Ski Weekend Away

Posted by - James Eliot on Fri 7th September 2012

Ski holidays as a family or a couple can be extremely enjoyable, but going away for a ski weekend with a group of friends is pretty unrivalled in terms of fun. A ski weekend away provides a brilliant opportunity to grab a break from the norm with a group.

Accommodation-wise, you’ll usually be looking at hotels that can facilitate shorter duration trips, with availability being greatest outside of the busy periods - in peak time, most hotels and chalets will only take 7-night bookings. That means resorts with longer seasons are a sensible option when choosing a destination for your ski weekend, as you’ll find the snow conditions more reliable.

Another major deliberation point when choosing where to ski with a gang of mates will be, of course, the après-ski. It is important to make sure that the resort you pick will be one suited to tastes of the whole group. Of course, you could probably have a great time with your friends whatever your choice on where to ski, but here are some of our favourite resorts for a group ski weekend...

One of the liveliest resorts in terms of après is Chamonix, France. Try out the local bars including Chambre Neuf and Blue Night for a real night time experience. A vibrant nightlife combined with a range of non-ski activities on offer makes for a top weekend away with your mates. Italy’s Courmayeur is another resort with great ski weekend deals and a worthy resort with facilities letting you get a full ski experience on a short break.

Engelberg, Switzerland- The 'Mountain of the Angels' lies only 90 minutes south from Zurich, and offers a high quality and varied range of pistes. The Titlis cable car takes you above 3000m to the glacier, offering spectacular runs down into the town. Whilst Engelberg is a relatively small resort, it attracts a very cool, cosmopolitan clientele on the weekends, with a modern range of restaurants and bars. The Hotel Central is a friendly base, with a very convenient location.

Tignes, France is one of the jewels in the French crown, and is the first on many people's list when considering where to ski. It is a high-altitude resort with its own glacier (the Grand Motte), giving it a long and snow-sure season. Tignes is made up of several connected villages, but Le Lac is probably the one to go for if you want the best choice of bars and facilities. Check out the Chalet Alaska – it sleeps up to 26 and has its own hot tub and sauna.