With the lifting of travel and social distancing restrictions in most countries not starting in earnest until spring 2022, one part of the travel industry that has yet to enjoy its return to whatever counts as normal post-COVID is the ski sector.
While the northern hemisphere ski season got off to a good start last winter, the rapid spread of the omicron variant quickly put everyone back on a cautious footing. Ski resorts largely remained open, but strict social distancing measures, travel restrictions and general uncertainty had a dampening effect. Many people simply chose to give their annual ski break a miss again.
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Which is why many industry insiders are expecting a bumper ski season this year, with visitors flocking back to snow-capped resorts with a vengeance. It’s been a long time for a lot of people, after all. Now COVID restrictions have been left behind, it’s time to hit the pistes again.
But if it’s been a while since you strapped on your skis, you may find things have changed a little since your last trip – or perhaps you are just a little rusty on the ins and outs of organising a skiing holiday. Never fear – here’s a useful reminder of some common pitfalls to avoid.
Don’t leave it too long to book
It isn’t just you who is hankering after a return to the slopes this winter. Hundreds and thousands of ski enthusiasts are thinking the same. That means things are going to get booked up pretty quickly, especially if you are aiming for the more popular resorts and the most popular times (e.g. the February half-term holidays).
While you might have good reasons for wanting to leave things a while (such as seeing how your finances pan out with the current cost of living crisis), you risk disappointment by doing so. And even if you can get a flight for the dates you want, don’t assume there will be accommodation available. Don’t be tempted to book one without checking on the other first.
Don’t be too narrow in your focus
Because it is expected to be an extra-busy season, this is the perfect time to cast your net a little wider in terms of exploring less well known or at least less frequented destinations. Again, if you have your sights set only on the major resorts with a very narrow window in which you want to travel, you are running the gauntlet of competing with tens of thousands of other travellers.
You can expand your horizons on many fronts. First, why not consider a different ski region or country this year, such as swapping the Alps for the equally spectacular Dinaric Alps in the Balkans, or the stunning Carpathian Mountains in central Europe?
Or if you want to stick to the likes of France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, why not try a more off-the-beaten path resort? In recent years, dozens of super-fast lifts have opened up all over the Alps connecting smaller, previously little visited villages to major snowfields.
Finally, don’t be too restricted about when you can go on a ski holiday. If you have children, the February half-term has long been the popular choice to fit around school term times. But especially with advances in artificial snow technology, many resorts remain open late into spring. Do some digging into the best late ski resort options to book a family trip during the Easter holidays. Or if you do want to buy some time, keep an eye out on the long forecasts after Christmas.
Don’t forget your travel insurance!
Finally, just a reminder that travel insurance is really, really important when you go skiing – so don’t overlook it after a few years off the slopes! Skiing (and snowboarding) come with their injury risks, and the last thing you want is to end up in hospital with a broken limb without insurance. It will cost you an arm and a leg (pun intended).
But, because of the risks involved in winter sports, remember that you can’t just settle for any old every day standard policy. You must tell the insurer that you are going skiing, otherwise you won’t be covered. And yes, that will probably mean you end up paying a little more. But compared to what a ski injury could cost without it, it’s well worth the money.
