VIP SKI Blog

The nickname “Janpril” has surfaced amongst Val d’Isere locals, with cold temperatures and plenty of fresh snow. It looks like these wintery conditions are set to stay for a while. See it for yourself from £799pp from 15 April.

Taken from our webcam this morning, the conditions in Alpe d’Huez can only be described as spectacular. Wall to wall sunshine with powdery pistes, what’s not to love? We’ve got availability in our Chalet La Chapelle from 15^th April from £769pp

Reaching up to 3250m it’s easy to see why the Paradiski area is reporting 18cm of fresh snowfall and more to come in the next few days. We have rooms available in our La Plagne chalets next week, 15 April, from £700pp.

Mixed conditions have left our Meribel & Courchevel guests baffled, with blue skies in the morning turning to snow by the afternoon. Head out there this Sunday with 7 night holidays from £799 pp and short breaks in Meribel from £100pppn until 15 April.

Fabulous views from another of our resort webcams – this time Les Gets! Conditions in the Portes du Soleil region have been so great that they’ve extended their season by another week. Snap up a last minute special offer and ski next week from £799pp.

Courtesy of Lech Zuers, this aerial shot gives us a taster of the stunning conditions. Practically empty pistes, clear blue skies and great quality snow is keeping our guests more than satisfied. Last chance to ski in Lech & St Anton, Sunday 8 April holidays from just £700pp.

Of course, your holiday will not be compromised; we will be working in the background you’ll hardly even know we’re there. Another bonus to this great opportunity is the price, at £600 per person, you will save £209.

You will stay in Bellevarde Lodge Merlot, a fabulous chalet sleeping 12 guests in 6 en suite rooms. The vaulted sitting room has an open fireplace, floor to ceiling glass with breath-taking views, and the hot tub on the terrace is the perfect place to relax after a day on the slopes. Situated right on the edge of the Santons piste, so offers ski in - ski out accommodation with a track leading down to the Olympic lift area from behind the chalet.

Call us now on 0208 875 1957 if you have any questions or wish to book. Or drop us an email at ski@vip-chalets.com and we’ll get back to you just as soon as we can.

We asked Andrew why he recommends booking a private nanny, and for some of his top tips when it comes to organising a family ski holiday.

Booking a private nanny gives parents the chance to really relax and unwind on their holiday, knowing that their children are in good hands. We offer a flexible approach to childcare with our nannies working 5 and a half days for 8 hours a day. Whether it’s picking the kids up from ski school or organising a trip to the farm, our nannies will be your extra pair of hands on your ski holiday.

Your nanny will visit the chalet on the evening you arrive to meet your children and discuss anything from routines to meal preferences. You can rest assured knowing our nannies are qualified to NNEB or equivalent level, CRB checked and have passed our rigorous training course.

If you’re heading to one of our Austrian ski hotels, then maybe consider our Theodul or Montjola Kids Clubs. These flexible childcare services work around the ski school timetables so once the children have finished their lessons, our nannies will collect them from their lessons and keep them entertained for the afternoon.

As for my top tips, if it’s your first family ski holiday, make sure you pick a resort that’s considered family friendly. I would recommend Morzine, Alpe d’Huez, Avoriaz or Les Gets. They’re all close to the airport, offer great, easy terrain for beginner skiers and lots of activities for non-skiers and little legs. 

We provide childcare in across al 10 of our resorts. We highly recommend pre-booking childcare, particularly on peak dates where they are often booked months in advance. Book for 27 Dec, 7 & 14 Jan to take advantage of our FREE nanny in whole chalet bookings or half price nanny for room by room bookings. 

Most bottlenecks tend to form either at the top of the pistes or around the lift stations. A long lift queue is annoying, but why make it any worse? Some advice here is blindingly obvious - don’t cut the queue, or attempt to change lanes as this will just rile fellow skiers.

Ensure when approaching a lift that you begin to slow down well before you reach it, otherwise you risk ploughing into people.

When your turn approaches, be ready so that you don’t hold things up. If you’re skiing, have your poles in one hand and your lift pass in the other so that you can take your seat promptly. Don’t wait for other members of your group to join you - you can always reconnect at the top.

Naturally there’s a lot of fun to be had in whipping down a slope at top speed, but if you’re not in full control, able to turn or stop when you need to, then you’re no better than a cannonball, and about as welcome on the piste.

Going too fast when you’re not ready to do so, or the situation doesn’t suit it, means that you’re probably incapable of avoiding a collision with rocks or other people. If you want to open up the throttle then you need to be confident that you have enough room to manoeuvre and that you’re confident in the conditions.

Essentially, leave the mountain as pristine as you’d like to find it. So don’t litter. If you smoke, carry a tin for your butts. Resist the temptation to hack at tree branches with your poles, and if you do encounter any wildlife, keep a safe distance. 

If you see someone taking a bad fall, or arrive in the immediate aftermath, then you have an obligation to stop and check if they need any help. You don’t need to be trained in first aid to ski, but it’s common decency to look out for others. That’s another good reason why carrying a phone with you while skiing can come in very handy.

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a beer or a glass of wine when you stop for lunch. But too much alcohol impairs your responsiveness as well as your decision-making. It’s also worth noting that many insurers will not pay out if you have an accident after drinking alcohol.

Before launching yourself off down the piste it’s essential to check that you’re not about to put yourself in the path of someone else.

When it comes to stopping, either to check your map, take a photo or catch your breath, you should ensure that you and anyone else in your group are off to the side of the piste, leaving space for others to go past and not causing an obstruction.

If you’re on a narrow piste then it’s best not to stop until it widens out a little, and if you take a tumble in a dangerous place, do your best to get clear as soon as possible.

Respect the line of those ahead of you at all times. The downhill skier always has the right of way. Don’t cut people up, and have patience with novices if they’re obstructing your run. We were all first-timers once. This especially applies when you’re overtaking a ski school group, which may well contain young and inexperienced children. Give them as much space as possible. 

Warning signs are there for a good reason - your safety. If a trail is closed off, or a reduction in speed is advised on a section of the piste, then you ignore this at your peril. Similarly, pay close attention to weather reports. 

All of the above can probably be summed up with one golden rule. Have respect for the mountain, and the other people using it, and you should be just fine.

Now to book yourself the perfect ski holiday to test your new skills see our 2020 / 2021 season selection. We've got some fantastic offers for the start of the season including short breaks from £300pp, FREE lift passes in Val d'Isere and FREE places in Altitude Lodge, Les Gets.

If you’ve already booked your stay, or you’re considering visiting, why not check out our list of 12 fun facts you might not know about its history, skiing in Lech and the Hotel Theodul. 

1. Lech has its own micro climate which means the snow record is one of the best in the Austrian alps. Bring on those powder days!

2. From Lech, you can access the whole Arlberg ski area made up of 305km of runs, making it the biggest ski region in Austria.

3. The first attempt to ski the Austrian Arlberg region was made by the parish priest of Lech in 1895.

4. Lech is just 1.5hrs from Friedrichshafen airport on our transfer coach. You'll be tucking into your afternoon tea cake in no time!

5. Since 2006, Lech has hosted “The White Ring Race”. The race covers the popular ski circuit between Lech and Zurs, consisting of 22km of pistes and 5550m of altitude. This year celebrates the 50^thAnniverasry of the ski circuit. 

6. Lech was featured in the film “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason”

7. Lech has several highly rated restaurants, many of which feature in the popular “Gault Millau” restaurant guide. Don't worry, you can ski off the calories

8. The resort is popular with royalty. Diana, The Princess of Wales brought William & Harry here to learn to ski. The King of Spain, Dutch royal family and King of Jordan are also regular visitors.

9. 2400 people per hour can be transported by the newly constructed Flexenbahn lift during peak operation

10. Our ski hire partner Strolz originated back in 1921 when Ambros Strolz opened his own boot making workshop. You'll feel more like you're in a luxury hotel than a ski shop. 

11. The Hotel Theodul dates back to 1968 when it was built by the Walch family

12. The hotel has plenty of family rooms and suites, making it great for families and groups.

Peak dates in Hotel Theodul are filling up fast and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on the opportunity to stay in this fatntastic resort. We’ve got some great offers including free kids places, £100pp savings and much more.