Preparing for your first ski holiday – everything you need to know

So you’ve heard about all this ski holiday hype from social media and your friends.

• “Ski holidays are the best”,

• “You don’t ski? What do you do in the winter?”,

• “Skiing will be your kids favourite hobby!”

But what do you do next?

Perhaps you flick through Google and search for a ski holiday deal that suites what you think you’re looking for. Or perhaps you chat to a friend who has been skiing before? Eitherway there is a lot of ski holiday providers, and you’ll need to know what to look for.

Firstly – prioritise what things matter the most to you and who you want to go on holiday with.

Whether you have a family, a group of friends or you’d like to take on skiing or snowboarding as a single traveller – you’ll see that different companies and resorts offer different things when it comes to ski holidays.

For example – if you’re travelling as a group you may want to look at somewhere that is close to some good après ski or nightlife. Alternatively, if you’re thinking of going skiing with the family for the first time you’ll want somewhere that has a short airport transfer time, family friendly events and activities or a dedicated children’s area.

The next thing you’ll want to put on the ski holiday checklist is the type of accommodation you’ll want to stay in.

Will a chalet, hotel or self-catered accommodation block be your answer?

We can be a little bias. But we’ve also done the math! It’s often cheaper and far more stress-free to have catered accommodation when skiing. Waking up and having breakfast prepared for you and returning back from a day in the mountains to afternoon tea, cake and beers whilst your in-house chalet hosts prepare dinner for you is a feeling that simply can’t be beaten. Oh – and you don’t have to do the washing up!

However there are also other types of accommodation available, with flexible B&B or half-board Hotels, to self-catered accommodation.

How do I get my ski pass and how much does a ski pass cost in 2016/17?

A ski pass is like your mountain passport. This gives you access to different parts of the mountain depending on which pass you buy. In Morzine you can either get a local pass, an Avoriaz pass or a Portes du Soleil pass to connect all the surrounding ski resorts.

“Did you know there is a 650km skiing area connected as part of the full Portes du Soleil pass. This includes a range of beginner areas, freestyle parks and famous off-piste areas ”

If you are learning to ski you won’t need the full area pass, and you probably won’t be able to take on the harder pistes straight away. Our Mountain Mavericks bookings team will advise you on the best instructors to use in Morzine, as well as suggest the best ski pass for you, no matter your ability!

How about ski and snowboard hire?

This will change from resort to resort, and you’ll get different standards (and quality) of equipment depending on your experience skiing. In Morzine we use the amazing Doorstep Skis who will deliver your equipment to you on arrival to your chalet or hotel. As a Rome Snowboards Test Centre, we have a brand new personal fleet of Rome Snowboards which you can use to trial out different boards technologies in different conditions.

“Mountain Mavericks booking team will organise your rental equipment, airport transfers, activities and ski passes when you enquire”

How about clothing?

You can get some great deals on new or old ski clothing from the internet. If you want to show some style and quality, head over to the likes of Freeze Pro Shop or visit our good friends online at Planks Clothing. If you book with us then we’ll share an exclusive special Mountain Mavericks discount code so that you can get great quality, stylish clothing for less!

Alternatively – you can always get clothing in resort. There are some amazing local shops (including the new Planks Clothing store on the high street) and you can try everything on before you ride.

What else is there to do after skiing?

Each ski town is different when it comes to extra-curricular activity after your day on the slopes! Some towns are nice and relaxed once the lifts close, and some are buzzing with energy at all hours.

Fortunately, Morzine has it all. From fun après ski parties to relaxed cocktail bars and traditional restaurants. It’s known as a great family friendly resort, but if you want to let your hair down there are numerous bars with live music every night and 2 main nightclubs.

Outside of skiing you can do a huge amount of other activities from sledging to zip wire runs and mountain meals!

So what do I do next if I want to come out skiing?

So it’s up to you. You can either browse the internet, scroll through hundreds of accommodation and flight deals to find somewhere that is either run by an independent company like ourselves or a chain run company. Once you enquire then you can tick off your ski holiday checklist and get excited for your ski holiday.

Alternatively – get in touch with our friendly booking team and we’ll organise everything for you whilst giving you advice on any questions! We normally have a couple of great deals to offer (especially our current SnowVember deals across our chalets and hotels) which will save you scrolling through numerous holiday deals online.

Simply email us on thechalet@mountainmavericks.com and we’ll start the process for a proper holiday to remember!

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