Holiday helpline
We asked three operators – Crystal, Thomson and Neilson – to come up with a recommendation and sample price for three clients who have special requests for a skiing holiday in the coming season.
Request 1: Clients A are a group of six 20 to 30-year-olds who want to ski and party. The group consists of skiers of varied ability.
Crystal
Area: Pas de la Casa, Andorra.
Product: possibly the best ski area in Andorra, Pas de la Casa is located by the French border and is one of the highest resorts in the Pyrenees with a good snow record and excellent range of runs to suit all abilities. It is well known for snowboarding and Crystal’s boarding escort can show guests how to make the best of the resort. Stay at the Chalet Xadoc for access to the thriving nightlife and captivating atmosphere. As everything is costed at duty-free prices the resort is excellent value for money.
Price: March departures from Gatwick from £269 per person per week half-board (with wine at dinner).
Thomson
Area: Courchevel, France.
Product: an ideal resort for groups of mixed ability. Stay in a chalet for fun and informal partying. Thomson chalets include cooked breakfasts, packed lunch, afternoon tea and wine with dinner. A good choice is the Chalet Hotel St Louis as all bedrooms have en suite facilities and upgraded service includes canapes before dinner and chocolates and liqueurs afterwards.
Price: January departures from Gatwick from £579 per person per week full-board.
Neilson
Area: Pas de la Casa, Andorra.
Product: stay at the Club Hotel Llac Negre, just 350 metres from the ski lift, close to the town centre and ideal for the young and lively at heart. The hotel organises in-house apres-ski events and Andorra’s duty-free status makes it a low-cost, good value destination.
The hotel has a resident Neilson snowboard leader and a range of snowboards and boots for those who wish to give it a try.
Price: March departures from Gatwick from £339 half- board per person per week.
Request 2: Clients B are a family – a couple in their 40s and their two children, aged six and nine. This is a first-time trip for the children but the parents are advanced skiers. They want to spend some of the time together.
Crystal
Area: Tignes, France.
Product: this resort has guaranteed snow and is ideal for advanced skiers. It offers a wide choice of ski lifts and 300km of runs in the Espace Killy area – plus easy access to neighbouring Val d’Isere and extensive off-piste skiing. Stay at the Crystal Club Chalet Lavachey and the children can attend the Whizz Kids Club. The club caters for four to 10-year-olds and can include ski school escort service, meals, games and activities. Resort entertainment includes an ice rink, tennis and tenpin bowling alley.
Price: December departures from Gatwick from £419 per adult per week half-board (with wine at dinner). Free kids’ places are offered, subject to availability. Whizz Kids Club costs £79 per child per week.
Thomson
Area: Obergurgl, Austria.
Product: this resort offers almost guaranteed snow, uncrowded slopes, a new express lift that links it to nearby Hochgurgl and a well-established ski school. Designated a Thomson Family Choice resort, it offers ski-to-your-door hotels – such as the Hotel Edelweiss, children’s ski school and kindergarten.
Price: January departures from six UK airports from £649 per adult per week half- board. If adults book Thomson insurance both children receive free cover and the six-year-old qualifies for a free lift pass and equipment hire.
Neilson
Area: Whistler, Canada.
Product: English-speaking Canada means no language barrier for a family to worry about and a wealth of child-friendly activities and facilities. Stay at the Holiday Inn Sunspree – just 5mins walk from the ski lifts in Whistler Village – where there is a Wee Scamps programme for two and three-year-olds and Ski Camps for four to 16-year-olds. The village is pedestrianised and other sporting facilities include swimming, skating, indoor tennis and squash.
Price: January departures from Gatwick from £529 per adult and £299 per child per week self-catering.
Request 3: Clients C are a couple in their mid-30s who have skied about three times before in Europe. They are gradually improving and are looking for somewhere a little different.
Crystal
Area: Lake Tahoe/Heavenly, which straddles the California/Nevada state border, US.
Product: stay at the Harveys Resort Hotel and Casino, overlooking Lake Tahoe, for easy access to varied and exciting ski runs, incredible scenery and a good choice of restaurants and nightlife. Heavenly is ideal for intermediate skiers and the Lake Tahoe ski pass covers thousands of acres of prime skiing. The resort offers many other activities and some excellent excursions.
Price: April departures from Heathrow from £465 per person, per week on a room-only basis. Hire car included. Crystal offers the option of a free first night in San Francisco.
Thomson
Area: Whistler, Canada.
Product: a five-star resort for intermediate skiers, Whistler offers two great mountains, ski school and snowboarding opportunities. There are at least 50 restaurants in the resort so stay at the self-catering Market Place Pavilion and explore these at leisure. The property is centrally situated with easy access to the lifts, ski school and apres-ski amenities.
Price: January departures from £445 per person per week based on studio for two and flights on British Airways from Heathrow to Vancouver.
Neilson
Area: Hemsedal, Norway.
Product: a rugged, pristine alpine area with a variety of pistes and plenty to suit the intermediate skier. Slopes are uncrowded and night skiing is offered free of charge three days a week. Advanced skiers can follow a good selection of black runs or ski off-piste. Stay at the Chalet Tinden I – a traditional Norwegian log-style chalet set in pine trees at the foot of the ski area. Facilities include saunas and whirlpool.
Price: January departures from Gatwick from £449 per person per week half-board.