Is now a good time to get a bargain ski holiday in France?
Offers abound for cut-price accommodation, passes, and hire as season prepares to end
Many resorts still have good snow despite the arrival of sunnier days
IM_photo/Shutterstock
Now could be a good time to find a bargain deal for a last-minute ski holiday in France, to take advantage of resort offers ahead of the season’s closure for summer.
Promotions can include deals on accommodation, half-price equipment hire, and/or discounts on ski passes. Many of the offers are intended to tempt visitors to the resorts during the current “low season”, as warmer weather arrives and snow begins to melt in some areas.
Ski pass and accommodation bundles
Some resorts are offering bundles, in which ski passes and accommodation cost less if purchased together.
One example is Les Ménuires (Savoie), in the 3 Vallées ski area, where ski lifts will remain open until April 21, snow permitting. The resort is now offering discounts of up to 27% on its usual ski pass cost, with a price of €233 for six days instead of €320, if you buy the pass with your accommodation.
Tourist office director Marlène Giacometti, told France 3: “We are almost at the lowest point of the season, when occupancy drops to around 50-60%, whereas a few weeks ago it was 100%.” She added that accommodation prices are also falling at the resort.
Customer manager Margaux Laffitte, at the accommodation agency Agence des Alpes, said: “We have 30% off an initial rental price of €765, reducing the price to €535.50. It is very compelling, especially as we have flexibility on the dates of stay.”
Ms Laffitte said that these offers are particularly effective for visitors without children, or those visiting from abroad. This includes groups of friends and couples.
”We run promotional offers because the mountains tend to be rather neglected in April,” she said. “After winter and the February holidays, people tend to want to think about the sun, summer and the beach. But the mountains are still here.”
Read also: New blanket of snow arrives in southern French Alps
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Examples in other resorts include the Totem hotel in Flaine (Haute-Savoie), which is offering a seven-night stay for a discount of €1,028 per person, in comparison to the high season. Similarly, the Hotel Ibiza, in Les Deux Alpes, is currently offering a €982 per person discount for a seven-night, half-board stay for visitors flying in from the UK.
‘Beautiful days’
Equipment hire discounts of up to 50% can also save a family €200-400 or more, “which is not insignificant for a week's holiday”, said Maxime Péan of the Skimium shop in Les Ménuires.
One skier told France 3 that they visit in March and April “because it's outside the school holidays, the days are beautiful, they are long, it's not too cold, so we make the most of it”.
Read also: Good news for skiers in south of France as four resorts are open
One family from Montpellier said they paid €1,200 per person instead of the €2,500 they would expect for the same holiday during the peak winter season.
Discounts are expected to remain (although likely at slightly lesser rates) during the Easter holidays too, which in France this year will fall:
Zone A: April 19 to May 5
Zone B: April 5 to April 22
Zones C and D: April 12 to April 28
