Package holidays

If you are happy for someone else to take care of organising your ski and snowboard trip a package holiday might be worth considering.

Less Hassle - A package skiing or snowboarding holiday arranged through a travel agent or tour operator is seen by many as the easiest option.

On a package skiing and snowboarding holiday you choose where and when you want to go, how much you want to pay and everything else is taken care of.

Holiday Add-ons - Many winter sports tour operators provide a range of services that extend beyond the provision of travel, accommodation and lodgings. Many of these add-ons can be arranged in advance over the internet but you may prefer to leave this to the tour operator:

• Arrange Lift Passes - Some tour operators will guarantee you receive your lift-pass and equipment in time for your first morning on the slope, which is normally the day after you arrive.
• Arrange Ski and Snowboard Equipment Hire - If you are arriving late in the resort some tour operators are also able to fit you with boots and equipment in the evening when the local rental shops are closed.
• Arrange Ski and Snowboard Lessons - The ski and boarding lessons arranged by the tour operator can also save you some time when you arrive in the resort. If you're the social type these lessons will also allow you to meet up with fellow guests and give you someone to talk to in the bar when the day's skiing comes to an end.
  

The larger tour operators tend to use the resort's ski schools and instructors to provide their guests with tuition.

However, some tour operators, especially specialist independent tour operators, provide courses with their own qualified instructors. These companies offer a skiing or snowboarding holiday based around tuition rather than tuition being an optional extra.

Less Hassle and cheaper? - Arranging equipment hire, lift passes, and tuition can be done independently but it is often easier to leave this to the tour operator as it can save you time.

Remember, some tour operators are also able to negotiate preferential rates on products such as lift passes, lessons, and equipment hire but it is also now possible to arrange these add-ons in advance over the internet so make sure you shop around.

Social Skiing and Boarding - In addition to organised tuition, tour operators often give you the chance to ski and board with fellow guests through resort familiarisation sessions or organised day trips to nearby resorts.

These social sessions are usually carried out by the tour operator's resort representatives and will not include tuition or off-piste guiding. The purpose of these sessions is to show guests around the public areas of the mountain.

These social sessions will not include tuition so they are best undertaken once you have developed the basic skills of skiing and boarding. Similarly, if you join a trip to a nearby resort remember to check there are enough runs in that resort that match you're ability.

Resort Representative - Most tour operators will provide their guests with an English-speaking resort representative. Their knowledge of the area and the resort's facilities can be really useful if you are completely new to winter sports.

Tailor-Made Packages - Tour operators can also offer tailor-made skiing and snowboarding holidays. So if you want to combine your skiing or boarding with a city-break or some sightseeing, you don't have to spend time working out itineraries and transport.

Blurring of the lines - Independent travel is becoming more and more popular among winter sports holiday enthusiasts and this may be because it is now possible to arrange most of the holiday add-ons traditionally supplied through the package tour operators through other means - either by yourself over the internet or through your accommodation provider. So the advice is to shop around and work out what you are paying for.

Summary - The main points to consider with package ski or snowboarding holidays are that you can have a sociable, organised holiday where much of the legwork is done for you. You can also end up saving time and money due to the fact that many tour operators are able to negotiate discounts and provide resort staff to deliver the products and services you will need. However, all of your holiday add-ons can now easily be arranged independently by you or in some cases by your accommodation provider so for the best choice of holiday look at both packages and independent travel.

Click on the following link to see a range of package ski holidays:

Latest deals on lastminute.com

Or continue to the Origin Sports guide to Independent Ski Holidays.