Winter wonderlands

With local reports suggesting warm weather has produced the worst start to a winter season in the French Alps for nearly 150 years, operators have been selling breaks over Christmas and New Year at barely half price, to cut losses on aircraft seats.

For example, Inghams offers a luxury eight-night fully-catered chalet stay in La Plagne from December 30 at nearly half the brochure price. It was £1,099, but now it’s £599, which includes all meals and wine with dinner.

It’s been so difficult to sell holidays in January after the schools go back that one operator, Powder White, offers free three-night breaks in January for every chalet holiday booked on selected weeks in March in the big five resorts of Courchevel, Meribel, Val D’Isere, St Anton and Verbier.

But the long-awaited arrival of snow seems to be changing attitudes overnight.

Adam Johnson, at specialist agent Igluski.com, says: “This week the phone barely stopped ringing from people who had held off booking until they were sure there would be snow. Now they’re desperate for last-minute deals.”

On a nine-night catered chalet stay in the Chalet Zita, Ischgl, Austria, from December 30, Igluski has slashed the original price of £1,156 by £559 to lead in at £597, including return flights and transfers.

The Zita is a charming and traditional chalet in an elevated location overlooking the fabulous centre of Ischgl and guests can ski back virtually to the door.

Austrian Tirol Tourist Board spokeswoman Becky Horton says: “The arrival of snow is a great moment to book your skiing holiday and grab some fantastic offers on short breaks – from £144 per person for four nights’ B&B including a lift pass in Alpbach, on top of flights from Britain, starting at £59 return with easyJet.”

She adds: “If family budgets can’t absorb a full week’s skiing this season, try a shorter stay to cash in on some of the great incentives offered by the local tourist boards in the Austrian Tirol.

“Short-stay packages offering one free night, or including lift passes, add great value and provide a highly affordable short break. With daily easyJet.com flights ex-Gatwick into Innsbruck, accessing resorts across the Tirol region has never been so easy.”