On the Radar: Ski Holidays

A ski holiday is a trip everyone should make once in their life. Even if you don’t take to skiing or snowboarding you can always enjoy the après scene. It will certainly be the most scenic pint you’ll have! So whether you’re a beginner or a regular to the slopes and you’re planning to fly from LJLA for a skiing holiday, here are some top tips to make it as smooth as possible.

Where to Ski or Snowboard?

LJLA has a number of destinations that can connect you with the piste. As mentioned previously, Geneva is a hub for winter sports and has at least three resorts within an hour’s drive of the airport. This includes Le Grand Bornand, and more than nine resorts such as Chamonix, within an hour and a half of the airport.

The French city of Grenoble is close to both the Swiss and Italian borders, making it one of the biggest snow sports hubs in Europe. There are over 200 ski resorts within a three hour drive of the airport. If you choose to fly to Grenoble you have a choice of resorts in the French and Swiss Alps as well as the Italian Dolomites. Top resorts include Montrond, Courchevel and San Sicario.

Skiing holidays are known to be expensive, however if you fly to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, you can have a budget holiday in one of the country’s ski resorts. Bansko is one of largest and most famous resorts and is only a two hour drive from Sofia airport. You can also opt for Vitosha and Borovets which are only an hour away, but are smaller.

Salzburg is your gateway to the Austrian Alps; most major ski resorts are within a two hour and a half hour drive of Salzburg Airport. Schladming is one of the closest resorts and is spread across four mountains. Just over two hours away is the world’s biggest skiing valley, Zillertal, home to popular resorts such as Mayrhofen.

Snow Sports Gear

If you are bringing your ski gear with you make sure you arrive at the airport with plenty of time - nobody wants to start a holiday stressed. If you are driving to the airport, park your car in the airport car park to save time; plus, if you book online you can save up to 70% off. If there are two or more in your party it can be cheaper than the train and you don’t have to haul your gear on public transport. The car park is a short walk from the terminal entrance, making it a convenient and stress free option. 

To check-in your snow sports gear, join the check-in queue as you would for any other flight. Once you have checked in your gear and luggage at the desk and it’s all been tagged up, like it would for any trip you will be asked to take your bag to the large luggage belt. From here a baggage handler will get it on the conveyor belt for you and off it goes.

Remember to stop by at World Duty Free at the airport to make the most of tax-free shopping! You’ll be able to browse through an array of skiing goggles by your favourite brands.

When you arrive at your destination different airports have different systems. In Geneva, one of the main hub airports for winter sports, there is a dedicated ski bag carousel.

On your return to Liverpool, your snow sports gear will usually come to you via the same carousel as the normal luggage.

To find out where else you can fly to from LJLA, visit our destinations page.