The definitive guide to making your cash go further.
It’s accepted wisdom that skiing is a pricey sport that requires a large bank balance and is a pastime only for the rich, however here at PlanetSKI we beg to differ. There are many ways to keep costs down without ruining your holiday.
With just a few small changes you can save hundreds of pounds. We have a firm belief that skiing does not have to be expensive and that's even more relevant in this time of economic uncertainty.
All you really have to do is hunt around for bargains and change your attitude a bit. Do you really need to go to a 4* Hotel in one of the well-known resorts? You may well have just as good a time in a family run 2* hotel in a resort that most British people have never heard of.
It could cost £100's less and will be an altogether different experience.
Did you know that simply booking your ski or snowboard hire on line wil save you at least 25%? Some organisations offer a 40% discount.
Here at PlanetSKI we also have a special deals and discounts section that features the most up to date list of offers around. Tour Operators are already knocking £100's off some of their holidays so check it out if you want to get a bargain.
This winter skiing is set to be more expensive with unfavourable exchange rates, costlier flights and high prices in peak season but with a bit of initiative we gaurantee you can make it much cheaper.
For a feature article from PlanetSKi reporter, Kevin Geary, on changing your hard earned cash then see here. It was published in the winter of 2010/11.
Read on.
When to go
This is the most important decision you will make. With Crystal, the UK’s largest ski tour operator, a week in Chalet Reuben in Val d’Isere over New Year in 2011/12 is £1,245, but two weeks later it’s down to £899.
If you are travelling independently a return flight from Gatwick to Geneva over the half term week with easyJet will cost you a staggering £455.
The weekend before at the same times it is just £95.
If you can go in low season then do so, while if you are confined to school holidays then perhaps go before Xmas or after Easter. April has some of the best conditions of the winter with often as much snow falling as in February, just make sure you aim high.
Except though for 2011 when the snow was rubbish!
As a bonus the pistes will be less crowded, the days longer and you’ll come back with a better sun tan too.
Alternatively leave it to the last minute and see if you can get a good deal. This is not advisable if you are in a big group or you want to go to a specific resort but if you are flexible you will be amazed what you can get.
Last season in January one tour operator was selling a week in Chamonix the day before departure for £100.
However many of the ski companies have reduced capacity and have a much more targeted aproach for the winter of 2011/12.
The Crystal chalet in Val d'Isere mentioned above was actually more expensive three years ago, at £1.945 so prices have come down. Two weeks later in 2009 it was cheaper at £835. High season prices down, low season prices up.
When to go
This is the most important decision you will make. With Crystal, the UK’s largest ski tour operator, a week in Chalet Reuben in Val d’Isere over New Year in 2011/12 is £1,245, but two weeks later it’s down to £899.
If you are travelling independently a return flight from Gatwick to Geneva over the half term week with easyJet will cost you a staggering £455.
The weekend before at the same times it is just £95.
If you can go in low season then do so, while if you are confined to school holidays then perhaps go before Xmas or after Easter. April has some of the best conditions of the winter with often as much snow falling as in February, just make sure you aim high.
Except though for 2011 when the snow was rubbish!
As a bonus the pistes will be less crowded, the days longer and you’ll come back with a better sun tan too.
Alternatively leave it to the last minute and see if you can get a good deal. This is not advisable if you are in a big group or you want to go to a specific resort but if you are flexible you will be amazed what you can get.
Last season in January one tour operator was selling a week in Chamonix the day before departure for £100.
However many of the ski companies have reduced capacity and have a much more targeted aproach for the winter of 2011/12.
The Crystal chalet in Val d'Isere mentioned above was actually more expensive three years ago, at £1.945 so prices have come down. Two weeks later in 2009 it was cheaper at £835. High season prices down, low season prices up.
Where to go
Us skiers and boarders are a very conservative bunch when we choose a resort and we tend to go to the same big names.
The Three Valley resorts of Méribel and Courchevel, Tignes, La Plagne, Verbier, St Anton, Whistler, Val d’Isere, Zermatt.
You know the ones we mean.
Well, perhaps you should look further afield?
There are over 200 resorts in Switzerland alone with hundreds more spread across the Alps.
There are some cracking little resorts in the Pyrenees, though Andorra is not the bargain it once was.
The resorts in Eastern Europe are pretty good too. If you want some detailed advice then just send an email to AskPlanetSKI and we’ll see what we can do.
If you must go to one of the mega resorts, then try staying in one of the satellites.
Nendaz or Le Chable for Verbier, Tignes les Brévières for Espace Killy, Bourg for Les Arcs, Cervinia for Zermatt, Stuben for St Anton, Vaujany for Alp d’Huez and Samoëns for Flaine to name but a few.
Where to stay
Ask yourself if you really need to stay in the most fashionable place in town, after all most of the time you’ll be out skiing or just sleeping in a bed.
Many resorts, particularly the Swiss ones, have a wealth of cheap and good family run 2* hotels.
Some of the hotels slightly off the main track are better value and often have better service as they have to work harder.
Alternatively try a self-catering apartment where you will save money on accommodation and food. If you are driving then fill up the car at the hyper-market down in the valley.
It’s also easier to make a picnic lunch and that will save you a small fortune if you are usually buying lunch every day for a family up in a mountain restaurant.
As long as the weather is good a picnic can be enormous fun and a fraction of the cost.
One of our tips at PlanetSKI is the French operator UCPA.
It is basic but the mountain you will ski or snowboard on is the same as the one people staying in expensive palces will be on.
We rather liked it when we went to the UCPA in Flaine in France.
How to travel
If you have never driven to the Alps it can seem a bit daunting, but with the increasing cost of air travel (not to mention all the hassle), it is really quite simple.
Many resorts are just a day’s drive from Calais and you have the added bonus of extra time on the slopes, and the luxury of being able to take whatever you want and cram the car with some cheap beer and wine on the way back.
If there are 4 of you in a car then it can cost as little as £50 for a ferry crossing. Add petrol and tolls £350 and you come in at £87 each. Our advice would be to take the Eurostar though for speed and it still costs you around £100 each.
Flights are not as cheap as they once were though you can still get a few good deals with the so-called budget airlines. Where to save here is to travel outside peak times and ensure you don’t pay for extra suitcases you don’t need.
Also look at using different airports as the Swiss town of Basel is often as convenient as Zurich for many resorts.
While in France Grenoble is closer than Geneva for some French resorts. The bonus is they are cheaper to fly to and car hire is often less expensive too.
Remember that you don’t have to be travelling independently to travel on your own as you will get a discount and at certain times it could save you money.
See this seperate PlanetSKI guide on independent travel with more infromation about how to get to The Alps.
Ski & Board lessons
Many ski schools give discounts if you book on line and you will be surprised what happens if you ask.
Book with PlanetSKI.eu and you’ll get 5% off with European Snowsport, in Verbier and Zermatt. We hope to be offering a number of other ski and snowboard schools shortly.
In January learn for free as the Association of Snow Sports Countries have joined forces with some leading tour operators to offer free lessons to first timers. You can chose from over 50 resorts and save up to £300. There are only 1,000 places available so book early at www.freshersskiweek.com.
However, here at PlanetSKI we’re very keen on ski lessons and for the cost of a few lessons your ability and enjoyment will go up enormously.
If you’re stuck on the intermediate plateau and want to do something about it then try booking a 2-hour or 3-hour private lesson with 1 or 2 people of the same ability on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
As long as you practice a bit in the afternoons and have the same instructor you will see your skiing improve dramatically.
Promise!
Gear & Equipment
Now this is where people can seriously waste money.
If you are hiring skis then book online where you can often getting a discount of up to 40%.
Also make sure you get the right ski for your ability.
Some of the writers on PlanetSKI are instructors and often advise people to go back to the ski shop to hire different skis.
Too many turn up with VIP skis, often stiff racing/carving skis, and they will actually make their skiing worse as they don’t have the ability to use the ski effectively.
Alternatively people hire expensive off piste skis complete with the latest graphics, but they are not so easy to carve on.
For a beginner/low level intermediate a softer, basic ski is easier to learn on.
The shops though tend to want to hire out the more expensive equipment if you show the slightest interest in top end products.
If you do hire in resort then make sure you ask for a 10% discount as you will probably get it. If you are going with a tour operator then don’t always go to the shop they recommend as they could well be pocketing your 10% discount.
It may be a bit tedious but shop around or if you are driving then get your skis down the valley (if you know exactly what you want) or from a shop on the edge of town.
Now you probably don’t want to ski around in an old one piece from the 1970’s (though believe it or not they are coming back into fashion), but do you really need the latest hi-tech jacket designed for a walk to the North pole or the latest fashion better suited to the cat walk rather than the slopes.
In the UK discount shops like TK Maxx (www.tkmaxx.com) and Decathlon (www.decathlon.com) offer good gear at very affordable prices.
Alternatively buy in resort at the beginning or end of season as shops are trying to get rid of old stock.
Even better, especially if you have children, is to borrow ski kit or go to a second hand shop as they will very quickly grow out of it.
Lift Passes
If you intend to ski the whole area every day then do get a week’s full area ski pass, but if you don’t plan to then you can save by getting a different lift pass.
Maybe just a local area ski pass and then just get an extension on the afternoon or day you intend to go further afield.
This winter a 6 day lift pass for the Trois Vallées is €225 (£180) but if you are staying in Courchevel an area pass will set you back €182 (£146) and a one day extension is a further €22 (£18) if you want to go further afield.
You can now buy passes covering a few hours skiing, passes for non-consecutive days if you don’t want to ski the whole time and regional passes that you can use in different resorts.
Get the right one and you will save money, get the wrong one and you will be paying for something you don’t use.
Booking your pass on line can also save money and don’t forget to check if you can get a discount for being a returning customer or if you still have your old hands-free pass from last year.
Hints & Tips
Go as a group
Many of the major tour operators give a decent discount for large groups. This can mean free places and lift passes.
Neilson gives up to 25% off bookings for groups of 7 or more, while Crystal offer a free place to groups of 8 or more and include a free lift pass too in selected resorts.
So persuade some friends or an extra family member to come along and you’ll save yourself a bit of cash.
There is no way we can tell you all the little ways to save money but we hope we’ve given you a few ideas.
Here are a few other hints and tips gleaned over the years;
- Don’t over order at lunch
- Do take advantage of happy hours
- Do your shopping off the main street
- Chose carefully where you buy your foreign currency
- If you use your mobile often buy a local SIM card
- If flying with an airline that charges for bags try ditching your suitcase and take everything in a snowboard bag
- Only get the insurance you need
- Hire the level of equipment to suit your ability
- Get the right lift pass
If you have any of your own tips then do let us know and we’ll pass them on in this guide. inbox@planetski.eu
Remember skiing does not need to be expensive.
Current Deals
With the credit crunch biting hard there are hundreds of fantastic deals coming up this winter.
Already Crystal, the largest tour operator in the UK, is slashing hundreds of pounds of its holidays and many other operators are doing the same.
In fact it would be a full time job just looking at them all!
Here at planetSKI we have a special section on the home page called deals and discounts that will feature the most up to date deals around.
It could save you hundreds of pounds.
