An Essential Guide To Ski Holidays For Newbies

Planning your first skiing holiday is an exciting time, but it can also be quite daunting if you’ve never skied before. There’s a lot more to think about than preparing for your average summer holiday, not to mention that many first-time skiers can be nervous about making a fool of themselves or getting hurt whilst on the slopes.

But the reality is that this very rarely happens and if you prepare well enough, you’ll have an awesome skiing holiday! This essential guide from My Baggage looks at what you need to pack, where to get your gear, how to prepare your body and the best types of accommodation for your stay. This will ensure you have a great holiday that will have you booking your next ski trip in no time.

Speak to an expert

There are so many aspects to planning a skiing trip that it can feel overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. Not only do you need to find the right destination at the right time of year, but you need to choose the right accommodation for you, as well as organising transfers, ski hire, ski passes and getting all the gear together. We know, it sounds like a lot of work, right? That’s why it’s always best to work with an expert when booking your first skiing holiday.

They’ll be able to advise you on all of the above and book you on a package with a tour operator. This makes it all a lot easier to organise and understand. It also means that they’ll have reps at your hotel so if you have any questions or you get stuck while you’re away you’ll have someone who can help you out.

Another important aspect of your trip is skiing tuition. If you’ve never been before it’s a good idea to speak to the tour operator about lessons. If you’re going with friends or family who have been before, it’s advisable that you don’t let them teach you as they are not professionals and could end up taking you on runs that you’re not ready for.

Decide when and where to go

If you work with an expert, they’ll be able to give you some options for the best places to go for a skiing holiday. You need to make sure you go at the right time of year for the best conditions. In Europe, a typical ski season will run from November to April, though this can differ depending where you go. Take into consideration the best time of year for you within these boundaries. You may need to consider school or national holidays as this can make your ski holiday more expensive.

You will also need to decide where you want to go. It’s a good idea to look at what else is around in the region. While the resort will have plenty to keep you busy, you might also want to venture out on occasion for food or for a day exploring. So, once you begin narrowing down the locations it’s a good idea to look into the local are in more detail. This can help you to decide on the perfect destination for you.

When it comes to choosing accommodation types, catered chalets are often better for your first ever skiing trip. These offer communal dining areas where all food is catered for by the tour operators. This takes the stress out of having to worry about shopping, preparing meals or eating out because everything is arranged for you. It is also very social; you’ll meet lots of fellow skiers and you can swap tips with one another over dinner.

Work on your fitness

If you’ve never skied before it can be beneficial to have a practice before you go. There are a number of indoor dry ski slopes that can help you get an idea of what it’s like to ski. If you can, go a few times before your holiday to give yourself a head start when you arrive. It’s also helpful to work on your physical fitness as a whole. This will help you to ski better and for longer when you arrive on your holiday. You can do this by going to the gym or taking up any physical activity that you enjoy for a few months before you go away.

Get the right gear

As it’s your first trip it can be tempting (and exciting) to go out and buy all the gear. But the reality is you might not like your skiing holiday as much as you’d hoped you would, and it could be a big waste of money. In the first instance it’s a good idea to borrow or rent as much of the skiing gear as you can. But if you do buy it, look for second hand or sale skiwear to save you some money.

This is another great reason to book through a tour operator because they’ll help you to organise ski hire before you go. This means you’ll be able to get boots and skis from the resort. You’ll also need trousers and a jacket, but as discussed above if you can borrow these from a friend or buy discounted items then you’ll save yourself a lot of money. There are also companies out there that allow you to hire ski trousers and jackets for your holidays. A quick internet search will help you to find a rental store near you.

Finally, there are a few other items you need to pack. These are cheap enough to buy yourself if you don’t already have these. Buy yourself some ski goggles, otherwise your vision could become impaired in the snow. You’ll also need gloves and a woolly hat to keep your warm. Take plenty of warm jumpers and thick socks to go in your boots.

Finally, something that many people forget when they’re going skiing is swimwear! It’s likely that your resort or chalet will have a swimming pool or jacuzzi and these are the perfect way to relax and unwind after a long, tiring day on the slopes.