Why Groups Should Book a January Ski Holiday

30 October 2019

January is notorious for being a bit of a low month thanks to the post-Christmas blues and some often terrible weather. It’s easy to escape this by booking yourself a January ski holiday.

A January ski break is the time to find feature fantastic powder, quieter slopes and ideal on-piste snow conditions. Plus, they’re a great way to beat the January blues! 

Here’s why January is the perfect time of year for your next ski trip: 

January is the most snowsure month of the year!

January ski holidays tend to be the most snowsure across ski resorts. Any risk of a late start to the season or a lack of snowfall is over by January and the slopes have built a good snow base, and the colder climate usually remains, meaning there’s still huge potential for further powder days.

Tignes has a fantastic powder reputation during January, with a massive high-altitude ski area. A top tip for powder hounds is to hire a guide for a few hours and find and some of the magnificent off-piste routes like the Vallons de la Sache.

Alternatively, if you love powdered tree-lines, Sauze d’Oulx’s slopes are a great pick for your January ski holiday. And to top it all off, there’s not many places you’ll find a better Italian cioccolata calda (hot chocolate) than in one of the resort’s cosy mountain cafés.  

Remember to only head off-piste with a professional guide. The Snow Centre’s partner, Neilson Holidays offer a free guiding and coaching service to guests staying in any of their Neilson Mountain Collection hotels, chalet hotels and ski chalets. They call them their Mountain Experts, and each one is a fully qualified local ski and snowboard instructor. They won't take you off-piste during a free guiding session, but you can book them privately to show you the best off-piste in the area.

 

It promises quieter slopes

January is normally the quietest time on the pistes. In fact, it can be so quiet you could find yourself skiing or boarding on a perfectly groomed empty slope. You’ll also spend less time in lift queues, which leaves more time for skiing.

A January ski holiday in the great value resorts of El Tarter and Soldeu in Andorra offer quiet slopes and one of the world’s best lift systems, allowing you to maximise your time and master the slopes. With a nice choice of Neilson Mountain Collection chalets and hotels to enjoy free guiding and coaching, it's a must for your January ski trip.

Otherwise, the charming villages of Corvara and Badia, in the middle of the Italian Dolomites, are pretty peaceful all year round, but come January, you can enjoy a real winter retreat, exploring the iconic Sella Ronda ski route or trying your hand at cross-country skiing through stunning winter backdrops.

There are plenty of affordable ski deals

January ski trips don’t have to break the bank either. If you book outside the school holidays, you’ll actually find some great ski deals for this time of year. Everything from your flights and accommodation to your lift passes and après-ski is likely to be cheaper.

For affordable January ski deals, Livigno in italy normally provides better value ski trips than more well-known destinations in Europe. Not only does it offer a great snow record, but its tax-free status makes it an appealing budget-friendly January ski holiday.

New Year’s Eve in the mountains is spectacular

While the New Year falls within school holidays and is therefore not the quietest nor the most affordable week for a January ski trip— New Year’s Eve celebrations in the mountains followed by New Year’s Day on the slopes is a pretty special experience.

Energetic Val d’Isère is renowned for its New Year festivities, giving guests everything from firework displays and ice sculptures to street performers and live DJs. It's hugely popular with groups and families alike, and the atmosphere is like nowhere else in the Alps.

Another resort that knows how to give visitors a New Year ski holiday to remember is Mayrhofen. For a day of music, entertainment and fireworks, New Year’s Day offers more than just skiing the local slopes or high up on the Hintertux glacier.

View Neilson's New Year ski deals.

Travelling in January can be easy and relaxing

If its quieter on the slopes, it comes as no surprise that January also offers a quieter journey to resort. This allows your group to avoid busy airports and slow transfers, arriving stress-free and ready to ski. 

With the highest skiable glacier in Europe, Les Deux Alpes is famed for its amazing 220km snowsure ski area, and the journey there is an easy ride too. It only takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach the slopes from Grenoble — perfect for your January ski trip.

Stay fit for the slopes

If there’s any deterrent for over eating and getting out of shape during the Christmas festivities, a January ski trip just around the corner is a great incentive for keeping fit for the slopes. 

And if all those good intentions fall down at the first hurdle, at least there will be the chance to burn some calories on the slope, come January.

Looking for a group to hit the slopes with in January? Neilson are now providing the annual group trips with The Snow Centre to a host of new destinations giving you the chance to explore resorts in Andorra, Austria, France and Italy. Explore what’s on offer today!

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