צילום: רויטרס
Gone skiing
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Thousands are planning to go on ski trips this winter, but instead of heading to the lavish and expensive ski resorts in France, we now have several cheaper alternatives, such as Andorra and Bulgaria. The new trend: family skiing sessions, with a Hebrew-speaking instructor.
In the town of Grindelwald, Switzerland, four year-old children are already learning how to tackle the slopes at the local skiing school, and even three year-olds who can prove they have a knack for not falling over too much are accepted. Everyone knows that in Switzerland, the moment you learn how to walk, you must also learn how to ski, or else you'll be in trouble come wintertime.
Verbier שווייץ סקי (צילום: איי פי)
Arkia International airline company deputy Director Moshe Hajaj says he estimates some 35,000 Israelis will travel to ski spots all over Europe this year, and the majority of them will go to France, which offers the best skiing locations.
However, he says people should know there are cheaper alternatives to France, such as Italy. He says he estimates the skiing travel package prices will increase by about 7 percent this year, due to increased accommodation and flight rates, although some packages will cost the same as last year.
Don't forget to bring your own instructor
Bat Sheva Uzeri of the Flying Carpet travel agency says a trend has surfaced in the past few years whereby groups embark on ski trips accompanied by Hebrew-speaking instructors.
"These are mostly families that leave during the holiday season- Hanukkah, Purim, and sometimes Pesach, if it arrives early enough and there is still snow on the ground," she says.
Another development in the ski business is the merging of ski sites in the Principality of Andorra.
Uzeri says until recently there were five separate, and relatively small, ski slopes in Andorra, and many skiers complained about the conditions.
"The ski people of this quaint principality decided to merge the five slopes into two. One slope has 200 kilometers (about 124 miles) of ski trails, and the other slope has 100 kilometers (about 62 miles)," she says. "This, along with the 900 snow cannons (artificial snow machines), promises the ski season in Andorra will be very white, very long, and more enjoyable."
Ofir Tours travel agency Director Boaz Waxman also says this year France would lose many Israeli skiers to Andorra and Italy, and many of them would prefer hotels, apartment hotels, or apartments that are rented out on a weekly basis, over ski resorts.
He says this year many skiers, especially more adept ones, will trade in their skis for snowboards.
"Most people who go skiing do not own skis, because the airlines try to take advantage and charge a lot of money for carrying them," he says. "However, most people leave the country with appropriate ski attire and accessories."
Ski trips are not only about the skiing, as people can enjoy the various attractions the ski sites have to offer.
"Many people vacation in ski sites to enjoy the clean air, the fancy locations, and an array of pampering facilities, including high-class spas and heated pools," says Club Med Israel Director Zeev Dahan. "Some people, especially the more elderly, hit the slopes until noon, and then embark on trips in the surrounding area and even go shopping. They don't feel they have to be on skis the entire time."
He says Israelis are very interested in the less expensive ski sites in Andorra, Austria, and even Bulgaria, but these locations cannot be compared to French ski resorts such as Tignes, which has 600 kilometers (about 373 miles) of ski trails, Val D'isere, or Val Thorens.
"France is still the number one destination for those who want to ski," Dahan says.
Oren Azulay of Issta travel agency says many Israelis would prefer to vacation in eastern European ski locations this year, especially in Bulgaria, because flights are cheap and Bulgarians have invested huge sums of money on developing ski sites. In the Borovets ski resort, for example, the number of lifts and slopes has been doubled, and new hotels have been constructed.
Switzerland not most expensive anymore
The leading ski sites in France are Meribel, Val Thornes, and Les Menuires, which are actually one big ski site, nicknamed The Three Valleys. Additional French ski sites are Courchevel, Alpe d'Huez, and Chamonix.
In Austria, vacationers can choose from such beautiful ski resorts as Kitzbuhel, which is located in eastern Tirol, or the beautiful Mayrhofen, St. Anton, and Saalbach Hinterglemm resorts.
In Italy, ski lovers can visit the picturesque town of Moena, which is nicknamed The Fairy of the Dolomites, and is situated between the Flemme and Fassa valleys. They can also visit Cervinia, which is located on the Italian-Swiss border, or Sestrire, located in the Italian Alps along the border with France. Sestrire was built especially for the 1997 World Championships.
In the past three years, Andorra, located in the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains, has become a hit among the Israelis, because the ski vacation packages offered are considerably cheaper, and because Andorra has more than 1,000 duty-free shops.
גולשים באוסטריה (צילום: דני שדה)
And then, of course, there is Switzerland. It is not surprising the first thing that comes to mind when people mention skiing is Switzerland, and the first place that comes to mind when people mention skiing in Switzerland is St. Moritz, where skiing was invented.
For years Switzerland has been very expensive, causing Israelis to shy away from its ski resorts. However, in the past few years, as Europe became more expensive due to the Euro currency transformation, Switzerland stuck to the Swiss Franc.
As a result, a small number of Israelis have already begun to frequent several Swiss ski sites, such as Davos, Zermatt, and Saas-Fee.
Prices
Prices vary, depending on the month.
A 7-day ski-travel package to Andorra (half board), including a ski pass and lessons, costs €900.
A ski-travel package to La Flaine, France, including flight tickets, accommodations, and a ski-pass costs €852.
A ski-travel package to Moena, Italy, including flight tickets, accommodations, a rental car for a week, and a ski-pass costs €879.
A ski-travel package to Austria, including flight tickets, accommodations, and a ski-pass costs €847.
A ski-travel package to Club Med Arcs Altitude in the French Alps, including flight tickets, full board, lessons, and a ski-pass costs €914.
A week-long ski-travel package to Club Med Val D'isere in France, including full board, lessons, and a ski-pass, costs at least €1,450.
