Photo Credit: www.pixabay.com
When we think of skiing, we imagine acres of soft white snow, quiet picturesque mountains dotted with gorgeous chalets, and sumptuous apres ski dinners. However, skiing isn’t a cheap sport and depending on where you want to go flights, chalet rental, ski gear, lessons and spending money will set you back quite a bit. You don’t need to travel hundreds, or thousands of miles to find fresh snow as the winter season offers plenty of alternatives. For instance, instead of looking at Canada, America or New Zealand you could head to Austria or France.
Look Into Lift Passes
Lots of people tend to turn up on the slopes and then buy their lift passes for the week, but this can prove to be an expensive hobby. What many people don’t know is that it’s possible to get passes in advance. Speak directly to the resort manager or the customer service desk and inform them when you’ll be arriving, pay and your passes will be ready to collect when you need them. Check you’ve bought enough as re-issuing a printed lift or ski passes is a time-consuming business and they’ll be plenty of other people wanting them so book them before you go to avoid lengthy queues and get that thirty percent discount!
Where You Stay Matters
If you’re looking to save a little extra cash then it may be worth the extra time it takes to get to the slopes each morning. For example say you were heading to France. While most of the resorts in the Trois Vallees area do offer ski in/out accommodation, this convenience comes at a price. Instead, if you’re happy taking a short ten to fifteen-minute bus ride then it’s worth staying somewhere a little more remote. Save money by staying in a chalet style hotel instead of hiring out a whole cottage as often this is an unnecessary expense.
For instance, French skiing resorts like Courchevel and Meribel offer tourists a wide range of accommodation, and the thing about Meribel in particular is that due to the geographical nature of the resort, many of the cheaper hotels can be found further down the mountainside. Why not start every morning with a gondola ride up to the slopes? It’ll certainly help blow the cobwebs away!
Apres Ski Activities
We all know how much fun apres-ski activities are, be it having a bottle or two at the hotel bar, tucking into a delicious meal after a day’s skiing or dancing the night away in a cheesy local nightclub playing music that was cool ten years ago. However, if you keep stocking up on local cheese, chocolate and wine you won’t have any money left to go sightseeing with, or to book a dog sledding adventure through the hills. Make sure you stick to your budget, allocate a certain amount of money for each evening and once it’s gone head back to the hotel! Try to avoid the typical tourist haunts where prices are marked up by around twenty percent and go somewhere a little quieter. Chances are, you’ll be served quicker and locals will be friendlier than on the main street.