Travel 

Advertisement

Weekend ski getaways

by Felix Milns

No need to book a week away. Enjoy a few affordable days on the slopes with our no-nonsense tips

Ski weekends are no longer just an expensive fad. One day off work means three days on the slopes and there's a great range of cheap flights this winter. Tour operators and hotels alike have warmed to the idea. And a clutch of weekend specialists can ensure speedy transfers, good deals on equipment hire and accommodation (particularly with hotels who do not normally offer weekend packages). They can even pre-organise your lift passes to save you precious time in the morning.

• When to go
• How to choose
• Organising your ski weekend
• Best weekend ski destinations
• Best weekend ski operators
• Best flights for weekend skiing

When to go
Low season is the cheapest time, with good deals available pre-Christmas, early January and late March. It is worth avoiding very popular resorts at peak times (and most of France in February) as accommodation is scarce and queues plentiful.

How to choose
When choosing a resort, bear in mind a short transfer time between airport/city and mountain is a double-edged sword, as it also means more local weekend skiers.

Weekend trips also give you the opportunity to try lower and smaller resorts you might not choose for a whole week, particularly if you book relatively last minute. Many weekend enthusiasts book cheap flights in advance then choose a resort nearer the time based on snow conditions. If you want to plan ahead, choose a relatively high resort but not one completely above the tree line as bad weather may close much of the mountain.

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon

  Get the latest iVillage news on your desktop    Sign up for more iVillage RSS feeds

© iVillage Limited 2000-2008. All rights reserved. | © iVillage inc. 1995-2008. All rights reserved.
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB