Prices will be based on dates (ahead of time) rather than divided by the total number of guests (afterwards) for a few reasons:
• it’s less stressful to sort everything out ahead of time
• it’s nice knowing the exact price going in rather than a (more expensive) surprise later
• it’s a built in “thank you” for not waiting to the last minute
To find out exactly what the current prices are for the cabin trip you’re thinking about attending, please visit it’s corresponding page for more details.
Q: Why do I need to overpay and then get money back later?
This is to make sure that all common costs are covered: petrol, toll roads, parking fees (if we ever have to drive to the resort, but all cabins in 2024 are ski-in-ski-out), rental cars (if we need to rent an extra because there weren’t enough drivers), toilet paper, firewood, etc. There really aren’t a lot of expenses, but this just ensures that everything is covered and that I don’t have to track down tiny payments after the trip from 15 or so people. Usually, every gets money back from me in the end (which is a nice bonus at the end of a ski weekend).
Yes, that is no problem! Getting to the resorts from Oslo is pretty easy (specific directions on each cabin page) and anyone who would like to leave on Friday can coordinate with each other so that you can travel together. Once you arrive in the resort town (either by bus or train), message me and I’ll organize for one of the drivers (or myself) to go pick you up. If you’d like to catch a ride with us back on Sunday, let me know so that I can arrange a space in the car (if available). However, if you’d like to take the same public transportation back to Oslo, that could be in your benefit because then you won’t have to worry about splitting any of the petrol expenses. Basically, transportation is flexible to whatever best fits your schedule and budget – just let me know so that arrangements can be made.
No problem. We’ll simply find another person who is willing to take your spot (there is usually a waiting list, so just ask and I can help). That new person will then just Vipps you the same full-amount of money (so that you are fully reimbursed, and so that the new person pays their share in full). If there is no one on the waiting list, then you’ll have to ask around and find someone on your own. But either way, it’s not problem because all are welcome, so it’s just a matter of finding that willing soul.
Absolutely! And this year, there’s an even better system! Now, drivers will be paid per additional person that their car is able to accommodate. Each additional person will be an extra 50kr to the driver (which actually saves a lot if you have a bigger car). Last year, it was just a flat rate of 100kr to each driver, but (1) I didn’t think that was enough because the drivers actually do quite a lot, and (2) it wasn’t really fair if a driver just had one passenger and another driver was able to accommodate 5 passengers. This way, it’s a bit more fair to everyone and hopefully shows more appreciation with bigger savings.
Unlike last year where we had a flat rate of 100kr that was credited back to each driver, this year, we’ll try something new: Drivers now will get money back for every additional person they can fit into their car (50kr per additional person)! So if you have a small car that can only hold 2 extra people, then the rate that you’ll receive as credit back isn’t any different than last year. However, if you have a large vehicle, or perhaps a roof rack with all the gear so that more passengers can fit inside, then you should be credited accordingly!
Not only will drivers receive money back, but if the group needs to rent an additional vehicle, drivers are exempt from this extra cost! As a driver, you are also determine your own pick-up point and schedule.
Note: Drivers are determined by a first-come-first-served basis. Meaning if you’re the last driver to sign up, and we only need 2 additional people in a car, then you’ll only be credited for those last 2 people (even if your car can fit 5). It is in the driver’s benefit to register as a driver as early as possible to maximize space and credited money.
Once you’ve sent me the money in full, you’ll be added to the WhatsApp group created specifically for that cabin weekend. In there, we’ll organize the cars, the rooms, meals, times to meets, etc. If you don’t have WhatsApp and really don’t want to download it, then let me know and I can try my best to keep you updated by other means.
What we’ve done in the past is I send out a text in the group chat about food preferences (vegetarian, vegan, meat-eater, no preference, etc.) and then people with similar preferences can organize meals amongst themselves. This has worked in the cabin trips last year, but if you have other suggestions, please let me know (food is where my organizational enthusiasm falls short).
Petrol and tolls are split with the entire group (of those who participate in carpooling and not taking public transportation). Some cars might have 2 people, while others might have 5 (or more, who knows)… but since the cars are usually allocated semi- “randomly” (based on schedules and where in Oslo one lives), then it’s really not fair to be forced to split costs based on things out of one’s control. Therefore, it’s the most fair to split car costs with everyone who is carpooling. It works out to almost the same overall, but definitely more fair. Take a look at an example below (based loosely on a cabin trip last year):
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Have a question that you didn’t see here? Feel free to message me anytime with questions! Send me a message on WhatsApp: +1.631.766.7026
