Skiing Checklist

Skiing through spring may seem peculiar to a lot of people, but the ski season is very much still in full swing down in the Alpine resorts of Switzerland and France. In fact, as the majority of people have gone back to work after the Christmas break the slopes are a little emptier and some tour operators like Alpine Elements are offering excellent deals on ski holidays and weekend breaks. So, if you are going to book a ski holiday, potentially at short notice, what are the things that you need to do before you go?

1) Pick a resort, or a region. Look for ones at higher altitude as the season progresses and some resorts begin to thaw out a little.

2) Check the snow forecast. Most Alpine resorts are in astonishingly good shape even after two months of the season and thousands of skiers. Still, best to make sure there’s snow on the piste before you try to ski on it.

3) Decide whether you’re going on a package deal or doing it yourself. A package deal is probably easier, but many people tend to think they can save money by booking themselves. At this time of year there is the advantage with a tour operator that if conditions are bad they may be able to get you ski passes for an alternate resort.

4) Make sure you have the right equipment. Obviously you can find ski gear at just about any resort, but at this time of year there are real bargains to be found if you look around a little. If you’re likely to go skiing more than once or twice it’s probably easier to have your own equipment.

5) Sort out travel to the airport. Whilst people often worry about how they’re going to get from the airport to the resort, they often don’t give too much thought to things this side of the Channel. If you’re going to an airport, book a parking space, if you’re using public transport, buy your tickets, you could spend a surprising amount of money just getting to the airport if you leave everything until the last minute.

6) After that, you’re just about done. Make sure you have a good camera so you can take lots of pictures and annoy your work colleagues who’ve been slaving away when you get back. And you should probably ask your boss for the time off as well, just to make sure that you do have a job to get back to!

Later in the season the resorts are more relaxed, admittedly the slopes have seen a little more traffic so the conditions may not be quite so excellent, but you avoid the chaos and some of the teething problems that beset each resort right at the start of the season. Skiing In February, March and April is really a great way of getting a ski holiday and saving a little money as well.

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