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It’s January, the slopes are laden with snow and you just can’t wait to get onto your skis and spend a week flying down pistes. But all your friends are stuck at work, skint or just too busy to come on holiday. So, what do you do?
Looking at what’s available, the solo skier market is surprisingly untapped and many of the brokers we deal with agree that expensive single supplements are the norm. And whilst companies in the Alps are beginning to offer more flexible packages aimed at single travellers, in the Canadian and American ski market, where hotel rooms are big enough for a family, it can be extremely tricky to find reasonably-priced single accommodation.
So what do you do? Well, one budget way of meeting people to ski and socialise with is to stay in a hostel or backpacker style accommodation. Places such as the Vagabond in Chamonix, the Bunker in Verbier and Chalet Chardons in Tignes all have a communal atmosphere and give you the opportunity to meet like-ski-minded people.
If you’re not really into dorm rooms and a traveller-style atmosphere, Cold Fusion chalets in Chamonix have a ‘no children, no families’ policy to allow them to run a chalet where people can come and ski with other chalet guests and meet new people. Red Point holidays also offers special deals for solo travellers – and you can stay in a 4* hotel in Ziller Valley in the Tirol.
For a more traditional tour operator approach to going skiing on your own, Mark Warner now run solo breaks in some of their resorts such as Courmayeur although supplements are still common for high season (but who wants to travel in half term anyway?). You can also choose to stay in one of their ‘child-free’ places in Val d’Isere and St Anton. Alternatively, the Ski Club of Great Britain offer single rooms on some of their ‘action’ holidays through Ski Freshtracks – you can join a group for instruction for your level of ability. Lastly, Neilson have a singles page on their website where they list their accommodation suitable for single travellers – they currently have a good choice of Austrian destinations.
So, if you're faced with skiing alone, take heart in the fact that there are plenty of other people out there in the same boat. And if your ski holiday means you get to make friends and ski with different ability levels, then you'll only benefit. You just have to hope none of them are of the wacky-hat on the slopes persuasion…
