Inspiring Adventure

With February half term fast approaching, and snow falling across the alps, I thought I would share my top tips on how to bag yourself a reasonably priced ski holiday.

Look for smaller, lesser known resorts that are serviced by airports with cheaper flights

Airports such as Geneva, Lyon, Grenoble, Turin and Chambery are expensive as they are prime destinations for skiers to quickly get up to numerous big name resorts. Try airports such as Milan for the Aosta Valley and Livigno, Nice for the Maritime Alps, or Girona for resorts in Andorra. Another option is to try a resort such as Bosnia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

Be flexible

Avoid Saturday to Saturday, or Sunday to Sunday flights. If there is an inset day at the start or end of the school holiday then try to fly on that date. If not, then try to go for five nights instead of seven and fly on weekdays, or on a Friday evening.

Travelling with sports equipment

Check the excess baggage fees if you are travelling with skis or snowboards. Often it is more cost effective to fly with an airline that includes checked baggage as part of the fare, rather than low cost carriers that add hefty fees for sports equipment.

Transfers

Usually the cheapest way to get from the airport to resort is by public transport. However, this is not always the best option logistically. Many resorts are not served well by public transport, or will require multiple changes. If you do want to opt for trains or buses Aosta and Bourg-Saint-Maurice are good options. Both have train stations in the centre of town and buses running regularly to various resorts.

Bourg-Saint-Maurice, while not a ski resort, has a funicular running up to Les Arc 1600. Les Arc is connected to La Plagne by the Vanoise Express. The 236 slopes within the ‘Paradiski’ area will be sure to keep even the most mile hungry skiers entertained. There are public buses running from Bourg to Val D’Isere (45 mins) and Tignes (1 hour) at the far end of the valley. Slightly closer are La Rosiere, and La Plagne. Alternatively, you could hire a car from Bourg and drive up to the various resorts. This option gives you flexibility to try a few different ski areas during your stay.

Zermatt also has a train station in the centre of town. If coming from Geneva, you need to change at Visp but it is relatively quick and easy. Unfortunately, this is not a cheap option at £100 a ticket and it takes about four hours. However, the journey is spectacular.

Accommodation

It isn’t easy to find decent quality, good value accommodation in a ski resort. For the better deals try to find somewhere slightly outside the resort, on the ski bus route. Or if you have a rental car try to stay further down the mountain. As mentioned above, Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Aosta make great bases if you want to explore different resorts during your trip.

Self catering apartments are a good option as they allow you to cook meals at home if you want to save money on eating out.

We generally use Airbnb to book accommodation for our ski trips and have found some great places to stay. Just be sure to check the cleaning and services charges as we have noticed these are getting more expensive in recent years.

Find a resort that has deals on lift passes, or free passes for kids

Many resorts have free passes for children up to a certain age. Check out the blog on Snowplaza to see where kids can ski for free by age. Some resorts also have online deals, for example every Tuesday evening at 7pm Auron ski resort does a flash sale where adult passes are better than half price. It is worth checking resort websites when researching your trip.

If you plan to ski in different resorts then many places have a pass where you can get “away” days included. For example, in the Aosta Valley if you buy a three day lift pass for Pila, you can use one day to ski somewhere else in the Valley. If you get a six day pass, you can ski two days in another resort. The popular ski areas of Cervinia and Courmayeur make a great away day.

Ski rentals

Lessons

Shop around for ski lessons. Again, Alpin Resorts is a good website to use to find availability and searches across multiple ski schools.

Group lessons will work out cheaper than going private. If you are travelling in a group with similar ability skiers or snowboarders then this is a more cost effective option. If you are a different ability, or want to try something new such as telemarking, then joining a group lesson will provide company and will cost less.

Eating on the mountain

Eating on the mountain is notoriously expensive. If you are skiing in spring then a good option is to take a picnic with you and sit in the sunshine. Most resorts usually have a decent bakery to pick up some treats before heading out for the day. February being colder you will probably want to warm up indoors. One thing that we have found is Italy is far cheaper than France for mountain restaurants. If skiing in a resort such as La Rosiere, which connects to the Italian resort of La Thuile, it is worth having lunch on the Italian side…it really does make a big difference! Some resorts, such as Saint Gervais have a mountain restaurant guide online which is worth using to plan your day and lunch stop. Most restaurants usually have a plat du jour which is fairly decent value, or soup is also a good option.

Eating in resort

If you want to eat out in the evening look out for set menus in more upmarket places. If you want to go for a simple, reasonably priced meal then look for pubs and cafes. Check to see where the locals are eating and drinking. If in Italy, you can’t go wrong with a pizza and most places do takeaway if you want to return to your accommodation.

Apres Ski

The perfect end to a day on the mountains is Après. To find the best deals for an après drink look at where the locals (instructors, lifties, etc.) go. These are often the most authentic and fun options, as well as being fairly priced.

Wherever you are skiing, happy hour is your friend!

In Italy you cannot miss trying a Bombadino. If you really want a kick then go for a Bombadino con cafe (with a shot of espresso).

Last minute package deals

Usually I would advise that to get the best deals you need to book early. However, if you aren’t picky about which resort you go to and are flexible on dates and flight times then you can often pick up some great last minute packages.

Where are we skiing in 2024

For February half term we are going to Auron for five nights. This was a last minute booking when we discovered cheap flights to Nice. At Easter we have booked seven nights in Bosnia through Crystal Ski.

I will be sharing details of both trips when we return – so watch this space!