Getting There
DRIVE Going to the ski resort by car can be the cheapest option for a small group of people, but it's not necessarily the best, especially in the current climate of high fuel costs. In the old days we would arrive in Calais with the bare minimum of fuel and fill up immediately at cheap French prices, but now there is barely any difference between their extortionate prices and our highly inflated ones.
If you can get one of the really cheap discount flights, it is often more economical to fly close to the resort and then hire a car to go onward from the airport. This is definitely the best way of doing it if the total journey is more than 1000 miles each way.
The drawback with hiring is if you only use the car for the journey from airport to accommodation and then back at the end of the week - you've used it two days, but paid for seven days rental.
So, check out what that transfer each way would have cost you by taxi (or in some of the big airports/resorts they operate transfer services, ie. a minibus that drops off multiple parties at several hotels - check this out through some of our advertisers or elsewhere on the internet)
There are, however, still some hidden advantages to self driving:-
Driving can still save you money, especially when cost is divided by four or more.
* You go from door to door, whereas when you fly you
still have to arrange transfers.
* Most airlines charge for extra luggage. With a car you can
carry skis, boards, etc. on a roofrack or in a topbox.
* You have use of car for social outings or picking up
food/drink from a cheap supermarket
* You can bring back as much duty free and other purchases
as car/minibus can take.
Against
* Takes a lot longer than flying.
* Very arduous, especially if only one driver
(make sure you have at least two)
* Flying is a more relaxing way to travel
(unless you have delays!)
* Due to limited space and the fact that you tend to
carry as many people as possible. It can be very
cramped in a car carrying passengers and luggage.
* On an airplane you don't have to sit with luggage on
knees and under feet.
Please Note: If you are driving into the mountains you MUST carry snowchains or the car must be fitted with snow tyres. This is law in most alpine countries.
Also, in most European Countries, every car has to carry enough reflective vests for each passenger, in case of breakdown. Apparently the UK is in line to also adopt this SOON.
Also, if you are driving a British, right hand drive, car, don't forget to adapt your headlights so that they don't dazzle on main beam.
If you have a larger group than can fit into one car, rather than take two or three, it might be cheaper to hire a minibus. If you do this, however, make sure that the insurance covers more than one driver, that it has European Breakdown cover and of course that you are allowed to take it abroad. (This might sound daft but many companies won't allow their minibus out of Britain. This is due to having previous bad experiences when they were used for smuggling booze & cigarettes, and, as a consequence, having their vehicle impounded!)
Once you have sorted out which vehicle(s) your party is travelling in the next job is to book a FERRY.
Just like air travel - the ferry companies, and Eurotunnel, are in fierce competition with each other for your business. Don't leave it until the last minute because then your choice will be limited.
In the 2006/07 season, the best offers from the Ferries and Tunnel were:-
SpeedFerries - Car & 5 passengers from £38 return incl. taxes & surcharges.
(Speedferries are a lot more basic than the other carriers
- but if all you want is to get there!!!)
SeaFrance - A car and 5 passengers from £52 return including all taxes & surcharges.
P & O - A car and 5 passengers from £70 return including all taxes & surcharges.
Norfolkline - From £38 return
Channel Tunnel - Eurotunnel base their advertising campaign on the fact that it is quicker to cross over to France using their service, only 35 minutes, and that it is smooth whatever the weather. Unfortunately, these advantages come at a price; the cheapest return fare that I could find for Feb'07 is £98!
Ferry Cheap (below) take the hassle out of this for you. They source the cheapest channel crossing for you, so saving you the bother of trolling through all of the Ferry websites. Because they get their commission from the Companies themselves, this doesn't cost you any extra !!!
COACH
There was a time when travel to ski resorts was almost as abundant by coach as by plane. Now with the availability of so many cheap flights, coach skiing holidays are becoming a rarity. The savings made using this method are outweighed by the extra time spent travelling.
I have only done this once, to Italy, and wouldn't do it again. The seats were uncomfortable and leg space was really cramped; I know this is also a complaint against many airlines but you normally only spend between 2 and 3 hours in the air, my trip to Italy took day and a half !
RAIL
Used to be the most expensive option - but with the advent of RailEurope's Snowtrain prices have tumbled to, at cheapest £89 return !!!
If you don't like flying, or want a leisurely way of getting there, then try the train. As well as the above there is still the more expensive Eurostar - from London (Waterloo) to Paris (Gare du Nord), and then from there to your destination station (Chambery, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime La Plagne, Landry & Bourg St. Maurice) - costs from £219 return but gives you an extra two days on the slopes, and provides sleeper carriages (couchettes), so that you get a good nights sleep whilst travelling.
For more information visit www. raileurope.co.uk or phone Snowtrain on 0870 1244646.
AIR
With the advent of budget airlines, it has never been so cheap to fly to skiing. All of the major players fly to several ski orientated airports from numerous UK departure points.
Below is a list of current proposed flights with their cheapest prices. These are just examples for Feb '07, all of these carriers also fly in and out of a multitude of other airports. So check! Apologies if there are any mistakes or omissions, availability changes on a daily basis, so it is advised that you check on the accuracy of these before making other arrangements. All of the carriers listed below have their own websites.
thomsonfly fly to Salzburg from 5 UK airports from £39.98 return inc. taxes
easyjet fly to Ljubljana from Stansted from £41 return inc. taxes
flyglobespan fly to Geneva from Edinburgh from £44 return inc. taxes
britishairways fly to Grenoble from Gatwick from £51 return inc. taxes
jet2 fly to Geneva from Leeds/Bradford from £52.89 return inc. taxes
flybe fly to Chambery from Birmingham from £80 return inc. taxes
bmibaby fly to Lyon from Cardiff from £93.38 return inc. taxes
Checkout 'Ski Travel by Air' in the Travel section on the top menu bar to see any updates on these.
Cheap Stopovers
If you want to break the monotony of driving to skiing in one stint, France has some of the best budget hotels in Europe.
If you merely want a comfortable bed & roof over your head then consider some of these hotels:- Formule 1, Village, B&B, Quick Palace, Premier Classe, Ecomotel, amongst others. They are all basic, and similar to each other in design. Generally they are situated on the outskirts of towns, most often on an industrial estate, so the views aren't spectacular, but for a cheap stopover ideal. The prices are also similar so I've described below two of the companies that I regularlyly use.
If you are driving to the Alps from the most popular ferry ports (Calais, Boulougne & Dunkerque) you will no doubt travel down the A26 a convenient stopover would be Reims, but if you've driven from Northern Britain you might want to stop earlier so we've also included prices for hotels just outsde of Calais. For the more adventurous who want to combine some sightseeing along route, we've also priced up the outskirts of Paris. Most of these hotels have an automatic check in machine outside of the entrance that takes credit cards, in case of arrival outside of reception hours. Of course, it is advisable to book first and this can easily be accomplished over the internet, in most cases.
All prices were sourced last season and are soon to be updated.
Formule 1 hotels provide a good nights sleep in basic accomodation from £24 per night, Room Only, and that's for 3 people sharing a room !
In a normal room you will find a double bed with a single bunk bed above, a sink and a small TV. Toilets and showers (the biggest & best I've been in!) are down the corridor. These self clean after use and are, like the rest of the hotel, spotless.
A room (chambre) for 3 in Arras costs 30 euros (approx. £24 at todays exch. rate)
A room for 3 in Reims costs 30 euros (approx. £24 at todays exchange rate)
A room for 3 in Paris Saint Denis costs 35 euros (approx. £29 at todays exch.rate)
Village Hotels, are very similar to F1, but they have the shower/toilet in the room. This is in a small cubicle in the corner, and is, obviously, more convenient but a little cramped.
Great value for money though, with prices from about £25.
A room (chambre) for 3 in Lille costs 33 euros (approx. £25 at todays rate)
A room for 3 in Troyes costs 33 euros (approx. £25 at todays exchange rate)
A room for 3 in Paris Porte de la Villette costs 49 euros (approx.£37)
However, if you want to combine your ski travel with a bit of sightseeing and would rather be in town staying at a hotel with a bit more atmosphere, then log on to Hostelbookers. They have a great, easy to use, website providing these. Don't be put off by the Company name.- They don't just provide backpackers hostels but have some great value hotels - up to 2 star - all around the world.
