To think a family ski trip for £5k is possible?

[Bizzle123]

Is this possible?

Two kids, two adults, one week ski holiday (Alps) during Feb half term, for £5k all in.

By all in, I mean flights, transfers, accommodation (fairly basic but close to lifts, self-catered), ski hire, ski pass, morning ski school for the kids.

If I’m being unreasonable, what should I be budgeting? Any tips to keep costs down?

I’ve book looking recently and in school hold I’ve not found anything with everything you’ve put for much less than £10k

Check out Sierra Nevada...it's a lot cheaper than northern Europe. Went early January, superb conditions and really friendly resort . I think Malaga would be the closest airport from the UK .

Or Bulgaria is also cheaper

So not including spending money ? yes doable, but you might have to drive. Italy is cheaper than France friends went to La Thuile this year and raved about it.

I had a very quick look at Andorra for Feb half term next year (feeding the baby so needed something to do) and that is over £1000 per person for flights, transfers and self catering without ski hire etc. I remember Andorra being much cheaper! I wish it wasn't such an expensive hobby, I really miss it.

If you drive, stay in the valley and drive or bus 20 minutes to resorts each morning I’d say it was possible. Also compare the cost of lift passes in resorts and go for a lesser named one… they alone will be over £1k for 4 people in 3V. And don’t eat in mountain restaurants.

Yes we're doing it. Family of 5 but driving. Going to try Andorra next year as friends have said it's cheap but nice.

Pushing it for half term I'd say. We found it but involved taking kids out of school and even then that wasn't anything fancy.

Yes, it definitely it. Have you looked at Snowbizz, we are driving so don't have flight costs but it's coming in under £7k for 7x ski hire, passes, 5 x lessons, 1 x kids afternoons club. Driving adds £1k of that too and we are going a cheaper week than you but still, it would come in at under £5k if you can book flights early I think.

They'll pick you up from Turin airport (I think)if you fly.

We did Morzine this year for around 3.5k. Catered chalet, ski hire & ski school for kids and lift passes.

We drove.

Catered chalets appear look be really expensive at the outset but it's all your food and alcohol included!

https://www.snowbizz.co.uk/prices/by-air/

Doable if you’re flexible on resort. We recently went to Jasna in Slovakia, that would definitely be under 5k and the best bit was no queues for lifts

If you drive, and book one of the local self
Catering places through eg Pierre et vacance it is doable.

You'll need some basic French for booking and checking in at P&v

Try Steinplatte in Austria OP. Fly to Salzburg. Hotels and apartments within walking distance of gondola and much cheaper than more mainstream resorts.

Might be possible here www.pilaski.co.uk/booking/prices you just need to add flights on top.

We used to go to Andorra when I was a kid and it was very reasonable. We did drive but flights aren't that expensive anymore, are they?

@rookiemere agree re. Pila be aware though beyond the skiing there is not much there except a playground and a few bars/places to eat that are crammed and expensive, would be better to go full board but it’s a good beginner resort and teaching good. You can get into Aosta which is lovely, about 20 min via ski lift or walk from hotels into Pila then 20min gondola down into valley. Some stay in Aosta and get gondola up to ski too. Try Crystal ski to book OP.

Remember to budget for gear - it’s about 1k to fit out a family of 4 from basic places like mountain warehouse and regatta, that’s with 70% off. About £250 a head.

Bulgaria, Slovenia etc might be best bets on a budget

Few here OP

https://www.crystalski.co.uk/ski-deals/deals-next-season/#4b92d7fc1b831cb32ae5b17e1b4184ec1bb387e1

Yes had a week in Sauze d’Oulx / sestriere / montgenerve this Feb half term. Ate out every lunch and dinner with ample wine and spent £1100 a head all in. Flew to Turin and hired a car.

We used to take the kids to Scotland for a few days - drive, no need for health insurance, everything's in English, public bus up the mountain was £1.50 (or drive) half board hotel was reasonable (£120 a night then, will be more now) ski lessons and hire for the kids was good and they didn't question having dd whose autistic, plus huge bonus, ddog came (I don't ski) and hung out with the mountain rescue dogs who were super friendly

Absolutely that should be possible. I'm off to Austria at Easter and paid the following. This is for 2 adults and 1 child though, but it should give you an idea. I always book directly rather than through a travel agency:

flights - £350
transfers - EUR180
accommodation (this is b&b not self catered) - EUR 1250
ski hire - £350
ski pass - £800
ski school - £300

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcon where are you going? I've previously looked at DIY holidays but the transfer always seemed really expensive

I’d look at first week of Easter holidays instead. Snow has been good that week for the past couple of years as long as the resort is higher/north facing. Much cheaper and less busy than half term.

All that for £5k in Feb half-term? Not unless you go to a tiny little resort or you drive. The flights alone for that week are likely to be around £2k for four people. Transfers too are expensive - we paid £620 last year from Geneva Les Arcs for our family of four. And then there's the accommodation near the lift in the most expensive and busy week of the year ...

We went from 8-15 April last year and it cost £6k for everything. It was the last but one week of the season and we were very lucky to get amazing conditions and almost empty pistes, but in Feb half-term I reckon we wouldn't have got a lot of change out of £8-10k for exactly the same holiday.