So you want to go on a ski holiday with friends. Do you know what you’re in for!?
Kidding, kidding. Ski holidays with friends can be great. Going with a group of people adds to the fun, laughter and potential shenanigans that you can get up to. But we all know that balancing everyone’s needs and preferences throughout the week can also be a struggle.
Make sure your next group ski trip goes smoothly by following these 10 tips.
10 Ways to Survive a Ski Holiday with Friends
1. Get the right group
This is a tricky one but normally we think smaller is better. Inevitably, you can’t spend the whole day skiing around with 12 people. You end up waiting around and convincing everyone of the same route can be a challenge in itself.
Secondly, find out what kind of skiers your friends are. First lifts kinda crew? Powder hunters? Après everyday-ers? Or just want to have an easy ski and eat nice lunches?
Also, consider the level of skiers in your group. If everyone is an experienced skier with one newbie in tow, be sure to get them booked into some group lessons so that they aren’t slowing everyone else down. Maybe mixed levels is no problem for you. Just be sure to inquire and figure it out before you land in Geneva.
Is your group on a budget? A ski trip on a budget is possible.
2. Pick the best ski resort for your needs
Once you’ve figured out your group and what type of ski holiday you plan on having, then, make sure you choose the right resort. This should be based around what’s most important to you.
- Want a good après scene? Maybe St Anton or Méribel are of interest to you.
- Trying to find the best snow? Head snow-sure Val d’Isère or Tignes.
- Want the best value for money? Check out budget-friendly resorts Morzine or La Tania.
- Is budget no issue? Verbier might be for you.
- Don’t want a long airport transfer? Chamonix and Villars are both a quick jaunt away.
Decide what’s most important to the group and choose accordingly.
3. Book group-friendly accommodation
The best group holiday accommodation has a large communal area for everyone to hang out.
Chalets or large apartments are a great option for your group. If you opt for a catered chalet, this takes away the organisation and faff of having to prepare meals for everyone. It also gives you more time to spend with each other whilst someone else cooks your dinner. If you’d rather have more freedom, look for the perfect size apartment.
Depending on your group size you might be able to rent out an entire chalet to yourself, or a shared option with other holiday-goers is fun if you want to socialise outside of your group of friends.
Hotels usually aren’t the best for this, although some do have communal lounge spaces.
Need accommodation ideas? We’ve got loads of recommendations on our Resort Guides.
4. Sort out as much in advance as possible
Do you need to get ski hire? Book it in. Transfers from the airport? Sort those out now. Ski lessons for the beginners? Arrange them. Anything you can do in advance will only make the ski trip go smoother.
5. Share the planning
On that note, no one should bear all the responsibility of organising. Also, it’s a lot of pressure for one person to ensure that everyone is happy with their decisions. Delegate different roles to different people.
Not sure where to start with planning? Here’s our Ultimate Guide to Ski Holiday Planning.
6. Agree on the money situation
How are you going to be splitting bills? Do you want to keep track & send bank-transfers post trip? Or do people want to just pay for their own way the entire time (with lots of dinner bill splitting)? Speaking of those dinners, will you split them evenly or pay for only what you ordered?
These things are best agreed upon ahead of time. If everyone is on the same page, it will make the sticky issue of money a non-issue for your holiday.
7. Make plans 50% of the time
Have some structure, but too much is no fun for anyone.
8. Hydrate after the inevitable partying
Let’s be honest, a week with your friends in the mountains will likely be filled with some drinks and après sessions. Be sure to compensate by drinking plenty of water. Not only will the alcohol dehydrate you but so will the high altitude of the ski resort. And it’s easy to forget you’re actually doing relatively intense exercise all day long.
The lack of headaches you’ll have in the morning will be worth it!
9. Take a rest day
A rest from the skiing, the booze, or just each other. You’ll likely need it.
And don’t worry about FOMO. We’ve all returned from a holiday just to feel like we need another holiday to recuperate. Take a day off if you need it and bask in the fact that you don’t have to do anything.
Make the most of your ski holiday with these 7 quick tips.
10. Give each other space
Let people do their thing. Don’t force anyone to ski where you want to ski or eat where you want to eat, hopefully, find at least one other person who’s on the same page, and then meet up with everyone afterwards.
Group ski holidays are all about finding the balance so that everyone has fun and gets to do what they want, whilst spending time together. It can be a little tricky, but if you can nail it, it will be a trip you remember for many years to come.
Ready to sort out the details of your ski trip? Let us show you around resort with on or off-piste guiding, or get those beginners booked into some lessons. We’re offering beginners 2 extra hours of tuition absolutely free.
