Ski - Package vs self select

Piste by piece?

Package or self-selected? Cloud Nine asks the experts the best way to book a snow sport holiday.

With the explosion in popularity of price comparison internet sites and the easy way of researching and booking many elements of your holiday yourself online, the self-build holiday has taken the travel world by storm. But the package holiday is by no means on the decline, especially for the ever-popular winter ski and snowboard break. Cloud Nine talks to some of the leading players in the industry for their views on the best way to book and enjoy the downhill fun - without any of the downsides.

The sky above is a flawless blue, paler and wider than usual: from your mountaintop vantage the horizon stretches for mile after craggy mile. Below lies the pristine white racetrack, ready for the first run of your downhill adventure. Adjust those fashionable new shades, draw a crisp lung full, and you're off…

This may sound like the start of a skiing (or snowboarding) holiday, but it's also the end of a process to get your heavily booted feet to the top of that big slippery hill. For some, the getting there is half the fun. For others that's someone else's job and booking a holiday should be just that - a holiday, not whole load of work. There's an argument for each approach to reaching the top of that hill, depending on how experienced you might be, the type of resort you like, how big your party is (or how small the people in that party are), how flexible you can be, how much effort you want to put in and, of course, the money.

The case for packages

"I wouldn't recommend a self-select holiday for first time skiers,"advises Bob Atkinson, resident travel expert at travelsupermarket.com."Go with a package your first time to get the best experience out of your holiday. A package holiday does have a lot going for it.Tour operators are good at providing a good product - like picking the best resort for families. "Skiing can be expensive because of all the add-ons like ski passes, equipment hire transfers and so on, so package can be a way of getting a good price."

The benefit for first time snow sports holiday makers of taking the package option is especially strong under the innovate 'Fresher's SkiWeek'scheme - a kind of 'try before you buy'option for ski and snowboard newcomers.Marion Telsnig of Crystal Ski explains:"one week starting either the 17th or 24th January 2009, participants in Ski Fresher's Week only have to pay for the standard cost of their package holiday - flights, hotels and transfers. The first 1,000 genuine first timers will be given free tuition, free lift passes and free equipment hire in a bid to attract them to the sport.

"So if you have ever felt left out when your friends or work colleagues have returned from the slopes brimming with action packed stories of their fun in the mountains and secretly wished you had learnt earlier now's your chance to get started!"

So for first timers a package (especially during Fresher's SkiWeek) seems like a sensible option - if you're not a snow sports expert yourself, why not take the advice from someone who is an expert?

Tour operators have been offering packages to the snowier parts of Europe for a while now, they've got the hang of it and they know the type of holiday that people will enjoy.

As Giles Helbert, operations director of tour company MarkWarner, observes, they have a good reason for getting it right:"As a tour operator, it's in our interest to send people somewhere they're going to have a good holiday, or you very quickly run out of clients. If you go with a trustworthy name you're going to get a tried and tested holiday that we know people enjoy. As most people only get four weeks a year holiday they need to know that they're going somewhere good in that precious time off.

"Some might prefer to be a bit more pioneering - so you might have great holiday one year, but something not so good the next."

It's not just the reassurance of knowing that you're likely to be going to a good resort that a package has to offer, there's the added security of knowing that you've got experienced back-up at hand in case anything should go wrong.

"Consumer protection is a big advantage of package versus self-select," says Lynsey Devon, public relations manager for ski and snowboard specialist, Inghams. "Our air holidays and flights are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). All other holidays are bonded with the Federation of Tour Operators (FCO), which means that clients have a level of help and support should anything go wrong."

As well as the benefit of minimising the risks for your mountain holiday, there's also the appeal of the convenient - which isn't about being lazy - it also means that you can maximise your time on the slopes once you've arrived in your resort, as Neilson Ski managing director, Pete Tyler explains:"I guess the real benefit of a packaged ski holiday is that everything is covered in the one booking, taking the hassle out of booking everything separately. Another major benefit of ski packages is that you can book lift passes, ski school and equipment all before you travel, giving you more time to enjoy the slopes!"

Why B.I.Y?

Yes, there is a lot going for the good old package holiday, especially for a trip as obviously complex and specialist as snow sports.That said, the Book-It-Yourself style trip has its advantages too.Why else would it be growing in popularity so much?

"Self-select is more flexible, better if you're looking for a break that's shorter or longer than standard seven-day blocks," thinks Andrew Pumphrey, marketing and content director of laterooms.com.

It's not just time-flexibility that comes with the B.I.Y. snow sport break, Andrew continues:"Another good aspect of the flexibility is if you choose to stay somewhere close to (but not actually on) the slopes, but that does mean that you need a car, as you don't want to rely on bus services, which could make you feel a little trapped.

"You can do a two-centre holiday more readily - maybe beach and hills in a single trip.And if you don't like one resort you don't feel so marooned, you can explore the smaller resorts, but it does involve some work - you have to do your research in advance."

The rise and rise of the budget air carriers has gone hand-in-hand with the rise of the internet self-booked holiday.The profusion of destinations and flight frequencies strengthens the flexibility benefit for self-selectors.

"We don't force passengers into particular travel dates, so they can travel when they like,"comments Bridget Dowling, marketing manager of Ryanair."The vast majority of our routes - like the popular ski destinations from Birmingham to Turin, Cuneo and Perpignan - are high frequency services, so you're not tied to standard holiday durations."

So if flexibility and the thrill of discovering something new for yourself does appeal, where would be the best place to start? The advice seems to be that you do need to do your homework in advance. Back to Bob Atkinson of travelsupermarket.com: "If you are going self-select, then do your research. Start by looking at the destinations available from your local airport, then find the resorts that are a short transfer from there.Make sure the resort has all the right facilities for you, whatever you're looking for.

"Once you've decided on destination, airport and resorts, do a price-comparison for your flight; for example if you're looking to fly into Geneva then there are lots of carriers to choose from. And within your resort there are going to be a range of accommodation types, and individual establishments, again - do your price and specification comparisons."

If you're going to the trouble of researching and booking your trip yourself, don't necessarily go for the higher end resorts, even if you already have some experience on the slopes. Pick a destination that's right for you, as Andrew Pumphrey of laterooms.com picks up: "Decide on which country first, then what type of resort with what sort of facilities, modern or traditional, family-friendly or party town and so on.

"If you're a beginner there's no point paying for the prestige resorts with lots of black runs that you simply won't ever get on. It's better to choose a pretty village with easy slopes - the Pyrenees are great for that. Or flying toVenice is good for skiing in the Dolomites, which are not so mainstream and you can combine your holiday with seeing the city."

Whatever your choice of self-built ski holiday it's important to bear in mind that you are going it alone, aside from standard protection under the law, there's no package company there to help you if things go wrong.

"With self-build holidays just make sure you book with a credit card for a degree of protection,"adds Andrew Pumphrey. "Of course you'd have to be mad to ski with no insurance and as for hotels - don't pay 'till you stay."

Timed to perfection

When to make your booking is as big a question as where or how, and again much depends on the type of holiday you're going for (and who you're going with).

"As a tour operator I'm always going to say book as far ahead as possible!"says Giles Helbert of MarkWarner."For skiing holidays there's only a finite number of beds close to the slopes and they fill up, especially in the holiday seasons, or if you're booking as a group.

"That said, an advantage of booking last minute is that you can react to where there's good snow."

The'book early, but look out for the late opportunities' formula is echoed by Shelley Hinde, marketing manager of easyJet: "The best rule of thumb is the earlier you book, the cheaper the fare, however we do launch some sales from time to time on our website, so if you're waiting for a bargain to allow that 2nd or 3rd ski trip of the season, the best way to find out is by signing up to our ski database."

On the up-slope

With the fall in prices and rise in popularity of short haul air travel, more snow sports destinations are moving into the mainstream, increasing the supply of new resorts to meet the increasing demand of more snow sports fans.The classic resorts around the European Alps and the Pyrenees are always a safe bet. But what other destinations are on the up?

"Budget ski destinations such as Sofia will be key this year,'adds Shelley Hinde of easyJet, "but the old favourites like Geneva, Lyon and Innsbruck remain as popular as ever."

While Pete Tyler of Neilson thinks there's a trend across the North Sea: "We have seen a big growth in Scandinavia.We operate in Finland, Sweden and Norway, and the packages prove popular with families, as there is so many activities off the snow as well on the snow."

The Scandinavian trend as also been spotted by Crystal Ski, as Marion Telsnig observes:"Finland is proving to be increasingly popular with families as there's so much else to do besides skiing. Husky sledding, reindeer sleigh rides, ice fishing, ice driving, visiting Father Christmas and more means that there's plenty to keep everyone happy - and the prices are very reasonable, too.

"Slightly further afield, good snow and even better prices can be found in the former eastern block countries."Bulgaria is one of the newer places that's coming up," says Andrew Pumphrey of laterooms.com. "Think about staying 30 mins from slopes and try different resorts from day to day, which means you won't get bored.

"Where ever you choose to ski and whatever method you use to book it, there's a mountain of choice available from Birmingham International Airport.The next question is what to wear when you get there - but that's a whole other feature…