Contents
Below you’ll find the answers to many of our frequently asked questions about ski holidays and bookings. The list has been divided into several categories, please click on a category below to skip to your selection to find your answers.
General
- What are the different ski levels?
- Can I book part-week stays?
- Can children come skiing?
- How do I organise ski schools and lessons?
- Can I book as an independent traveller?
- What if I have any medical requests?
- What if I have any dietary requests?
- What if I have a disability or need special access?
Some resorts are generally more difficult than others. You can see our resorts recommended for beginners through to experts in our resort guides. Meanwhile, once at the resort, you will see different signs to notify you of each slope’s difficulty rating. In general, the exact signage used varies between Europe and Japan, and America, Australia and New Zealand. Make sure to acquaint yourself with the local signs.
Difficulty rating on European pistes:
Beginner: Green sign. Practice slopes to find your feet.
Pre-intermediate: Blue sign (green in Japan). Small 25 degree slopes.
Advanced: Black sign. Be careful before going down as what factors make a black run qualify as ‘expert’ can vary from extremely steep or narrow runs to tough terrain such as hidden bumps or tight turns.
Expert: Double/Triple Black Diamond sign. The steepest, tightest and most obstacle-filled terrain to be found. Seriously only for those prepared for a challenge.
Difficulty rating on US, AU and NZ pistes:
Beginner: Green Circle. Nice and wide with no more than 25 degrees slope.
Intermediate: Blue Square. Sloping from 25-40 degrees.
Expert: Double/Triple Black Diamond. Only for those prepared and skilful enough for various terrain obstacles, tight turns, hazardous slopes and extreme elements.
Subject to there being capacity, we can accommodate people joining for only part of the holiday for a short ski break as long as it is agreed in advance and paid for. However, individuals joining a party temporarily may lose out on any deals and discounts the main party are able to benefit from.
Some accommodation may not be able to cater for very young children, but in general skiing is a fun family holiday for everyone. Take a look at our family ski deals on our website where you’ll find all the information you need to pick the best ski holiday for you.
During school holidays, such as half-term and Easter, and high-peak seasons it can be very competitive to reserve ski classes for children and childcare, so we recommend booking and reserving your place as early as possible.
For infants and toddlers some accommodation may not be able to provide cots in rooms. Also, during coach transfers, children’s UK car seats will not fit in European standard seats.
It is advised to book ski lessons upon enquiry as they sell out extremely quickly. Some schools will not accept very young children due to health and safety.
Ski schools for children tend to be available for three-year-olds and over, depending on resort and ski school. There are specialist family tour operators who link child care with ski school and offer a package where the nannies take the children to and from ski school, stay with them for lunch and then drop them off back to the chalet at the end of the lessons. Alternatively, if travelling with a non-family specific tour operator, the parents are responsible for taking the kids to and from lessons and collecting them for lunch and at the end of the lessons.
There are various levels dependent on the experience of the skier/snowboarder. Complete beginners who never skied before have the option to book a bundle made up of a beginner lift pass (doesn’t cover the full area), beginner ski and boot hire or snowboard and boot hire and ski school for a reduced price. This is only for people who have never skied before but there are options for intermediate and advanced levels as well. Intermediate is someone who negotiates blue and red runs, but wouldn’t ski blacks yet.
We can also help with booking expert ski clinics or private ski lessons or for all abilities and any sized parties in some of the top resorts in France, Austria, Switzerland and Andorra.
Iglu Ski normally book group sessions of around 10-12 people so you may have to contact a ski school directly for individual tuition. These group classes can be morning, afternoon or full day, usually comprising of 3-5 day courses.
It is possible to book your own transport, transfers and add-ons, only booking your accommodation through Iglu Ski. You will find plenty of accommodation-only deals on our site.
Please disclose any medical requests your party have at the time of enquiry. We will be able to advise on any specific accommodation or transport needs you may have. Not all accommodation may be able to cater to your needs so it is vital you disclose any important medical information which may affect your holiday experience before proceeding to book.
Not all accommodation will be able to cater to certain dietary requests. There may also be an added charge to cover any specifically sourced ingredients.
Please inform us as part of your enquiry about any dietary needs anyone in your party has. This way, we can best advise you on your accommodation and catering arrangements to suit all your party’s needs. Failure to disclose this information could result in affected individuals being able to eat from only limited options or incur added costs with the operator.
Before booking you will be asked to disclose any disabilities or special assistance your party requires. It is important we are informed of any access requirements before making your booking to ensure it is suitable to your needs.
We can organise wheelchair assistance at all airports and if any adapted transfers/hotels are needed, we can look into booking them for you. Should circumstances change, please inform the Customer Care team as soon as possible to best handle your arrangements.
Not all accommodation is wheelchair friendly as some may have steps or not have a transfer stop right outside. Our dedicated team will contact your operator to make sure they are able to accommodate your needs.
Getting to resort
- What is the baggage allowance on my flight?
- How can I travel with my ski gear/carriage
- Can I take my ski boot bag onto the plane?
- What are my flight details?
- Flight deviations
- Can I check in for the flight? Do you need API?
- How long is the transfer to the resort?
Your baggage weight and dimensions will vary depending on airline. Your e-ticket will include all the information about your luggage allowance, which will be sent to you (or the lead passenger if in a party) a week before departure.
You will be informed officially of your baggage and weight allowance on your e-ticket that we dispatch to the lead passenger’s email address about a week before departure. Make sure to reserve your ski/snowboard carriage while booking as there is always strictly limited space on all flights.
Most airlines clarify that your ski carriage can only contain one set of skis plus poles or board and bindings. If travelling by train from St Pancras, you must also reserve your ski carriage or risk having no space onboard.
It’s recommended you put your boots in the hold along with your ski carriage but it is possible to take them on board as your hand luggage if necessary on some airlines.
Flight information such as flight number, airline and provisional flight times are available on your invoice. Details will be confirmed on your e-tickets.
If on a chartered flight, do not be alarmed that there is no flight number listed online and remember to book your ski gear onto the flight with your booking as space is extremely limited. On scheduled flights you will be able to add airmiles, extra baggage and choose a seat as per normal.
Generally, tour operators charter weekend to weekend and offer no alternatives. If given plenty of notice, changing the flight times or airport may be possible, but mostly depends on the tour operator. This could also incur admin fees and regional flights could cost more compared to Gatwick. On most regional flights you’ll also find fiercer competition for ski carriage space on smaller planes.
If you need to change your flights or transport last-minute or during your trip, you must do so at your own expense independently. In this case, no refund for the flight or transfer not used will be issued and the guest is responsible for the cost of their flight and transfer. However, our customer care team will help out where possible with arrangements.
Some operators will require API (Advance Passenger Information). If necessary, we will request this in good time by email. If on a scheduled flight, you can normally check in and manage your booking process.
If you look at the ski resort and individual chalet pages on our website, you will be able to see the estimated travel times from the available airports.
We have deals with specifically short transfers or from a set airport on our site. In addition, if travelling by train, the information can be found here while we also have a guide if driving from Calais yourself.
Resort and Accommodation
- How can I find out information about my resort and accommodation?
- When is the chalet staff night off?
- Are towels/toiletries in the rooms?
- What meals are included?
- Room only - no meals are provided.
- Bed and breakfast - only breakfast at the accommodation.
- Half-board - breakfast and a main meal of the day, generally dinner.
- Chalet board - breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner. Dinner is generally served with wine on 5 or 6 nights during your stay.
- Full board - all three meals in the day.
- All inclusive - all three meals in the day with drinks included
- What is high tea for children? Do they need to eat separately in the chalet?
- Can I change rooms from my original room allocation?
Our site has all the general information you’ll need to know before making your enquiry. We have extensive information about the resorts, accommodation and deals you can read up on. In addition, during the season you can also look at webcams and forecasts to see current conditions on our site.
The chalet staff are given at least one night off during the week. This can vary depending on the holiday you book. On arrival the chalet staff will make guests aware of when their night(s) off will be. Rest assured that staff will not be off for guests’ arrival and the following day, or their departure day and the night before for any of our 7 night holiday packages.
This information is not usually listed on our site, but chalets and hotels do provide towels. In other accommodation, such as apartments, towels and basic toiletries are generally not provided or come at an additional charge.
What is included is always disclosed on the accommodation and deal pages. Please check our site for information on what is included.
The exact amount of drinks (alcoholic or not), and how it is served, may vary between tour operators.
In certain chalets and chalet hotels children are served high tea instead of having dinner with the adults. This meal is tailored more to their taste and is served ahead of the adult-only dinner- usually at 5:30pm.
In shared chalets children won’t be permitted to dine with the adults, but if staying in a sole-use chalet, children are permitted to join. However, it should be noted there could be a supplement for children to be served the same food as adults. It’s also possible for adults to choose to eat with their children in some shared accommodation. If choosing to do either of these options, please inform us when enquiring.
Iglu Ski does not reserve a specific room in hotels and apartments, but rather a type of room. You will be given a room number upon arrival at check in.
In chalets and chalet hotels the prices of the rooms could vary depending on what amenities and features they provide. In these types of accommodation you will be given a specific room number at the time of booking. Please make sure the accommodation you book is according to the needs of your party. In sole-use accommodation the room allocation is arranged by the party themselves, so make sure everyone’s needs are met before booking.
Financial
- What's included in my ski package?
- Breakdown in costs
- Why does the cost breakdown on the booking confirmation not match the invoice?
- Can I get a discount for being a member of Ski Club of Great Britain?
- What is the Resort Tax?
- How much snow is there in the resort? Will I get a refund is there is not enough snow?
You can easily see what is included in the price of package in terms of accommodation (such as meals and facilities) and deals (such as ski passes and lessons) by checking out the relevant pages on the website. Read this information provided carefully before booking to make sure you book the right ski holiday for your party’s needs. It’s also possible to search for different types of ski deals on our site, such as accommodation-only, pet-friendly or all-inclusive.
A breakdown of your booking costs will be sent in your booking confirmation email upon payment of the deposit. Afterwards, you will receive your operator invoice with a breakdown of your costs. This is always sent to the lead passenger who made the booking if travelling in a party.
The difference in price between your original booking confirmation and invoice is usually simply Iglu Ski giving you a discounted price. This will be displayed on your booking confirmation cost breakdown as 'Discount'.
There is a 5% discount for members of the Ski Club of Great Britain at the time of booking. Give your membership details when booking as this discount is not available post-booking. This discount is not applicable to add-ons such as ski passes or equipment hire.
If an operator does not include resort tax in your ski package price, this needs to be paid at either the hotel reception or with your holiday rep. This varies by resort and supplier, and is noted on the resort’s page. The exact amount varies but is usually approximately £3 - £10 per person per week in local currency.
As we act as a Travel Agent, any actions taken in the event of lack of snow coverage will be down to the supplier who operates your holiday. In some cases the supplier of your holiday may offer alternatives or consider nearby ski resorts - of course until the situation arises, and as it is resort specific it's difficult to say exactly what would happen. Our customer care team are on hand to discuss any concerns you have and provide up to date information from your holiday supplier.
You can check snowfall by viewing our snow reports on the website. There is a guide of resorts where snow is most reliable and you can even check out webcams on the pistes beforehand.
Managing My Booking
- Can I make changes or add extras to my booking?
- Customer information, amendments and corrections
- How can I add more people/rooms to our party’s booking?
- What document will I need?
- Cancellations
In general, you should be able to make changes to your booking up to three days before departure, but with some operators this is not possible. As a result, please contact us as soon as you can with any changes you wish to make.
You can add and take off any add-ons included in your ski package, but there may be an admin charge. You may also lose out on any discounts and special offers only available during the time of the initial booking.
Amendments can only be submitted by the party leader who made the original booking. We advise this person takes note of the rest of the party members’ needs and arrangements before booking.
In the case of ski hire and lift passes, you should be able to purchase them once at the resort but the prices may be different. The rep will be able to help you with this once there, but please note you will have to pay in local currency.
If you contact customer service, we should be able to amend any incorrect information but charges may apply. The sooner you contact us, the better, as once we have to contact the supplier, it’s very unlikely an admin charge will not be required. Please double check all information your party provides before booking and check the initial booking confirmation for any errors.
There is a big difference between amending someone’s details and replacing them with a different individual. If someone drops out or another person wants to join, it is possible, subject to availability, with enough notice, but could incur a charge while missing out on any group discounts.
The shortest notice we can usually give is 3-5 days but we can only accept changes to the booking by the party leader. If the party leader, please have the newcomer’s details included in your email or to hand when calling. If wanting to join the party last-minute, it may simply be easier for the latecomer to book themselves individually. rather than go via the party leader.
Tickets are emailed or posted to you one week prior to departure at the latest.
You'll need your passport and we also advise you take your EHIC card along with any insurance documentation you have. Check out our ski travel checklist for more details.
All cancellations must be sent via email. Please disclose your cancellation in the subject along with the booking reference number if cancelling via a different email address to the original booking.
If there are any admin fees on the booking, they are non-refundable and will be charged at 100% loss. If rooms become under-occupied as a result of a cancellation, there may be under-occupancy charges and changes to the group discount previously offered with your booking. You could also lose sole-occupancy of your chalet.