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Slow Lane Magazine, August 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • Dancing with the devil on Lanzarote
  • Madeira - six of the best
  • A foodie in 'Sherry Country'
  • Slow Moments 2019 photo competition
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Holidays in the snow

 
Take a winter break in Europe away from the crowds. Featuring high-quality hotels of character, our winter holidays cater for both skiers and non-skiers – go winter walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or dog-sledding, embark on a great winter journey, or seek out the Northern Lights…
 
Snow holidays
Snow holidays
 

Snow holidays in Europe,

on the quiet side of the mountain
Aimed at non-skiers as much as skiers – anyone who loves the beauty of winter – Inntravel’s snow holidays are that little bit different. In keeping with our Slow holiday philosophy, the focus is on staying at charming, carefully selected hotels in villages such as Pertisau and Guarda on the quiet side of the mountain and appreciating the snow-clad scenery in a way that suits you – winter walking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, dog-sledding, downhill skiing, or even from the seat of a train.
 

How Inntravel snow holidays work

 
Browse our snow holidays
 

Find the right holiday for you

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Find a holiday
 

Types of winter snow break

 

How our snow holidays are graded

Many activities cater for all levels – including beginners – and as such are not graded; for winter walking and snowshoeing, it’s usually a case of choosing routes of an appropriate length for your level of fitness. Alpine pistes and cross-country trails are graded, however; below are the terms we use to describe who the skiing is best suited to:
  • No previous experience; requires lessons. Should stick to green trails for cross-country skiing or nursery slopes for downhill skiing.
  • Has limited previous experience and is au fait with the basics, but not yet completely confident. Able to cope with most blue routes.
  • Has skied before and technique is now sufficiently honed to tackle red routes with confidence.
  • Highly experienced. Able to cope with the most difficult of trails/pistes (those graded black).
 

Winter breaks on the quiet side of the mountain

We offer winter holidays in the Alps – Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy – and in Norway and Finland. Whichever country you choose for your winter break, rest assured that our chosen villages are far removed from the hectic whirl of a modern ski resort, and offer a wide range of winter holiday activities. In addition to week-long winter holidays in the snow (including stays during the Christmas holidays), we offer short snow holidays, including Northern Lights breaks and Christmas market breaks.
//Southern Ireland //Austria Austria //Azores Azores //Canary Islands Canary Islands //Croatia Croatia //Cyprus Cyprus //Czech Republic Czech Republic //Denmark Denmark //Faroe Island Faroe Islands //Finland Finland //France France //Germany Germany //Greece and its islands Greece & its Islands //Holland Holland //Iceland Iceland //Italy and its Islands Italy & its Islands //Madeira Madeira //Malta and Gozo Malta & Gozo //Norway Norway //Portugal Portugal //Slovenia Slovenia //Spain Spain //Sweden Sweden //Switzerland Switzerland //Turkey Turkey //UK UK
 

Favourite snow holidays

View all snow holidays
 

FAQs & tips

If you’d like more information about a specific hotel or village, or advice on choosing the holiday that is right for you, please get in touch – our friendly experts will be happy to help. 
  • It varies. Some villages are tiny, secluded places where you can escape the everyday world; others are larger, with various shops and cafés, but all remain charmingly unspoiled – and tranquil.
  • Very definitely! Our chosen villages offer a variety of non-skiing activities (take a look at Moso, Weidach, Ramsau, Kandersteg and Sils, for example), and an increasing number of our customers choose not to ski at all during their time away.
  • No, but you’ll find a list of activities available locally (such as winter walking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing etc) on each holiday page. If you’re interested in a specific activity, you can use the advanced options on the search facility to find suitable holidays.

    For activities such as curling, ice-fishing or dog-sledding, you can usually join sessions organised by a guide from the local tourist office, who will show you how it’s done before inviting you to try it for yourself.
    Bear in mind that activities do not necessarily operate during every week of the season, and may be weather dependent or require a minimum number of participants to proceed. A charge is payable locally for most activities.

    If you want to try a range of snow activities, take a look at our winter activity weeks.
  • Yes. Winter walking, because it’s along specially flattened trails, is exactly like normal walking – you can even wear your normal waterproof walking boots. Snowshoeing doesn’t require any special technique either – you just need to walk with your feet slightly further apart than usual.
  • We don’t generally include ski hire or tuition in our holiday prices, unless specifically stated (and nor do we include cross-country trail passes in the standard holiday price, though many villages offer free access to the local domain).

    However, we have arranged a wide variety of pre-bookable ski packages in many of our villages, often including equipment hire, tuition and passes (where needed). Our most popular packs are detailed in the pricing section of each holiday page. Of course, should you wish to arrange things differently, we will be happy to book ski hire, lift passes and lessons separately.
  • Yes, but most airlines require that these are pre-booked and levy a charge for carrying them – please let us know at the time of booking how many ski bags you intend to carry.
  • Yes. Although our prices include flights from London, we are happy to book alternative routes and airlines for you. There may be a supplement to pay if your preferred option is more expensive than the included flight; our travel experts will discuss this with you when you book.
  • Your hosts will be happy to help with the vast majority of problems – we feature family-run hotels offering high standards of service. Our strong relationship with the owners (we have worked with most of the hotels in our collection for many years) means they look after Inntravel customers particularly well (which is why we don’t employ ‘reps’). We also provide a 24-hour emergency phone line for added peace of mind.
  • Holidays normally run from Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday, unless stated otherwise. Sunday is usually the best day to arrive as Monday is then your first skiing day, when the trails are quieter. Over Christmas and New Year, arrival days and holiday durations may vary. We clearly indicate such variations in the price panel where relevant. 
  • We offer special Try-It-Out Weeks for complete beginners at the quietest times of the season, with lessons and equipment hire included. You join other like-minded Inntravel guests for the lessons themselves, but are free the rest of the time. Alternatively,  we recommend Ylläs, Geilo, Sjusjøen, Pertisau, Weidach, Ramsau, Kandersteg or Blitzingen, all of which have good ski schools with English-speaking instructors and easy access to the beginners’ trails.
  • No special clothing is needed for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and winter walking – we recommend the following for all three of these winter activities:
    • Lightweight waterproof jacket
    • Several thin layers for your top half (those made of breathable, fast-wicking fabrics are ideal)
    • Waterproof walking boots (swap these for cross-country shoes when skiing)
    • Winter-weight walking trousers or tracksuit bottoms
    • Knee-length socks
    • Sunglasses
    • Gloves
    • Rucksack
    Specialist clothing is necessary for downhill skiing, though you needn’t spend a large amount. You’ll need:
    • Salopettes
    • Ski jacket
    • Several thin layers for your top half (those made of breathable, fast-wicking fabrics are ideal)
    • Knee-length socks
    • Padded gloves
    • Hat
    • Sunglasses
    We recommend the use of ski helmets for everyone when downhill skiing. For children, these are provided free in Finland and Norway.
  • Yes! Visit our family snow holidays page for a list of hotels/villages which are particularly well suited to families, including our most popular snow holiday for families, the Hotel Wiesenhof in Pertisau, Austria. Alternatively, our travel experts will be happy to offer advice.
Last fetch time is : 9/16/2019 3:54:48 AM