How to save on snow holidays

 - Our recipe for cheap skiing & snowboarding holidays and the best ski deals for France this winter

 

 
If you are looking for a cheap skiing holiday this winter do check some of the examples below. We don't offer bottom of the range budget ski accommodation but we believe that we can offer you affordable quality at great prices.

 

All our French resorts have high enough altitude and snowsure slopes with mixed terrain for various abilities. All our accommodation has been selected and checked by our directors or members of the team so you won't have any unpleasant surprise.

 

We only use the leading ski schools in each resort and our ski equipment hire is with one of the most respected supplier.

 

 Check our 5 ways to save on ski holidays

 

1. Cheaper satellite ski resorts

We offer many smaller satellite resorts that link to big ski areas so there is no compromise on the skiing. Your ski accommodation will cost you less (up to 60% less in some cases than some of the most famous resorts located on the same ski area), going out in bars and restaurants will also cost you less, so will shopping for some of your essentials.  

 
Some of our back door villages to the main resorts are:

 

Back Door Resorts

 

Larger resort

Ski Area

Samoens, Morillon & Les Carroz

Flaine

Grand Massif

Vaujany & Oz-en-Oisans

Alpe d’Huez

Grandes Rousses (Oisans)

Peisey, Bourg St Maurice

Les Arcs

Paradiski

La Tania

Courchevel

Paradiski

Montchavin, Les Coches & Champagny 

La Plagne

Paradiski

Vallorcine, Argentière & Les Houches

Chamonix

Chamonix Valley

Brides Les Bains

Meribel

3 Valleys

Saint-Gervais

Megeve

Mont Blanc

Venosc

2 Alpes

Oisans

Morzine & Les Gets

Avoriaz

Portes du Soleil

 

Just remember that whether you are staying in a 4-star hotel at Courchevel 1850 and paying £4000 per person per week or staying in a self-catering apartment in Brides-les-Bains at £200 per person per week you get to ski on exactly the same ski area (The 3 Valleys) and if you have to queue for a lift you will be queuing together!
 

 - Where to stay? -

 

 

Stay at ‘Les Fermes de Samoens’, SAMOENS week 15th January 2011 – cost will be £140 per person, or if booked before 15/09/10 will be £126 per person, based on 4 sharing a 2 bedroom apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay at ‘Bois de Champelle’ chalet complex with indoor pool, MORILLON Village week 2nd January 2011 – cost will be £143 per person based on 4 sharing a 2 bedroom chalet including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

2. Cheaper lesser known French ski resorts

 

If you are not an expert skier then some our smaller French resorts with still decent ski areas will cost you even less. From accommodation to lift passes, ski school, restaurants, bars, mountain restaurants, convenience shopping - it will all cost substantially less than in better known resorts.

All these resorts still offer reliable skiing with excellent snow record, good ski schools, and local people who don't treat you just as another as a punter. Why pay for a large ski area lift pass when you are only likely to use 10% of it?

 

- Where to stay? -

 

 

Stay at Le Flocons d’Argent, AUSSOIS week 19th February 2011 - cost will be £335 per person based on 4 sharing a

2 bedroom apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay at Les Balcons de la Vanoise, TERMIGNON week 15th January 2011 – cost will be £144 per person, or if booked before 31/10/10 will be £137 per person, based on 4 sharing a 2 bedroom apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

A weeks ski and boot hire for Termignon and Aussois starts from £49 per adult and £35 per child.

Aussois lift pass from £89 per adult and £74 per child. Ski school from £81 per adult and £71 per child (09/10 prices for passes and school).

 

3. Self-catering accommodation ski bargains

Self-catering accommodation will cost you less than catered chalets or hotels particularly if you eat-in or only go out 2 or 3 nights during the week.

You will even be surprised by the bargain prices on our 4-star ski apartments holidays. Many are brand new, have pools, sauna, Jacuzzi... so it's not like downgrading. You also have your privacy as you don't have to share with strangers.

 

 - Where to stay? -

 

 

 

 

Stay at Cybele, BRIDES LES BAINS week 26th December 2010 - cost will be £182 per person (down on last years price!)  based on 4 sharing a studio apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay at Les Balcons le Haut, VAL CENIS week 19th February 2011 – cost will be £394 per person based on 4 sharing a 2 bedroom duplex apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay at Les Domes des Rousses, VAUJANY week 15th January 2011 – cost will be £117 per person, or if booked before 30/09/10 will be £111 per person, based on 4 sharing a 1 bedroom apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay at Le Coeur d’Or (MGM), BOURG ST MAURICE week 19th February 2011 – cost will be £279 per person based on 4 sharing a 2 bedroom apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade. AMAZING VALUE, 4 STAR LUXURY.

 

 

 

4. Self-drive ski savings
It's easy to drive to the French Alps from the UK - it's all motorway and French motorways are nothing as busy as they are in the UK so it's much more relaxing. All our holidays include a Eurotunnel with a free Flexiplus upgrade which means you get total flexibility of travel times. We can also book ferries and pass on even greater savings. Going by Eurotunnel or Ferry is not only cheaper than flying - it's not only the cost of flying that you have to consider but also all the extras that go with it: high UK car parking charges,  all sort of hidden supplements introduced by some of the airlines (luggage and skis carriage is getting pretty expensive with many of the budget airlines) and then there is the cost of the transfer at the other end which can actually add an awful lot (a private transfer from Geneva to say Meribel is £600 return for 4 people) ; but when you drive with your own car you can take as much as you like including skis, snowboards, boots, groceries; you have more control over your itinerary and you can avoid airport chaos on busy dates. Last but not least, it is also considerably more environmentally friendly as long as more than one person travels in the car.

 

 - Where to stay? -

 

 

 

 

Stay at Le Village, NOTRE-DAME DE BELLECOMBE week 2nd January 2011 - cost will be £142 per person, or if booked before 30/09/10 will be £135 per person, based on 4 sharing a 2 bedroom apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay at Les Alpages de Champagny, CHAMPAGNY week 22nd January 2011 – cost will be £193 per person, or if booked before 15/09/10 will be £173 per person, based on 4 sharing a 2 bedroom apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay at Les Chalets d’Arvan, SAINT SORLIN week 19th February 2011 – cost will be £332 per person based on 4 sharing a 1 bedroom alcove apartment including Eurotunnel with free flexiplus upgrade.

 

 

 

5. Great skiing deals

We price our holidays at the right level in the first place (we don't prices up by 200% to later discount by 50%!) and we encourage our suppliers to give us great ski discounts whenever they have a few more apartments to sell. See our ski special offers

See our Christmas & New Year snow & ski deals  

See our February half-term snow & ski deals  

See our Easter April snow & ski deals  

 

 

Hidden extras?

Unlike other operators, we don't charge fuel surcharges, under-occupancy supplements, ski & boot carriage fees.

You may have to clean your self-catering apartment yourself or pay extra to have it cleaned, you may have to bring your own linen or towels or hire them locally but these should not have much impact on your overall ski budget.

 

If you wonder how we do it, see how we can offer such great prices on ski holidays – see our price comparison page. 

 

 

 

Call us on 0844 576 0170 to book or for further information. You can also email your request or enquiry to a member of our team at reservations@peakretreats.co.uk

Opening times Mon-Fri 9am – 6pm (7pm Sept-Mar), Sat 10am – 4pm. Closed bank holidays and Sundays.

 

© Peak Retreats Limited 2010