Last Minute Flight Bargains to Popular Ski Airports - By: Jon Simpson

With booking capacity cut for ski and snowboard holidays this season, last minute bargains have been harder to find compared to previous winters.

However, there are still plenty of cheap flights to be found to ski airports, so if you’re happy to do a DIY ski trip, you can still bag a bargain to the slopes.

Here is a roundup of the best deals on cheap flights to Europe’s ski airports.

Geneva

Close to the French border (the airport even has a French sector) Geneva airport is an ideal landing point for skiers and snowboarders, offering the choice of over 100 ski resorts within two hours’ drive. So if you find yourself some flights to Geneva you will have a whole array of ski resorts to choose from. One of the closest is Lelex, a small resort served by 13 ski lifts, ideal for families and beginners. At the other end of the scale there’s Morzine, part of Les Portes Du Soleil ski area, a huge interlinked ski area offering some 650 different pistes, served by over 200 ski lifts.

Nice

Located for good access to the ski resorts of the Southern French Alps and Italian Alps, Nice offers access to 12 ski resorts within 3 hours drive. Isola 2000 is one of the best in range, rising to 2610m, and offering about 50 pistes and around 120km of downhill skiing and snowboarding. Alba, about 2.5 hours from Nice is an ideal choice for beginners, a compact area which is also good for cross country skiing, boasting 52km of Nordic trails.

Salzburg

Located in the north of Austria, Salzburg is surrounded by over 100 resorts to the south, east and west, all of which are less than 2 hours drive from the airport. Mayrhofen is one of the most famous in Austria; part of the Zillertal ski area, it offers access to 130 pistes. If you’re looking for a family ski area and need something with shorter drive times, try St Wolfgang, one of the closest ski areas to Salzburg; this small resort has 9 ski lifts as well as 30km of cross country trials.

Munich

A good access point for skiers with almost 100 ski resorts within 2 hours of the airport. Choose from a great selection of northern Austrian resorts, or for something a little different, why not visit a German ski resort? Though little known as a skiing destination, Germany has some great options; Sankt Englmar is a small ski area best suited to beginners and young families in the east of Germany – or try the Grainau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski zones – one of the bigger ski areas in Germany offering 44 pistes.

Grenoble

There are over 50 ski resorts within 1.5 hours of the airport, including some of the biggest and best such as Alp d’Huez, Courchevel, La Grave, Meribel and Valmorel. For somewhere a little more secret, try Autrans, a quieter area with 16 lifts and about 18km of downhill slopes as well as 160km of cross country ski trails.

Toulouse

Toulouse airport offers access to Pyrenean ski resorts in France, Andorra and Spain. So if you’re planning a ski break in Spain or Andorra, rather than scouring the web for flights to Spain have a look for Toulouse flights to give you even more flexibility. Pas de la Casa is a firm favourite with the Brits, renowned for its excellent value and lively après ski action, whilst the lesser known Andorran resort of Arcalis was recently named one of the most underrated ski resorts by The Times, due to its strong powder snow record and excellent off piste terrain.

Innsbruck

Sitting in the scenic Tyrol region, the city of Innsbruck offers oodles of outdoor fun, and lively nightlife. Surrounded by snow capped mountains, there are several ski areas in the area to choose from including Axamer Lizum, Igls and the Stubai Glacier. Nordpark is the closest to Innsbruck itself; go from city centre to ski slope in just 20 minutes by taking the funicular railway then cable car, but be warned – the ski area boasts one of the steepest runs in the Alps.

Milan Bergamo

Milan is a good entry point for Italy’s northern ski resorts. The little known ski areas of Como, Alba and Brusson are all just two hours away. Milan Bergamo is also a good airport for Livigno; a duty free ski resort with an excellent terrain park and good off piste options, Livigno is a quaint Alpine town untouched by overdevelopment. Families should note that it’s a five hour transfer by coach, so not ideal for small children.

Chambery

Deemed the ‘gateway to the French Alps’ Chambery is a top choice for skiers and snowboarders wanting quick access to the slopes. This small but modern ski airport is located just one hour away from several of France’s top ski resorts including La Tania, Courchevel, Méribel, Megeve and Valmorel.

Oslo

Olso has a number of small ski areas very close by and there’s even one within the city itself: Tryvann Vinterpark, which boasts seven lifts, 14 slopes, 381m of vertical and a terrain park. Hafjell/Lillehammer resort, one of Norway’s oldest and most prestigious winter destinations, is a two hour drive from Oslo. The wide variety of alpine slopes at Hafjell (which is just 15km from Lillehammer itself) makes this the place for downhillers, with 40km of runs and 15 lifts on offer.

About the Author

A true travel author, Jon loves nothing more than taking exciting journeys across the globe waiting for the next piece...

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Jon-Simpson/73396

Additional Articles From - Home | Travel & leisure | Aviation