Kim here again! As we head into autumn our thoughts start turning from sandy beaches to snowy mountains, so our column this month is all about skiing – which I think is the best type of holiday!
I started skiing at the age of three in Aviemore, taught by my Dad who is an amazing skier. Then I discovered the Alps.
My all-time favourite ski holiday is our yearly trip to Meribel Village in France, staying in a catered chalet run by Ski Basics. Obviously, now that my children are adults we can’t keep up with them on the slopes, but we have the best time with them during the après-ski!
Skiing is by no way cheap but there are deals that we at Travel Smarter can arrange for you, whether you’re looking for a long weekend with your partner or friends or a fully family trip. We’ll find great value packages that include flights, transfers, accommodation, ski lessons and equipment, and childcare, if you have little ones: we really can organise the perfect skiing holiday for you!
Below are just some of the resorts I have been to and a few of the reasons you might want to give them a try.
St Anton, Austria
This is one of my favourites! It’s an easy transfer from Innsbruck or you can get the train into the centre of the village. We stayed with Kaluma Ski, in a catered chalet which was amazing: we were thoroughly spoilt.
St Anton has everything you need, and it sits at the bottom of the mountain so there is great access to the skiing, plus the tours, bars and restaurants. There are skiing opportunities for everybody, although there are only a few beginner’s pistes. This is a high resort, so snow is pretty much guaranteed, and the slopes are fantastic.
Morzine, France
The closest resort to Geneva, Morzine has skiing available for everyone. You can get a relatively cheap transfer from Geneva Airport, or there is a fabulous bus called the Alpybus, which is reasonably priced.
This is one of France’s most famous ski resorts and many British people come here.
There are 650km of lift-linked pistes, which run across the border between France and Switzerland, and have runs for everyone, from beginners to advanced, as well as off-piste skiing and snowparks for the snowboarders. My son, who snowboards, did three seasons here and loves going back.
The town is also great and has some lovely restaurants, bars and shops.
Avoriaz, Switzerland
Avoriaz is close to Morzine, so if you’re skiing there you can ski Avoriaz, another of France’s best ski resorts, too. It’s purpose built, with a huge range of pistes for all levels and everything in one place. There are loads of bars, restaurants and activities for kids, as well as two Burton snow parks which all the kids/teens/adults love.
Verbier, Switzerland
We got to Verbier via plane and train, then took a cable car up to our accommodation with all the bags, which was fun!
This is a renowned resort, and is also one of the world’s largest ski areas. James Blunt has a chalet there and has a lift named after him! Verbier definitely isn’t cheap, but if you’re in the know (and we definitely are!), it can be done on a budget.
The village has incredible restaurants and bars, and one place to visit is the amazing W Hotel: a drink in the bar is a must on your après-ski bucket list.
Meribel, France
Meribel is about a two-and-a-half to three-hour transfer from Geneva but you can also fly to Lyon, which gives you a less than two-hour transfer time
Meribel is part of Les 3 Vallées and suits all levels of skiing.
We love Meribel as a family as there’s so much to do there. We stay in a catered chalet (there are many companies we can book this through) but there are also lovely hotels, some in Meribel and others in Meribel Village, which we prefer. You can also stay in Mottaret or St Martin, which both have easy access to the slopes.
The famous La Folie Douce bar can get crazy but is fun for après-ski, and the restaurants in town are great. If you’re a non-skier, there is also a spa, pool, ice rink and lots of lovely shops and cafes, where you can watch the skiers flying down the mountains.
Obertauern and Schladming, Austria
These are another two areas my family and I have skiied many times and are perfect for all levels. The towns are busy and fun, and Schladming has a glacier which means you can ski all year round.
We would be more than happy to put together a tailor-made skiing package for you and your friends and family, so please get in touch if you would like a quote.
We’re looking for people to join our travel team. There are no targets, so no pressure: it suits any age, it’s fun, and can be done from anywhere, at any time.
If you are interested in becoming an independent travel agent and running your own business, please get in touch via kimcooper99@gmail.com or katharine@luxetravellers.com: we would love to tell you more!
