AGENTS faced with clients wanting to ski should not automatically look to air-based packages – they may not always offer the best option.
Not only do coach-based packages cost significantly less but they also give clients longer in resort than traditional seven-night air-based packages.
This, according to Snowcoach managing director David Stewart, is the main selling point of a coach-based ski holiday.
“Our coaches to France leave Watford on Friday afternoon, they arrive in the resort before 9am the next morning and they don’t depart until the following Saturday evening, so clients get a full eight days’ skiing,” he said.
“Packages based on charter flights give clients only six full days skiing, so they are actually getting up to two extra days skiing when they travel by coach for which they will pay about £50 less.”
With the launch of EasyJet’s and Go’s low-fares flights to Lyon and Geneva, coach operators’ packages are no longer as competitive, but Stewart said they still offer skiers a better deal than travel by air.
“Skiers might be able to pick up cheap flights, but they still have to get to the resort from the airport and they still have to find accommodation which we offer in an all-inclusive price,” he said.
Nevertheless, rather than fight the competition, Snowcoach has started working with EasyJet to offer cheap short breaks. Customers book their own flights to Geneva and Snowcoach will arrange transfers and accommodation.
Operator Harris Holidays has also launched short-break packages to the Three Valleys ski region in France, with travel by coach all the way from the UK. To keep the price down, the company has secured accommodation at Albertville, from where skiers have to take a coach up the mountain, or at the slightly more expensive Brides-les-Bains from where there is a ski lift.
Prices start at £99 for a three-day break to Albertville including transport and accommodation, and £129 for a three-day break at Brides-les-Bains. There are also four-night breaks to La Tania, further up the mountain, which start from £89 midweek.
Managing director Brendon Jones said the packages are aimed at keen skiers living in the southeast of England who are eager for the maximum amount of skiing for the minimum amount of time off work.
Harris Holidays offers 10 pick-up points in central London, Essex and Kent and travel is overnight in both directions.
“Our weekend breaks leave on Friday evening and arrive back in London at 6am on Tuesday morning, so customers only need to take one day off work for three days skiing,” said Jones.
By sticking to short breaks, he said the company was also avoiding head-to-head competition with Eurostar’s train services to the Alps.
“The train doesn’t allow people to do ski weekends, so we have got a niche in the market,” he added.
Although Harris Holidays sells through the trade, it gets very few bookings from agents, but Jones claimed those with a young clientele would do well to consider the packages.
“Agents don’t bother to sell this sort of product because they would be earning only about £10 a booking, but what they might not realise is that there is a lot of volume and those who do get behind us do well.”
Destinations Frequency Lead-in fare Journey time
Eurolines ex-central London
Andorra one a week £136 return 26hrs 30 mins
Annecy four a week £69 return 17hrs 55 mins
Basel two a week £69 return 14hrs 30 mins
Chambery four a week £69 returns 16hrs 40 mins
Chamonix four a week £69 return 19hrs 25 mins
Geneva four a week £69 return 17hrs
Grenoble four a week £69 return 15hrs 15 mins
Zurich two a week £69 return 15hrs 45 mins
Snowcoach ex-Watford
Andorra one a week £89 return 23hrs 30 mins
Kirchdorf one a week £89 return 21hrs max
Mayrhofen one a week £89 return 21hrs max
St Gervais one a week £89 returns 16hrs 30 mins