It's a gloomy Thursday afternoon in January, it's been cold and rainy for as long as you can remember, the Christmas and New Year festivities have already receded into distant memory. So what better way to relieve the British mid-winter blues than to grab a few days on the slopes
Short sharp ski and snowboarding breaks have become more and more popular. Budget airlines, good off peak prices and flexible accommodation have all contributed to the growth of the ski weekend, or the mid-week break. What better way to recharge the batteries and liven up those dull winter months?
So here are our top tips for a quick getaway:
1. Choose your resort: Less time spent getting there means more time being there, so a resort which is reasonably close to your arrival airport is a bonus. Remember too that transfer times on a busy Saturday in February will be different to a Thursday evening in January. Geneva to Meribel in a couple of hours is do-able when there is little or no traffic!
2. Book a transfer beforehand, so you can be out of the airport fast, ATS provide transfer services from most European airports, and many of our weekend/short break operators can also provide transfers.
3. Prebook passes and equipment: Getting these sorted before you arrive will save you time when you get there. Most companies will get this organised for you - some such as Huski, Alpine Chalet Weekends, and Mountainsun, will have equipment and passes waiting for you at the chalet so that you can be out on the slopes with the minimum hassle.
4. Catering: Do you really want to spend precious time in the local supermarket, especially when you know that you'll only get through a quarter of the stuff you buy? There are some excellent catered packages available, so you can relax and enjoy the skiing - after all that's why you're there. Twin Peaks in Morzine, offers breakfast and 4 course evening meals with wine, starting at just £45 per person per night, and Ski Villaroger, in the Les Arcs part of Paradiski, have fully catered, flexible packages from just £65pp per night in their lovely chalet with hot tub.
5. Little extras: It's worth seeing what other services are available too, such as transport to the slopes and ski hosting, which again will save you time, especially if you don't know the resort. Independent chalet operators can often provide flexible and far more personalised services than the big tour operators, so the holiday can be tailored to suit you. Chalet des Cimes in Ste Foy, for example, as well as accompanied skiing, can design a whole ski safari for you - so that you can ski in different resorts on each day, inlcuding Tignes, Val d'Isere and La Rosiere.
So if you can't manage a whole week, or want to supplement your ski time with a few short trips, then take a look at Chalets Direct's ski weekends page for lots of ideas and very tempting packages!
