February is “half-term” month on the ski slopes and, therefore, the busiest month of the year for most of Europe’s resorts.
It’s also often the best month to be on the snow – snow bases have built to their probable maximum, the days are getting longer, but it’s not yet so warm that the daytime snow melt will make the snow on the pistes stodgy by early afternoon.
The problem is that as everyone wants to get on the slopes in February, prices can shoot up for accommodation, and the slopes can be crowded. This year sales have been particularly good because of the early-season snow conditions, and many top resorts are pretty much booked up already.
The way to keep your February ski holiday affordable and enjoyable is to be smart about where you go, and when you travel.
It’s Not Too Late!
Although travel agents and tour operators may be telling you they’re booked up, you can still put together your own trip anytime in February.
Where’s Busiest When?
You’ll find it hardest to find any accommodation in the main half-term week for England and Wales, which begins on 16 February. This is also the first week of the 4-week French school holidays in 2013, and they’re also all trying to get on the slopes!
If you do fly to Grenoble in France with Monarch (monarch.co.uk/ski) then, or at any time in February, your best bet is likely to be a smaller French ski area.
“Although it’s the busiest time there is still some availability and when we get the odd cancellation we even give discounts,” says Xavier Schouller of Peak Retreats (peakretreats.co.uk), who specialise in accommodation at smaller French resorts that are linked to the giant ski areas, for which the country is famous.
You could also opt for a country where February is not quite so chock-full; so accommodation should be easier to find and more affordable. Examples include ski areas in Andorra (accessible from Barcelona) and in Italy (Venice and Verona), which are much less affected by the school holiday crowds.
Avoiding The Busiest Weeks
Although the week commencing 16 February is the busiest with travellers from the southern half of the UK, the week before, commencing 9 February, is busy too.
Most Scottish schools are on holiday that week, as are many private schools in England. Wherever you go to ski, a good idea for those living in Scotland is to avoid the packed charters from the central belt (which, along with scheduled services from there, are booked up already anyway), and instead drive or take the train/bus down to Leeds Bradford or Manchester, and take a Monarch flight to the Alps from there.
France will be busy again, although not so much with the French or the British, this time it’s the Belgians, explains Schouller, “The Belgian half-term begins on 9 February too, and oddly for a small country they do send a lot of skiers to France. Last year the Belgians booked too late and were left with nothing, so this year they’ve all booked really early which means there is virtually nothing left for the week of 9 February.”
Not realising how strong demand would be, many accommodation suppliers also priced that week slightly below the week commencing 16 February, which encouraged people who had both weeks to choose from to opt for the former.
And to add to the pressure, a few other countries like Denmark, Spain, Poland and the
Czech Republic also have holidays from the week commencing 9 February.
So it’s the same advice as for the English half-term week, consider Andorra, Italy, or indeed using Monarch’s flights to the Austrian and German ski hubs of Friedrichshafen, Munich and Innsbruck, to access resorts in the central and eastern Alps that will not be as busy as those on the French side. But, again, if you’re heading to the French resorts via Grenoble, smaller resorts are likely to be the better bet.
And After The English Half-Term?
If you’re not limited by the British school holidays you’ll find prices drop progressively through the following 6 weeks up to the start of the Easter holidays, which this year, for most schools, are in the first fortnight of April.
The French school holidays run for 4 weeks until 16 March, with schools in Paris on holiday during the first 2 weeks of March. And let’s not forget those people wanting to get on the slopes for the 2 weeks when they’re relatively child-free before the Easter holidays start!
“There are much better prices and availability for ski resort accommodation later in February – toughest week will always be 16th departures,” confirms Richard Sinclair of SNO ski holidays (sno.co.uk). “If you can wait until 23 February or 2 March you’ll generally save between a quarter and a third of the price compared to main February half-term week. Compare 16 February to 16 March departures and it can be almost half price!”
Top Tips For February Holidays
Don’t be put off by the danger of crowds and high prices – the savvy skier or snowboarder can avoid both by booking wisely!
Book flights with Monarch (monarch.co.uk/ski) from Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, London Gatwick or Luton to any of seven destination airports that provide direct access to all of Europe’s main ski regions. Check the company’s ski section for the latest bonus deals and savings.
“For the absolute best prices skiing at half-term, go in a group of four, to take advantage of last-minute ski deals in self-catering apartments,” advises Richard Sinclair of SNO ski holidays (sno.co.uk), who adds, “If you’ve left it to the last minute and none of the ski travel agents can help you, then at sno.co.uk we often get people away who’ve given up. We do this by convincing our chalet suppliers partners to do an accommodation-only price in the last few days before departure.”
