Skiing Season Treats
NEW: VIP SKI hosts Health & Wellness ski retreat in Val d’Isère, France
VIP SKI’s Health & Wellness ski retreat is designed for the health-conscious traveller and pulls together a love of alpine life with a passion for wellbeing. After a day out on the slopes, skiers and snowboarders can look forward to soothing those aches and pains with discounted massages and treatments from Ski Physio, and can take part in daily yoga sessions, suitable for all levels, with Bonne Santé. Working in collaboration with NutritionMe, VIP SKI has designed a healthier menu option for the week with fresh, wholesome ingredients to ensure guests feel at optimum health for the days’ activities. Plus, guests can tailor-make their menu with focused nutritional advice from Jo Hollington, founder of NutritionMe, who will even stay at the chalet to give more help and guidance. Guests will also receive complimentary beauty and spa products as well as a welcome pack brimming with information about nutrition, hydration, sleep, mindset and movement. Based at the beautiful ski-in, ski-out Bellevarde Lodge in Val d’Isère, which sleeps 12 in six bedrooms, guests can take some time out in the chalet’s indoor pool and spa complex or in the outdoor hot tub with epic mountain views. The Health & Wellness ski retreat is priced from £1,449 pp (based on two sharing) arriving 6 January 2019. Price includes flights from London Gatwick, transfers and seven nights’ catered accommodation (cooked breakfast with homemade smoothies, healthy snacks to take up the mountain, healthy afternoon tea, three-course evening meal with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on six nights and a champagne and healthy canapé reception on the first and last evening). Book before 31 October 2018.
VIP SKI 0208 875 1957, www.vip-chalets.com
Val d’Isère: www.valdisere.com/en
NEW: AliKats Mountain Holidays, in Morzine, France, gives its guests free, reusable water pouches to reduce the number of plastic bottles
Ever since David Attenborough highlighted the devastating threat posed to the environment by plastic, AliKats Mountain Holidays has been keen to limit the use of plastic bottles. Therefore, the company has launched reusable water pouches, which are free to all guests who stay at the chalets. This serves as another step, by the company, towards its pledge to reduce, reuse and recycle as much plastic used in the chalets as possible. Staying hydrated on the mountain is important but does have environmental tolls if not done responsibly. Offering reusable water pouches spares damage to the environment whilst making sure guests drink enough water on the slopes. The pouches are made from high grade PVC, hold 400 ml of water, fold away when empty and come with a carabiner, allowing guests to clip it on to their backpack or belt loop when not in use. They are also highly functional in everyday life, with many guests continuing to them when back at home. A week’s stay, at The View, which was built exclusively for AliKats Mountain Holidays using local materials, costs from £780 pp (£7,785 total) for 10 people sharing the chalet. Price includes half-board accommodation with afternoon tea, fine wines paired with dinner, unlimited tea and coffee, pre-dinner cocktails and digestifs plus parking, use of the hot tub and committed service from the AliKats team.
AliKats (0203 514 6012, www.alikats.eu/
British Airways, easyJet and Laudamotion introduce more flights to Innsbruck, ready for the ski season in the Austrian Tirol
Travelling to the Austrian Tirol will now be even easier with British Airways, easyJet and Laudamotion increasing the number of flights to Innsbruck ready for the ski season. From 9 December 2018, British Airways will run flights from London Heathrow to Innsbruck every day of the week, bar Wednesday, as well as twice a day on weekends. A return flight, from London Heathrow to Innsbruck, with British Airways, costs from £66 pp. Additionally, easyJet is introducing a new flight from Manchester to Innsbruck, to be run every Sunday from December 2018 to March 2019. A return flight, from Manchester to Innsbruck, with easyJet, costs from £58 pp. Laudamotion (owned by Ryanair since March 2018) has also launched two new flights, one from London to Stansted to Innsbruck (every Sunday) and the other from Dublin to Innsbruck (every Saturday) – both new flights will be operating during the ski season (prices to be confirmed). Known as the Capital of the Alps, Innsbruck is close to a number of the Austrian Tirol’s best resorts such as St. Anton am Arlberg, Stubai and Mayrhofen.
For more information visit www.britishairways.com, www.easyjet.com or https://www.ryanair.com/la/en/.
Austrian Tirol: www.visittirol.co.uk
Fly from Bristol and save up to 40% on a February half term ski holiday to Åre, Sweden, with Ski Safari
Ski Safari customers can take advantage of flights from Bristol this season and save 40% on their winter trip when they stay at Åre Fjällby in Sweden. These self-catering apartments are great value and are located with easy access to the extensive slopes and charming village. Every residence is well equipped with catering amenities and guests have free use of saunas. Home to the World Ski Championships, Åre is perfect for families and intermediate skiers as they can practise on more than 1,000 acres of crowd-free ski terrain. The slopes are floodlit until 8 pm each evening, providing visitors with even more time to perfect their technique. For those that are more advanced, there is some great off-piste to be found, especially with the help of an expert guide. Aside from skiing, the historic lakeside town has zip wires, a chocolate factory, a distillery and live bands at the weekends. Dine at one of the two on-site restaurants after an exhilarating day of skiing, or party at the popular Bygget après-ski bar and nightclub. A seven-night stay, at the 3* Åre Fjällby, is priced from £699 pp, per studio that sleeps up to four people, departing 17 February 2019. Price includes flights and transfers. Book by 26 September 2018.
Ski Safari 01273 224060, www.skisafari.com
OFFERS
Save up to 50% on a ski holiday to Vemdalen, Sweden, with Ski Safari
Stay at Ski Safari’s boutique 3* Hovde Hotel in Vemdalen, Sweden, in January 2019 and enjoy quiet, snow-sure pistes. www.skisafari.com
Save 30% on an early booking at Les Chalet de la Tania, France, with Ski France
Les Chalet de la Tania reside in La Tania, the lesser known of The Three Valleys, which is nestled between Courchevel and Méribelance
Save up to 30% at the 4* Upper Village Condos in Panorama, Canada, with Ski Safari
Ski Safari’s 4* Upper Village Condos in Panorama, Canada, are a collection of luxury slope-side properties with exceptional ski-in, ski-out access. Ski Safari, www.skisafari.com
Save more than 20% this Christmas in Aime-la-Plagne, France, with Pierre & Vacances
Pierre & Vacances’ 4* Premium Residence Les Hauts Bois is a high-end ski-in, ski-out mountain retreat that sits in the family-friendly resort of Aime-la-Plagne. www.pierreetvacances.co.uk