Heidi Tells You How To Hack Your Annual Leave To Bag A Better Festive Ski Holiday Deal

How to hack your annual leave to bag a better festive ski holiday deal

• 3 days off = a week’s Christmas family ski trip in the Alps for less than £500pp
• 5 days off = a 10-day festive group ski trip in the Alps for less than £500pp
• Or, save some leave for January to double your ski days for half the price

Marcus Blunt, co-founder of Heidi, comments: “Annual leave is precious, and so is time in the mountains. With a few hacks, skiers can stretch their money and time off further to get more time on the slopes for their budget.”

“When it comes to ski holidays, great value means different things to different people. Some of us simply want the cheapest price for our chosen dates. Others are happy to travel on different dates to fit in more ski days, or stay in a bigger resort or more premium accommodation. Heidi’s flexible date search and budget filters make it quick and easy to find the best value holiday for you.”

Festive season: Christmas vs. New Year

Want all the magic of a festive ski trip without breaking the bank? Skiing over New Year is more expensive than going over Christmas. Travellers who fly out before Christmas and return before New Year can enjoy festive skiing at a fraction of the price. 

Thanks to how the Christmas Day and Boxing Day dates fall this winter, taking just 3 days annual leave (22nd, 23rd, 24th December) gives a fantastically festive 9-day window off work (Sat 20th - Sun 28th Dec) to enjoy a white Christmas away skiing.

For those limited to school holiday dates, here’s a like-for-like Christmas versus New Year’s comparison for 7 nights’ self-catering in Chamonix, France, for a family of four sharing an apartment at Résidence Pierre & Vacances Le Chamois Blanc. Including return London - Geneva flights and return private airport transfers: 

• Over New Year week: Sat 27th Dec - Sat 3 Jan = £869pp 
• Over Christmas week: Sat 20th - Sat 27th Dec = £482pp  

= save £387pp, or £1,548 in total for a family of four

For couples or groups with more date flexibility, flying on Thursday 18th or Friday 19th December instead of Saturday 20th (the first day of the school holidays) cuts costs further so you can go for longer for a similar price. It also gives more choice when it comes to accommodation availability. 

If you’re travelling Thurs 18th - Saturday 27th December, that’s just 5 days annual leave for a 10-day group ski trip for less than £500pp:

• £488pp for 9 nights self-catering in Chamonix for a group of four adults sharing an apartment at Résidence Pierre & Vacances Le Chamois Blanc. Including return London - Geneva flights and return airport transfers. 

Or, save your leave for January - one of the best-value times to go skiing

If you’re not limited by school holiday dates, save your annual leave for January, when prices are much lower after the festive season. Your budget goes further, and there is more accommodation and flight choice. So if you’d like to treat yourself to a more premium hotel, January is a great time to go. 

Here’s a like-for-like comparison for a 7-night ski holiday in Les Deux Alpes for two people with breakfast included, staying at the popular ski-in/ski-out Hôtel Les 2 Alpes L'Orée Des Pistes. Both prices include return London - Grenoble flights and return airport transfers:

• Over New Year: Sat 27th Dec - Sat 3rd Jan = £1,474pp 
• In January: Sat 3rd - Sat 10th January = £659pp

= save £815pp, or £1,630 on the total cost for two people

By going in January, you can even double the length of your ski holiday and still pay less than going over peak New Year dates. For example, for two people sharing a double room at Les Campanules in the French resort of Les Houches, including return London - Geneva flights and return airport transfers: 

• 4 nights over New Year (29 Dec - 2 Jan) = £899pp
• 8 nights over New Year (Fri 26 Dec - Sat 3 Jan) = £1,547pp
• 8 nights in January (Thurs 8th - Fri 16th Jan 2026)  = £609pp

If your heart is set on skiing over New Year, one last tip from Marcus: “If you can’t travel over Christmas, or your heart is set on spending New Year's Eve away skiing, try a less famous resort. The likes of St Anton, Val d’Isère and Verbier are known for their spectacular fireworks and celebrations, but they’re also in super high demand. New Year pricing is lower in smaller, quieter resorts like Samoëns in France, or Kirchberg in Austria. You still get fireworks and festive vibes, without the premium price tag.”

Heidi was launched in 2018, formally known as Ski Zoom. Its millennial founders, Marcus and Alexander Blunt, are half-Norwegian brothers who love the mountains - and were lucky to have snow and skiing as part of their daily life growing up. Heidi was born out of their desire to change the lack of flexibility in the ski holiday market, and enable more people to easily access and enjoy the mountains.