I know its a long way of but this year I have learnt to ski (a bit) and the missus Snowboard (a bit).

Me and a group of friends about 8 of us are discussing going away skiing next year, but we are all very poor and things don’t look to be changing. what have you guys done to get a week or so in the snow on the cheap.

Book a chalet directly with the owner and drive down. Use Tesco vouchers for the ferry. There are some good deals to be had by booking in advance but you are taking a gamble with the conditions. The other way is to book a week off work then grab a last minute all in deal when you get close. A bit tricky for a bigger group but still possible

We do the last minute thing, going the cheapest week of the season (the week after new year). We’ve bagged some total bargains in great resorts.

Camping for us……in a motorhome 8)
..
Or try driving yourself, Italy cheaper than France/Germany at the moment, Switzerland is most expensive – always. Book chalet off the resort, drive and park in resort will save ££’s, go outside school holidays and/or early/late in the season. Buy ski gear now before next season. Go self catering, and buy food outside of the resort.

The cheap weeks are often the first of the season – the one that finishes before the Christmas week. For best snow reliability go somewhere high like Val Thorens or Tignes in a self catering apartment. These can be booked last minute depending upon snow conditions.
Then early January as posted above.
Very late, last weeks of Aprik are cheap too and can be booked last minute
There are tons of small resorts which much cheaper lift passes (a major expense) which still offer good skiing, last year we went to Sainte Foy with White Room Chalet (who post here) and there is the neighbouring resort of La Rossiere. Chamrouse or La Tania below Courcheval. Pyreneese or Andorra are cheaper than Alps.

Trying to save money by going to a low altitude resort is dangerous as snow can be poor in a bad season.

what is your budget Rscott and must it be a week? We go for 4 or 5 days which is a good amount of time.

what is your budget Rscott and must it be a week? We go for 4 or 5 days which is a good amount of time.

As above really, cheap as chips flights with Ryanair to Turin or Bergamo very early one morning. Fly back late one night, 2 Star self catering or room only in a place like Sauze or Cervino which are only a little over an hour from the airport. Ski every one of your days but save a nights accommodation.
Equipment booked online in advance with Snowbrainer or similar. Lots of other good tips in earlier posts.

Indeed, fly to Munich 7am flight, rent a car and drive 1.5 hours to the Tirol and you’re on the slopes at 1pm day one, leave last day at 4pm and catch the evening flight home.

Looking at around £350 pp tops that was including flights that seems reasonableas there are plenty of them around at the min for around that self catered of course. for most of us it would be our first alpine trip in the snow i have done plenty kayaking and biking trips for around the same price but im aware that slops can be expensive.

I have recommended these people before in terms of cheap skiing, we went to La Rossiere with Burasnow. Including transfers, ski hire etc its going to break your budget a bit, but that would then include all your meals, lift passes, ski hire etc in the price, then you pay it off monthly over the next 12 months works out about 50 quid a month. I would find that easier than paying out 350, then making sure I had the 300 – 500 I would need while I was there

does anyone know what date feb half term is next year? My boys school hasnt published them yet. Lazy arses. I shall have words with the chair of governors. When she gets home.

EDIT:
Ah, well Ive worked it out by proxy. Ski holidays for week bg Feb 15 are 40% more expensive than the week before and 55% more expensive than the week after.

Time to upset the socialists I think….

Coincidentally, the brochure for “Snowbizz” just went whoomf on the door mat, and since Im procrastinating, here’s next season’s accomodation prices graphed:

Looks like a mid Jan sneaky trip to plan…

Stoner,
Your county council should have published the dates on their website. Anyone looking at the easter holidays will find that there is a difference between counties.

OP have fun on your search. We are trying to find a reasonably priced half term or easter ski trip next year for 9 adults and 6 primary school age kids. Balancing snow/facilities/price is all part of the ‘experience’.
Igluski and the Telegraph websites give reasonable/good info on resorts.

Pre child we always went in the first week after new year as it was cheap and the snow was consistently good.

Indeed, fly to Munich 7am flight, rent a car and drive 1.5 hours to the Tiro

Make sure you time that 1.5 hr journey otherwise it could easily be 5 !

cheers tallpaul – it def looks like week of Feb 15th in worcestershire. Great! 🙁

what’s the fine for taking Jr out of school for a week these days?

EDIT: interestingly , worcs dont explicitly refer to holidays in their list of naughties. I consider that tacit approval 🙂

Unacceptable reasons for absence would include:
Shopping trips
Birthday treats and trips out
Looking after others at home (siblings or elderly family members)
Non-urgent medical or dental appointments

Don’t people get bored in somewhere like La Rossiere after a couple of days? There’s not much there really.

Have a quiet word with the head teacher. Some toe the line, others are ‘flexible’.

Oh we know the Head v well – Mrs Stoner is Chair of Governors 🙂
Coincidentally Ofsted Nazis turned up yesterday for their inspection, so everyone’s been on a war-footing for a couple of days now.

Pointy middle class elbows did I hear someone shout?! 😀