How to do a cheap weekend ski trip – what I’ve learnt from 20 years of escaping

Europe’s mountains can be a cruel blessing for British skiers and snowboarders.

Tantalising close, yet just too far to get to for a day, the Alps and their cousins tease those of us for whom one week a year on the mountain is never enough.

If you’ve arrived back home from a ski or snowboard holiday feeling a bittersweet combination of satisfied bliss and sadness that you don’t live somewhere within striking distance of the slopes, then you’ll know what I mean.

And right now, the Winter Olympics have put fresh snow, blue skies and towering peaks on our television screens to ramp up those feelings of missing out.

In the absence of unlimited time off from my job over winter, I long ago decided the way to remedy this mountain malaise was to embrace the joy of a long weekend skiing – or in my case snowboarding.

To the uninitiated, going skiing for the weekend may sound like a frivolously expensive indulgence, but for those who know how to do it, escaping to the mountains can be made surprisingly affordable.

I’m not going to pretend that skiing and snowboarding is cheap. It’s an inherently more expensive hobby than most. But by adopting the tricks of the committed frugal skier’s trade, you can get the cost down to levels that compare favourably with a city break.

Last year I escaped just after new year with my eldest daughter for three days snowboarding in La Clusaz – we got lucky and scored what was dubbed the best powder day of the season

I’ve done snowboard weekends each year since I started work in my early 20s – dating back to a time when I had a much lower disposable income. Even now with more money in my pocket, I still try to keep the budget to a minimum where possible.

Often that’s to bag a trip cheap enough to justify another weekend away. But my wife and I also do an annual trip when getting the cost of flights, car hire and other elements down means I can invest the money saved into treating us to a few nights in a nice hotel.

Over the past few decades, I’ve done ski trips by planes, trains and automobiles, staying in resorts, valley towns and even cities, in European countries ranging from France, to Italy, Austria, and Slovenia.

So, with the Winter Olympics inevitably sparking more interest in a trip to the mountains, I thought I’d distil some of the things I’ve learned over nearly 30 years.

These are my tips to make a ski weekend, or short trip to the mountains, as affordable as possible, or make the most of the money you’re spending.

And remember, if you can bag three days on the mountain, that’s half the total time most people spent skiing in a week away. If you can squeeze in two of those trips a year, it’s the equivalent of a whole extra week away.

Carpe skiem.

Time your ski trip right

The bad news is that the best month for a great value ski break has finished, although it’s never too early to think about next year.

Once new year is out of the way, January is an ideal time to get away for a long weekend, taking advantage of this quiet and cheap period to bag good deals on hotels, flights, apartments etc. In some cases, hotels and apartments that would usually require a week’s stay, will accept a short break. The cold month of January also usually delivers great snow – often with plenty of fresh powder – and relatively empty slopes.

The lull continues into the first week of February and then it all kicks off, as the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites are thrust into the full-on madness of Europe’s February half-terms. This is the most expensive and busiest time to go skiing. It’s not a good month for a weekend away and certainly not a great value one.

But the good news is that March and April are around the corner and both fantastic months for a skiing.

March often has some of the winter’s best snow conditions, with the base well established and some big dumps of fresh powder highly likely. The first few weeks of March offer relatively empty pistes, keen accommodation prices, and cheap flights.

As March moves towards April, temperatures warm up slightly and the evenings get longer. While there may be some slush around, spring skiing can be some of the most enjoyable you will have.

Don’t dismiss going late in the season. Wait until the Easter crowds are gone, and it can be phenomenally good value. This is a month that often brings big dumps of fresh snow. 

Depending on altitude, most resorts close in mid to late April and this can be a lovely time to be in the mountains. Last lifts and final runs on a mountain aglow on a late sunny afternoon are one of life’s great pleasures.

Simon Lambert: A firm believer in going snowboarding as much as you can

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