1:50pm Monday 28th September 2009
Canny skiers, faced with price hikes caused by the weak pound, are planning trips carefully over the winter months by staying at less well-known destinations, booking online and finding late packages in places with lots to do.
That’s the view of Stuart McLeod, who has followed a 14-year stint at leading ski operators First Choice, Thomson and Crystal with the launch of his own online firm Zenith – which provides catered chalets, hotels and apartments in France and Austria.
“Everyone knows there’s 400 kilometres of skiing in the celebrated Three Valleys area of the Alps, but how many do you actually use as a family with young children?” McLeod says.
“I expect British demand this winter to switch from fashionable places like Meribel and Courchevel to areas where you pay less for lift passes and other extras, and where you needn’t pay 25 euros for spaghetti bolognese in a mountain restaurant. In short, where prices are more geared towards locals.”
Xavier Schouller runs Peak Resorts, which specialises in ‘backdoor resorts’ – getting skiers into the best areas at low cost – across the Southern Alps and the Pyrenees.
“Last season was our best ever as skiers really tried to cut costs,” he says.
His suggestions to slash ski costs this winter include: * Drive to the slopes, especially with four in a car. It’s less stressful and lets you take more luggage.
* Self-cater and buy supplies at French hypermarkets in the valley, cheaper than those in resorts.
* Find the ‘backdoor resorts’ and save lots of money on ski school, bars, restaurants, groceries. Overall saving between somewhere like Bride-les-Bains and Courchevel could be over 50 per cent.
* Try to go when snow is good, but prices are much lower – such as Easter, rather than half-term.
* Book with smaller, specialist ski operators (which don’t have to give high commission to High Street travel agents, don’t employ staff in resorts and don’t pre-buy lots of airline seats which must be paid for whether used or not).
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