High hopes on the slopes

Peak practice: crowd-free pistes and great snow conditions should make this year's half-term ski trip one of the best

10 April 2012

In an average winter, February half-term is the one week of the year when I prefer to stay at home to avoid inflated holiday prices, busy slopes and nightmare crowds at most UK airports.

But as we're blessed with some of the best Alpine snow conditions in at least 30 years, it seemed almost criminal to miss out and let everyone else have the fun.

One piece of good news is that this February half-term falls earlier than usual - from the 11th to the 18th - so it won't, for once, coincide with Europe's busiest week.

My mission was to find a school break holiday for my family - harder than I'd expected. With my daughter studying for Italian GCSE in the summer, we decided to head for Italy.

Due to the recession, tour operators have cut the number of holidays they sell by 30 per cent in recent years, so there are less holidays about to start off with. I found a good choice of accommodation available - even in the major resorts - but it didn't necessarily come with flights.

The option was either to drive and take a ferry or Eurotunnel, or to search around for scheduled flights or those via a regional airport.

Driving is perfectly possible for France and for some of the more accessible Swiss and Italian resorts. Contact eurotunnel.com, poferries.com or brittany-ferries.co.uk for details. In the end I found a holiday for four to Courmayeur (see below).

Here's what's still available. Prices are for one week.

Argentière and St Gervais France
The four-star Cristal d'Argentière, with spacious and stylish rooms, costs £367pp based on a family of four sharing a two-room cabin apartment. Also the three-star Residence Les Arolles in St Gervais has availability for £285pp, based on a family of four in a three-room apartment. Both deals include return Folkestone-Calais Eurotunnel crossings. Ski Independence, ski-i.com

Chamonix and Megève France
Résidence La Riviere, in the experts' resort of Chamonix, costs £609 (£153pp) for a studio apartment sleeping four. Also the Rochebrune apartments in medieval Megève costs £646 (or £159pp) for a studio for four. Both available from February 11, with food and travel not included. PowderBeds, powderbeds.com

Courmayeur Italy
Chalet Hotel Cristallo, with its wood-panelled walls and stone floors, is at the heart of this stylish resort. It now costs £995pp (saving £155pp) half board, including return flights from Gatwick and transfers. Depart February 12. Igluski, igluski.com

Les Deux Alpes France
The all-inclusive three-star Hotel Brunerie has rooms at £4,579 for a family of four in this lively resort. The price includes breakfast, packed lunch, evening meals, all drinks from 4pm to 10pm daily, return flights from Gatwick and transfers. Depart February 11. Crystal Ski, crystalski.co.uk

Flaine France
Le Refuge de Golf was a new addition to the purpose-built resort last winter. It has availability for £364pp based on six sharing a three-bedroom apartment including Folkestone-Calais Eurotunnel crossings departing February 11. Erna Low, ernalow.co.uk

Isola 2000 France
Residence Les Chataigners has one-bedroom self-catering apartments sleeping five for £743.91 (was £922), 20m from the slopes. Not including travel. Return Dover-Calais ferry can be arranged for £69 per car. Departs February 11. Lagrange, lagrange-holidays.co.uk

La Plagne France
Le Quartz Residence at the foot of the slopes in Belle Plagne has one-bedroom self-catering apartments sleeping up to four people for £980 (was £1,224) on the week commencing February 11. Travel not included. Pierre & Vacances, pv-holidays.com

St Anton Austria
The two-star Chalet Arlhof sleeps eight with half board accommodation available from £399pp (save £600pp). The price includes return Dover to Calais ferry crossings for up to seven passengers per car. Departs February 11. Inghams, inghams.co.uk

St Anton Austria
Tignes France
Chalet St Martin in St Anton and Chalet Tavaillons in Tignes, both with their own spa centres, cost £799pp half board for the week starting February 12. Travel not included. Ski Total, skitotal.com

Serre Chevalier France
Le Hameau du Rocher Blanc, close to the slopes in the Chantemerle area of Serre Chevalier, has apartments from £385pp self-catering, based on five people sharing a one-bedroom alcove apartment. Departs February 11 with Folkestone-Calais Eurotunnel FlexiPlus crossings for one car. Peak Retreats, peakretreats.co.uk

Tignes France
La Ferme du Val Claret has a three-bedroom apartment sleeping eight for £414pp (reduced from £487pp); Le Nevada has a three-bedroom apartment for eight for £436pp (reduced from £513pp); and Le Telemark has a four-bedroom apartment sleeping 10 for £403pp (reduced from £474pp). All are available from February 11, with travel not included. Ski Collection, skicollection.co.uk

Verbier Switzerland
Chalet Troika is a large penthouse apartment with wonderful views. It is available for £4,800 for the whole property on a self-catering basis, travel not included. It sleeps up to eight people (so £600pp) and is available from February 11. Belvedere Travel, belvederetravel.com

Zermatt Switzerland
Hotel Perren is a popular three-star with availability for £1,365pp (saving £200pp) B&B, departing Heathrow on February 12 with transfers. Ski Solutions, skisolutions.com

Felice Hardy is co-editor of the ski information website welove2ski.com

High hopes on the slopes

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