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Before skiing holidays came to the masses, the slopes were the preserve of the rich, famous or royal. The recession need not mean we have to hand them back, but it probably means you are looking to cut costs. Fear not, we have some tips to help you take a break without breaking the bank ...
1. Book with a tour operator
This year, booking with a tour operator rather than organising your own flights and accommodation is by far the cheapest way to ski, says Craig Burton, commercial director at ski travel agency ifyouski.com. "Travel operators still have availability from October and November that they really need to sell. This means you can get some real bargains and, the later you can leave it to book, the better these bargains will be."
For example, providing you can leave on 1 February, a week's package tour to Meribel in the French Alps staying in a four-star chalet with two people sharing is now £335 a person through ifyouski.com. This compares to the original "brochure" price of £710.
2. Avoid school holidays
Skiers who can do so should avoid half-term week (starting on 14 February) "like the plague", says Andy Harmer, head of product and marketing at ski tour operator Neilson. "Not only are the slopes busy, you will pay top price for your holiday as availability is so scarce. This is especially the case if it is holiday season in that country too."
In the popular resort of St Anton in Austria, for example, you would currently pay £1,500 a person for a week's half-board in a four-star hotel during half-term. The same holiday booked for the week after costs £925 a person.
3. Pay with a credit card
So long as you are able to clear the balance when the bill comes in, book your trip using a credit card. "This way, if the airline, tour operator or hotel goes bust before you set off, you will be compensated for the entire amount under the Consumer Credit Act – even if you just used your credit card for a small deposit," says Mike Pickard, head of travel insurance at esure.com. Do not, however, use your card if you cannot pay it off, or you will be adding interest to the cost of your holiday.
4. Cut the cost of parking
If you drive to the airport, make sure you book your parking space in advance. A week's holiday for your car in the long-term car park at Heathrow's Terminal 5 when paying on the day is a considerable £108.10. By booking just 24 hours in advance at BAA it will cost £57.70. Even if you buy a few more gluhweins with the £50.40 saving it will at least be a lot more fun. Plus, you have the reassurance that when you set off for the airport you are heading towards a space with your name on it.
To really save money, call in a favour. Organise a lift to the airport from a friend or family member and save yourself the cost and hassle of parking.
5. Save on your equipment
When hiring skis or a snowboard it is always cheaper to book in advance online. "You can save up to 40% on a 'walk in' rate, taking the price down from a typical £100 to £60 for the week," says Burton. Booking equipment beforehand also means you will pay prices that were set in pounds at the beginning of the season – in other words, before sterling fell so sharply against the euro.
If you are a novice, it is worth borrowing all the gear you need – from goggles to gloves – rather than buying it. "With one-off outfits like ski gear, it makes sense to share," says Jasmine Birtles at Moneymagpie.com. "If you don't know anyone to ask, scour second-hand shops in posh locations and see what you can find there."
6. Stay local
If you are staying in a resort in one of the French Alps' Three Valleys, ask yourself how likely it is you will travel outside your particular valley to ski? If you buy a typical six-day pass that gives you access to all three valleys it will set you back €225. Stick to your own valley and it will be much cheaper – €182 in Meribel, for example.
7. Pay only for the time you ski
If, in truth, you enjoy winter sun and vin blanc more than the actual skiing, buy daily or even half-day ski passes to suit. Access to the ski lifts at Meribel will cost €31 for either a morning or afternoon compared with €38 for a full day.
8. Shop around for insurance
Unless you have an existing annual travel insurance policy that includes winter sports, you will need to shop for one before you go. Look out for special offers – Tesco Travel Insurance, for example, is offering free winter sports cover for all customers who take out an annual policy until 4 February 2009.
9. Take a sandwich up the slopes for lunch
The weak pound has meant that already expensive mountain restaurants are now even pricier, so pack your own hearty lunch to take on the slopes, advises Harmer. "You read in the newspapers about the effects of a weak pound while in a euro country, but it is only when you start spending there that it hits you. A friend of mine has just come back from the Alps and said that restaurant prices were extortionate."
10. Don't miss the last lift
If you miss the last lift up to a point from which you can ski down to your resort, it is going to cost you dear. While your chalet may only be a few hundred metres away as the crow flies, getting there by way of a windy road at the bottom of the mountains could take more than an hour, and taxi drivers will take full advantage.
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