Schussing down glistening peaks, soaking in outdoor hot tubs and sipping hot chocolate by the fireside – these are just some of the things that make ski holidays unforgettable.
But with the cost of living crunch, are you worried your budget won’t stretch to a ski break this winter?
Fear not. One ski holiday provider is offering ultra-affordable – yet first-rate – package holidays in some of Europe’s best ski resorts.
Sunweb, a trusted firm that’s been taking skiers on holiday for more than two decades, can arrange ski breaks for all budget types, whether you want a cosy ski-in, ski-out bolthole or a spacious chalet that’s steeped in luxury.
What’s more, it’s the only tour operator that includes lift passes in your holiday package, which can save as much as £250 per person.
Saving you even more money, if you book flights and a ski break in France you’ll get ski rental included as part of the package, too.
So whether you’re dreaming of an apres-ski-filled break with friends, a romantic Alpine getaway or an action-packed family holiday, Sunweb will arrange the ideal ski break for you – and it won’t break the bank.
As summer comes to an end, now is the perfect time to book – here’s some inspiration on where to go, with the best resorts in Austria, France and Italy…
PERFECT PASSO TONALE PISTE
Spread across the border between Italy’s Trentino and Lombardy regions, Passo Tonale is a haven for families and beginner skiers with its peaceful, snowsure slopes and speedy lifts.
Feel like a challenge? Tackle the region’s thrilling Paradiso black run. Or cut your teeth at glacier skiing on the Presena glacier, which is perched 3,000m above sea level.
You’ll find excellent value in the bars and restaurants throughout the resort, so you can have as much authentic Italian pizza and pasta as you please. After dinner, it’s time for apres-ski – think dancing on tabletops, live DJ sessions and quirky contests.
As for your base, stay in a piece of history. The 12th-century Hotel La Mirandola is a romantic bolthole with rustic bedrooms and an inviting piano bar with vaulted ceilings, while its sauna, steam room and hot tub will send you into a state of deep relaxation after a day on the slopes.
Cap your evenings off with dinner in the stone-walled restaurant, where local Trentino fare is plated up and fine wine is flowing. Come morning time, you can hit the powder without a second thought, as the hotel is set right next to the Valbiolo ski slopes.
The info:
7 nights, Half Board at Hotel la Mirandola, £468pp, based on 4 adults, departing Sat 16 March. Click HERE to book now.*
HIT THE POWDER IN ZILLERTAL
Magical mountain views await in Zillertal, a family-friendly ski area set between the Zillertal Alps and the enormous Hintertux Glacier in Austria’s Tirol province.
You’ll find soft powder for off-piste adventures, wide slopes for carving and speed-racing runs for the real pros. Or try something completely different and give snow-tubing or ice-climbing a go.
Refuel with a hearty bowl of goulash soup or delicious wiener schnitzel at the resort’s pretty-as-a-postcard Alpine restaurants. For dessert, sweet apfelstrüdel is hard to resist.
Make your base the charming village of Königsleiten – at 1,600m, it’s one of the highest ski villages in the region.
Wondering where to stay? Plump for Almdorf Homes Königsleiten, a collection of cosy apartments dotted across the village. You’ll only find out which holiday rental you’ve been allocated when you arrive at the local tourist office.
After you’ve been handed your key, you’ll unlock the door to a warm and welcoming home complete with a kitchenette and a dining area for lively group dinners. Bundle up in thick coats and spend long evenings chatting under the stars on your private terrace or balcony.
Feel like heading out? Go moonlight tobogganing or hit the area’s apres-ski bars, saying cheers with a stein of Tiroler Bier in hand.
The info:
7 nights, Self-Catering at Almdorf Homes Koningsleiten, £383pp, based on 4 adults, departing Sat 6 January. Click HERE to book now.*
SKI PARADISE IN PARADISKI
France’s Paradiski region is famous for the incredible variety of slopes it offers. Seeking bowl-shaped slopes? Check. Picturesque tree-fringed runs? Check. Exhilarating black and red descents? Check.
Take in jaw-dropping 360-degree views from the Vanoise Express cable car, which soars 380m over the ground, or whizz past the flags and ski-bumps of France’s longest ‘funslope’.
There are plenty of resorts to choose from in the Paradiski region, but one irresistible winter playground for families and groups of friends is La Plagne.
Check into one of the apartments at the Résidence Prestige Front de Neige – enveloped in wood and stone, these spacious apartments give an authentic French feel. Their balconies, meanwhile, offer a spectacular panorama of the mountains; best enjoyed with a steaming cup of cocoa.
Take a dip in the complex’s pool and whip up feasts for family and friends in your kitchen – it’s just an easy stroll to the centre of La Plagne, where you can pick up dinner ingredients or call into a bar for an aperitif.
The best part? The ski-in, ski-out complex is right on the Écartée blue run, so your ski day begins the moment you open the door.
Or stay in one of the wood-lined, light-filled apartments at Résidence Odalys Bellecôte, set just 100m from the slopes – and the nearest ski lift – in the heart of the car-free village of Plagne Bellecôte.
Spend your evenings dining on raclette or potatoes au gratin in local restaurants, or rustle up a French meal in your apartment. Plus, guests can use the village’s public swimming pool to soothe aching muscles after long days spent carving through snow.
Another treasured Paradiski resort is Les Arcs, made up of a cluster of car-free villages with their own distinct character. Arc 1800, for instance, is known for its lively apres-ski, while Arc 2000 gives you unparalleled access to a network of nail-bitingly steep black runs.
Stay in Arc 1950, a picture-perfect resort that was designed by the same company that dreamt up Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb ski resort.
Check into five-star Résidence P&V Premium Arc 1950 Le Village – it looks like it’s been lifted from the pages of a storybook with its Savoyard-style architecture and gingerbread-house embellishments. This charming aesthetic carries through to the apartments’ interiors.
Tone your muscles at the gym and then switch off completely at the Deep Nature Spa, which is complete with a steaming outdoor pool, hot tub and hammam. And the skiing? The slopes lie right outside the ski-in, ski-out retreat, making the trip as hassle-free – and fun – as can be.
Or consider the village of Vallandry, a fairytale cluster of Savoyard-style houses and mountain chalets at a snowsure altitude of 1,600m.
The place to stay is the four-star Résidence L’Oree des Neiges, a luxurious apartment complex in a serene spot to one side of the village. Guests have access to the heated indoor pool and sumptuous spa facilities at nearby Residence L’Oree Cimes – swim laps, detox in the sauna or kick back in the hot tub before checking out the village’s apres-ski scene.
When the sun rises, you can hit the mountain as soon as you wake, making a quick pit-stop at the heated ski lockers – it’s just a 300m stroll to the ski slope and lift.
The info:
7 nights, Self-Catering at Residence Prestige Front de Neige, £383pp, based on 4 adults, departing Sat 6 April. Click HERE to book now.*
7 nights, Self-Catering at Residence Odalys Bellecote, £270pp, based on 4 adults, departing Sat 16 December. Click HERE to book now.*
7 nights, Self-Catering at Residence P&V Premium Arc 1950, £469pp, based on 4 adults, departing Sat 6 April. Click HERE to book now.*
7 nights, Self-Catering at Residence L’Oree des Neiges, £457pp, based on 6 adults, departing Sat 23 March. Click HERE to book now.*
HIGH-ALTITUDE AVORIAZ
Ski right through the ski-in, ski-out resort of Avoriaz, which is set in the snow-dusted heart of France’s 650km Portes du Soleil ski region.
The resort connects to a network of slopes of every level, from gentle blues to challenging reds. If you haven’t hit the apres-ski too hard the night before, you can ski over the French border into Switzerland for the day. Back at the resort, evenings can be spent sipping mulled wine or taking a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh.
Within the resort, a perfect base for skiers is Résidence P&V Premium Amara. It’s located at the foot of the slopes, so you can pop on your skis and take to the mountain first thing in the morning.
Made up of five spacious apartment buildings, these holiday rentals offer a cosy cocktail of modern and traditional. You’ll feel like you’re in a luxurious cocoon thanks to the ultra-soft bedding, fluffy bathrobes and a chic open-plan kitchen, which is designed so you can chat with loved ones while cooking dinner together.
Fresh French bread can be dropped at your door each morning, getting your day off to a delicious start.
Take a break from skiing and devote a day to unwinding in the Deep Nature Spa by Algotherm. Its bubbling hot tub overlooks the slopes, framing views that will take your breath away.
Get your muscles soothed with targeted relaxation treatments or plump for a revitalising detox package. Tots aren’t left out either – there’s a fun kids’ pool that little ones are bound to love.
7 nights, Self-Catering at Residence P&V Premium Amara, £522pp, based on 4 adults, departing Sat 6 January. Click HERE to book now.*
TERRIFIC TIGNES
The second largest ski resort in Europe, Tignes in France’s Savoie region is a snow-capped crowd pleaser – and with very good reason.
Its varied slope offering and high-quality snow are known to lure top snowboarders and skiers year after year. Take in the views from the top of the Grande Motte Gondola – brushing the clouds at 3,456m – before enjoying some seriously high-altitude skiing.
Tignes 1800, which gets its name from its 1,800m perch, is the most peaceful of the Tignes ski resorts, making it a treasured haunt for families. The village is pedestrianised, so it’s safe for little ones to have snowball fights and build snowmen wherever they please.
For supreme access to the slopes, stay at Résidence CGH Kalinda, a stylish apartment complex right beside the Colchique blue slope and the Boisses eight-person gondola.
Kids will be on cloud nine here. Toys, colouring tools and a games console fill the reception area, while the kids’ pool is complete with a funky slide and animal-shaped water toys.
Adults have their own sanctuary to retreat to – the Ô des Cimes wellness centre boasts a hot tub, sauna and heated pool. A menu of bespoke spa treatments turns the pampering levels up a notch. Or work up a sweat in the well-kitted-out cardio training room.
Inside each sleek apartment, you’ll find a fully-equipped kitchen, an inviting lounge area, and an expansive balcony for breathing in that pure Alpine air over a morning coffee.
7 nights, Self-Catering at Residence CGH Kalinda, £466pp, based on 6 adults, departing Sat 13 April. Click HERE to book now.*
A GRAND TIME AT LE GRAND MASSIF
With its pretty tree-lined runs and cake-frosting white peaks, the Grand Massif in the heart of the French Alps is what ski dreams are made of.
There are five villages, but if you’re looking for one that’s perfect for beginner skiers, opt for Flaine, which has a nursery slope right next to the town and free lifts for those who are getting to grips with the sport. If you’re more advanced, worry not – there are lots of tricky red slopes to tackle too.
The entirely car-free resort is striking, designed in the Brutalist style by the famous urban architect Breuer. You might spot eye-catching artworks by artists like Picasso and Dubuffet as you roam the snowy streets. Take a seat at one of the charming local restaurants for fondue or traditional Savoyard fare like ‘pierrade’ – a form of barbecue that’s beloved by skiers and snowboarders.
Make a toast at The White Pub or gather your friends for a session of bowling or snowmobiling.
Check into one of the traditional chalets at Dormio Resort Les Portes du Grand Massif, set in the Hameau de Flaine by the resort’s lush evergreen forest.
The chalets are divided into vast, stylishly-decorated apartments – some large enough to accommodate 12 guests – and are decked out with high-end kitchens and balconies. Spellbinding views of the Alpine setting come as standard.
When you come home in the evenings, recharge your batteries in the heated swimming pool. It offers an amazing panorama of the French Alps, so you can watch snow drifting over the peaks as you float.
And the cherry on top? The ski lift is right across the road, so kickstarting an epic day on the mountains couldn’t be simpler.
7 nights, Self-Catering at Dormio Resorts Les Portes du Grand Massif, £352pp, based on 8 adults, departing Sat 6 January. Click HERE to book now.*
Discover more incredible deals and book the ski holiday of your dreams without breaking the bank at Sunweb.co.uk.
*Prices include lift pass but don’t include flight or transfer
