[TRAVEL] 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 Night Christmas and New Year Ski Breaks 2016-17

Christmas Eve/Christmas day or New Year’s Eve/Day are not popular ‘changer over days’ so many operators are getting around this issue by offering four, five and six day breaks over Christmas and eight or nine days breaks over New Year, plus some short breaks again just after New Year weekend – or variants there on.  You can even still get the usual Saturday to Saturday week.

This seems to be mostly good news – you can get a longer holiday in peak weeks for no extra cost (apparently) and hopefully without needing to take extra time off work, or you can get a quick Christmas ski fix without taking much holiday time at all and pay a bit less, then be home for the new Year’s Eve celebrations.  Well, that’s the theory anyway.

The different departure dates chosen by different operators also mean there’s more choice than usual as to when you set off.

“Sales are actually very good as people can almost pick a day rather than being forced into the Saturday/Sunday rotation. There is a reluctance though to book the lower resorts, owing to the very poor start to last season. Not much else to say except that you can get some bargain prices with 8/9 night durations and the shorter breaks are actually assisting those normally priced out of the market to ski at this time of the year,” says Nick Edwards of ski holiday specialist travel agency Snow Finders.

There are also some bargains to be had if you choose a short four or five night holiday after New Years weekend – a low point in the season for bookings.

(Christmas in Serre Chevalier, France)

Of course we have had two fairly Christmas ski weeks in a row in the Alps, and last season the snow drought continued over New Year.  Of course that doesn’t mean the same will happen in 16-17, it may be ‘bounce back winter’ with deep snow from November.  Here’s hoping.  But if you want to hedge your bets against it being third-time-unlucky instead, you may want to book a resort with access to high altitude skiing.

Whatever you’re planning remember new year in particular is THE peak week of the season at most resorts so booking your holiday then as soon as possible makes sense if you want to secure a place, we’ve been told that some tour operators have already sold out at some of their locations for new year week 2017.

 4 or 6 Nights With Neilson

Neilson’s flying dates over Christmas and New Year have changed and in their case as well as having standard seven night packages available, shorter four to six night breaks are now available in select resorts.

All Neilson resorts in Andorra and Spain, plus Sauze D’Oulx and Sestrière in Italy and Montgenèvre and Serre Chevalier in France are offering six night holidays from Monday 2nd to Sunday 8th January 2017 or five night holidays from Wednesday 28th December to Monday 2nd January 2017.

In addition all Neilson resorts in Austria, Bulgaria, France (excluding Montgenèvre and Serre Chevalier) and Italy (excluding Sauze D’Oulx and Sestrière) are offering four night breaks from Tuesday 3rd to Saturday 7th January.

 

Crystal Sticks to Saturdays for Some

Crystal Ski, the UK’s largest operator are changing flight dates over Christmas and New Year for their holidays to ski areas in Andorra, Norway and Finland (above) as well as destinations in Eastern France and Western Italy (served by flights to Turin).

“In the run-up to Christmas and New Year, we’ve switched our Sunday flights to selected resorts to leave on Tuesdays giving customers a seven day ski holiday and the benefit of still being able to ski on Christmas Day,” a company statement reads, “ What’s more, for those who prefer a five-day break, we’ll be flying out on Tuesday 3 January and returning Sunday 8 January. Sunday flights will resume from then. Only some resorts are affected though as the majority of our flight programme is based on Saturday departures.”

Resorts Crystal offer via flights into Turin are Bardonecchia, Cervinia, Champoluc, Claviere, Courmayeur, Gressoney, La Thuile, Pila, Sansicario, Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere in Italy and Les Orres, Montgenevre, Serre Chevalier and Vars in France.

 

Tuesday Change-Over Days with Le Ski

Le Ski, who specialise in high-quality-but-affordable chalet holidays to top ski resorts in France report they’re very busy for next season with over a third of holidays sold already!

Managing Director Nick Morgan says they decided to keep it simple running Tuesday departures from the start of the season with seven night holidays on Tuesdays 13^th, 20th and 27th December as well as 3^rd January then reverting to their normal Sunday flights on 8^th January, meaning there’s one five night package available from the 3^rd to the 8^th January.

“The days are gone when people buy a 9 or 10 day holiday over these holiday periods in our opinion. So we’ve gone for what we usually do when Xmas falls at the weekend,” says Nick, “That five night January short break is already selling extremely well and is over 1/3 full for the season.”

Peak Retreats and Ski Collection Stick With Saturdays

Whilst the tour operators running flight-inclusive packages from the UK tend to be changing transfer day, those that offer self-drive to the Alps are, on the whole, sticking to the regular Saturday change over day.  That means you can arrive and get settled in in Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve before the festivities kick off.

“The majority of our residences are sticking to Saturday changeovers although we do have the odd one that will be doing something different we can tell people about if they ask,” said Amelia Warner  of Peak Retreats & Ski Collection.

Ski Collection Xmas packages include week at 4* Les Cimes Blanches in La Rosière from £488pp or for a New Year’s Eve arrival Peak Retreats staying at La Reine des Prés in Samoens, with indoor pool and in close proximity to the Grand Massif ski area.  Prices are based on 7 nights with 5 sharing a self-catered apt, including Eurotunnel crossing with FlexiPlus. Accommodation only packages also available.

Friday Flights with Inghams

Inghams is introducing Friday departures in December 2016 until Saturday 7th January 2017 to avoid travelling on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The company is offering a standard 7 night  Christmas week departing 23rd December 2016 returning 30th December or 8 nights skiing at New Year for the price of 7 departing Friday 30th December returning Saturday 7th January 2016.

Package deals include 8 nights chalet catering at the Chalet Hotel St. Christoph, Austria from £1275 per person departing 30th December 2016. Price includes return flights from London Gatwick to Innsbruck and resort transfers.

(Top pic credit Patrick Pachod, fireworks in Courchevel)

9 Night New Year Family Ski Savings

For a luxuriously long New Years break, family snowsports holiday specialists Esprit Ski are offering 9 night family holidays departing on the 30th December allowing you to arrive in resort and settle down before the festivities begin. Packages include return flights to Geneva, transfers, free wifi and nine nights catered accommodation with a cooked breakfast, afternoon tea, children’s high tea and 4-course dinners with complimentary wine.

The offers include buy one get one half price on lift passes in Tignes and Val d’lsere, a 50% discount on ski hire, £200 off per couple in cash back, improved child discount of up to 60% and £100 off– the children’s activity club Snow Club.

Esprit Ski is offering the Chalet Corniche in Tignes for £4,800 for a family of four (two adults and two children under 12, was £5,404pp.) for the nine night New Year package based on return flights (8 Jan) from Southampton. This chalet boasts sauna and hot tub facilities as well as an enviable location right next to the ski lift.

Ski Independence Say You Can Travel Any Day For Any Duration With Them Anyway

“Being a completely tailor-made operator, Ski Independence has the luxury of being able to offer arrival and departure days that meet the needs of our clients rather than being limited by fixed prices and packages,” says marketing manager Victora Lavender, adding “That said, availability can be a little less flexible over school holiday dates and we are limited by what we can offer for self-catering accommodation in France where Saturday-Saturday tends to be the norm. Short breaks are available in selected self-catering residences and our team can provide more information on this.”

“For 2016 many of our hotels and P&V residences are offering flexible arrival dates over the Christmas and New Year period. We are offering Friday changeovers at Residence L’Amara (Avoriaz), Arc 1950 Le Village (The resort pictured above) and the 2 Flaine Montsoleil Residences (23 Dec and 30 Dec).”

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