Here we are, another season has come and almost gone and this Saturday the Interactive Resorts crew are heading back to the mountains for one last week of skiing, sunshine, fun and games before summer. The last three years of the official company trip have all been to Val d’Isere but this year promises to be a complete change as we’re heading to Europe’s highest resort of Val Thorens!

The first Interactive Resorts end of season trip was in 2007 to the Chalet Cherrier in Val d’Isere. We enjoyed Val so much that we went back the next year, only this time taking over most of the Chalet Hotel Le Fjord. The six poor souls booked in who weren’t in our party spent the week shell shocked by the tempestuous group of 40 odd travel agents letting their hair down! Last year saw a return to the Cherrier, probably a wise move for us to take sole use of one chalet!

Skiing in Val Thorens

Chalet Bonhomme de Neige, Val Thorens

This year the team are leaving on the 17th of April bound for the Chalet Bonhomme de Neige. None of the current bunch have stayed in this chalet, so whilst we’re all on holiday there is still learning to be done! Late season skiing can be a lottery, but for the past few seasons our numbers have come up in a big way. One good way to ensure the best chance of snow this late is to head for the highest resorts, Val d’Isere, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Courchevel and Val Thorens are probably the best bets if you’re determined to leave it late. All of these resorts have three major factors which make them worth the gamble; they’re all high villages (1850m or higher), all have excellent snow-making facilities and a high percentage of north-facing slopes which means they’re sheltered from the spring sunshine. Another key to late season trips is to ensure that the resort you choose will actually have some life to it so late on. A lot of the lower resorts start to shut down straight after the second week of the Easter school holidays regardless of snowfall, so a last minute trip after a huge dump of snow in La Rosiere, for example, might be somewhat dampened by a deserted resort and lack of atmosphere.

No such problems in Val Thorens! The resort is the highest settlement in Europe and the ski lifts remain open until May 9th, a full fortnight after we get back home. Most tour operators take guests in until 24th April and most restaurants and nightspots stay open until the end of April. If you want the best chance of snow and some life in resort, VT is the answer. The latest snow forecasts are also positive, this week is predicted to remain overcast with snow falling down to 1850m most days. All we need now is for the clouds to clear off by Sunday morning…

This season in brief

The season has been another good one for most tour operators and certainly a strong one from an agent’s perspective. The dramatic cut in overall capacity across the UK ski market for this season was given a mixed reception by industry analysts but has turned out to be positive for everyone involved. Clients have benefited from some of the worst chalets being dropped from tour operators’ programmes, meaning that overall holiday standards have risen and complaints have dropped. This may also be because with lower capacity, tour operators have been able to be more selective with the staff they choose to run their chalets. On the tour operator and travel agent side of the coin, lower capacity and better quality has meant that holiday prices have held firm, bringing the obvious financial benefits. In spite of that though, there were some simply outstanding late deals to be had over the course of the season for those that timed it right. The best weeks for deals, as they always are, were the middle two weeks in January and the middle two in March.

Right now the industry is focusing on tying up the loose ends of this season (a few final clients will be departing this weekend along with our group) and getting chalets filled for the ever popular New Year, Half Term and Easter holidays of next season. If you’re thinking about a break on one of those dates then my advice would be to start your search as soon as you can. We’ve already seen strong demand and the best chalets in the best resorts are getting taken at a staggering rate!

A week at Chalet Bonhomme de Neige next season starts at £479pp including Gatwick flights, transfers and fully catered accommodation. If you’d like more information on this chalet or any others then please drop us a line or call us for a chat!