by Whether you’re planning your first trip to the slopes or are a seasoned pro, traveling with family or alone, it’s never been more crucial to find ways to save money on your ski vacation. Prices are rising across the board, from accommodation to ski passes, and the cost of living crisis continues to put pressure on tourists’ budgets.
There is no denying that ski trips come with unavoidable additional costs. It’s easy to blow the budget on extras like lift passes and equipment rentals, and the price of on-mountain lunch at some popular resorts is often exorbitant.
If you’re planning next season, here are our top tips to help you save money on your trip, including which accommodation to choose, alternative resorts to consider, how to reduce the cost of extras once at the resort, and what to pack.
Before you leave
1. Book an all-inclusive stay so everything is paid for before you travel. At one end of the scale is Action Outdoors, at the other is Club Med; The best thing about both is that prices include lift passes, tuition, and three meals a day.
2. If you prefer your own space, staying in a chalet or chalet-hotel takes a lot of the guesswork out of how much you’ll end up spending once at the resort. The chalet board means you get a cooked breakfast, afternoon tea (usually including cake and maybe soup) and a three-course dinner every day except one: the chalet hosts’ day off. Wine at mealtimes is often included, meaning you can also save money by bar-hopping if you wish. “Consider traveling with another family or friends, that way you can book a larger ski chalet and keep the price per person down,” says Tim Andrews, founder of chalet rental specialist OVO Network. But be warned: if you want to stay in a catered chalet this season, be aware that the number of available British skiers has reduced significantly since Brexit and the pandemic.
3. Think flexibly: The Heidi app, which launched last winter and recently announced trips to 20 other resorts, uses technology to connect people with lesser-known resorts and book vacations of varying lengths, avoiding expensive Saturday trips to Saturday. This winter the application includes North America and Eastern Europe.
4. If you are traveling at the beginning or end of the season, consider booking your accommodation directly with the tourist office. Some resorts offer fantastic packages to attract visitors in the quieter months.
5. Buying currency at the airport is an absolute no-no; you will end up getting the worst exchange rate. Also avoid using a credit card abroad, as you will often be charged a high fee. Preloading a card with the currency of your choice can save money on bank fees and ensure a more favorable exchange rate. The Revolut card, for example, allows travelers to spend in stores or online free of charge. Whether withdrawing money from an ATM or using the card to pay, it automatically converts money into the local currency at the best available exchange rate. These are the biggest mistakes to avoid with your travel money.
6. One of the best ways to save money is to skip the alpine mega-resorts and head somewhere lesser-known, both in terms of vacation cost and in-resort prices. Eastern Europe has seen enormous growth as a ski destination in recent years, particularly Bulgarian resorts such as Bansko, due to the extremely competitive cost of package holidays there. However, if you are an intermediate or expert adventure skier or snowboarder, you may find the terrain limited and frustrating. Choosing the Pyrenees, with resorts such as Baqueira-Beret in Spain, the Grandvalira area in Andorra and the Grand Tourmalet area in France, gives access to varied and challenging slopes at a fraction of the cost of a trip to the Alps. Find this season’s best cheap ski holidays here.
7. It can be difficult for families to save on skiing, as they are limited by school holiday dates. Choosing the Easter holidays instead of the February half-term holidays can be cheaper and, by considering smaller, lesser-known resorts, you can save twice as much money.
For the trip
8. Eurostar can be booked up to 330 days, or about 11 months, and TGV connecting services up to 90 days in advance, so plan ahead for the best prices. This winter it is possible to book the ski train to France directly with Eurostar (with change in Lille).
9. Morzine-based chalet company Alikats is one of a growing number of operators offering discounts of up to 20 per cent to guests traveling by train. The Montagne Verte Card also offers visitors to Morzine and Avoriaz discounts on items such as equipment rental, lessons and ski passes if they present a valid train ticket.
10. Driving to the Alps can be great value: it has the advantage of allowing you to fill the car with food (and alcohol), plus it’s kinder to the environment. Avoid filling up your car on the highway: visit plein-moins-cher.fr to find the cheapest local fuel prices. Use our guide to driving to the Alps for more tips.
11. Worried about the cost of fuel? Consider driving an electric vehicle, thanks to a growing network of charging stations in resorts.
12. Avoid the bustle of Geneva or Chambéry and consider flying to less frequented centers. Ryanair operates routes to Turin, with access to Italian resorts such as Champoluc and Courmayeur, and to Klagenfurt, in the heart of Austria’s lesser-known province of Carinthia.
on the slopes
13. Once you know where you’re going, check the resort’s website for lift pass offers, including group discounts, early bird deals, and family rates. Are you traveling with children? Check the age limit for free passes: in Le Grand Massif (Flaine, Les Carroz and Samöens) it is up to eight years old, and up to nine in Zermatt.
14. Consider what else your pass includes: Pool access, local discounts and more will fill your week with free activities.
15. Skiing in Italy? Visit Alto.ski, to get a pass that only charges you for the days you ski. Tignes and Val d’Isère offer similar benefits with their A La Carte pass.
In resort
16. Opt for your own home, but think carefully first. Will you really want to cook every night and will you be able to buy what you need at a good price at the resort? To avoid additional costs, use a meal delivery service, like Huski, or if you’re driving, bring prepared meals (homemade or not).
17. Chalet companies, such as Chalets1066 and Ski France, offer the classic accommodation option, but on their own terms: choose the level of catering you want to budget for.
18. One of the most expensive extras once you’re on vacation is buying lunch in the mountains, especially if you’re staying at an expensive alpine resort. Instead of spending €20 for a burger and fries every day, buy ingredients for sandwiches and snacks at your local supermarket and make them yourself. Don’t just grab lunch at any old picnic spot, head to one like Serre Chevalier’s three griddles: outdoor grills that don’t require charcoal and have resort staff on hand to clean them between uses.
in your suitcase
19. Rent everything you can. Use EcoSki or WhoSki for clothing and book your equipment rental in advance with companies like Intersport or SkiSet; You’ll save about 50 percent on resort prices.
20. Give new life to your old ski or snowboard boots with insoles. Superfeet’s winter comforts cost £50 a pair.
