Holiday tips for cash-strapped skiers
The UK’s leading independent ski tour operator, Directski.com, has come to the aid of cash-strapped skiers with ten top tips to make skiing more affordable in 2010 / 11.
Helping skiers ski for less, the company also has ski holidays from only £239 pp, based on four to sharing an apartment at Le Grand Chalet in France's Méribel Valley, departing on 9th January with Gatwick flights and transfers. (The same holiday costs £249 flying from Manchester, €329 from Dublin, £269 from Belfast).
CUT THE COST, SKI WITH FRIENDS
Tip: Take a ski apartment for 4 or more and the cost per person tumbles. Fill it with friends, set up a Facebook ski-share page or ask around for people to share.
A 6 night ski holiday with self-catering accommodation at Le Grand Chalet in the Meribel Valley costs from only £239 from Gatwick, (£249 from Manchester, £269 from Belfast, €658 from Dublin) when four share on a self-catering basis, including return flights and transfers, flying on 9th January 2011.
FORGET SKI KINDERGARTEN – BRING A GRANNY
Tip: Bring a relative to look after kids as it’s often cheaper to take an extra person than to use local nannies and kindergartens.
A week’s half board stay in a family room at the Hotel Hotel Princesa Parc in Arinsal, Andorra for 2 Adults, 2 Children under 15 years costs from £569 pp, based on 4 sharing, departing on 9th January and including with Gatwick flights and transfers (£589 from Manchester, £639 from Belfast, €765 from Dublin.
DIY LUNCH
Tip: Pop into the local supermarket or bakery for an inexpensive alternative to mountain restaurants. (Of course we wouldn’t suggest you snaffle from the hotel’s breakfast buffet…)
Arriving on 9th January 2011 6 days skiing in Les Menuires in France, the home of the hypermarket, costs from £479 per person, with half board accommodation at the 3* Neige et Ciel, including buffet breakfast and dinner, return Gatwick flights and transfers (£489 from Manchester, £509 from Belfast and €639 from Dublin).
SKI AN UP & COMING DESTINATION
Tip: Ski a less well-known, less expensive ski destination such as Slovenia, where the cost of a bowl of chips has yet to catch up with heady costs in a major French resort.
A week’s skiing in the Slovene resort of Kranjska Gora costs from £449, based on 2 sharing, with return Gatwick flights travelling on 5th March 2011 and transfers, (£439 from Manchester, £469 from Belfast, €539 from Dublin).
BOOK ONLINE
Tip: Don’t pay for tour operator’s brochures and marketing costs or travel agents’ comission, book direct with an online only ski holiday company.
Directski.com has only ever offered holidays online and never produced a brochure or expensive marketing materials. A week's stay in the French Alps with return Gatwick flights and transfers costs from £239 this winter, £249 from Manchester, £269 from Belfast, €329 from Dublin).
PRE-BOOK SKI EQUIPMENT HIRE
Tip: Pre-book ski tuition and equipment to save time in resort and get a fixed price on skis, boots, sticks and lift passes.
Ski pack prices are detailed on all resort pages at directski.com .
THINKS SMALL, SKI BIG
Tip: Choose a less well-known resort that rubs shoulders with the glitzy, big ski areas. Think Kirchberg not Kitzbuhel, Meribel Valley rather than Meribel centre.
A week’s half board stay in the Austrian ski town of Kirchberg in the 3* Lifthotel costs from £435 per person, with return Gatwick flights and transfers, departing on 19th March. Manchester £445, Belfast £455, Dublin €600.
BEGINNERS’ BARGAINS
Tip: Learn to ski away from the bright lights of a glitzy mainstream resort. Pick somewhere like lively Pas de la Casa in Andorra for cheaper equipment, duty free shopping and learn to ski packages.
A week’s skiing with self-catering accommodation at the Apartments Manzano can be booked from just £269, with return Gatwick flights (Manchester £289, Belfast £339, Dublin €369) and transfers, departing on 9th January 2011, based on 4 sharing.
A learn to ski pack costs from £225, including 5 half days tuition, ski and boot hire and lift pass, compared with £379 for the ski pack in a more glamorous resort, such as Kitzbuhel.
For more information and reservations, visit: directski.com