Ski: New for this season…

The first snow has yet to fall in the Alps but ski brochures are in the shops and ready to book. Travel Weekly takes a look at six of the biggest mainstream programmes to find out what’s new for winter 2004/05. All prices include flights.

Brochure: Ski and Snowboarding. Features 86 resorts in 11 countries across the US. Tailor-made short breaks are available in France and Switzerland and ski weddings can be arranged in Austria and North America.

What’s new? The Serbian resort of Kopaonik has been reintroduced and Copper Mountain in Colorado, where every skier is eligible for a free lift pass, has also been added. Also new are Cavalese in the Italian Dolomites, Kaprun in Austria and a new all-inclusive resort for beginners in Trins, Austria. Kids’ facilities have been boosted with 10 new crèches, three new Kidzone Clubs, free child places in selected accommodation and discounted child prices starting at £99 in Europe and £299 in the US.

Sample product: one week’s, half-board at the two-star Hotel Putnik in Kopaonik, Serbia, starts at £299 per person.

Brochure: The Ski Brochure. Covers 141 resorts in 13 countries, including short breaks, ski weddings in North America and Austria, two-centre holidays and learn to ski or board weeks.

What’s new? Sweden and Finland have been added as part of a new section on high-adrenaline mountain activity holidays, as well as airboarding in Italy, ice diving in France and ice karting in Austria. Also new are Copper Mountain and Telluride in Colorado, Quebec City in Canada, Ischgl and Galtur in Austria, Isola 2000 and Le Grand Bornand in France and Aosta in Italy. The childcare programme has been expanded.

Sample product: one week’s self-catering in Isola 2000 in France costs £249 per person, including car hire.

Brochure: Ski and Snowboard. The programme covers 58 resorts in 10 countries (Travel Weekly August 8). Learn to Turn packages are available for beginners at 10 resorts.

What’s new? Copper Mountain has been added, with free lift passes for every skier, plus City and Ski weekends in Oslo, Norway, seven additional Neilson-exclusive chalets and more than 50 new hotels. Learn to Turn weeks have been added in Tignes, France. The family offering has been improved with Snowman Clubs for kids aged two to five, in four resorts.

Sample product: a weekend in Oslo starts at £299 per person for three nights including breakfast.

Brochure: Snowsports.

Covers 61 resorts in eight countries, including the US. Wedding packages are available in Austria and Canada. Twin-centres can be arranged.

What’s new? Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Lake Tahoe and Winter Park. Five new properties have been added in Whistler, Canada. Free lift passes are available for the first time in selected US resorts. One in four people travel free on group bookings. Christmas and New York flights have been adjusted to offer a choice of five, six or seven-night holidays to avoid travelling on key dates.

Sample product: seven nights’ self-catering in a studio apartment start at £495 per person.

Brochure: Ski. Covers 95 resorts in 12 countries, including Lapland, Slovenia and Romania, with a wide choice of UK departure airports. Short breaks are available in Austria, Switzerland and Norway and five-night packages are available in Switzerland and Norway.

What’s new? Ruka in Finnish Lapland and Kranjska Gora in Slovenia. Seven new flights have been added, including three with low-cost carrier Zoom to Canada. A 31-room Clubhotel has been added in the Swiss resort of Verbier. Also new is a Fit to Ski guide, with a pre-ski exercise and eating plan, for £5.95.

Sample product: seven nights’ accommodation-only at the Kelokivakka Cabins in Ruka start at £342 per person.

Brochure: Ski and Board. Features 102 properties in 13 resorts in France, Austria, Italy and Andorra. It also offers pre-Christmas four-night breaks to Soldeu in Andorra.

What’s new? Ten Body and Soul four and five-star hotels. New properties have been added in Les Deux Alpes, France, Sauze D’Oulx, Italy and Saalbach in Austria. New for Andorra is the option to prebook the Granvalira lift pass. Also offered for the first time are independent packages to France, Livigno in Italy and Andorra, consisting of car hire and apartment rental.

Sample product: seven nights’ half-board at the four-star Hotel Sonnschein in Neiderau, Austria – a Body and Soul property – start at £359 per person.