Ski holiday cramming
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If you’re not quite as organised as you think you should have been when it comes to your ski holiday, don’t worry! While there may not be ‘plenty’ of time to get loose ends tied up, you can book a holiday and sort out all your requirements in a relatively short space of time – particularly through tour operators who can organise the majority, if not all, of your stay, and possibly get you discounts on lift passes or group bookings. Here are a few of our tips for getting on the slopes in no time…
Getting fit
So you’ve gone past that circled date in your diary of cutting out the chocolate, and then that second one when you’re supposed to cut down on alcohol, oh, and then you accidentally missed that date you were supposed to go and start your gym membership…
There are always certain things that people forget about a skiing holiday – notably the word ‘skiing’. While you may think of a holiday as something to get away from it all and relax, skiing is still an endurance sport, and, if you don’t take care of yourself you could end up with a serious injury. The best exercise you can do is anything that build up your inner core – those muscles in your stomach and back - as these will support you. Try swimming or cycling, and even taking the stairs rather than the lift can add to your fitness. If you have a little bit of time try hitting your local dry ski slope to get those muscles working again, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
Buying kit
If you really hunt around you can find some great bargains, especially online. If budget is a bit of an issue, don’t fret – there are some great low cost ski gear websites and stores – even George at ASDA! Good places include
Outdoor Mania and
TK Maxx.
Edge 2 Edge rent out kit that can be dropped off at the airport you fly from – an inexpensive way round buying the whole lot.
If you have forgotten something when you’re in resort, don’t worry as you will be able to find a local ski clothes shop or equipment hire shop without much problem, but be prepared to fork out a bit more than what you might have done at home. Have a look at our individual resorts ‘On the piste’ section to locate your closest shop.
Insurance
Usually the last thing to think about but actually one of the most important things – especially when you’re participating in a high-level risk sport on holiday. Whilst you can do everything possible to avoid injury, sometimes accidents happen and if you’re not covered while abroad, you could be waiting around for your medical assistance or having to fork out a lot of money to go private.
There are some really competitive deals out there, especially through tour operators.
Inghams will offer free insurance to kids under 18 when adults take out Inghams insurance. Other recommended insurers include
Snowcard,
Insure and Go and the
Ski Club of Great Britain.
Booking your trip
Don’t worry if you think you’ve left it too late – you’re more likely to get the better deals the later you book. However, be prepared that you might not get exactly what you were after. Booking later also means that you can choose the most snow sure resort and the guarantee of some good skiing. More and more chalets, hotels and tour operators are starting to accommodate the weekend break now that there are more frequent and direct routes to nearby airports, so you should be able to find a deal that suits you.
For recommended accommodation for your chosen resort, have a look under the ‘Planning your trip’ section.
Once you’ve booked your flight, you need to make sure you have transport to and from the airport. You can hire a car, take a bus transfer and sometimes get the train directly to your resort. Remember that some smaller airports that may be closer to your resort might not have great transport links so it could be worth flying into a larger airport (for example Geneva) that is slightly further away. Again, look under the ‘Planning your trip’ section of any individual resort to find out a list of hire or transfer companies.
If you need more details, order a
guidebook or simply look under the relevant resort on our home page for information.
