Time to decide where to go skiing this season if you haven't yet - or even snowboarding for the really adventurous. Today I decided to give you a run down of what the major ski tour operators are offering this year. Ski holidays have grown significantly in the past five years and last season more than 40,000 people took to the snow slopes.
Topflight, the independent Irish operator, is again this year offering Austria, Italy and Andorra. During the year it purchased Funski, the Cork-based ski company, and the new brochure, available from travel agents from September 24th, will incorporate Funski. In Italy, Topflight will operate to Livigno and Bormio, with prices beginning at £289 for a week. Learn-to-ski packages are from £175, which includes equipment, lessons and lift passes. Livigno also offers duty-free shopping.
Austria has many ski resorts, including Lermoos, Soll, Zell am See, Westendorf, Mayrhofen, St Anton, Lech, St Johann in Tirol and Kitzbuhel. Many of them offer high altitude skiing and some have glacier skiing, which doesn't mean skiing on ice but that the mountains are so high they are always snowy. Austria is very popular with Irish people and has a great reputation for apres ski, with bars often open until the early hours and also offering a vibrant range of clubs, restaurants and discos. Ski packages from £135.
Andorra has become the haunt of the young beginners and Topflight will operate to Soldau/El Tartar, Arinsal and Pal. Duty-free drinks add an extra dimension to visits and, if you're planning to buy ski clothes or equipment, wait until you get there. Best value package at the Hotel Club Diana, on selected dates, of £489 for seven-night half board and six days ski package. Topflight will also operate from Cork to Andorra.
Falcon Holidays will operate to Italy and Andorra this season. In Italy the resorts are Livigno and Sauze D'Oulx, which give you a chance to ski sans frontieres into France to Montgenevre. In Andorra Falcon will operate to Soldau, Arinsal and Pas de las Casa. Learn- to-ski packages from £119. Falcon also has what it calls Snow Cuses packages from £53, which include welcome parties, pub crawls, skidoo riding, party night, trial snowboarding day and free entrance to one of the hottest night clubs one evening.
Falcon, with its reputation for good family holidays, has very child-friendly specials, with free insurance for children and child prices from £79. Some resorts also offer free lift passes for children from 6-11 years with reductions for older kids. Falcon ski explorers also operate in most resorts to help you make the most of your holiday - ski explorers are seasoned skiers who know their areas and will show you the best and longest runs and generally help familiarise you with the pistes. Board outriders will also do the same for snowboarders.
This season Panorama will introduce France and Austria to its extensive range of resorts in Andorra, Italy and Spain. In France the resorts are Les Deux Alpes and Alp d'Heuz and in Austria, Sol, Kitzbuhel and Saalbach. Prices start from £239 and packages are also available from Cork to Andorra and Livigno in Italy. Week-long ski packs are from £155 and there will also be a chance to ski safari in Andorra for £215. A ski safari allows you to ski in five separate areas and includes return transport each day. In Spain Panorama will be offering the resort of Formigal, an inexpensive place that is beginner-friendly, but limited for advanced skiers.
Inghams Ski has almost 40 resorts in seven countries and flights from Dublin, Cork and Shannon. The countries are Andorra, Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the US. Learn-to-ski packs begin at £105 in Italy. It offers an extensive choice of apartments, hotels and B&B. Experienced skiers will enjoy choosing from the wide range of resorts.
Crystal Holidays has an even more extensive range of resorts, with 58 in eight countries including Slovenia, Canada and the US. Crystal also has over 40 chalets for groups travelling together. Chalets are catered and an ideal way for hungry skiers to enjoy the freedom of your own place without the cooking. Three meals a day are prepared and include wine with dinner. Families can also take advantage of the Crystal Nanny Service and the Whizz Kids Clubs in 16 resorts and free child places at selected family hotels. Crystal can also offer two-centre holidays in some countries.
If you like to make your own arrangements, Ski McNeill is a specialist in organising tailor-made packages to suit all levels of ski ability and price range. It has an extensive selection of resorts in the US and Canada as well as Europe. It can offer over 120 resorts, 20 in the US and over 600 choices of accommodation. On the SkiMcNeill website you can check out all the resorts for terrain reports, apres ski, eating out, altitude, ambience and lift pass cost. During the season you can also check out snow reports. The `late offers' section lets you find current bargains. Other useful features include a family friendly section. You can visit them on www.skimcneill.com or freefone on 1 800 40 94 95.
If you're planning on going skiing the Ski Club of Ireland runs lessons all through the autumn and winter on its dry slopes at Kilternan, Co Dublin. Lessons will give you a good idea of what to expect. You can book on (01) 2955658.
Finally, skiers and snowboarders can discover what the American resorts have to offer for the season at the Ski USA show in the Stillorgan Park Hotel on Tuesday, October 19th, from 5.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. More than 20 US ski resorts will be represented and Ski McNeill will be on hand to answer queries.