Shoop, shoop, shoop!; the infamous Rachel Green quote that loops eternally in my head whenever I think about skiing. 'Friends' fans will be all too familiar with the episode where Rachel tirelessly tries to cobble together the remaining cash for her skiing trip, only to not be able to go anyway, and this feels all too relatable when planning a skiing holiday. But, whilst skiing is certainly never going to be 'cheap' holiday, it does not have to be as expensive as it is always made out to be.

It might seem to early in the year to be thinking about ski holidays; all we want to think about right now is whether the UK sun will stick around long enough for us to actually enjoy it and certainly all thoughts of snow are long forgotten. However, skiing is often cheapest when you book long in advance  so now is actually the perfect time to consider your Winter holiday (and start saving!).

I've been skiing a few times, both with school when I was younger and as a university student. However, as expensive as those trips were, my friends and I realised on our Easter ski trip this year that it really does not have to be that expensive if you do your research. From the up to £1200 that I had previously paid for ski trips (carefully scraped together from savings, birthday and Christmas presents, and student loans), I was shocked to find that a skiing holiday could actually cost less than £700 - including flights, transfers, accommodation, food, ski hire and lessons and (the most extorinately priced part) the ski pass. I know that's not 'cheap' for sure, but if you are looking for a super cheap holiday and you aren't lucky to be a local to a ski resort, then skiing is probably not going to be the trip for you. 

If you have stuck around this long and want to know how you can ski for half the price you may have been expecting then here are my top tips for a cheap(er) skiing holiday:

The most popular, and thus expensive, time to ski is in the winter months. From December until February you can almost guarantee you will have snow wherever you decide to ski and will have a host of resorts at your fingertips to choose from. However, everyone else will be joining you and prices hike. There are, however, a few resorts that are lucky enough to be able to almost certainly guarantee snow much later in the year and this is the time you want to go. Resorts like Tignes and Val d'Isere are very likely to still have snow right into April and the Easter holidays due to the glaciers on the mountain that allow the resorts a small amount of summer skiing too. Whilst it is a risk that you might land on a week that is warm and sunny with no recent snow fall, it is a very small risk and one worth taking for a cheaper holiday. 

If you are lucky enough to not be tied down to travelling in school holidays then you most definitely want to avoid those travel times. Check your countries term dates and make sure you travel when students are in school as this can be easy way to cut costs on your trip. 

Now this is certainly not the most glamorous way of travelling but it is definitely a cheap way, and it doesn't have to feel like an invasion of your privacy. You can trade in the nice chalet or apartment for a small hostel room, complete with shared bathrooms and a whole load of fun. Hostel rooms can often be small so do not require staying with loads of strangers and if you are travelling with friends then it could be the perfect solution. My friends and I stayed at a UCPA in Tignes. Our hostel room was four single sex beds (two bunkbeds) and we travelled as a three so only had to share with one other girl who was lovely. 

Hostels can also be a great place to socialise and meet new people so if you are travelling as a friend group or a couple then it could be a great place to make new friends and have some fun. If you are a solo traveller then even better as it is the perfect way to make friends on your travels. 

If you stay in UCPA or a similar hostel you may even find that your food is included in the price and cooked for you: a win-win situation. 

If you don't stay in a hostel that cooks food for you, or you decide that a hostel is not for you, then a good way to save money is by cooking your own food. Food on the slopes or in ski resorts can be extorniately priced. Much like when you are in an airport, concierges know that you can't leave to get food elsewhere and so they know they are hosting a captive audience willing to pay anything.

Finally, for my ultimate tip and the trick that inspired the post: book through Action Outdoor Holidays or similar companies) and stay at a UCPA hostel. Now this does have a 25 and under catch as they offer great deals for that age group. However, their website offers other deals and their usual price is still cheaper than average.

As a group of under 25s travelling in April (granted the Easter holidays) to Tignes, it cost my friends and I £460 each for all our food (an incredible buffet three times a day plus snacks), ski hire, lessons, accommodation in a four-bed room and our ski pass (the truly expensive and unavoidable cost in all this). On top of this, for an extra £80 the company sorted out our bus transfer from Geneva airport with a trusted company. After this we only had to get flights, which is totally dependent on where you are coming from. Whilst that does not sound like a cheap holiday (because it is definitely not), it is cheaper than skiing would usually be. Plus, once we were there we could enjoy our time there comfortable in the knowledge that we didn't have to worry about money. 

The company also came with the added bonus of allowing us to pay in deposits so you can split the costs across the months prior to your holiday to benefit you and your lifestyle/pay check. I would suggest though that you get in early with your booking as prices get more expensive the closer to travel month. Bookings open around now and I suggest getting yours booked as close to then as you can.

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Skiing can be a fantastic experience. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced skiier, it is a liberarting and mindful holiday. There is a great freedom to feeling like you can actually leave your problems behind on the slopes. Time seems to stop in the resort and when you ski you'll find it hard to think about anything other than the snow and the skis in front of you.

If you are debating it then I say go for it! And use these tips to save yourself an extra bit of cash.

Meg x