What better way to winter than gliding over the Alpine snow on a pair of skis? Heading off on a skiing holiday to France or Austria is a yearly ritual for many families and snowsports enthusiasts. This ritual need not burn a tidy hole in your pocket, however and these five tips will show you how to save money on your next skiing holiday:
1. Be flexible with your schedule: Since skiing is a seasonal sport, prices for hotels, resorts, transport, and even food tend to vary a lotdepending on the season. Shift your schedule by a couple of weeks outside peak periods, and you might just end up saving half your money. Most hotels tend to become cheaper late into the season and some resorts high into the Alps in places like the Three Valleys area in France continue their snow seasons until April-May, so take the opportunity for lower rates.
2. DIY or ski package: This is another big question you have to ask before heading out on your ski holiday: do you buy a ski package, or do you book everything on your own? If you're like most families heading out to a popular resort like Val d'Isere, chances are, you'll choose the ski package. After all, you're short on time and most self-catered and catered ski packages include everything from hotel rooms to bus tickets, so you don’t need to fork out once you get there. Conversely, if you choose to assemble your ski holiday yourself, you can mix and match hotels and add on only the extras you want, like childcare, or special family offers.
3. Be mindful of exchange rates: You might be tempted to whip out your credit card to pay for meals and tickets. Don't. The exchange rates through electronic transactions tends to be very unfavorable. Instead, take out the appropriate amount of euros or Swiss francs from the ATM and use cash instead.
4. Take cheaper modes of transport: Flights save you time but also end up being a huge drain on your finances. Trains, buses and even cars are preferable to flying, even if it means spending an extra day or two on the road. If you treat the journey itself as a part of your holiday, you might even come to enjoy the experience as much as the destination!
5. Try some alternative destinations: Last, but not least, remember that France and Switzerland aren't the only countries that receive snow in the winter. Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia have plenty of ski resorts as well, and these can be cheaper than anything in the French/Swiss Alps. Similarly, ski resorts in the Italian Dolomites and Pyrenees offer great skiing at very affordable rates as well. If you're willing to search thoroughly, you can often get great deals on a skiing holiday.
Saving money on a skiing holiday isn't easy, but it is possible. Be flexible with your schedule, avoid exorbitant exchange rates, book tickets/rooms yourself and try out some alternative destinations to get the most out of your holiday!
Photo by Ridge Tahoe Resort Hotel via Flickr CC
Photo by Ridge Tahoe Resort Hotel via Flickr CC
Spain is an immensely popular destination for travellers thanks to its beautiful beaches, exciting cities and relatively low cost of living. One of the major bonuses when visiting Spain is that your spending cash should stretch a lot further if you’re wise with your money.
Book before you leave
Spain holidays are a financially wise move due to the low costs but the popularity of this country means you should book your flights and accommodations well before departure. Using a couple of travel comparison websites will give you a good range of accommodation choices but remember that summer vacations will come with premium prices.
The good news is that outside of the peak summer months you will find plenty of value for money choices. You can of course just turn up and search for a room but expect to pay $20 for a hostel and $45 - $70 for a private hotel room, per night.
Budget beach resorts
It might sound strange but, due to competition, you will find a wider choice of accommodation at the popular beach resorts. Those along the Costa del Sol and the Costa del Luz hold an immense amount of hotels and self-catering apartments all competing for your custom.
Accommodation fills up quickly during June, July and August but outside of these months you can easily find low cost rooms. Remember that many of the Spanish Islands such as Majorca and Ibiza are year round sunshine destinations but you will still find lower prices during spring, autumn and winter.
Local Dishes
To find tasty but inexpensive good food in Spain, follow the locals. Avoiding the ‘laminated menu’ tourist trap restaurants is a good idea and in Spanish cities such as Madrid and Barcelona there are plenty of excellent restaurants serving traditional tapas and paella.
Snacks such as sandwiches should set you back around $5 but can be more expensive in the cities. If you eat where the locals eat then expect to pay around $15 - $30 for a decent evening meal, usually with wine included.
Exploring the country
Getting around Spain is pretty inexpensive. Train fares cost more than buses, which are a good low cost option, and car rental can be one of the best options available. If you’re planning on some sightseeing around Spain then you can hire a car from around $25 per day, but always keep an eye out for the extra charges. Major cities such as Barcelona offer city cards, which once purchased will provide you with free admission to popular sightseeing venues as well as unlimited use of public transport.
Fun, free & low-cost activities
Spain is the perfect option for lovers of the great outdoors and it won’t cost a thing to spend days out on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. The country is also home to some stunning national parks: 14 in total, with beautiful mountains, rivers and lakes. The cities will offer sightseeing attractions including museums, art galleries and historic buildings.
You don’t need an unlimited budget if you’re spending time in this beautiful part of the world. The Spanish locals will always be more than happy to provide recommendations when it comes to finding the best value for money restaurants, entertainment and sightseeing options.
Images by lecercle, alobos Life, Erik Campo and Ekaterina Starchuk used under creative commons license.
Rainy season is always associated with cool and breezy atmosphere. Everyone welcomes the rain with smile and cheer. Especially kids like to make paper boats and sail them in rainwater. However, there is another aspect of all this enjoyment.
Children hardly bother about their hygiene. They splash dirty rainwater on each other. They like to spend hours in the rain that is a major cause of concern for parents. Prolonged wetness is not at all good for the health of kids. They may invite cold and other serious infections.
Lack of hygiene can lead to stomach infection and gastroenteritis. It can cause severe setback to the health of the affected child. Sometimes, children forget to wash their dirty hands and this helps in catching the infection faster. In rainy season, carelessness can prove to be fatal and therefore, parents need to take extra precaution in this regard. A simple practice like washing hands after using washroom and before eating is mandatory to keep stomach problems and other infections at bay.
Eye infection is yet another outcome of careless approach in rainy season. Most of the people face rain with their open eyes. This may result in serious infection of eyes. It is extremely crucial to safeguard the eyes and to keep them shut while taking a bath in rains. Moreover, washing the eyes frequently is an easy way to avoid any problem.
During rains, viruses are in the air. Water-borne and air-borne diseases can strike young kids and adults as well. The parents should follow some necessary guidelines to protect the whole family from serious diseases:
The combination of low temperature and heavy rains is suitable atmosphere for breeding of various mosquitoes and germs.Therefore, use of mosquito repellents and hand disinfectant lotion is highly recommended.
These simple guidelines are must to protect the kids from adverse effects of rainy season.
Children hardly bother about their hygiene. They splash dirty rainwater on each other. They like to spend hours in the rain that is a major cause of concern for parents. Prolonged wetness is not at all good for the health of kids. They may invite cold and other serious infections.
Lack of hygiene can lead to stomach infection and gastroenteritis. It can cause severe setback to the health of the affected child. Sometimes, children forget to wash their dirty hands and this helps in catching the infection faster. In rainy season, carelessness can prove to be fatal and therefore, parents need to take extra precaution in this regard. A simple practice like washing hands after using washroom and before eating is mandatory to keep stomach problems and other infections at bay.
Eye infection is yet another outcome of careless approach in rainy season. Most of the people face rain with their open eyes. This may result in serious infection of eyes. It is extremely crucial to safeguard the eyes and to keep them shut while taking a bath in rains. Moreover, washing the eyes frequently is an easy way to avoid any problem.
During rains, viruses are in the air. Water-borne and air-borne diseases can strike young kids and adults as well. The parents should follow some necessary guidelines to protect the whole family from serious diseases:
- Always use medicinal soap to fight germs and infections. Ask children to wash their hands when they return home.
- To keep the body clean and germ free, bath in dirty rainwater must be followed by shower at home.
- Try to keep kids as clean as possible.
- Make them wear breathable and dry clothing.
- Encourage kids to wear gum boots and rain coats to avoid long hours of wetness.
- Always carry umbrella to deal with surprise showers.
- Use filtered or boiled water for drinking.
- Go for bottled water in place of tap water when outside.
- Always prefer freshly cut foods and homemade foods.
- Include natural herbs and spices such as basil leaves, asafetida and ginger in the meals.
- Avoid spicy and fried foods as this may cause stomach problems.
- Stop kids from biting their nails.
The combination of low temperature and heavy rains is suitable atmosphere for breeding of various mosquitoes and germs.Therefore, use of mosquito repellents and hand disinfectant lotion is highly recommended.
These simple guidelines are must to protect the kids from adverse effects of rainy season.
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