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Budget Skiing and Vacation Packages

admin — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 18:36:39 +0000

Many ski enthusiasts around the world enjoy an international ski vacation sometime during the winter months.

Most ski resorts are operational between the months of October and April. This gives skiers a minimum of seven full months to plan winter vacations or long weekends.

Some of the most popular ski destinations in the world include the Alps, Aspen and the Pyrenees. These areas all offer skiers and snowboarders the ultimate in fun and adrenaline rushes.

The Alps provide nearly everything a skier could dream of. The mountain range is divided into two primary divisions; the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps.

Some of the most extreme skiing in the world takes place in the Alps. The highest mountain in the Alps, at 15,774 feet, is Mont Blanc. Many resorts in the Alps provide ski areas to fit any difficulty level.

Beginners have nearly as many options as intermediate skiers. More experienced skiers have a much wider array of areas to fit their needs.

Some of the most popular ski areas in the Alps are Kitzbuhel and Seefeld, both in Austria. Zermatt, Grindelwald and St. Moritz are popular destinations in Switzerland, while Chamonix Mont Blanc is the most popular in France.

Skiers are often prepared to pay whatever price is necessary for the quality of enjoyment they can receive at various resorts in the Alps. The upscale prices of some resorts in the Alps can put a damper on the budget traveller’s plans, though.

Often filled with glitz and glamor, Aspen in Colorado is another world-class ski area. It is one of the favorite ski destinations for celebrities from around the world.

Like the Alps, Aspen has a wide range of ski areas to cater to a wide range of abilities. Families enjoy the smaller hills and gentle slopes, while more experienced skiers enjoy high-speed adrenaline rushes.

Some of Aspen’s most famous homeowners include Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith, Kevin Costner, Michael Douglas and Jack Nicholson.

The Pyrenees offer a broader range of costs to fit nearly any international skier’s budget.

Resort areas like Bareges La Mongie, St. Lary Soulan and Andorra offer very affordable ski packages throughout the ski season. Resorts and hotels in the Pyrenees often offer prices as low as $30 per night or $400 per month for extended vacations.

Not only are the prices more reasonable, but the range of difficulty on the slopes is more diverse as well.

Most resorts in the Pyrenees start with slow, easy slopes for beginners to learn and practice.

Instructors are available to assist with any problems the beginning skier may have. Intermediate slopes are often marked and offer a wide array of terrain from steep slopes to small jumps.

More advanced skiers have a broader area to choose from. Many extreme skiers visit the Pyrenees for the sheer adrenaline rush the mountains offer.

With the 2007-2008 ski season at an end, the outdoor enthusiast can still find a wide range of outdoor activities at favourite ski destinations.

Many of the world’s favorite ski destinations turn into favourite summertime vacation destinations during the off-season. Several offer discounted vacation packages during the summer months for the international tourist who enjoys a world-class mountain vacation.

Alps Mountains in Europe

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:34:25 +0000

The alps mountains are well known and popular place in Europe. There are also other Alps regions but we will talk about thos lying in Europe. This great system of mountains is

stretching across many european countries. From east it is Austria and Slovenia to west to France. The range also includes countries like Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany and

Italy. According to the country where the mountains are located they are named as French Alps, Italian Alps and Swiss Alps. The highest mountain in the Europe and all alpine

system is Mont Blanc with its 4808 metres. This peak is on the border between France and Italy. This area is very popular, mainly suring winter, but also in summer. People book

their alps hotels, chalets, accommodation to enjoy winter and summer sports, like skiing, snowboarding, hiking and more. Simply said the Alps is a good place for a vacation or

holiday all year long. Climate in the alpine region is cold and similar to the climate in the polar areas. Higher you go lower the temperature will be. Snow and rains are very

often and snow lasts all year long in some areas. Fauna and flora in the alpine system is very rich..we can mention some trees like: beech, oak, maple or ash. There are also

pine trees above the forestry level. From species living in alps we can mention: alpine butterfly, salamander, golden eagle, capercaillie, chamois, ptarmigan, mountain hare,

owl, alpine marmot and more other species. Simply European alps are worth visiting.

Alps

SKI JUMPING EXTREME

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:53:29 +0000

If you are new to skiing, the whole idea of going on a ski holiday can be quite daunting. On a number of occasions I have seen people who have never skied before worry about things which just aren’t true. So, here I expose the top 10 ski myths:

1. A skiing holiday has to be expensive

Things have changed in the world of skiing – no longer is it an elite sport for the rich. It is quite possible to take a family of beginners skiing and for it not to break the bank. How?

- Go self catered. Self catered ski accommodation is often excellent and doesn’t cost very much per head. You can also choose to squeeze more people in on sofa beds to bring the price down even more. Don’t book via large tour operators – go directly to local estate agents or independent property suppliers.

- Drive. With four people in a car, and if travelling to areas in the Northern Alps, driving is a very cost effective way of getting to a ski resort. – Try and avoid the main school holidays (Christmas, New Year, Half Term) if at all possible.

- Keep an eye on when budget airlines release their flights and book early!

- You don’t need to go to the world’s biggest ski area if you are beginners. Go to a smaller resort where you willÂ find everything in resort (lift pass, ski hire etc) to be a lot cheaper.

2. Skiing is dangerous

Although skiing does involve travelling downhill on planks of wood without any breaks, the vast majority of skiers who learn to ski with instructors and ski within their limits will have a happy lifetime of incident free skiing. Yes accidents do sometimes happen, but more often than not ski related accidents are less to do with the actual skiing and more to do with amounts of alcohol consumed and not taking care on icy surfaces etc. If you learn to ski properly, you will also learn to ski safely.

3. The weather is cold and horrible when skiing

Well, yes, the weather is usually cold. And sometimes it can be snowing. That is a fact about holidaying in the mountains in winter. However, when the sun comes out in the mountains there is nothing like it. Alpine sunshine, clear blue skies and temperatures of -5 degrees can certainly feel a lot warmer than a UK winter day when the temperature might be 10 degrees. That is why people come back from ski holidays with sun tans!

4. I won’t understand what the ski instructor tells me

Gone are the days when your only choice of ski instructor would be a moustachioed instructor who’s only English was “Bend ze Knees”. Now there are many progressive English speaking ski schools and independent instructors, indeed there are many excellent British instructors working out in the Alps.

5. If I don’t enjoy the skiing, my holiday will be rubbish

If for any reason you don’t get on with the skiing side of a skiing holiday, wintering in the Alps is still an excellent experience. Most resorts have plenty of non skiing activities on offer such as dog sledding, snow shoeing, thermal springs, ice diving, para gliding. Plus many alpine resorts are very picturesque and so sightseeing and shopping aren’t out of the question.

6. Because of global warming, there won’t be much snow

It is true that global warming was blamed for the bad winter of 06/07 in the European Alps. However, this was down mostly to lazy journalists not researching their facts properly. The bad winter that year was down to the weather, and not the climate. Plus, the skiing wasn’t actually bad – it just wasn’t as good as it could have been.

The last few years have seen some of the best winters for skiing on record. Global warming MAY start to affect European skiing over the next 50 years, but at the moment there is no real evidence that it has started.

7. It is a lot of hassle on a ski holiday

It doesn’t have to be any hassle. You can opt for a catered chalet holiday where all you need to do is get yourself to the airport. The rest is taken care of by the chalet hosts. You are picked up at the airport and taken to your chalet, they arrange your lift passes and ski hire, they cook for you, they clean for you and they take you to the slopes every day. Where is the hassle in that?

8. My kids will have problems in French speaking creche/ski schools

Like the point about ski instruction, things have changed a lot in the world of Alpine childcare. Creches and kids’ ski school usually have English speaking staff, and it is not unusual to find a number of British kids in classes during the school holidays. Teaching your kids to ski at a young age is one of the greatest gifts you can give them!

9. I don’t like mountain food

Nowadays, eating out in ski resorts isn’t all about cheese and ham (although there is plenty of that on offer for those who look forward to their annual fondue or raclette). Most resorts now sport a wide variety of restaurants – some with real cosmopolitan ambiance and menus. And if you don’t want to eat out every night, a trip to the local supermarket will reveal that the gap between French and British food shopping has narrowed considerably over the last few years.

10. I can’t take a baby skiing

Nearly all ski resorts have excellent creche/nanny facilities. And for those people who worry about the cold/altitude etc, don’t forget that babies are born in the mountains every year and they do OK!

Hopefully the above will help to dispel the main worries of a nervous first time skier. And if you never try it, you might never know what you are missing!