From accommodation to ski lessons, a guide to how and when to book with the minimum of stress.
© Rémi NGuyen Cao
Booking a ski holiday is a strange mix of pleasure and stress. Once you have fixed your holiday dates (a task in itself sometimes) you then have the mammoth task of organising travel, accommodation, catering, ski lessons, ski hire and (possibly) childcare. So what do you do? Delegate to your group or take on the role of chief booking agent?
If you haven’t yet decided which ski resort to go to you can do this test and discover which resort suits your group’s needs and budget the best. Then, go ahead and read this article with helpful hints and tips for organising your next ski or snowboard holiday.
Choosing your accommodation
A comfortable hotel room
© Helios hotel in Méribel
A very common choice for skiers and snowboarders, hotels are a safe bet and easy to book. Listed on tourist office websites and comparison sites you have the choice of price, location within resort and amenities. In Meribel our favourite hideaway is the Helios hotel for its spa facilities, sumptuous cuisine and its excellent location near the slopes. For something a little out of the ordinary you could book a yurt or mountain refuge. This brings a little authenticity to your trip immersing you in a mountain experience away from the crowds in resort. Newly renovated this season is the Lac du Lou mountain refuge in Les Menuires which is well worth a visit.
A chalet just for you
Are you tempted by a chalet stay where you are waited on hand and foot? It is very popular with the British crowd who like to delegate the organisation of their holiday. Many British holiday companies offer an all-inclusive option – flights, transfers, ski hire and a personal chef. Often better service than a 5* hotel (and sometimes with similar levels of luxury) your meals are prepared and served by your chalet team. And for those that prefer their independence and cooking their own meals (perhaps using local ingredients such as the fantastic local cheeses) self-catered chalet rentals are also available.
The tourist office websites for ski resorts list many accommodation options however it can be difficult to work out what the quality is like so we recommend using these sites in conjunction with a review site such as TripAdvisor.
We looked on the tourist office websites of a few resorts and found these examples of accommodation offers for the start of this winter:
- Have yourself a merry Christmas in La Plagne with a package including accommodation and a free children’s lift pass.
- At Val d’Isère bag yourself a sport-filled mini-break. Val d’Isère are offering a fantastic deal for three nights accommodation, lift pass and access to the aqua sports centre at the start of the season.
- Live like a local in Meribel by staying in the home of a local resident and book your lift pass online on Meribel Tourist Office website to avoid the queue at the pass office.
Accommodation booked, now what?
As far as skiing is concerned why not choose an all-in-one company like Oxygène? We can book your ski lessons, equipment hire, beginner lift passes and apres-ski activities for your whole family. For even less hassle, we deliver your ski equipment to your accommodation upon your arrival (in Val d’Isere and La Plagne).
Pssst: If the lessons you were looking to book are full for the time of your stay, have a look at our alternative options here.