What's New in Val Thorens?

There are still ways & means to get your fix of powder this winter

Every credit crunch has a silver lining. And for keen skiers, this takes the form of some remarkably good deals on ski holidays this winter.

Even top-end ski companies like Descent International have reduced the price of their luxury holidays by thousands of pounds. Descent Director Kit Harrison says “Everyone is feeling pressure this year. For a limited period only we are reducing our tariffs across our portfolio. It is the most fabulous opportunity to enjoy the full Descent experience for less”.

However, not everyone can afford to enjoy Descent’s exceptional levels of service, so we have investigated some of the ways we can all make our budgets stretch further this season.

1. Online booking:
Many companies such as Le Ski, Finlays, Alpine Action, Collineige, Mountain-base, Chamserve, Powder White, all have online availability and booking. Use these operators’ sites and grab suitable dates and prices as soon as they come up before someone else does. Many companies are likely to have fantastic early booking offers for next year too: sign-up to their newsletters so as not to miss out.

New Year, February half-term and much of January have already been taken up. Hunt around for availability in early January, when prices are traditionally cheaper, but our top tip is to start looking at March and April now.

2. Discounted ski extras online
Many ski shops, ski schools and transfer companies now offer online bookings on their website, usually with discounts over their shop rates. If you are going to travel with a chalet or tour operator, check before booking exactly which ski extras they can arrange for you and ask about group discounts if there are a few of you. Most tour operators negotiate special prices for you with the most convenient suppliers.

Note that travelling in a group can mean big savings on your transfer costs by using a whole minibus.

3. Book flights early
Book early for ski flights. We are all familiar with the low-cost pricing model – flights become more expensive the later you book. However, it is by booking low-season dates and avoiding Saturdays that you will find the best offers. ATOL-bonded Snowjet is promoting tickets to Chambery for £29 one-way including taxes, free ski/board carriage, 20kg baggage allowance and Sunday flights.

4. DIY
Instead of opting for a fully serviced chalet, go for a self-catering apartment through an apartment agent. Some offer 'Scatered' options which allow you to have your accommodation cleaned, and a chef on agreed days of your stay.

If you are self-driving, you can also save on your shopping by stopping off at the supermarkets at the bottom of the mountain rather than in resort, or make use of the in-resort shopping services which can deliver to your door at less than resort supermarket prices. If the idea of whole week of self-catering doesn’t appeal, treat yourself to a home-chef service...

5. Book last minute
Check out our Last Minute Offers pages. We always have many great offers ranging from self-catering budget apartments up to the swishiest of fully-staffed chalets. Do keep checking these pages as new offers are added regularly.

6. Lift Passes
Remember you don’t have to buy a full lift pass for the entire week. You can save on your lift-pass cost by buying one for a shorter duration and using the remaining days to try a new activity like snow-shoe walking or cross-country skiing – both inexpensive and very enjoyable. Or take up ski-touring and ditch the lift-pass altogether (not an option for the faint-hearted, but you will come home fitter). Some resorts offer non-consecutive day passes, half day passes, and reduced area passes suitable for beginners and early intermediates. If you’re travelling with the kids, then family passes can also offer substantial reductions and in some resorts, complete beginners do not require a full lift pass so be sure to ask your ski school when you book your lessons. By checking out what lift pass options are available before you come to the resort, you’ll ensure you find the best pass for your requirements.

Many resorts also offer some great early season lift pass offers in the form of early purchase discounts for season/annual passes or reduced rate lift passes for the opening/closing weeks of the season. If you’re not tied to school holidays, by not coming out during high season, you will benefit from cheaper lift passes, cheaper accommodation and quieter pistes!

7. Childcare
Paying for in-resort childcare can add hugely to the cost of your holiday. Many Tour Operators not only offer free child places, free child lift passes and equipment hire, but also include a certain amount of free baby sitting in the cost of the holiday. Booking half day childcare instead of the full day can save you a fortune and it means that you can then spend the afternoon enjoying some of the other resort facilities as a family. The swimming pool and/or ice rink are sometimes included on your lift pass, or what about tobogganing? Grab a bin liner or borrow the afternoon tea tray - you can’t get cheaper than that!

At a push, you could always ask an amenable grandparent if they could come along and help out with the children? Obviously in return for some serious favours throughout the rest of the year….

8. Ski mid-week
If you can avoid weekend transfers you will save a great deal on flights and enjoy less frenetic airports and gloriously empty roads to the resort. But before you book temptingly cheap mid-week flights to an out-of-the-way airport, make sure you won’t end up having to pay vast prices for a taxi or hire car to get you to resort. Some airports don’t offer public transport to ski resorts other than at weekends.

9. Flexibreaks
Take a short break instead of a whole week. Chalets and apartment rentals agencies are often prepared to offer last-minute holidays of less than a week so as to fill empty beds. Contact companies directly and ask what they can offer you.

10. Let us do the work
If your head is going to explode with all the different options, use our Holiday Finder service to find the best deal. With years of experience in the industry and insiders’ knowledge of where to look for the best deals, this is an easy and quick option.

And if despite all these cost-cutting ideas you are still hesitating over whether to ski this year or not, remember the crunch of freshly pisted snow is the perfect antidote to the credit crunch….