Most ski resorts in Europe are offering great lift pass deals for mature skiers this winter with some inviting those aged over 75 to ski for free. JANE SLADE investigates
No matter how experienced you are at skiing a winter holiday in the snow with the children and grandchildren takes some beating. And if you haven’t yet booked a holiday for the coming winter most resorts featured in the Crystal Ski Holidays programme offer reduced-priced lift passes for mature skiers over 65 and over.
For example, in France, Les Arcs, linked to La Plagne (Paradiski area), charges those aged 72 and over just €21 for a lift pass to ski the entire season. In Flaine (Grand Massif ski area), those aged 75 and over ski for free and in Val Cenis, Vanoise offers snowsure slopes and low prices and invites anyone 74 and over to ski for free all season. 
The ski area of Grandvalira in Andorra, which offers 210km of slopes to explore, is offering free lift passes for over 70s to ski all season long.
From the Alps to the Dolomites, there is a fantastic range of ski resorts in Italy suited to beginners and experts and some great deals for mature skiers.
Italian resorts offering reduced lift passes to anyone over 65 include La Thuile, a friendly, unspoilt resort with a large ski area linked to La Rosière in France; Val di Fassa which has seven picturesque villages with easy access to the Dolomiti Superski area and chic Madonna di Campiglio a wonderful, varied ski area with a smart and sophisticated ambience.
All resorts in the Arlberg ski region of Austria including Lech, St Anton and Warth offer an Active Senior lift pass for over 75s, priced at €113 for the entire season.
However the key to a successful ski holiday is choosing the right resort. There are lots of factors to consider: your level of skiing, your budget, who you are travelling with, time of year, whether you want a resort with charm that’s a bus ride from the slopes or one offering the convenience of ski-in/ski-out accommodation.
France is still the most popular country for British skiers although in recent years Austria increased its market share. Italy now attracts some 15 per cent of British skiers while others head for Switzerland, Andorra and Bulgaria.
When it comes to accommodation Switzerland is generally regarded as the spiritual home of the luxury hotel, while in Austria, luxury is more rustic in style. However in recent years, ‘design’ or ‘hip’ hotels which offer an alternative to the traditional luxury hotel have become popular. In France, Courchevel has lots of high-end accommodation while over the pond in North America, Aspen and Whistler are great choices if you are seeking seriously comfortable lodgings.
Crystal Ski Holidays offers an unbeatable choice of ski resorts across Europe and North America with a great range of accommodation in the best locations. Crystal also offers regional departures from all mayor UK airports, as well as ski tuition for beginners right through to those perfecting their technique.
My experience is that you almost always get a better deal if you book early especially if you are travelling during the school holidays. There may be tempting late offers which are fine if you are totally flexible about where you want to go and when. But if you’ve set your heart on a particular resort and accommodation it’s worth booking early. And don’t forget you can always stagger payments.
For more information call Crystal Ski Holidays reservations on 020 8939 0726 or book online on www.crystalski.co.uk
