Weekend Ski Breaks

W ith all the                    not forget the quick turn around,  technological advancement     online booking, "speedy check-in"  of the modern age, billed     and all to a premium ski           to make life easier, one can't        destination such as Geneva which   help but wonder why people seem       is within an hour of a snow        to be working harder than ever?       covered slope. Their schedules     Time is indeed a premium              consist of early morning or late   nowadays, making demands on           evening flights to fit in around   leisure time and the cost of a        your prior work commitments, a     short break heftier than ever         fast turnaround and generous hand  before.                               baggage policies which make them                                         even more convenient for weekend   However weekend ski breaks are        ski breaks.                        becoming the latest trend among                                          the white collar community. This      Unlike the more traditional        insatiable demand is driving the      weekly ski holiday which seems to  cost of scheduled airfares            get cheaper with time as over      through the roof. City boys and       committed Tour Operators sell off  girls are paying through the nose     seats at knock down prices - the   for their three day respite -         weekends work in a different way,  three days of skiing that can         and unfortunately scheduled        cost far more than a full two         airfares get more expensive with   week ski holiday in high season!      time.                                                                                                       Indeed the so called "budget          This is perhaps due to a number    airlines" have made skiing more       of reasons that drive demand;      accessible to "those with no          whether it is the uncertainty of   time", not so much in their low       snow, the popularity of DIY ski    fares, as their regular schedules     holidays or the premiums paid by   of up to 10 flights a day.. Let's     business class. One can't help     thinking that it is the sheer         Chamonix!                          time saving advantages of weekend                                        ski breaks that drive these costs     What can often turn out to be      skyward.                              just a 4 and a half hour trip                                            door to door, makes weekend ski    However it needn't be so              breaks comparable with a drive to  expensive. Forward planning           Cornwall, and thus all the more    allows weekend skiers to make use     attractive to city folk.           of buying cheaper flights far in                                         advance. The guaranteed snow of       But where to go?                   ski resorts close to Geneva,                                             (Chamonix and Morzine-Avoriaz),       Chamonix offers high altitude      give weekend skiers the peace of      skiing just 1 hour from Geneva.    mind to book early.                   With all its slopes above 2000                                           metres, and as the home to         4 and a half hours to resort:         Europe's highest mountain - it                                           offers snow sure climes from       A Gatwick or Luton to Geneve          December to May so you don't have  flight at 20.10 allows the keen       to book your weekend ski breaks    London worker to leave the office     at expensive last minute prices.   at between 5.30 and 6pm to get a      Chamonix also offers one of the    6.30 train before check in closes     most vibrant and eclectic cafe     at 7.30. The half hour check-in       cultures in the alps, and with     and the 1 and a half hour flight,     over 148 bars and 200 shops not    followed by a one hour transfer       to mention some of the best        to resorts such as Chamonix,          non-ski attractions in the alps,   Flaine, Les Gets or Morzine mean      Chamonix allows the time           that he or she can catch last         conscious skier to pack maximum    orders at the Budha bar in            action into their precious         Morzine or the famous Bdn bar in      weekend ski breaks.                                                                                         Morzine and Les Gets are also          box resort" with boutique             border-right: #BAC9FF 1px solid;   shopping, lovely restaurants and      margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom:    beautiful chalet-style                10px;" valign="top"                architecture.                         align="center">                                                           About the Author: Shaun Parker has been an avid skier for many years. He shares his knowledge to help advise people off on their ski holidays. Published At: www.Isnare.com