Here are some of the best of Ski holiday recommendations from this years Ski Season. Best for beginners, best for advanced skiers and best for groups of skiers these ski recommendations come from the experts.
Best for beginners
Those not adept at trudging in ski boots, carrying unwieldy skis or whizzing down steep slopes should go for location. Choose a chalet close to ski schools, skiing and a short walk to the après ski.
New for this winter is Chalet Lily in the heart of the world class ski resort, Plagne Centre. Everything is close at hand and when limbs are aching after the first lessons, there is a roaring fire and comfortable sofas to cosy up on and the amiable chalet hosts make sure no-one has to lift a finger.
A week’s ski holiday costs from £664pp, including daily cooked breakfasts, home made cakes and afternoon tea, 3-course evening meals, return UK flights and transfers.
Best for families
Short walks to the ski kindergarten, a cosy, home from home to sleep peacefully and plenty of family activities together when not on the slopes.
Chalet Dahu in the resort of Plan Peisey, Les Arcs has two bedrooms above and two bedrooms below the communal seating area, with its open fire and cosy sofas, giving families their own floor.
Once dressed for the slopes there’s even an essential last minute loo stop right by the front door and right outside is an area to play in the snow, to build snowmen and sledge.
After long days on the mountain chalet hosts prepare hearty family meals, optional high tea for children at 6pm, then children can play in the comfortable sitting room, or retire to bed, keeping the family close together.
A week’s ski holiday for a family of four costs from £654pp including daily cooked breakfasts, home made afternoon tea, 3 course evening meals with wine and soft drinks, return UK flights and transfers.
Best for groups of friends
Essential ingredients for groups of friends include skiing together, enjoying après ski and sharing evenings in front of a roaring fire, with free wine and long lazy dinners cooked and served by chalet hosts that soon become friends and part of the group.
Catered chalets with accommodation from 6 to 77 guests in the same building, in world class resorts, with masses of space for large groups, also help to ensure harmony, and help bring the costs down too.
For every group of 10 or more booking together, Ski Beat will give a free ski holiday to every 10th skier. Chalet Cristal in Val d’Isere ticks all the boxes for groups, close to slopes, bars and ski lifts, with plenty to do together and masses of space to stretch out during social evenings in front of the fire.
A week’s ski holiday costs from £674pp, free for the tenth skier in a group, including cooked breakfast, home made cakes and afternoon tea, three course evening meals with wine, return UK flights and transfers.
Best for snowboarders
Val Thorens, the highest resort in Europe, gets top marks from Snowboarders, who love the long sweeping runs, the 70,000 m² snow park with rollers, kickers, rails, boxes and air bags.
Thanks to Val Thorens’ altitude, it stays in good condition all season long. After a day’s free-riding, somersaulting and traversing the natural gullies and half pipes the good news is an indoor pool and ten-person sauna awaits at the apartment style Chalet Ibex, in the highest part of Val Thorens.
Hearty cooked breakfasts, three course evening meals with wine, homemade cakes and afternoon tea are included in the week’s holiday price of £664pp, prepared and served by like minded, friendly chalet hosts.
The price also includes return Gatwick or Manchester flights and transfers.
Best for advanced skiers
France’s big name ski resorts are among the best and most visited in the world, with exceptional ski lift infrastructure to link mountains and valleys to open up mile after mile of well-groomed pistes and challenging off piste action.
Less known is the picturesque resort of La Tania, which rivals some of the world’s best ski areas being a gateway to 625km of varied and exhilarating skiing. New for this winter is Chalet Nid Alpin, exceptionally well located to enable skiers to head off straight from the chalet to clock up the mileage.
Every experienced skier knows when it’s time to stop and Chalet Nid Alpin will be a top choice for proficient skiers this season, with its close proximity to après ski and providing a warm, welcoming, comfortable place to regenerate with hearty home cooked dinners, hot breakfasts and home made cakes and tea for an afternoon pit stop.
A week’s fully catered chalet holiday costs from £684pp including return UK flights, transfers and the services of friendly chalet hosts to prepare and serve cooked breakfasts, afternoon tea and cakes, 3 course evening meals with free flowing wine.
Best for romantics
Making fresh ski tracks together, chilling a bottle of champagne in the snow, relaxing in a hot tub beneath clear starry skies, cosying up in front of a roaring log fire, the romantic scenarios in the mountains are as abundant as stars in the clear night sky. If the high altitude goes to the head, propose in a helicopter high above the peaks, carve “marry me” in the virgin snow or go on bended knee in a ski lift.
Top cosy and romantic chalet for lovers is Ski Beat’s Chalet Alisier in the world class resort of La Plagne 1800. A traditional pine chalet with roaring open fire, warm and cosy bedrooms an outdoor sauna and steaming hot tub on the terrace and stunning mountain views. A week’s stay costs from £694pp, including the services of friendly chalet staff to prepare hot cooked breakfast, home made cakes and afternoon tea, 3-course evening meals with wine. Also includes return UK flights and transfers.
For top advice on all aspects of ski chalet holidays contact www.skibeat.co.uk, 01273 855100
These deals are also available from World Travel Planner specialist Paul Buskell 01273 551909
