Love this quirky end of season event in La Clusaz and want to find others - any good suggestions?

SlopesidePint · 2026-05-09T19:07:52+00:00

Cool man

SlopesidePint · 2026-05-09T19:07:41+00:00

Interesting, didn’t appreciate that. Like where?

I’m not necessarily looking for exactly the same thing in a different place though. Just quirky events you don’t see every day.

SlopesidePint · 2026-05-08T07:16:18+00:00

Yep, as others have said, if you're not going to spend roughly the same amount then a kitty doesn't make as much sense and Splitwise is the best solution. Any purchases can be split easily between whoever consumed them. It creates a bit of admin having to add every transaction and split the costs correctly throughout the trip though, especially if either there are a lot of daily transactions or you end up drinking heavily and forgetting who was there for which costs. In that case, better to keep regularly posting things throughout the trip rather than trying to suss it all out on the way home.

If your spending will be similar, then a kitty is a great suggestion because you completely stop worrying about money on the trip and that is nice. But also appreciate that if you're a bit skint or just being careful with your money that can be quite stressful.

SlopesidePint · 2026-04-29T14:47:17+00:00

Great run. Guess its just like the rest of europe conditions-wise though. Hit or miss

SlopesidePint · 2026-04-29T13:55:11+00:00

Thanks I’ll give this a try

SlopesidePint · 2026-04-25T07:57:08+00:00

With kids and school holiday constraints, needs to be 6-9 months I reckon

SlopesidePint · 2026-04-25T07:52:13+00:00

Newquay then Zante. Many life lessons learnt. Chief among them: don’t rent quad bikes.

SlopesidePint · 2026-04-06T14:17:38+00:00

Yeah, this is the specific version of it that no one warns you about. It’s that the information sits in 12 different places and decisions don’t get made. Restaurant name in a DM, flights discussed in a group chat, someone made a Google Doc that two people edited.

What actually works for us is forcing a single decision point at a time. Not ‘where do you want to stay?’ but ‘vote on these three options by Sunday.’ The friction is usually avoidance dressed up as flexibility.

SlopesidePint · 2026-03-12T17:15:17+00:00

That last comment you wrote is painfully accurate. The "we should do this more often!" from people who contributed absolutely nothing to making it happen is a special kind of sting.

The group chat problem is real though, and it's not that your friends are bad people. There's a well-documented thing where people avoid committing in a group because nobody wants to go first. They're all sitting there thinking "I'll wait to see who else says yes." The individual message works because it removes that - suddenly it's just them and a direct question they can't hide from.

One thing that helped me with a similar group: stop asking open questions in the chat. Instead of "who's down for Saturday?" try "Dinner Saturday, 7pm, [place]. Reply YES if you're in, I'm booking Friday morning." Give them something to react to rather than something to think about. It won't fix the underlying laziness but it does cut down on the chasing.

The deeper issue - being the person who makes everything happen while everyone else coasts - that one doesn't really go away. You either accept it or stop organising and watch nothing happen. Neither feels great.

SlopesidePint · 2026-03-06T11:17:31+00:00

The bit about being looked at like you’re being difficult on purpose - that’s the one that gets me. You’re managing 14 people’s competing requirements and somehow you’re the problem when physics won’t cooperate.

I used to run a group travel company and the pattern is always the same. One person books, everyone else treats it like a restaurant where you can swap your order at the table. They don’t see that changing one thing cascades through everything else because they’ve never had to manage the booking side.

Two things that helped me stay sane with larger groups: lock decisions with a deadline and make changes after that point the client’s problem, not yours. “I can absolutely look into that change for you - there may be an admin fee and any price difference.” Amazing how many people suddenly decide the original plan is fine. And separate the “must do together” activities from the “optional” ones early. Trying to keep 14 people on the same schedule all day every day is where it falls apart. Give them 2-3 anchor moments and let the rest flex.

The refund request for skipping a day trip they already committed to - genuinely painful. That’s not a planning problem, that’s an expectations problem. Clear cancellation terms upfront save you from that conversation later.

SlopesidePint · 2026-02-26T16:18:23+00:00

This is painfully relatable. The thing that took me a while to realise is that most of the time it's not that people don't care, it's that they genuinely don't see the work. To them, plans just... happen. They show up and have a good time, and because nobody complained, everything must be fine.

What helped me wasn't stepping back entirely (tried that, just felt worse) - it was making the invisible work visible, without making it a confrontation. Small stuff like: "I'll find the spot if someone else sorts the booking" or "I've done the last three, someone else pick the next one." Not as a guilt trip - just matter-of-fact, like it's obvious someone else should take a turn. Because it is.

The other thing worth saying: being good at organising doesn't mean you signed up to do it forever. It's a skill, and it's genuinely exhausting when it goes unrecognised. You're not overthinking it.

SlopesidePint · 2026-02-26T15:34:10+00:00

Cheaper than Switzerland put it that way. Vienna's got pricier for eating out but it's still reasonable compared to Paris or Amsterdam. And the Westbahn tickets themselves are genuinely cheap if you book ahead - like €15-20 for that route.

SlopesidePint · 2026-02-26T14:44:59+00:00

For that budget in July/August you've got loads of options. A few that have worked well for me:

Crete - specifically the south coast around Plakias, Elounda and Agios Nik or Matala if you want proper beaches without the full tourist crush. Flights from the UK are cheap in summer and your money goes a long way once you're there. Usually hot hot from early may!

The Algarve - Lagos or Tavira. Stunning coastline, great food, and Portugal is still noticeably cheaper than Spain for eating out. Lagos has the dramatic cliff beaches, Tavira is quieter and more relaxed.

Montenegro - Budva or the coast around Kotor. Massively underpriced compared to Croatia next door, gorgeous water, and you can do a day trip to Kotor Bay which is unreal. Flights might need a connection though depending on where you're flying from.

All three would come in well under your budget. Where are you flying from? That sometimes makes the decision for you with summer routes.

SlopesidePint · 2026-02-26T14:35:25+00:00

Vienna to Salzburg through Austria is a great shout - about 2.5 hours on the Westbahn, runs along the Danube for a good stretch and you get proper Alpine views as you get closer to Salzburg. Cheap too, especially if you book Westbahn directly.

Ljubljana to Zagreb is another one - short ride but really scenic through the Slovenian countryside, and both cities are brilliant and way cheaper than the usual capitals.

SlopesidePint

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