As winter draws to a close, some people may already be packing away their ski gear and turning their thoughts to swimming, sailing, cycling and sun. Others however, may already be looking forward to next winter, and taking advantage of some of the early booking offers which seem to be landing in our in boxes on an almost daily basis.
It is always difficult to know if you will get a better price by booking early, or by waiting till the last minute to secure the potential bargain of a lifetime. Generally speaking, flights will always be cheaper the earlier you book. Some airlines have already released flights for next winter.
If you are planning a trip to one of the many top events in the Alpine calendar, such as the opening concert in Ischgl, a FIS World Cup race, the White Turf in St. Moritz, or the polo in Courchevel where the dates are fixed, now is the time to book your flights.
We all like to imagine that our lives are a little bit unpredictable, and that we can’t possibly know what we will be doing next February half term, but in reality most of us are creatures of habit, and chances are we will be doing exactly the same thing next February half term, as we were this February half term – skiing.
If for example you know that you know that you need to book a chalet for a large party of people including non-skiers, those travelling from different regional or international airports, as well as children of different ages and ski abilities requiring childcare next February half term or New Year week, it makes perfect sense to take advantage of the offers and choices currently available.
Booking next year’s ski holiday now, will mean that you should be able to secure the accommodation that you really want, rather than having to compromise. You will also have the pick of resorts, ski lessons, childcare and flight times, which is particularly important for large groups and families looking to travel at peak times. Whilst you may be lucky and secure a last minute deal, you may well have to compromise on something if you leave it until the last minute to book.
For those stuck with very rigid school holiday dates, (especially now that parents can be fined for taking their children out of school during term time) then it might be more a case of why not book early and take advantage of these early booking offers?
The risk of booking a ski trip so far in advance will always be the unpredictability of snow fall.
This can of course be reduced by choosing your resort carefully.
If you are planning an early season trip at Christmas for example, then it is always best to aim high. Remember it is the height of the skiing that is important, rather than the height of the resort. Val d’Isere in France, Obergurgl in Austria and Saas Fee in Switzerland are normally a good bet at this time of year.
These irresistible early booking offers might just be the perfect remedy for our end of ski season blues.
Never underestimate the power of anticipation – having something to look forward to is good for us… and that’s a fact.
