Thanks to extensive, heavy snowfall since November, the Alpine ski resorts have had a phenomenal 2008-2009 season. ‘This winter season will be remembered for some of the best snow conditions in more than 20 years,’ says Al Morgan of the Ski Club of Great Britain ( skiclub.co.uk ).
‘Throughout the Alps, snowfall has been consistent all winter, and we expect there to be fantastic skiing until well after Easter, with many resorts not closing until 19 April. Higher resorts, such as Val Thorens and Val d’Isere, will remain open until 3 May.' See skiclub.co.uk for detailed snow reports and closing dates for more than 250 resorts.
Not only is the snow fantastic, but at this time of year, the slopes will be quiet, making it a great time to practise new moves or even give skiing or snowboarding a try for the first time. Ski deals are appearing everywhere to take advantage of this. Here are just a few bargain ski holidays at some great ski resorts:
Best for celeb spotting: Gstaad
Picture-perfect Gstaad has long been a favourite ski resort with celebs – Elle MacPherson, Naomi Campbell, Valentino, Prince Charles, etc – but in recent years, snow cover has sometimes been a bit thin on the ground late in the season. This year, however, the slopes will stay open until at least 19 April, and possibly longer if the weather cooperates.
Ski resort description: traditional Swiss village with car-free centre
Slopes close: 19 April 2009 at the earliest
Best ski deal: Ski and pleasure package at the beautiful five-star Grand Hotel Bellevue, available to 30 March.
Price: CHF 1,350pp (approx £800) for three nights, a 25% discount off the normal price.
Includes: half board, including one meal at the hotel’s Michelin-starred Prado restaurant, lift passes and daily transfers to the slopes, sports massage and soothing stone oil bath, unlimited use of the hotel’s fantastic spa, one of the biggest in the Alps.
Grand Hotel Bellevue, Gstaad +41 33 748 00 00, bellevue-gstaad.com
Also consider
Near Gstaad, Villars ( villars.ch ) is a family friendly ski resort, with plenty of reasonably priced food and accommodation. Check out the hotel websites for ski deals. And you’ll still see celebs on the slopes, especially Formula 1 stars, or you can always ski over to Gstaad for more celeb spotting.
Best for snowboarders: Laax
Long popular with intrepid snowboarders, Laax is now the hot new resort for boarders and adventurous skiers looking for a lively atmosphere and excitement on the slopes. A range of cool design hotels opened this year, with budget to luxury ski deals.
Ski resort description: new buildings with a modern aesthetic – think stylish architecture rather than 1970s concrete horrors.
Slopes close: 19 April 2009
Best ski deal: 20% discount at the three-star design hotel, Riders Palace, staying Sundays to Thursday
Price: from CHF32pp in a back to basics room to CHF84pp in a multimedia double room
Includes: just the room
Riders Palace, Laax +41 33 748 00 00, riderspalace.com
Also consider
It’s not the prettiest ski resort, but Tignes ( tignes.net ) seems practically made for boarders, with two snowboard parks, halfpipes and plenty of off-piste. Sharing the vast L’Espace Killy ski area with Val d’Isere, it’s cheaper than its pricey neighbour.
Best for a weekend ski break: Geneva
Just a few minutes from Geneva Airport, the Monts-Jura mountains make the perfect place for a weekend ski break. You can be on the slopes within three hours of take-off if you check in to the stylish five-star Jiva Hill Park Hotel, 15 minutes from the airport.
Ski resort description: Jiva Hill Park Hotel is set in 70 acres of parkland, so Geneva, 20 minutes away, is the nearest place for shops, high street, etc.
Slopes close: 29 March 2009
Best ski deal: Jiva Hill Park Hotel Weekend Ski package, available until 22 March
Price: €275pp for two nights, B&B, a 30% discount
Includes: breakfast and a two-day ski pass to the Mont Jura Ski Resort, five minutes from the hotel
Jiva Hill Park Hotel, Crozet, France +33 (0)4 50 28 48 48, jivahill.com
Also consider
Part of Les Portes du Soleil, the world’s biggest linked ski area, Chatel ( chatel.com ) ski resort is less than two hours from Geneva Airport, making it a good option for a long weekend.
Best for a mixed ability group: Val d’Isere
This is one of the world’s great ski resorts, popular with intermediate to advanced skiers and snowboarders. It’s also a great place for adult and child beginners to learn because of the outstanding local tuition, particularly at renowned Oxygene Ski School (oxygene-ski.com), but the slopes can be a bit scary for first-timers who don’t take lessons. The nightlife is lively and will continue to be hopping well into April.
Ski resort description: The resort architecture is nearly all traditional, making for an attractive centre, and there are plenty of gourmet restaurants and a range of bars and pubs. High altitude means this is always snowsure very late in the season.
Slopes close: 3 May 2009
Best ski deal: the ultra-stylish, new four-star design hotel Avenue Lodge, situated bang in the centre of the resort
Price: Get 20% off room rates on bookings of two nights or more. Doubles normally start from €360 per night, but with the discount, it’s €288
Includes: breakfast
Hotel Avenue Lodge, Val d’Isere, France +33 (0)4 79 00 67 67, hotelavenuelodge.com
Also consider
The traditional ski resort of Kitzbuhel ( kitzbuehel.com ) in Austria not only has great skiing for all abilities, there’s also plenty for non-skiers, and good budget accommodation is easy to find.
Best for chalet chic: Meribel
With pretty village, snowsure slopes and renowned party scene, Meribel is not normally a bargain ski resort. Luxury chalet operator VIP Chalets, along with its more moderately priced sister company Snowline, have numerous great chalets in Meribel. And for the next few weeks, you can bag a real bargain on week-long ski holidays with them in Meribel and other popular ski resorts.
Ski resort description: Attractive centre, but few people notice because they go straight from slopes to bars to bed. If you’re a party animal, this is the place for you.
Slopes close: 26 April 2009
Best ski deal: pretty 12-person Chalet Mira Belum, with wood-beam ceilings, huge stone fireplace and outdoor hot tub
Price: £699pp for the week of 8 March, a saving of £500 off the usual price. Check the websites for similar bargains for other weeks
Includes: flights with British Airways, transfers, hot breakfasts and homemade afternoon tea every day, and four-course gourmet dinner six nights
VIP 0844 557 3119, vip-chalets.com ; Snowline 0844 557 3118, snowline.co.uk
Also consider
If you fancy self-catering, Erna Low ( ernalow.co.uk ) has 20% off all chalets from 7 March onwards. They have some great ski holiday deals in the snowsure ski resort of Alpe d’Huez.
British Airways flies to destinations throughout the Alps. Book a flight on ba.com now.
Make the most of your trip ski trip, whether it's a few weeks or a few months away, with these ski fitness tips.
