The thought of skipping out of the office on a Thursday afternoon, heading to the airport and onwards to the Alps to hopefully find some fresh snow for a few days is a prospect that fills me with excitement. Sometimes just a couple of days of skiing are enough. Either to top up a week’s ski holiday earlier or later in the season, or if you can’t travel for a week, it keeps the ski bug at bay!

This blog looks at how you might make that ski weekend a little easier, more efficient and how you can maximise your time on the slopes, sipping vin chaud at après or unwinding in the evenings. Whilst ski weekends are a little different and short-break ski trips require a little more precision planning, they can be an excellent way to enjoy the mountains. 

We have been planning ski weekends for couples, friends, groups and corporate parties for many years now and have really fine-tuned this to maximise the potential of a few days off. The key components to consider are: when you’re going to go, how you’re going to get there, where you’re going to stay and how you can make everything as seamless as possible. Actually, the last part is our job!

When to go is not so much a question of the time of year as it is about the days of the week to travel. It is good to bear in mind that most chalets have a changeover day of Saturday or Sunday so the best availability and the most readily available breaks are starting or finishing on a weekend, i.e. Thursday – Sunday, Sunday – Wednesday. With hotels these can be a little more flexible so it is important to consider if you have your heart set on staying in a chalet.

In terms of how you’re going to get there, my recommendation is to get a flight straight from work if possible or to leave first thing in the morning if you can and to return on a late flight home. This will enable you to get as much time away on the slopes and eek out those extra turns on the piste. The length of your transfer time is also a key element to short breaks in my opinion – too long and you lose too much time travelling, time which could be spent in resort.

Ski resorts such as Morzine, Chamonix, Samoëns, St. Anton and Verbier to name just a few, are best equipped for short-breaks as they are close to a number of airports. In terms of airports; Geneva especially is easy to travel to and there are plenty of flights on offer from various destinations in the UK. Have a read of our blog, Which Airports Are Closest To Your Favourite Ski Resort, to find out more about transfer times! Another factor with this is that transfers are more readily available to some resorts mid-week than others so do get in touch if you would like more information. Private transfers ensure the ultimate in ease and flexibility and if your preferred ski resort is a short transfer time away from the airport it does mean the transfers are typically more cost effective too!

Where you’re going to stay really does depend on your budget as well as how many of you there are (sole use of chalets for short-breaks is typically much more accommodated than a room by room booking). Below I have placed a summary of just some of the best properties for short-breaks that I would like to suggest which hopefully gives a good indication of what we can offer. 

Chalet Bouquetin, Morzine (sleeps 10): just over an hour away from Geneva airport is the beautiful 10 bed person Chalet Bouqetin, ideal for corporate trips and groups of friends. With stunning living space, outdoor hot-tub with divine views and chauffeur to and from the slopes, it’s a fantastic option. 

Chalet Le Chardon, Val d’Isère (sleeps 20): whilst a little further away this is a stunning 20 person chalet perfectly placed for corporate groups. With two hot-tubs, an outdoor swim-spa and gourmet dining, plus with the chalet being ski-in/ski-out it really does help maximise ski time on a short-break!

Chalet Montfort, St. Anton (sleeps 20-24 + 6-8 at Chalet 53): perfect for corporate groups, the Chalet Montfort is close to the heart of the bustling resort of St. Anton. There’s plenty of living space, gourmet dining and a complimentary bar to make use of. The chalet can also be combined with the Chalet 53 for larger groups, forming the Montfort Lodge.

Club Med Grand Massif Samoëns Morillon, Samoëns (bookable by the room): this can be sensational value for short-breaks. Just an hour away from Geneva is this all-inclusive modern hotel. Ski-in/ski-out with full board, complimentary drinks, travel and a lift pass included, prices typically start from around £1,000 per person for three days. This is ideal for couples and families.

W Hotel Verbier, Verbier (bookable by the room): this is extravagant 5* luxury epitomised. Utterly chic and charming with incredible facilities in the heart of resort and ski-in/ski-out. Whether a romantic weekend away, an après filled few days with friends, or launching a new product to clients, W Hotel Verbier is perfectly suited.

As I mentioned making everything as seamless as possible is down to us. We’ll make sure the little things are thought of as well as big things so that when you’re on holiday you can unwind and put some time in on the slopes. 

Let’s not forget about our concierge service. We pay attention to every detail from ensuring your lift passes are waiting for you on arrival, depending on the resort we can have ski hire come directly to the chalet, and arrange ski guiding or lessons, as well as restaurant bookings, to make sure you maximise your time away!