[Nigel]

After some advice on organising a ski holiday, probably pretty last minute cos I’m flexible. I’ve not been skiing for about 15 years, and that was on school organised trips, so my knowledge and experience of this stuff is basically nil. Please pardon my ignorance in advance! OK, some questions:

•   When’s good to go? Is snow in Europe going to be reliable in November through to March, or is the season shorter? Is any particular time cheapest?
•   Where is a good venue for a team of middle of the road red run skiers, which is really cheap and has a good nightlife?
•   What is the best way to get the best deal? Presuming packages on last minute / Teletext type websites? Are the ski specific ones a better bet?
•   Is it better to get all inclusive i.e. lift pass, travel, accom, or is it cheaper to sort stuff individually?

Any other helpful advice gratefully received…

[SA Chris]

Sooooooo many questions.

1) All Depends on the season. Some seasons kick off Late November and go through to Easter, some the season only really kicks off In Mid January. However Feb to March you are "pretty much" guaranteed good conditions unless you go for somewhere really low or far South. Go later in the season if you are less fussed about riding fresh snow and more keen to be surfing blue bird days and sunbathing on the slopes.

2) Really cheap and Good nightlife - Andorra. Slopes will be crowded though. Actually there are loads of places, don't limit your options and check out good deals. You can get some cheap places like Bulgaria but most resorts are pretty limited. I'm sure the Collective UKB mind has been to most of the major resorts if you need to check specifics.

3) How many in group? There are loads of last minute ski deals online, just google, but if it's a big group your chances of finding anything good drop drastically; lots of late deals are last room left in a catered chalet and only any good if there are only 2 of you.

4) Packages are the way to go, unless you are thinking of driving; 4 in a reliable estate sharing driving overnight can save you a fair bit, otherwise catered chalets are generally good value for money, if you don't mind sharing your week with a lot of unknowns; could be great fun, could be wankers.

[Plattsy]

Going back 12 years here so things will have changed. Pas de la Casa in Andorra was a good craic. The slopes were very open i.e. not tree lined as far as I can remember. Cheap as it's tax free haven I believe. Season start/end I dunno.

Bansko, Bulgaria a few years ago. Was alright but felt limited, loooong gondola to the mid-station I think. Cheap. Spent a lot of time in the Red Lion. Ventured down the road to the strip joint (stag do innit). Left after the first taxi's lot round cost £40!

When I was looking last year Livigno came up on my radar as it's a tax free haven in italy. The 3 or 4 hour transfer put us off.

If I was picking I'd pick some where in Austria. I really like Zell Am See. It's very picturesque, Loads of runs. Lift pass also includes the all year round glacier at Kaprun. Also with enough Austrian schnapps inside you whatever nightlife is available will do.

[Muenchener]

Best conditions in Austria are usually February: January is often cold but rather dry, meaning the whatever snow fell early in the season tends to get packed hard & icy.

But Bavaria (& therefore I presume also the ski-relevant bits of Austria) had the biggest October snowfall in 70 years yesterday, so who knows?

[Doylo]

Fuckin hell it was nice knowing you Nige 

[Nigel]

Hey everyone, thanks for the responses, they have actually helped, plenty to mull over.

Doylo, obviously if I go skiing I will definitely die – anything you want? Writing a will now. My dad is taken, sorry.

[Doylo]

Can I have that mahogany dildo that your grandad left you?

And you still need to honour your agreement about someone else in your family

[T_B]

Early Jan tends to be cheaper and less crowded generally.

Dunno where is cheap, good and has a good nightlife. You can do a ski holiday "on the cheap" by driving and staying in places below the resorts like Bourg Saint Maurice (good for les Arcs and Sainte Foy), Brides les Bains (3 valleys), but they aint exactly buzzing apres ski!

Your best bet is probably going for a package with Crystal or someone - I'd look at Austrian resorts for snow/value/nightlife.