15/05/2019
It is undeniable that a ski holiday can rack up in cost. However, we believe that everyone should get the chance to experience what an unforgettable holiday the mountains offer. These are our top tips on how to have the holiday of a lifetime, whilst keeping costs low:
1. Book early
You can benefit from some of the great early booking discounts on accommodation and transfers. Don’t miss out on our property of the week promotion, which offers 10% off our ‘property of the week’ if you book it within the week of that promotion. We are featuring great new properties every week so this could be your chance to bag a deal on your dream holiday. Check out our facebook page to find out which property we are featuring this week.
2. Book the non-peak weeks
The busiest time of the year for ski holidays are the Christmas weeks, New Years and February half term. Make sure you book your holiday during the non-peak weeks of the season to benefit not only from the quieter slopes, but also the cheaper accommodation, wider availability, discounted lift passes and great last minute deals!
3. Lift passes
We exclusively offer our guests 10% off the price of adult 6-day or more lift passes during the non-peak weeks of the season. However, if you’re going to come during one of the peak weeks when this discount doesn’t apply, then make sure you book your ski passes in groups to take advantage of the deals for booking multiple passes at once. A family ski pass bags you the biggest discount, but if you’re coming in a group of adults, booking for even two adults gives you a discount on the price.
3. Go self-catered
Whilst many people immediately think of catered chalets when considering ski holiday accommodation, we provide a great range of self-catered chalets and apartments as well as fully catered accommodation. The cheapest way to take advantage of self-catered accommodation is to do your food shopping in Moutiers (at the bottom of the mountain) and then cook for yourself, giving you more time and choice. However, if you dread the thought of cooking, being self-catered doesn’t have to cause you hassle. We partner with Huski, who deliver delicious oven-ready meals to your doorstep, so dinner for many is made effortless. Lunch on the mountain can be expensive, so utilise the many free picnic spaces around the Three Valleys and enjoy a picnic in the mountains, meaning you can stop at your own pace and enjoy the incredible views.
4. Utilise the free bus services
You can save a lot of money by staying a little further down the mountain, for example, in La Tania or Le Praz. However, this doesn’t mean you need to compromise on your skiing time. The free resort bus services are really well connected and very regular, so you can save a lot by staying lower down the mountain and still get to the slopes within a matter of minutes.
5. Travel
Flights and transfers can end up being a big expense, especially if there are a few of you travelling in peak season. If there is a large group of you, consider driving. You can bring out as much stuff as you like, it's much better for the environment and much cheaper! Travelling by train is another great option. If you book in advance, the Eurostar snow train can be a fantastic deal. It doesn’t necessarily take much longer than flying for half of the waiting around, and is the most environmentally friendly way of travelling. You can book your whole journey through the Trainline.
If you want to fly regardless, you can also get the train from Geneva to Moutiers for cheaper than a transfer. Flights during non-peak times are much cheaper. Flying to Geneva makes it much easier to find a shared transfer, which can drive down a huge part of the cost. Make sure you utilise the offers our partners offer our guests on private and shared transfers. Parking at airports can also be an expense, which is why we recommend Parkhero. Parkhero helps holidaymakers across the UK find, compare and book cheap airport parking using their comparison tool across different sites. If for example, you are searching for airport parking Manchester, you just enter your travel dates and parking preferences and the system will present you with all the parking services available for your trip.
6. Book group ski lessons
Whilst ski lessons can be expensive, group lessons are much cheaper than private ones. Most ski schools are focused on providing individualised tuition even during group lessons, so you still benefit from one-to-one tuition. We partner with great ski schools throughout the Three valleys who give our guests discounts, so make sure you choose a ski school which we partner with and take advantage of their discounts.
7. Ski hire - get discounts using our codes
Ski hire for a whole group doesn’t need to be expensive, and there are many ways to get great kit for a lower price. Make sure you pre-book your equipment online rather than turning up on the day to hopefully avoid some of the long queues and benefit from the pre-booking discounts. We partner with some great ski hire companies in all our resorts which also offer our guests discounts, especially if you pre-book your equipment.
8. Hand me down ski clothes
Luckily, retro ski clothes are increasingly popular. You can save money by wearing hand-me-down ski clothes or buying vintage kit on ebay which will also keep you right on trend. If you would rather rent your ski clothing, than buy it, we partner with Oxygene who offer ski clothing rental. Check out what they have on offer, for both adults and kids.