Demand For Festive Skiing Is Up: Heidi Sees 73% Rise In Christmas Ski Holiday Bookings
Christmas and New Year ski trips are still firmly on wish lists this winter, with Heidi reporting a 73% rise in Christmas ski holiday bookings to Europe compared to last year.
There are certain things to bear in mind for a festive ski trip. Marcus Blunt, Co-Founder of Heidi, answers seven of the most-searched phrases on Google about skiing over Christmas and New Year:
- Is Christmas a good time to ski?
- Where is the best snow at Christmas in Europe?
- Is it expensive to ski at Christmas?
- Are ski lifts open on Christmas Day?
- Where is best to go skiing for Christmas?
- Where is best to ski over New Year?
- Can you ski on New Year’s Day?
- Is Christmas a good time to ski?
“This depends on your priorities and preferences. Is it a good time for uncrowded resorts and super cheap prices? Not exactly. But it’s hard to beat a snowy ski resort for festive magic, especially if you’re taking children. As for New Year’s Eve, being in the mountains is a truly special place to celebrate, and ringing in a new year with some fresh New Year’s Day skiing is hard to beat.”
Where is the best snow at Christmas in Europe?
“Christmas comes quite early in the ski season, so if snow is your top priority, the two main things to consider are altitude and latitude. Resorts with slopes at high altitude are your best bet, including Zermatt in Switzerland, La Plagne or Les Deux Alpes in France, or Sölden in Austria. Alternatively, head north to colder, snow-sure Scandinavia, where you also have a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights as a special Christmas present.”
Is it expensive to ski at Christmas?
“Christmas is peak timing for ski resorts - mainly due to school holidays - so it is more expensive than other periods during the season, although usually cheaper than February half term. But while the festive period is famously one of the busiest times of the year to go skiing, it’s also one of the most magical. If you’re trying to decide on whether to go skiing over Christmas or New Year’s, Christmas is usually cheaper and less crowded.”
“There are ways to save money though, even over Christmas and New Year. For example, check if avoiding Saturday flights makes it cheaper, as it’s often the most expensive day to travel. If you can be flexible on your dates, use the flexible date search on the Heidi website to see the cheapest ski holidays in that date range.”
“You could also consider lesser-known, cheaper ski resorts. With over 300 to choose from, Heidi offers some hidden gems that are often cheaper than the classics whilst still being connected to a big ski area. Lastly, opt for self-catering - we’ve seen a 142% rise in self-catering booking for week-long holidays in December, compared to last year.”
Are ski lifts open on Christmas Day?
“Yes, resorts usually open ski lifts as normal. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day can actually deliver wonderfully empty slopes, as most festive holiday makers tend to get in a few runs in the morning before heading back to their accommodation for a Christmas Day feast. You may even still get the occasional skiing Santa flying past.”
Where is best to go skiing for Christmas?
So you’ve decided that Christmas is definitely when you want to go skiing. The next bit is choosing where to go. Many resorts pull out the festive stops over Christmas - here are four of the most magical.
La Plagne, France
Heidi’s current top seller for Christmas 2024 is the French resort of La Plagne, and for good reason. It’s high altitude, super family friendly, and offers some great value accommodation. From the beginning of December when La Plagne’s Christmas lights are switched on, there’s a medley of Christmas concerts, festive markets, parades, live music and a torchlit descent to enjoy as the resort gears up for Christmas and New Year. At La Plagne’s Christmas Village there are activities for the whole family, including the chance to meet Papa Noël.
Where to stay: Lagrange Vacances Les Chalets Edelweiss (4-star), £705pp for 7 nights’ self-catering (Saturday 21st - 28th December 2024), based on 2 adults and 2 children sharing an apartment. Includes return London - Geneva flights and airport transfers. The hotel has a swimming pool, is ski-in/ski-out, and a 5-minute walk to the resort centre.
Zell am See, Austria
The natural beauty of Zell am See takes on a whole new level at Christmas. It’s also home to one of the best Christmas markets in Europe. The bustling village centre is full to the brim with wooden trinkets, handmade toys, baked Austrian sweets and Gluhwein by the gallon. On Christmas Day, head down to the water's edge to watch the annual Christmas tree dive, when locals immerse a sparkling Christmas tree in Lake Zell before retrieving it again. Symbolic of lives saved on the lake, festive music and a circle of torchlight beckon the tree back to shore.
Where to stay: Hotel Heitzmann (4-star), £1,506pp for 7 nights’ B&B (Saturday 21st - 28th December 2024), based on 2 adults sharing a double room. Includes return London - Salzburg flights and airport transfers. The hotel is right in the centre of the resort with a steam room and sauna, just a 5-minute walk to the slopes
Megève, France
The glamorous French ski resort of Megève sparkles extra bright at Christmas. Fairy lights twinkle, horse-drawn sleighs glide through snowy meadows, ice figurines recreate nativity tales, and the pièce de résistance is a giant sparkling Christmas tree in the village square. As for the skiing, picturesque pistes run past traditional wooden chalets and cosy mountain restaurants. Non-skiers will never get bored either, with luxury boutique shops, deluxe spa treatments and ice skating lessons on offer. Santa comes to town on Christmas Eve with scrummy hot chocolate for the kids and boozy vin chaud for the parents. Or, for a more spiritual celebration, there’s midnight mass in the historic 13th-century church.
Where to stay: VVF Villages La Belle au Bois à Megève, £958pp for 7 nights’ self-catering (Saturday 21st - 28th December 2024), based on 2 adults sharing a one-bedroom apartment. Includes return London - Geneva flights and airport transfers.
Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt at Christmas time is like a picture-perfect Christmas card scene - traditional swiss chalets, horse-drawn sleighs, lake ice-skating, and magnificent views of the mighty Matterhorn. Zermatt is also a popular foodie destination. Take a long lunch break on the mountain to share a steaming pot of cheesy fondue. Or pop to a cosy cafe for coffee and traditional Swiss Christmas cookies. On Christmas Day, the legendary English service at St Peter's church is divine - it's been held there every year since 1870. And a Michelin-Starred banquet at Capri or After Seven will blow every Christmas dinner you've ever had out of the water.
Where to stay: Hotel Plateau Rosa, £1,537pp for 5 nights’ B&B (Sunday 22nd - 27th December 2024), based on 2 adults sharing a double room. Includes return London - Zurich flights and return train airport transfers. The hotel is a 2-minute walk to the slopes.
Can you ski on New Year’s Day?
“Yes, resorts usually open ski lifts on New Year’s Day as a normal day - and what better way to start off a new year.”
Where is best to ski over New Year?
“The New Year period is even more popular than Christmas week for ski holidays - this year, Heidi ski holiday bookings over New Year’s Eve are 80% higher than for Christmas week. If you’re looking to party and ski in equal measure, four of the best spots in Europe include Ischgl in Austria, Sauze d'Oulx in Italy, Tignes in France and Verbier in Switzerland.”
Verbier, Switzerland
On New Year's Eve, Verbier turns up the apres ski vibe with bars spilling out onto the streets, world-class DJs revving up the celebrations, and fireworks exploding overhead. With the 4-Valley ski area on your doorstep, there's over 400km of pistes to enjoy too.
Where to stay: Hotel la Rotonde, £1,904pp for 7 nights’ B&B (Monday 30 December 2024 - Monday 6 January 2025), 2 adults sharing a superior room. Includes return London - Geneva flights and private airport transfers. The hotel is right in the centre of the resort and a 5-minute walk to the slopes.
Kitzbühel, Austria
As night falls on New Year's Eve in Kitzbühel, the streets come alive with a light show featuring a colourful mix of street artists, and torchlight processions kick off the celebrations on the slopes. As the clock strikes midnight, fireworks explode over the snowy mountains. Dance the night away to live music and line up shots of schnapps for a party to remember! Kitzbühel offers great, varied skiing for intermediates in a classic Austrian setting. In total there are 230km of slopes and two terrain parks for freestyle fans.
Where to stay: Hotel Resch, £2,280pp for 7 nights’ B&B (Saturday 28th December 2024 - Saturday 4th January 2025), based on 2 adults sharing a double room. Includes return London - Salzburg flights and airport transfers. The hotel has a sauna and is right in the resort centre, just a 5-minute walk to the slopes.
Sauze d'Oulx, Italy
If you're short on time but want a mini New Year's ski trip, Sauze d'Oulx is only an hour's drive from Turin airport. And you don't even need a big budget. Everything from lift passes and ski lessons to food and accommodation tends to be lighter on the wallet than nearby French and Swiss resorts. Torchlight processions on New Year's Eve get the party going, and fireworks mark the stroke of midnight. Want to make New Year's Day extra special? Shred some off-piste powder on a heli-skiing tour.
Where to stay: Avalanche - Alpine Boutique Hotel, £1,522pp for 4 nights’ B&B (Monday 30th December 2024 - Friday 3rd January 2025), 2 adults sharing a double room. Includes return London - Turin flights and airport transfers. The hotel is a 2-minute walk to the slopes.
Tignes, France
When it comes to seeing in the New Year on snowy mountains, Tignes is hard to beat - from live DJs in slope-side mountain huts to bars serving up zesty cocktails and upbeat dance tunes. Plus, the fireworks display is usually on point. Out on the pistes, snow-sure freeride terrain promises super fun powder, and over 300km of runs across the Tignes-Val d'Isère area are ready to be explored.
Where to stay: Hotel Le Levanna by Les Etincelles, £2,451pp for 5 nights’ half board (Monday 30th December 2024 - Saturday 4th January 2025). 2 adults sharing a superior twin room with ski slope and lake view, including airport transfers and return flights London - Geneva / Grenoble - London (make use of Heidi’s FlexiFly option, allowing you to fly from different airports to save money). The hotel is ski-in/ski-out, right in the centre of the resort, and has a steam room, sauna and hot tub.
Heidi was launched in 2018, formally known as Ski Zoom. Founded by the Blunt brothers, Marcus and Alexander, the company was born out of the lack of flexibility in the winter ski market and the desire the duo had to discover new destinations.
