Snow Savers

Ski holidays are not cheap, but it is possible to keep down costs and still have a great time

Let’s make one thing clear: ski holidays are never cheap. In order to experience the incredible feeling of standing atop a mountain peak, ready to ski or snowboard down, there is a shopping list of expensive items to pay for: travel, accommodation, ski pass, equipment, insurance, lessons (if required), clothing, food and drink. It adds up to a hefty outlay. But don’t despair; there are ways to save money and to get better value, as I shall explain.

Where to Ski

The choice of resort affects the cost of a holiday. Generally, it is more expensive in the larger, more famous resorts. For a start, there is the ski pass – and it pays to ask yourself whether you need miles and miles of terrain. “If you are a group of beginners or a family with young children, you aren’t likely to need to ski a big area,” says Xavier Schouller, managing director of Peak Retreats, a tour operator which has built its reputation on helping skiers to choose less well-known destinations. “Instead of paying for slopes that you won’t use, choose a smaller ski area.”

A six-day ski pass for the vast 600-kilometre Trois Vallées domain, for example, costs from €294 per adult. Yet for many skiers, particularly families, the 55 kilometres in Aussois would be enough – and the equivalent ski pass costs only €146.

But what about an advanced skier who wants a huge ski area to roam in? Money can still be saved, Schouller says, by considering where to be based. “There are plenty of smaller villages that share the same ski area as larger, more expensive resorts. A good example is Vaujany – a charming village in the Southern French Alps. It is part of the massive l’Alpe-d’Huez ski area, but the accommodation is significantly cheaper. You get a great village atmosphere and world-class skiing, for less.”

Go In a Group

Location also affects the cost of ski lessons. In Val-d’Isère, France’s most popular resort with British clients, a six-morning group lesson will cost 3D4 around €280 per adult; over in Les Contamines, close to Mont Blanc, the equivalent course costs a mere €130. Why such a difference?

“It’s simply choice and popularity,” says Mark Neville, UK business manager for the École de Ski Francais (ESF). “A pint of lager in central London costs around £5, but in Newcastle it’s around £3. It’s like that with lessons, so choosing a smaller or less fashionable resort can help those on a budget.”

Committing to group lessons is a good way of getting the most instruction time for your money. For example, about €200 will buy six consecutive three-hour morning group lessons in La Rosiere, whereas €150 would only buy a private lesson for up to three people, for two and a half hours.

Time Your Trip

Timing has a huge impact on holiday cost. The priciest week is February half-term (from 11 February in 2017), followed by New Year, Christmas and Easter. Go outside of these times and prices plummet. week staying at the four-star Les Fermes Emiguy apartments in Les Gets will cost £369pp over New Year with Peak Retreats, but only £160pp for the week beginning 7 January. Compared with February half-term, even Easter can deliver big savings. A two-bedroom apartment for up to six people at the Les Granges du Soleil residence in La Plagne (with Eurotunnel crossing), will cost £3,091 at half-term with Erna Low. Just before Easter, it’s £1,570.

This winter, because Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve fall at the weekend, many tour operators have changed their departure dates to midweek for this period. According to James Box, product analyst at holiday firm Iglu Ski, this has resulted in lower prices even at these peak periods. “You normally pay quite a premium to travel at Christmas or New Year, but this year there are really good deals, with savings of up to 40 per cent.”

What’s more, the fact that Easter falls later in 2017 (14-17 April) has effectively extended the season and opened more availability in the last two weeks of March. “For skiers, this means better-value offers,” says Box. “We are seeing tour operators competing on price for this period.”

When to Book

Flights and trains are cheapest when they have just gone on sale, but anyone booking tour-operator packages can take advantage of special deals too. Marion Telsnig, of Crystal Ski Holidays, says there are some great savings for early bookers, from June to the end of August, including two-for-one lift passes or equipment, reduced-price child places, hotel credit up to €100 and ski equipment with lift-pass bundles. “These offers are limited, so it’s worth planning ahead to take advantage of them.”

Is it worth waiting to try to snap up a late deal? “Normally, between three to four weeks before the departure date, the price of a holiday might come down 20 to 30 per cent,” Telsnig says. “But this does mean gambling with where you go and where you stay. If you are a couple or a small group, this might not matter, as you can be more flexible. But for large groups, choice of resort and location can be crucial. In this case it’s better to get things sorted in advance.”

Pick Your Day

Booked independently, Saturday flights are generally more expensive than Sunday ones, particular when comparing off-peak dates. Midweek accommodation options would make flights cheaper still. Hotels can be advantageous in this respect, normally being flexible on arrival date – with some exceptions at peak periods. While many self-catered apartment providers offer only Saturday-Saturday bookings, Pierre & Vacances, one of the largest providers of alpine apartments in France, will from this season offer guests the chance to start their holiday on any day of the week – an innovation in the industry.

Saving money by going midweek applies to short breaks, too. Dan Fox, of short-break specialist Ski Weekends, says: “Traditionally, shorter ski holidays are usually over a weekend, because this reduces time off work. But if you are able to go during the week instead, the savings are considerable — and nearly half our clients do this now.” For example, a Ski Weekend Thursday-Monday chalet holiday to Les Gets in January costs £546pp; the equivalent trip, departing Monday and returning Thursday, costs £410. “You are basically getting the same holiday but saving about 25 per cent on the cost, just by travelling when fewer people do.”

Getting There

Just getting to the slopes can make up a big chunk of the outlay. Flights at peak periods can be eye-wateringly high – with a family of four easily paying £2,000 or more for London to Geneva – even without transfers. Driving to the Alps can be a way of saving money and making you self-sufficient.

“Self-drive enables you to stock up for the week at French supermarkets en route, too. This is worth doing because prices in resort supermarkets can be steep,” says Jane Bolton, managing director of self-catering specialist Erna Low. “Some tour operators, including us, offer the Eurotunnel journey as part of the holiday package, which can save about £200 over booking independently, because it includes a complimentary upgrade to Flexiplus, giving fully flexible travel, a dedicated check-in lane and priority loading, along with a packed lunch, hot drinks and magazines.”

It’s worth considering the ferry crossing too, which can save about £100 per vehicle over Eurotunnel, although it will take about an hour longer.

Rail travel is worth thinking about. Many skiers imagine that the train must cost far more than flying or driving, but this often isn’t the case, and during peak weeks rail travel can offer considerable savings. For example, a family of four with two children (aged between four and 11) but without skis going to La Plagne at Easter would pay a total of £1,956 for return air travel to Geneva airport with easyJet. Travelling on the direct Eurostar Ski Train to Aime-la-Plagne would cost £1,132 – a saving of £824. Tickets for children aged four to 11 cost about 30 per cent less than adult fares. Consider, too, that most airlines charge for ski carriage, whereas this is free when travelling by train, with no weight limit on inclusive luggage.

As with flights, book trains as soon as they go on sale if possible, and consider indirect options via Paris, as well as direct routes. Using specialist rail-booking agents such as Ffestiniog Travel can save money because they are able to book early-availability cheaper fares – especially when trains such as Eurostars and TGVs have different booking horizons.

Arriving by train, it is even possible to pick up supermarket shopping along the way. For example, the huge Super U store is between Moutiers station and the Trois Vallees resorts. Shop online and then ask the taxi transfer to stop so you can pick up your shopping.

Where To Stay

In recent years, the standard of accommodation has risen dramatically in French ski resorts. The ‘rabbit-hutch’, self-catered apartments are mostly gone, to be replaced by residences with more space, facilities and comfort, while chalets and hotels have improved too. However, don’t waste money on superfluous extras, advises Nick Williams, managing director of Mountain Heaven, the catered and self-catered specialist ski tour operator. “There are so many ‘nice-to-haves’ with ski accommodation, but by choosing wisely you can save money.” Outdoor tubs are a good example: they add an average of £100pp to the cost of a catered chalet, but often guests will use them just once or twice during their stay.

Ski-in, ski-out location is something that many skiers initially request as a ‘must-have’. However, few properties can genuinely claim to offer this facility and those that do command a huge premium. Many experienced skiers realise that by staying a short distance from the slopes, they can have far more chalet for their money and still access the slopes easily. Chalet companies often offer a free minivan chauffeur service to and from the slopes – normally just a few minutes’ drive away.

Larger upfront costs for catered stays can sometimes work out cheaper overall. “On paper, catered chalets look more expensive than self-catering,” says Williams. “But catered chalets can be great value because most include a full breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner with wine – which will almost certainly give you a saving over eating out. All the shopping and cooking is done for you, so you are saving money and hassle. Plus, there are no surprise costs, because your meals have been paid for.”

Sticking to cooking in the apartment, without straying to restaurants can cut costs further. In this case, be wary of prices at ski resort supermarkets, which can be wince-inducingly high. Stopping en route to the resort at one of the large supermarkets down the valley for a week’s shop is far more cost-effective.

Look out for inclusive facilities at self-catered residences too, says Schouller. “More and more self-catered residences have access to an indoor pool area as well as whirlpool bath, sauna, steam room etc, with good examples being La Napoléon in Montgenèvre and Les Cimes Blanches in La Rosière.”

For those happy to stay in hostel accommodation, a superb-value option is Action Outdoors, which can offer low prices due to being a partner of UCPA, the not-for-profit French hostel association. Packages include full-board accommodation, ski pass, equipment hire and lessons or guiding. Its weekly piste and ski touring programme alone has 127 courses in 11 destinations, with prices starting from less than £500.

Another inexpensive inclusive option is Snowcoach, whose hotel holidays to Saint-Gervais-les-Bains and Valmeinier provide half-board accommodation, ski pass and ski hire. It also offers overnight coach travel, giving two extra days on the slopes.

Food Tips

Depending on the resort and the restaurant, lunch on the mountain can burn money. It’s all too easy, after an exhilarating morning carving the pistes, to find only an overpriced restaurant for a refuelling stop. Starting the week with local tips on where to eat and where to avoid can help. Packing healthy snack bars, nuts and dried fruit or even pre-prepared baguettes in a small rucksack for your party is a great option.

Ski Gear

If you have your own skis or snowboard, be wary of airline charges – travelling by train is a way to avoid them. When it comes to renting gear, the cheapest online deals are rarely for the best equipment. It is better to pay a little more for the quality offered by shops in the resorts, either in person or online in advance.

Ski gear can cost a fortune – and for items of clothing that might be used once or twice a year, the relative cost is phenomenal. Consider borrowing items, rummaging in charity shops or on the Gumtree classified ads website, or keep an eye on discount retailers such as SportPursuit and TK Maxx.