How to organise a group ski trip on a budget

Thinking about booking a ski holiday in the summer just feels wrong, but it can be so right! Most tour operators (us included) offer some crazy deals to early bird bookers.

You’ll always find plenty of money off offers when you book particular hotels or apartments. That’s because the owner of the hotel offers the tour operator an early booking discount and that saving is passed straight on to you. They often encourage you to book by a certain date so keep an eye out for those.

The other kind of deals you’ll find are added value offers. These are where you can make some real money savings. A big one is half price lift passes or free equipment hire. For example, the price of an area lift pass in Tignes is £260 so your saving could be a massive £130 per person just by booking a bit earlier than you normally would.

Picking where you stay can also make a big difference on your price. Some properties offer higher group discounts than others do. Again, this is because the discounts from the property owner are passed straight on to you. So essentially, the sooner you book up, the more of those group friendly properties will still be available.

For example, Neilson Mountain Collection hotels and chalet hotels generally have the best group discounts. Every year they prove to be more and more popular, and not just with groups. That does mean that they get booked up more quickly than other properties so it’s best to book early.

We all know that the prices go up in the summer school holidays. Well, the winter school holidays are no different. Unless you have people who can’t take holiday at any other time apart from school holidays, it’s best to avoid them if you can.

Generally speaking, the cheapest times of year to travel are January and mid-March. They’re seen as low season booking dates, but in fact tend to have the best conditions of the season. The snow in January is excellent and March is warming up nicely so longer lunches are definitely on the cards.

Both also see quieter slopes and virtually no lift queues at all. So not only will you save money before you go, you’ll actually get more skiing and snowboarding time in too!

If you do book a bit later and miss out on some of the ski extras early booking offers, you can still save yourself money by booking your lift passes, kit hire and tuition before you go.

Prices for these extras in resort tend to be a bit more expensive as you’re a captive audience. Booking through a tour operator also means you can take advantage of the discounts they receive for buying in bulk.

Another way to save money on extras is to pre-book the ski and snowboard pack bundles. They include a lift pass and equipment, or lift pass, equipment and tuition. You’ll save money on these bundles over buying each item individually.

Big names command big prices, so to save a good chunk of money, don’t choose a premium resort. You’ll find the prices for everything are higher. You’ll pay more for your lift passes, equipment hire, tuition, mountain lunches, (well-earned) après beer and wine and even your chocolate bars.

You can still get a premium quality holiday without it costing the earth. Places like Andorra and Livigno in Italy offer world-class ski areas, fantastic accommodation and a full-on après scene (if you want it), but because they’re virtually tax-free, everything costs less.

For example, a large beer bought in an on-the-mountain restaurant in Andorra costs €4 to €5. Buy the same size beer in Val d’Isére and you’ll be looking at €10 to €13. If you do go to a premium resort though, look out for happy hours as there are always good deals to be had.

Getting the most for your money is something everyone likes doing. A good way to do this on a group ski holiday is to book a catered chalet. You get so much more included in your holiday cost compared to a hotel or apartment.

Most chalet operators include afternoon tea with freshly-made cakes for when you get back in from the slopes. The other biggie is having wine included with your evening meal. This can save quite a bit, particularly when you’re relaxing with your friends and family – wine seems to magically disappear in those situations…

Apart from the money-saving aspect, chalets make a great social base for your group. They’re yours to make your own and you don’t get told what time breakfast is or when to have dinner. You get to choose how you enjoy your holiday as your host is there to make sure you have the best time possible.

As is the case with most things, the more people you have on your group ski trip, the bigger the discounts you’ll be entitled to. You’ll also be eligible for better offers like free lift passes for the group organiser.

Most group holidays can’t be booked online as the discounts can vary so much, so it’s best to get in touch with our super sales team so they can tailor your group holiday to be how you want it to be.

Fill in our group enquiry form and we’ll be in touch to help you book your perfect group ski and board holiday.