbound journey. This is at the drivers' discretion and is not something that we can guarantee.
I have lost my passport. What shall I do?
If you lose your passport before the holiday, you need to try and get a new one before your holiday commences as you may be required to show it at Dover. If you chose to attend the holiday without a valid passport, and are stopped at customs, Off the Piste cannot be responsible for you if you are asked to leave the coach. The coach drivers are also unlikely to unload the coach to get you your suitcase back! If you lose your passport while on holiday, you will need to admit to this at customs in Calais on your return leg. The most common situation here is having to apply for a new one, which can be costly, especially if you later find it at the bottom of your suitcase when you get home!
I have booked lessons, what time do they start?
Your lesson times will be confirmed by your rep when you get to resort. The majority of our lessons run on the first morning at 10am, and then each afternoon after that, depending on how many days you have booked them for.
If you are travelling without a rep you will be given further instructions about your lesson times 1 - 2 weeks prior to departure.
How do I get merchandise for my trip?
Most merchandise is organised through your committee/group leader/Snowsports club and is distributed in the UK at times allocated by them, or on the coach on the way to resort. For any merchandise questions, please contact your group leaders, unless they deem it a question that it relevant for us.
I am taking a pair of skis and a snowboard. What do I do?
You must fit these in the same equipment bag, as the coaches only have limited space. We encourage people to share equipment bags, as this helps to increase the luggage space for other members.
Where can I find my insurance policy?
If you have booked an Endsleigh Insurance Policy with Off The Piste you can download and print the terms and conditions on our Insurance page.
How can I contact Off The Piste Holidays?
You can call us on 0845 680 5659 or send an email to holidays@offthepiste.com
Our team is always happy to help and we're in the office every week day 9am - 5.30pm.
You can also keep in touch on our Facebook page and follow @offthepiste on Twitter.
Office address:
1 Union Street
Kingston Upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 1RP
Insurance - how to make a claim
To make a claim on the Off The Piste Insurance please phone:
Off the Piste Insurance: +44(0) 870 241 3070
Medical Assistance +44(0) 845 271 4472 (24hr)
Legal Expenses +44(0) 870 350 5716 (24hr)
For customers who are in a country that does not accept the above international phone number, they can call +44(0) 203 060 9671 (24hr)
Alternatively for non-medical emergencies the easiest way to submit a claim is online. Click here to notify us of a claim now
If you have any questions relating to claims please see our Claims FAQ’s by clicking here
Insurance - how to cancel
If when you receive your policy documents you find that the cover is not suitable for your needs, you can cancel your policy, providing you notify us within 14 days of receipt. We will refund your premium less a charge for the time you have been insured, provided you have not travelled or your policy has not been terminated following a claim, in which case no refund will be due.
You can cancel your policy by contacting Off the Piste on 0845 680 5659 or emailing holidays@offthepiste.com
Insurance - how to make a complaint
If you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, please contact the person you originally dealt with at Endsleigh. They will aim to resolve your complaint on the same day.
Alternatively you can contact them
By phone 08000 858698
By post Customer Liaison Department Endsleigh
Insurance Services Ltd.
Shurdington Road,
Cheltenham
GL51 4UE
You may at any time contact the Quality Manager at AXA Travel Insurance at the following address: Quality Manager, PO BOX 57325, London, E1W 1XX
email: customer.support@axa-travel-insurance.com
If we cannot settle your complaint, you have the right to ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to review your case. Contacting the Ombudsman will not affect your rights to take legal action against us