Posts Tagged ‘skiing holidays’
Our Favourite Quieter Resorts
Avoriaz, France. Credit: Avoriaz Tourism
You might be looking to spend your time on the mountain in a slightly quieter resort with fewer lift queues this year, or for a resort where you can avoid using enclosed lifts like gondolas and cable cars. So here are a few of our suggestions for our top recommended quieter ski resorts: Read the rest of this entry »
Fly like an Eagle – Zip Trek Eco Tour
Ziplining in the snow. Credit to: Tourism Whistler
Zip Trek Eco Tours are a hair raising pursuit come snow or sun, operating throughout the winter and summer seasons they provide the perfect après-ski activity for kids (6 and over) and grown-ups alike. My family, particularly my two teenage sons, were determined to try out this high flying adventure on our recent Summer holiday to Whistler – we weren’t disappointed! Read the rest of this entry »
Whistler Expansion: 2 Brand New Ski Lifts
Whistler Blackcomb has long been considered one of the best places to ski on the planet: its allure an almost intangible mix of scenery, culture, terrain and of course, snow conditions. I first skied there in 1999 and was hooked immediately – as our airport transfer seamlessly transported us up the fabled Sea to Sky highway it seemed like we had landed on another planet rather than another country. The road follows the Howe Sound once North of Vancouver before splitting cross country towards the forested mountains on the horizon and is surrounded by scenic beauty on a scale I had never encountered before. Enough reminiscing though, what is really exciting about Whistler Blackcomb is Read the rest of this entry »
Switzerland Comes to Edinburgh
On Wednesday 18th April, Ski Independence and Osprey Holidays had the pleasure of welcoming many of our Travel Agency partners to Edinburgh Castle for an evening of education, wine and nibbles, hosted by Switzerland Tourism.
The evening began with a traditional Scottish welcome as guests walked over the drawbridge and up the steps to the castle, accompanied by the skirl of pipes, with the Edinburgh skyline shimmering in the rare evening sunshine – stunning! Our Swiss friends, old and new, came to Edinburgh to promote their regions and transportation, and the theme for the evening was water – something Switzerland has in abundance with its lakes, waterfalls, fountains and glaciers.
Roddy from Reel Time Events welcomes guests to Edinburgh Castle
It was fantastic to see so many travel agents – we talk on the phone so often, but rarely meet face to face, so it’s great to put a few faces to names. Every stand was buzzing with conversation as the agents sought to solve the puzzle and find ‘Bella the Cow’ to be in with a chance of winning a Fam trip to Switzerland. Bella travels all over Switzerland, and has been seen in many resorts including Villars, Saas Fee and Zermatt.
The BA Sale
If the festive period has left you exhausted and in need of a winter holiday, now has never been a better time to book your 2012 ski holiday. The British Airways Sale is now on and we have some fantastic savings to our most popular USA and Canadian destinations. These amazing deals are available on Economy, World Traveller Plus and Club World flights where you can save up to £1,000 on the regular flight price! Read the rest of this entry »
Ptarmigan Chalet, Vail
30 feet of light dry fluffy powder and an annual average of 300 blue sky days a year means Vail Colorado is always near the top of any list of the world’s best ski destinations. Vail Mountain offers a heavy mix of alpine bowls, glades and wide-open trails linked by a super quick and efficient modern lift system. The town of Vail serves up some exceptional après ski, dining and shopping – everywhere you go, superb service is the order of the day. Read the rest of this entry »
Traditional doesn’t mean old fashioned in the Austrian Ski Circus
I’m just back from a week in Austria after a long time away and wondering why I left it so long! Nowhere else in the world offers quite the same experience – on or off the slopes. Maybe it’s because skiing is Austria’s national sport, maybe it’s because après ski is their unofficial national sport (!) or it could be the luxury of heated chairlifts, modern gondolas and nifty gadgets…
A good few years back I spent some time working in a small Austrian resort in the Ski Circus – where the linking lifts to Saalbach were mainly slow T-Bars operated by the farmers who owned the land. Many a time I had to make a call to the local taxi driver to get me home after finding that farmer Joe had packed up early!! But even then there were signs of innovation – it was one of the first areas to introduce the hands free keycard system for lift tickets, and most mountain restaurants provided hairdryers and glove and boot warmers. Something that’s yet to catch on in the rest of the world – why?!!
Head to the "Ski Circus" for a bit of fun!
Where are you going skiing in 2011/12?
This season is still in full swing, and with record levels of snow in Whistler, Mammoth and Colorado my feet are still itching to get some more turns in before packing away my boots.
However, I’ve also been tempted by some of next season’s early booking offers available in both North America and Europe. The Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Westin Resort and Spa in Whistler have a superb 50% off early booking deal, resulting in some of the best prices around. These are proving very popular with many clients having taken advantage already for next winter. I have to say that I’m pretty tempted to get my ski holiday booked early too!
Superb March conditions in Whistler
Some of the French properties are getting involved as well and have released their rates for 2011/12 – the earliest we’ve ever seen. We’re delighted to offer 10% off a range of luxury self catered properties including four in Tignes, a brand new property in Alpe d’Huez and a new property in the resort of Val Cenis, which is on the French/ Italian border and is a very exciting addition to our European menu.
Choices, Choices… If you’re looking to next season and want to get the best price, just drop us a line and we’ll let you know the latest offers. There’re certainly some crackers out there, and it seems that the topic of conversation at the moment is “Where will we go next year?”…
New Ski Club GB Website Launched
The Ski Club of Great Britain, the UK’s most established snowsports organisation, has re-launched its website. Read the rest of this entry »
Short break to Villars?
Last week Claire, our European Assistant Product Manager, took a quick trip to Villars in Switzerland to see what’s new for the season ahead and to see why it is such a popular choice for Ski Independence clients.
Upon arrival at Geneva Airport, we headed to the train station, which is just a short walk from arrivals, to catch our Swiss rail transfer to Villars. This is becoming an increasingly popular method of transfer to resort and it’s easy to see why. It must have been one of the most enjoyable and easiest ski transfers I have experienced. Displayed throughout the station, all the timetables give you the correct platform you need to be on and when the next departure is. As it is to be expected, all of the trains run with Swiss efficiently and depart on time. Read the rest of this entry »
