40cm of snow in Val d’Isere and more across the Alps.

Great news for those who wisely booked at Easter and great news for those still planning to book.

The conditions have been excellent across the Alps all the way through until mid to late April for the past few years and so this seems to be the trend. We confidently tell our clients that Spring Skiing is still as good as ever.

40cm in Val d’Isere, 25cm in Meribel, 20cm in St Martin and we have received emails from all of our operators across the Alps saying they they have had fresh snow.

Some last minute offers.

4 – 11 April 2010

St Martin de Belleville, Chalet Abode - €875 per person (from €1,569!). Sleeps 8+2 available of a room by room basis.

Val d’Isere, Chalet Margaux – £995 per adult catered including flights and coach transfers. Sleeps 12 available on a room by room basis.

Verbier, Chalet Berbou – £7,155 total price for the whole chalet catered. Sleeps 6.

11 – 18 February 2010

Chamonix, Chalet Serena – £13,680 total price for the whole chalet catered. Sleeps 14 people.

Please contact +44 1865 398 130 or email info@oxfordski.com for further information on these chalets and other great opportunities to go skiing this season.

Other very good news. Kylie Hardy our Sales Manager had a baby girl on Saturday. She is called Yasmine and all are doing well.

A white Easter is always a good option

Much as we all like to have a white Christmas. If you are a skier then having a white Easter is also a very sensible option. With two months of the season still to go there is plenty of time to go skiing!

EASTER HOLIDAYS
28 March – 4 April 2010
Chalet Hermine in Courchevel 1850 – sleeps 10 people. £32,870
Chalet Montana in Val d’Isere – sleeps 12 + 3. £43,824
Chalet Chineur in Verbier – sleep 8. £13,950
Chalet de Drus in Chamonix – sleeps 14. €20,000 You know it makes sense! Book a skiing holiday!!

We are only half way through the season…..there is still time to ski

The good news is that we are only half way through this winter season and so if you have not booked already there is still plenty of time to go skiing. Or why not treat yourself to a second holiday.

Please see some great deals below in these catered chalets.

MERIBEL – Free childcare to be taken advantage of.

27 Feb – 6 March Chalet Virage – £699 per person with one free crech place per couple. Sold on a room by room basis

4 – 11 April (Easter holidays) Chalet Nant de Morel (10) £8,500 for exclusive us of the whole chalet.

VERBIER

28 Feb or 7 March Chalet Sorojasa (10) £13,550 or £14,400 for exclusive use.

28 March (Easter holidays) Chalet Treize Etoiles II (10+2) £16,950 for exclusive use.

28 March (Easter holidays) Chalet Plein Soleil (6) £9,500 for exclusive use.

ZERMATT

21 – 28 Feb Chalet Ulysse (8) CHF15,990/£9,594 for exclusive use.

28 Feb – 7 March Chalet Grace (10+2)  CHF38,640/£23,184 for exclusive use.

Please contact the office and speak to the sales consultants to discuss these chalets and many more. 0044 1865 398 130.

Half Term – Flights and chalet available

Chalet Baloo, sleeps 8

Flight Only Seat Sale for Half Term and some chalets to match.

FLIGHT DETAILS
British Airways            LGW-GVA         BA8610C/11C              0840-1115       1155-1235.  £349 per seat
ii)         British Airways            LGW-GVA         BA8624C/25C              1000-1240       1330-1410. £349 per seat
iii)        Bmi                               MAN-GVA         BD7371/72                  0820-1125       1205-1305. £349 per seat
The prices for the above charter flights include ski carriage, and all airport taxes.

VERBIER
Chalet Crijibe – Sleeps 10 people. CHF31,500 (£18,695)

CHAMONIX
Chalet Baloo – Sleeps 8.  £23,625
Chalet Serena – Sleeps 14. £28,900

With only a few weeks to go we still have some wonderful options to enjoy a family, Half Term skiing holidays. All the above chalets have ben discounted so there are some better prices to be made the most of.

Please call +44 1865 398 130.

Weekend Snowfall Spells Even Better Conditions in the Alps

The current cold spell we have in the UK at the moment is bringing even better snow conditions across the Alps. The resorts of France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy all received some good snow fall over the weekend. Combined with some very cold temperatures this is building an excellent snow base for the season. I would also like to point out that it was -7 oC in my car this morning!

Some New Year chalets to be taken….

Chalet Black Pearl, (sleeps 10)

Chalet Black Pearl – new and impressive in Val d’Isere. Sleeps 10 pax. €29,500

Chalet Hidden Dragon – a serious ski retreat that is quite unique in the Quatre Vallee. Dropped from CHF120,000 to CHF80,000. Sleeps 12.

Into the New Year…

Chalet Virage,  3 – 10 Jan in Meribel – full childcare available if required. £799 per adult or £699 per child. Sleeps up to 16.

Chalet Bellevue, 10 – 17 Jan in Meribel – private creche and nannies available. £680 per person

Aspen Lodge, Larch Suite, 10 – 17 Jan in Val d’Isere - catered with flights and transfers £729 per adult.

Petit Sassiere, 10 -17 Jan in Val d’Isere – catered £615 per adult

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can help on any of the above  or indeed any other requests you may have. Wishing you a very Happy Christmas.

Rupert Longsdon (rupert@oxfordski.com) or main office 0044 1865 398 130.

Get a taste for skiing on these webcams

The snow really is coming and it is time of wax the skis and book skiing holiday!
We have chalets reduced by 25% for Christmas!

Please look at the following resort webcams…

VAL D’ISERE – Tourist office webcams

View from Chalet Le Chardon. The chalet sleeps 20 people and is one of the best in the resort.

ZERMATT – Tourist office webcams

VERBIER – Tourist office webcams

Please contact us for all special offers available for the first few weeks of the season.

info@oxfordski.com or +44 (0) 1865 398 130

Snow News Is Good News.

According to today’s report from the experts at the Ski Club Great Britain, many European resorts are already enjoying a healthy serving of snow and predictions are there is more to come. Read on to find out where the earlier snowfalls are settling:

Val d’Isère and Tignes:

It has been snowing intermittently in the Espace Killy for a couple of weeks now. The Grand Motte at 3,456m received 10cm of snow over the weekend and even a covering in the town centre of, Tignes Le Lac last Monday. Forecasters expect another smattering to add to the 3 centimetres already seen this week at resort level. Three lifts are already operating in the ski area and more and more pistes are being classified open.

Gstaad:

Gstaad’s glacier 3,000 is one of four Swiss ski areas that are closed due to bad weather. Expect plenty of fresh powder when the clouds finally part.

Zermatt and Saas Fee:

Both these two resorts have opened early for skiing at the beginning of last week. Many of the elements of the Saas Fee snowpark have also already opened as well as five of the resort’s lifts.

For more information on current forecasts or to read through historical snow-reports, the Ski Club Great Britain’s website is a vital research tool. If you are planning an earlier season trip, let us advise you of the best locations for your holiday. You can call us on +1865 398130 to talk to a travel consultant or visit www.oxfordski.com for all our chalet listings.

Early snow records set to be broken in Austria

“Early snow records set to be broken” reports Lisa Chapman in the Austrian Times

Report from 12/10/09

“Austria’s provincial capitals are expected to see their earliest snowfalls in history today (Mon) as Arctic air sweeps the country.

Josef Haselhofer from Vienna’s Central Agency for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) said today (Mon) Arctic air would probably result in the first snow cover in provincial capitals before 20 October in history and said Innsbruck, Salzburg and St. Pölten were likely to see snow.

He said as much as 30 to 40 centimetres of snow was likely down to 1,200 metres and snow could fall as low as 400 metres later this week, adding it had already begun to fall in Vorarlberg. He also predicted low temperatures would be minus five degrees at higher elevations and zero degrees in the lowlands by Thursday morning.

Haselhofer warned of possible impassable snow drifts in some places and the danger of avalanches in low-lying areas.

Car club ÖAMTC reported today that chains were mandatory for all vehicles on stretches of the Arlbergstraße (L197), Lechtalstraße (L198) and the Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße (L188) in Vorarlberg.

The club said snow was falling down to 1,500 metres and the snow line would drop to as low as 900 metres in the province before it stopped snowing there.

The record for early snow in provincial capitals was set in 2007, when snow remained on the ground in some of them from 20 to 24 October. The average high in October, according to ZAMG, is 15 degrees.

The snow warnings come after weather records tumbled last week, with a number of places seeing records for the highest October temperature in many years, according to ZAMG.”

The good news is we have some fantastic chalts in the Arlberg region to stay in. Please have a look at the following resorts on our website www.oxfordski.com/.

Lech – Chalet Furka (Sleeps 14)

Zurs – Bentleys House (Luxury Serviced Apartments of 4, 6 or 7)

St Anton – We have a choice of 17 catered chalets or all sizes!

Please do call our Sales Team to find you the right holiday on +44 (0) 1865 398 130

Focus on Val D’Isere

A Super Luxury Dragon’s Den

Hidden Dragon (Sleeps 12 – very comfortably) “ski in ski out”.

Resort: Veysonnaz, near Verbier, Switzerland

Hidden Dragon is undoubtedly one of the most exclusive, private, Alpine lodges in the heart of Switzerland’s dynamic 4 Valley ski region. Nestled in a forest, above the village of Veysonnaz, this secluded mountain retreat is discreetly located in its own extensive grounds accessed by private road. Perched at 1,500m, this year-round hide-away offers uninterrupted panoramic views over the Rhone Valley. Idyllic throughout the seasons, Hidden Dragon offers skiers and non-skiers the ultimate Alpine get-away as it is only 15 minutes drive from Sion’s private heliport and airport. Using ancient Feng Shui and Shinto principles, Hidden Dragon was built with escape in mind.

Hidden Dragon offers four floors of spacious Alpine-chic living, harmoniously fusing antiques with contemporary pieces. All six en-suite, guest bedrooms offer luxurious comfort, while the multiple stylish living quarters, including a professional sound-proofed cinema, ensure maximum guest indulgence.

Guests are encouraged to handpick wines to accompany their evening feast from the state-of-the-art extensive wine cellar, and to enjoy the wraparound balcony for sunset cocktails and star-gazing through the vintage telescope. Winter guests benefit from skiing in and out of the elegant ‘Gentlemen’s Club’ style, ski-room complete with guests’ very own après-ski bar. Just seconds to the slopes, guests have easy access to one of the most dynamic ski regions in Europe, reaching the top of Mont Fort and its infamous off-piste trails in no time at all.

After skiing guests return to a haven of luxurious pampering – with a hammam, sauna, hot-tub, meditation room, yoga deck, rain showers, and massage therapy all on offer to soothe aching limbs.