2020 is drawing to a close. It has been an incredibly tough year for everyone, particularly for those in the tourism industry. We're all eager to move into 2021 and finally start planning our next mountain holidays!
With the current situation and the temporary closure of ski lifts, it's not easy to get your bearings and know how to go about booking your ski holiday in 2021 and make the most of the slopes. Luckily, we've thought of everything and have put together our tips to help you plan your winter holiday. Everyone has their own criteria: family stay, ski rental at the foot of the slopes, tight budget, chalet week, short break…
Book the end-of-year holidays with family or friends.
Although the option of piste skiing looks compromised for the end of December, the resorts remain open! The mountains offer a wealth of winter sports activities. Not everyone can manage a full ski touring adventure, but there are marked and secured routes available. Head to the resort for a snowshoeing outing, a cross-country skiing session, a dog sledding excursion or a few toboggan runs with the kids. Activities accessible to all! In the current climate, spending a few days in the mountains with family or close friends can only do you good.
People often wrongly assume that renting a chalet for Christmas and/or New Year's Eve is beyond the budget of ordinary households — it's simply not true! There are plenty of options to help you spend the festive season in the mountains.
It is of course possible to find chalet rentals away from the slopes or in lower mountain areas such as Gresse-en-Vercors, but for the biggest ski enthusiasts, you can also rent a semi-detached chalet for 6 to 8 people in Superdévoluy or La Joue du Loup, for example. You'll have access to a large ski area while enjoying the charm of a mountain chalet at an accessible price — the ideal solution for the whole family to enjoy a vast ski domain.
Book a last-minute ski trip
People often imagine that last-minute bookings are only for flights. If 2020 gave travellers who braved airline health protocols the chance to snap up holidays and flights at unbeatable prices, 2021 may well have its own share of pleasant surprises in store for an all-inclusive ski stay.
With all the uncertainty around the current situation, it's not easy to plan your ski holiday. Just as airlines need to fill their seats — even at low prices — to cover their operating costs, hoteliers need to fill their rooms and residence managers their apartments. As a result, you can absolutely find excellent last-minute rental deals at tourist residences.
While this option offers no guarantees at any given moment, you may be lucky enough to find a studio or apartment in a residence at a low price for your 2021 ski holiday — especially if French skiers were to shun the resorts this year! Check out offers in Chabanon in the Alpes de Haute-Provence, Les Orres 1650 in the Hautes-Alpes, Aussois in Savoie, Les 7 Laux in Isère, and Pyrénées 2000 in the Pyrénées-Orientales.
Go for a long weekend rather than a full week
People also often assume that ski bookings are only possible from Saturday to Saturday for full weeks. Not always straightforward when work gets in the way, or when you live far from the slopes and know all too well the nightmare of traffic jams on the roads to the resorts!
One solution if you want to avoid this is to look for ski accommodation over an extended weekend. Less traffic on the roads with a Friday departure, a peaceful return after a weekend in the mountains and a few days on the slopes — it's an option that can let you truly enjoy your ski holiday while keeping some of your budget for treats on the spot: restaurants, bars and souvenirs!
Also ideal if you're just starting out with skiing — it gives you the chance to spend a few days at a resort and take ski lessons over the weekend, getting you initiated into the pleasures of snow sports.
As this type of rental continues to grow, an increasing number of ski resorts are offering packages tailored to 3 or 4 days. Ski and snowboarding rental services are following suit, allowing you to take advantage of a great all-inclusive deal.
