Having a mountain chalet or considering to renting out a place in the Alps or in Switzerland is a good vacation choice. Just bear in mind quite a few things to make sure it becomes as enjoyable as it should be.

Late August may seem a little early to be thinking about booking your ski holiday. But much of the better accommodation at Christmas, New Year, February half-term and, to a lesser extent, the Easter holidays, has already sold out, so you need to book now to have a good chance of finding the holiday you want at a reasonable price.

If an option is confined at travelling in the school holidays, you need to be reserving places in ski school and hiring your kit as well as booking flights and accommodations.

Yearly, the problem is getting worse than usual. A stronger dollar and a more resilient economy have meant that the next season’s holidays have already sold well. The biggest tour operators say that for all those school holiday weeks, bookings are up 25 per cent compared with the previous years. In some resorts, family rooms in the most popular hotels have already sold out.

Consider The Peak Seasons

Family operators with heavy bookings for Christmas and New Year say that chalets and chalet hotels are selling particularly well. Peak holiday periods are busier than they have been in the past couple of seasons. This is partly because most European countries have fixed school holidays in the same weeks, which is a problem at February half-term. Next year the Paris school half-term weeks will coincide with the British break. That means serious pressure on family accommodations.

However, there is some light for hard-pressed families. Lots of schools breaking up for the last week of March are keeping operators busy. It is likely to offer the best-value family holidays next season, with snow in the higher resorts likely to hold up well.

Handpicked are some good destinations for skiing at different points of the season. What is still available from the leading tour operators should be researched. Prices are per person, for seven nights, including flights and transfers unless stated otherwise.

Christmas Break Is Tight

Some people who have been counting down the days until the Christmas break, but skiers and snowboarders will be getting excited for a different reason – the long-awaited start of the ski season.

Most families are having to tighten their belts with the pressures of rising bills, so a winter ski trip may seem out of reach.

There is still a workaround. Stepping in to arm you with top tips and tricks to bag yourself a better deal is one. From picking the right destination to internet deals on cheap ski hire and lift passes, to help stop the costs of hitting the slopes snowballing out of control. If you prefer to have a family ski trip, it is still possible. Stop the costs from compounding out of control.

Picking your holiday dates carefully is half the battle. It may be stating the obvious, but travel dates make all the difference to price. Off peak seasons offer better deals.

Becoming Flexible

Hotels, airlines and holiday operators tend to discount their prices to entice holidaymakers during quieter periods. By being flexible on when you travel it becomes easier to look for better bargains.

As a general rule, the school holidays will be the most expensive times of year to book a holiday, including Christmas, New Year and Easter.

By planning well ahead, not only do you cram a lot of travel and accommodations hassle and headache but you carefully take time to prepare for that much expected break from the hustle and bustle.