I love skiing! It is one of my favourite holidays. The memories of gliding down freshly groomed pistes, the sun setting over the snow-capped mountains and the fresh mountain air immediately conjure up nostalgia. From delicious mountain lunches consisting of fondues and raclettes to live music and a beer or Aperol Spritz on a sunny terrace, the Alps are one of the best destinations to visit. If you have an interest in booking your first ski holiday but don’t know where to start then this guide to booking your first ski holiday should help make things that much easier and take just five minutes to read.

But how do you book your first ski holiday!? It’s a minefield! Which ski resort should I go to? Where should I stay? How much do ski holidays cost? Which ski holiday company should I choose to stay with? These are just a few questions that we are asked by guests who are looking to make their first tentative turns on skis but are in danger of stumbling before that ever happens. Ski holidays are shrouded in mystery to those who have never been, and hailed as the holy grail of holidays by many who enjoy their annual ski trip to the Alps.

The main questions to ask and things to consider when you want to go skiing are: 

• Where to go skiing?
• When to go skiing?
• How to get to your chosen ski resort?
• What type of property do you want to stay in?
• How much do you want to spend? The response to this is often, ‘well how much do ski holidays cost’?
• Which ski holiday company to choose?
• Who to go skiing with?
• What exactly do I need to book?
• What do I need to pack and take with me?
• What insurance do I need?

There are a few core components to a ski holiday, these are: travel (how you get to and from the ski resort), accommodation (where you stay upon arrival at your ski resort) and ski extras (lift passes, ski hire and ski lessons). If you would rather chat things through with one of our experienced ski holiday specialists then we have years of practice in arranging ski holidays so do get in touch as we would love to help.

Where to go skiing: 

Firstly if you have never skied before as is probably the case if you are reading this blog, then you will want a ski resort which has plenty of beginner ski slopes as well as some good improver ones to progress on to for the latter part of the holiday. Choosing a resort suited to your abilities is key! Whether Austria, France or Switzerland is your preference, the type of resort should be a priority. There are other factors such as whether you would prefer a quaint smaller village, a large resort with other activities and lots of amenities, a family resort or a party resort. Each of our ski resorts has a little information to help with this so take a read of these on the resort pages. A few great resorts for beginners are: La Plagne, Les Arcs, Les Gets, Méribel, Obergurgl, Samoëns and Val Thorens. Do remember to take into consideration if you have others in your group what their abilities are as well. 

When to go skiing:

Christmas? New Year? Half-term? January? April? What are the differences? Peak weeks (such as New Year or half-term) are typically quite a bit more expensive, but there is also nothing like the festive period in the Alps. If you need to stick to the school holidays then those are the main options alongside Easter. 

For a first ski holiday the ‘main’ part of the season is ideal. For a great value ski week, the week before Christmas is also a brilliant choice. 

Pre-Christmas, there is nothing like a bit of snow to get you in the festive mood, it is also quieter on the slopes and tends to be great value, although the snow if late coming to the Alps, can be a little limited.

January is typically best value, but a little colder, although it has great snow conditions.

February is a balance between good snow, slightly warmer conditions but a little more expensive.

March is ideal for those who fancy a morning of skiing followed by an afternoon spent on a sunny terrace somewhere. The snow can be in less good shape in lower resorts but you might also come back with a ‘goggle tan’.

April is typically inexpensive, excluding the Easter week, but offers sunnier warmer days and slushy afternoons. It is best suited to those for whom a morning is enough skiing for one day.

How to get to your chosen ski resort:

There are two main options here: either fly and take a transfer to the resort, or drive from the UK to the resort. It’s down to preference really but for the ultimate in ease for that first holiday we would recommend a package with flights and transfers included. It’s a no-stress option and means that you don’t have to consider snow chains and other factors which you might need to when driving out to the Alps. We can assist with booking flights and transfers if you choose a property that is not part of a package.

What type of property do you want to stay in:

There are three main types of properties found in Alpine villages and towns: chalets, self-catered chalets or apartments, and hotels. The chalet holiday is the quintessential ski holiday; picture cosying up by the fireplace, enjoying breakfasts, afternoon teas and dinners cooked by your chalet chef and either booking a room for two, or a whole chalet for a group of friends or family and enjoying some privacy. 

Hotels are another popular choice, often in excellent locations with B&B, half-board or all-inclusive board and always with the option to book by the room. 

Self-catering either in an apartment or a private chalet. For couples this might not be best value, but for groups of friends or a family in search of a private space without catering included, so that they can explore the resort, it is a good choice.

How much do you want to spend/how much do ski holidays cost:

This is an age-old question. Many people see skiing as quite an expensive holiday to get into. However when you consider that packages typically start at about £1,000 per person and include return flights, return transfers to and from resort, seven nights accommodation and five to six days catering including breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner with wine. £140 per day seems a quite good starting point really. Luxury chalets and hotels start from around the £1,600 mark per person and quickly head upwards. These properties have excellent facilities such as private swimming pools, cinema rooms, ski-in/ski-out locations or even a James Bond-esque lift, as well as impeccable service and gourmet dining. 

There are a number of factors that also need to be taken into consideration which is where some of the expense comes from: lift passes (typically around £275 for six days), ski hire (anywhere in the region of £100 – £250 for six days) and ski lessons (absolutely necessary as a beginner and starting at approximately £200 for five-six mornings or afternoons of lessons on a group basis).

So as a starting point for a seven day holiday with travel, chalet catering, lift pass, ski hire and lessons, a ballpark figure is around £1,600 per person. We do have a number of all-inclusive packages which are incredible value however and can start from as roughly £1,500 with all of the aforementioned and more, such as Club Med Val Thorens Sensations.

Which ski holiday company to choose:

There are little differences between every ski holiday provider. This is one of the areas in which you can rely on our specialists expertise to help you navigate the differences. From service levels, to days of catering and what’s included, there are lots of factors to consider which will make a significant difference to your holiday! We have a fantastic range of fantastic suppliers and provide impartial advice as part of our enquiry process to closely match your wants, needs and desires.

Who to go skiing with:

This is completely up to you! Whether you choose to go with a group of friends, family, multiple families or as a couple, there are great options for you. These include the accommodation you choose, the resort and it’s mix of pistes and your budget. One thing that is always a good idea for a first ski holiday however is to make sure you have someone of the same ability with you – it will make ski school all the more fun and if in a group means that you have someone to ski with should you be in a mixed ability group.

What exactly do I need to book:

As mentioned in what skiing costs, the main considerations are: travel, accommodation, ski passes, ski hire and ski lessons. We can assist with restaurant reservations and more but often find that our guests like to choose these other bits when in resort. 

What do I need to pack and take with me: 

Take a read of our blog: What to pack for your 2021-22 ski holiday here to find out all the details for this!

What insurance do I need:

First and foremost it is absolutely necessary to have travel insurance when booking any holiday. If you haven’t booked a ski holiday before then you will also need to ensure that your travel insurance covers skiing/Alpine activities/winter sports as some policies require this as an additional activity or declaration – make sure that you are covered for all eventualities! 

We can’t recommend skiing enough, if you have always wanted to try out skiing, then get in touch and we can chat through all the details to create the perfect package for you. For the ultimate ease and low-stress option then we would highly recommend the Club Med La Plagne 2100, a package which includes travel, accommodation, all meals, ski lessons and the ski pass. Let us book your ski hire as well and you have almost everything covered!