If you are planning a winter holiday, you may be a little worried about the costs involved. The past 18 months have been rather unstable and you haven't wanted to risk a week away just in case you don't have a job to come back to. Ironically however, a holiday would actually go a long way to relieving the stresses and stains that the past year and the recession have put on you. Thankfully though, some people are refusing to let the recession scupper their plans for a holiday.
However, a cheap week in the sun is one thing, a skiing holiday is a completely different matter. There is the cost of the flights, accommodation, food, lift passes and equipment hire, and of course the apres-ski party budget. Most families of four will pay well in excess of ?1000 for a week on the slopes in Europe, let alone the States of Canada.
However, skiing and snowboarding are growing in popularity, largely as a result of ? and probably partly the cause of ? a downward trend in prices. Skiing is no longer reserved for the rich and famous, everyone can now get in on the action.
For ?400 a piece you can get a week in Canada including flights, transfers and four-star accommodation. You can get a decent week on the slopes in Europe for ?250 including meals and if you go last minute, self-catering and towards the end of the season, ?199 is the magic number.
To get a ski holiday as cheap as possible, without compromising on quality, make the most of ski areas outside the Euro zone; group ski and board lessons are always cheaper than private and self-catering accommodation and cooking your own dinners could save you enough to buy one lift pass.
Because tour-ops book seats for Saturday travel, mid-week travel is significantly cheaper, so if you can fly Tuesday to Thursday. Instead of parking your car at the airport and paying more than the flight on car parking costs, get a bus tranfer. For example, easyBus offers transfers from all over London to Gatwick, Luton and Stansted from as little as ?2 each way.
Finally, if you go skiing or boarding every year you will save money in the long run by buying your own gear. Apart from the obvious difference in quality and after the initial cost has been taken into account, you will save money by avoiding hire costs.
If this season is anything like the 2008-09 season, the snow will be amazing ? soft, light and plentiful ? and ski companies after the low passenger numbers of last winter, will be vying for your money with even lower cost holidays than ever before.
Milissa Brusser is the author of this article. To find out more about saving money on airport transfers visit easybus.co.uk. With services direct to and from the city centre to London Gatwick and London stansted airports, Easybus is the cheapest solution.
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