In search of last-minute snow and no time to meticulously plan? No problem, as we’ve done all the hard work for you.
Whether you’re after the perfect snowfall or have a sudden urge to hit the slopes, there’s plenty of of options in Switzerland, Italy or even Japan.
Here, Richard Mellor reveals his best deals if you want to ditch the routine and embark on an instant alpine adventure.
Self-cater in Saas Fee
Together with its nearby main property – at whose regional restaurant guests can eat – Hotel Allalin manages a clump of attractive apartments around the pretty Swiss resort of Saas Fee. You’re guaranteed a living area, a balcony with resort views and a kitchenette.
About a dozen minutes’ walk away, the car-free centre has chalet-lined streets below a rich variety of slopes, including the famous Morenia descent, and a revolving restaurant at 3,500metres. Save £300pp by visiting as the season winds down.
Seven nights from £519pp, self-catering, including flights and transfers, departs Mar 9. For more information, click here.
Give Norway a try
Long Norwegian winters let the country’s ski resorts stay open until the Easter school holidays. That includes Geilo, a charming town situated between two national parks on the scenic Oslo-Bergen railway.
Dog-sledding and snowshoeing are available here alongside 40km of mostly beginner and intermediate pistes. Courtesy of interconnecting contemporary Alpine-style rooms, a kids’ pool, a bowling alley, high-quality Scandi food and a spa for frazzled parents, families are directed to the ski-in, ski-out Vestlia Resort – with £150pp discounts sealing the deal.
Seven nights from £1,745pp, half-board, including flights and transfers, departs Apr 7. Click here.
The might of Monterosa
Champoluc is the largest resort amid Italy’s huge Monterosa ski area, which is famed for uncrowded slopes and great off-piste terrain, and overlooks glaciers and peaks. Handily positioned next door to its main Crest gondola is the Hotel De Champoluc, where a wood-panelled lounge, bar and dining room make for cosy cocktails, afternoon teas or buffet dinners. Sky TV is free in the spacious bedrooms, most of which have a balcony or terrace.
Seven nights from £984pp, half board, including flights and transfers, departs Feb 18. Click here.
Go all-inclusive in Japan
How about skiing further afield? Below Mount Sahoro on Hokkaido, Japan’s most northerly island and a Winter Olympics host in 1972, is one of Club Med’s all-inclusives. Set in a large ski domain with a snow park, gondola and reliable, dry powder for all levels, the resort also provides the chance to try Japanese bathing rituals or steaming pots of salmon nabe soup, a local delicacy.
All 177 bedrooms feature tatami-mat lounges. Travel in March to capitalise on reductions of up to £842pp.
Seven nights from £3,808pp, all-inclusive, including flights, transfers and lift passes, departs Mar 10. Click here.
Classic Austrian Alps
Modern merges with traditional at the low-key Hotel Bristol, where bedrooms have a minimal feel but also pictures of mountains and wicker vases to catch your eye. Other perks include a bar with live bands, a quieter lounge and three-course dinners showcasing hearty Austrian food.
Find it all just ten minutes’ walk from the belle époque centre of Bad Gastein, whose Stubnerkogel gondola – also served by free shuttles from the hotel – allows access to intermediate-friendly pistes.
Savings of almost 30 per cent are on offer in March. Seven nights from £912pp, half board, including flights and transfers, departs Mar 2. Click here.
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