We’ve searched around for the latest, best value trips and deals for snow-lovers. If you want to ski on it, board on it or just ride through it on a reindeer-led sleigh to see Santa, we’ve got some great ideas and links for you here.
Skiing
Just like any other holiday, you have the option to book a package ski holiday or build your own and book everything separately. The advantage of booking a package deal is that everything is done for you but you could end up paying for things you don’t necessarily need or could get cheaper if you organised it yourself – like meals and equipment hire. However, you will often find freebies thrown in and various special offers and discounts.
On the other hand, although a DIY skiing holiday may cause some temporary stress in the organisation of it all, you could end up saving on essentials like flights, accommodation and equipment – especially if you travel and stay in a large group.
Get £100 off selected ski holidays to France with accommodation provider Pierre & Vacances staying in self catering apartments or hotels. The offer is subject to a minimum of 2 adults travelling and is valid on bookings made before 15th November.
You can also save up to £250 per couple on Christmas and New Year ski holidays to Andorra, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Italy and Slovenia. This offer is on holidays staying for 7 nights departing from London Gatwick.
Pay just £269 per adult for 7 nights skiing in France in January or March 2010. Most accommodation is self catering as you’ll be staying in your own apartment right in the centre of the resort. Head to their website and click on Ski deals.
This website can cater for all your ski holiday necessities. Right now, you can book a 4 night half board ski break to Brides de Bain in France departing on December 10th for just £195! Prices are based on two adults travelling. The same deal departing on December 19th for 5 nights costs just £259.
If you can wait until near the end of the season, you can book 7 nights self catering in Andorra, departing on 28th February for £324. Book in early March and you’ll save even more. Unlike many ski deals, this one has the flexibility to fly from one of eight airports around the UK.
If you prefer to arrange your flights and hotels separately and are looking to go a bit further afield for your ski experience this year, book with lastminute to get up to 50% off hotels in the US and Canada (from £41.08).
Book your ski hire through lastminute and you can make a saving of between 20 and 40%! They cover nine different countries including Switzerland, Canada and Czech Republic and even ask you to let them know if you think you’ve found a better deal elsewhere – so do check them out.
Don’t fancy skiing? How about ice skating? And you don’t even have to leave the country! You can book to skate at The Tower of London, Canary Wharf Ice Rink, Wembley Stadium and Hampton Court this Christmas and tickets cost from just £7.50.
If you’re building your own holiday, check out hotels.com for discounted accommodation. Hotels in Chamonix, France cost from just £22 per night! Accommodation in Salt Lake City costs from £24, Andorra from £37 and Davos in Switzerland from £39.
Best ways to save
- First and foremost – shop around! Take advantage of the internet for online deals and you will probably find that booking through an online company that deals simply in ski holidays will offer the best prices. Use websites like Crystal Holidays to avoid tour operators brochure marketing costs and travel agent’s commissions.
- Instead of heading to the Alps, which arguably boasts the best resorts, try out Eurozone countries like Slovenia and Slovakia and Eastern European resorts in Bulgaria, Poland, Czech Republic and Romania to save money. Make sure you do your research before you opt for a completely new resort to ensure that it caters for your needs.
- If you can, book outside of school term time. Prices for all holidays can more than double when kids are out of school. This goes for school holidays in your chosen destination, too. Apart from suffering raised prices at the resort, you’ll also be battling against avid little skiers on the slopes, so again, do your research.
- Book your trip well in advance to take advantage of the best prices. Prices essentially arc, starting off low when they are first released then gaining in price once the demand has been stimulated before falling again last minute in a bid to fill up those last seats on the plane. So last minute deals can also be good value.
- If you choose to fly to your destination, selecting flights in unsociable hours will save you money. Though this might mean catching a flight at 4am, it’ll also mean you’ll get more time to ski! A great way to compare flight prices is by using the Moneymagpie flight comparison tool here.
- Another way to save on your travel is to go by coach. This obviously takes a lot longer and will only suit those who are happy to sit still for hours but you can save a massive amount of money and experience the scenic route to your destination! Book through Eurolines and travel to 9 ski resorts in France from just £99 return.
Alternatively, go green and travel by Eurostar to one of three resorts in the French Alps from £149 non-flexible (non-refundable and non-exchangeable) for adults and £90 for children. Departure stations are St Pancras International and Ashford International. You can currently book travel for trips between 19th December 2009 and 17th April 2010.
- You can save on accommodation costs by going self catering and booking a chalet or apartment for a group of you. You will usually pay just one price for the accommodation and this can be split between you.
For example, book this luxury four bedroom chalet in Switzerland that sleeps 8 people for £1,000 for dates between 21st November and 19th December and pay just £125 each for a week. Use chaletsdirect.com to search through accommodation in hundreds of resorts in places like France, Bulgaria and Andorra including fully catered, B&B and self catered options.
Alternatively, if you’re not fussed about your accommodation and are simply looking for a place to keep your things and rest your head, you could book into a hostel. On Hostelworld, you can search for budget hotels and hostels in over 170 countries from as little as €15 per night per person.
- If you book a package deal, your ski rental should be included in the price but if you’re organising the trip yourself, save a bundle by booking your ski hire in advance. With Snowrental, you can save up to 50% by booking everything before you go. Simply type in the name of your resort and choose from a selection of skis and snowboards. It will give the price in Euros so be sure to convert this if you’re unsure of the exchange rate. Snowrental covers 802 shops, in 575 resorts in 12 different countries!
- In order to get your ski clothing cheap, you’ll need to be picky about when you buy it. As the season comes to an end, retailers will offer their stock discounted in order to make room for new lines. This does mean buying your clothing and equipment in spring for the following winter though, which is not always ideal.
If you’re already a passionate skier (or planning to be) it’s well worth investing in your own ski wear. TK Maxx has a wide selection of mens, womens and kids jackets, trousers and accessories at discount prices, as do Skiwear4less. Also, don’t forget eBay for some ski clothing bargains.
- You can save up to 10% on lift passes by booking in advance, as well as the time taken to queue at the resort to get one! With SkiExtras and Skiholidayextras, you can book your pass online to be either delivered to your accommodation or picked up by you from the reception or ski lift office, depending on the resort.
- One thing you really don’t want to cut corners with just to save a few pennies is your insurance. Because of the increased chance of injury, your average travel policy just won’t provide the level of cover you will need, and you could find yourself in a financial as well as a medical pickle if you skimp here, as treatment can cost thousands of pounds. Winter sports insurance is your only option, providing comprehensive cover and piece of mind for every eventuality. This can be bought as a bolt-on to any travel insurance you may already hold, or as a stand-alone policy. To compare prices and get the best deal, visit the Confused.com travel insurance comparison page.
Lapland
It must be every child’s dream to visit Father Christmas at his home in Lapland and it is possible if you’ve got some spare cash this winter. Esprit’s Santa’s Lapland specialises in organised adventure trips to Saariselka and Rovaniemi from Gatwick or Manchester which include your flights, accommodation, a private family meeting with Father Christmas, a husky sled ride, reindeer sleigh ride, other snow activities and free thermal clothing and snow boots.
There are various trips to choose from but we’ve picked out the best value to share with you –
A 2 night B&B stay at the Ounasvarra Cabins in Rovaniemi for a family of four costs just £1899 this winter. Departing on the 7th December, the price includes your return flights, transfers, a private snowmobile journey to find Santa, gifts for under 12s, a visit to Santa’s Control Centre and Joulukka Elf School, a husky sled ride and a reindeer sleigh ride. The same holiday for a family of three staying at the Sky Hotel costs £1599. Click here for more details.
Esprit is offering free places for children, making your family visit to Father Christmas a bit more affordable! For 3 day breaks, the first child under 5 in a family travelling with two adults can travel for free, with additional children receiving 50% off their ticket. Children aged between 6 and 11 receive 75% off. This offer is for stays in all hotel rooms.
For families staying in apartments and cabins on 4 day breaks, the first child up to the age of 5 will receive 70% off! First children aged between 6 and 11 will get 40% off. To view all the details and more child ticket offers, click here.
Lapland UK
Forking out for a trip to Rovaniemi or Saariselka in Lapland is understandably out of the question for many of us this year, but thankfully, Lapland has come to us here in the UK!
With Lapland UK, you and your children can enjoy a magical Christmas experience. Located at Bewl Water Estate near Tunbridge Wells in Kent, Lapland UK is an interactive theatrical production which recreates Father Christmas’ homeland and brings the Arctic to you.
Included in the price of your ticket is entrance to the snowy woodland, a visit to Father Christmas and a hot two course meal. Children will get to visit the elves in the toy factory to help them make gifts and meet Mrs Christmas to decorate their own gingerbread.
You can also go ice skating, meet the Sami people and their husky dogs and Father Christmas’ very own reindeer! This experience is available between 14th November and Christmas Eve and costs from £57.50 per person, although the closer to Christmas you book it, the more expensive it will be. Weekends also cost more than weekdays.
The visit works like a theatre production in the sense that you will have an alloted time to start your Christmas experience – so don’t be late, or you’ll miss part of it! Your two course meal will take place about an hour and a half into the 4 to 5 hour experience, so we recommend you bear this in mind when you make your alloted time booking. If your kids eat at set times or you know they’ll get hungry, make sure you book it to start around an hour and a half before their lunch time. View details of Lapland UK’s food here.
One of the only down sides of Lapland UK is that groups of adults cannot book just for themselves – they need to be accompanied with children! Bad news for the big festive kids out there. It also may seem a bit pricey, but if you book early, it’s good value for the experience you receive. There is even fake snow!
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