With more airlines imposing charges for carrying ski equipment, winter sports holiday makers are wondering, how is the best way to take their ski equipment to the slopes. The latest airline to deliver a blow to the “do it yourself” skier is British Airways with a charge which is by no means low!  You will be charged £58 if you pay for these when you book your flight online, if you do not, but wait until you get to the airport, this charge becomes a staggering £70!

One way round the ski holiday carriage problem is to use “snow train” which is Eurostar and travels from St Pancras to the French Alps each week on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. You still have to get to your resort, which is usually a short transfer, but you can take as much luggage as you want, including skis, free of charge. If you are going skiing in North America, and more of us are taking this choice with the great snow that they offer, you will have no choice but to pay up, but of course you can hire your skis or snowboard when you get to your holiday destination.

When you think of going on a skiing holiday you do not usually think of a time in late March or mid-April as most people would typically consider skiing during the winter months of December, January, February or early March. In most ski resorts, late March and mid-April are considered the start of the spring skiing season.

Yes, people do ski in the spring and not just in places that have an overwhelming amount of snow for the majority of the year. Some people may not intentionally book their holiday with the thought of spring skiing but due to an early arrival of warmer weather they can find themselves having to adapt to that situation.

Spring skiing can be a lot of fun. You do not have to worry about numb toes or fingers. Usually you can ski in just a light jacket or long sleeve shirt. Some people even ski in just a t-shirt.

One of the biggest drawbacks when it comes to spring skiing is the slush created from melting snow and being subjected to rain instead of snow when you are on the mountain. Towards the top most of the snow stays fairly solid but as you travel down it becomes more and more slushy, which does not make for good skiing. Fresh snow may be no longer possible; many skiers love the fresh powder and wouldn’t want to trade it for some slightly warmer weather.

The Alps have many top name ski resorts, beautiful villages and amazing views, and there is something in the Alps to suit all levels of skier. Ski deals to resorts in the Alps should be easy to find as there is so much choice. Searching the internet will produce many good results, or alternatively requesting help and advice from a travel agent, who can also advise on last minutes bargains, may be an ideal way to find an affordable ski holiday in the French Alps.

Possibly the most famous of the ski resorts in the French Alps is Val d’Isere. This will most likely not be a suitable resort for those on a budget as it is one of the most expensive in the whole of Europe. The Val d’Isere resort can cater for all levels of expertise and has many activities for the non-skier.

Chamonix is another extremely popular place for skiing holidays in France. Chamonix lies at the foot of the highest peak in the Alps, Mont Blanc, and again is a very expensive resort to visit.

Lesser known resorts such as Aussois or Serre Chevalier are smaller and therefore much more affordable places to holiday for those with families or who are just looking for cheap ski deals.

One of the largest resorts in the Alps is L’Alpe d’Huez. It is thought to be one of the best for family based skiing holidays and has a relaxed but lively atmosphere. Again, there are options for all levels of skier and some beautiful off-piste trails for the more advanced skier to try.

With 650 km of interlinked ski piste, the ski and snowboarding is limitless whilst the variety of local French and Swiss mountain towns makes the summer a haven for walkers and mountain bikers. Essert-Romand is one of the satellite villages dotted around the main resort town of Morzine. Set in idyllic surroundings the town is mostly residential, with many business owners and local people choosing to live here rather than Morzine itself.

Morzine is a traditional Savoyard town, superbly situated in the Portes du Soleil, one of the largest linked international ski areas in the world. The ski resort is set in a picturesque valley, and has a distinct charm with its traditional chalet style architecture. Convenient links in the Portes du Soleil allow easy access to the nearby Swiss resorts of Morgins and Champéry, and the French resorts of Châtel and Les Gets, or over into Avoriaz for some more testing runs.

How will the announcement by budget airline Ryanair affect you forthcoming winter skiing holiday? If you had planned to fly with them, then of course you will be affected, but there are plenty of alternatives. They have planned to  cut its UK winter capacity by 16% from November, has blamed Air Passenger Duty (APD) for a move which will see it carry over two million fewer passengers this winter compared to the same period last year. Mainly these cuts will concentrate on London Stansted, where the airline will base 22 aircraft instead of 24. This will mean a flight volume decrease of 17% at the airport and a loss of up to 1.5 million passengers between November and March 2011. The cuts will affect some other UK bases but if you are planning to fly from Leeds or from Edinburgh you will still get to Munich or Treviso.

Ryanair pulling out of the winter flight schedule so popular with skiers could leave a hole but we would imagine that there will be other airlines that can fill the gap. Jet2 and EasyJet are examples who fly to French ski resorts and the popular destination of Geneva could become ever more popular this coming winter as we plan our next skiing holiday.

It would seem that every nation has their own problems when it comes to snowboarding and skiing holidays according to a survey which has been carried out by a major winter sport insurer. It would seem that British skiers, especially men, have a habit of showing off on the piste, so it is not just on the beach after all! The Italians are, well just Italians, and they do everything at breakneck speed including skiing and boarding. The French simply overestimate their own abilities whilst the Spanish don’t believe in lessons! Unsurprisingly it is after lunch when most accidents occur, alcohol has to play its part but this is when most people are getting tired, particularly after a long lazy lunch on the terrace. The biggest cause of accidents is people pushing themselves beyond their ability because of jealousy of others’ expertise on the slopes.

However it is the Germans that, it would seem, cause the biggest problem, they do not have any awareness of who is around them and perhaps they believe that the slopes are for them alone. Another area where our German friends have won is the battle for the beach bed! Thanks to Thomas Cook, tourists from the fatherland will no longer need to lay out their towels at 5am to secure a prime spot by the resort pool; they simply have the option to pay €3 per day when they book their ski holiday.

While skiing in North America might not seem very economically friendly in these post depression times at first glance, look closer and you’ll find that it’s more affordable than expected. This is largely thanks to ski holiday operators who offer excellent value ski deals including flights and transfers. And for those who do brave the transatlantic flight, America’s fabled empty, wide open, tree-lined corduroy slopes await. Combine this with reliable snow, non-existent lift queues, and excellent ski tuition, consistently high levels of service and dining both on and off the mountain and you’ll soon forget any jet-lag.

North America has so many ski resorts to choose from it could be eco friendly California, deep snow of Utah, luxury Colorado, beautiful Alberta in Canada, or for the truly dedicated skier, British Columbia. Kicking Horse, Big White, Fernie, Revelstoke, Red, these names will send ripples of excitement through any ski fan, bringing to mind visions of long virgin powder runs, snowcat skiing, heliskiing and ’ski safari’ road trips, it all awaits you in North America.

Never dismiss a ski holiday in Scotland as a sort of second class skiing adventure, because it isn’t. You will find stunning scenery, areas of untouched snow, heart-pounding ascents and exhilarating descents; you will find that a ski touring is undeniably one of the ultimate mountain adventures on offer both abroad and here in the UK. In common with any off piste style of skiing you will need to be a competent skier and you should be physically fit, ski touring is a pursuit available to many snow sport fans.

Ski touring can be arranged through your ski holiday specialist and there are many places both here in Scotland in the Cairngorms from an Aviemore base. Alpine touring and safaris during the winter season including popular itineraries such as the Haute Route. Ski deals can be a short one or two day excursion to the more popular safari style of hopping from resort to resort.

Rivalling Bansko and Borovets for the title of most modern ski resort in Bulgaria, Pamporovo is one of the largest ski resorts in the country, easily comparing to any of the other resorts scattered throughout Europe. Nestled in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains on the slopes of the very peak where the mythical character Orpheus lived, this is considered the premier ski resort in the country, and one of the southernmost ski resorts in the whole of Europe. Only 240 kilometres out from the capital of Sofia and 85 kilometres out from Plovdiv, this is the perfect place for a winter ski trip, regardless of the duration.

Pamporovo is considered to be one of the sunniest ski resorts in the Balkans, with around 120 sunny days during the ski season. The unique atmosphere from the Aegean Sea climate combines with the air currents to create a ski season that starts in mid December and lasts until mid to late April. There are a variety of runs ranging from beginner slopes to the Giant Slalom run, perfect for experts. There are well over 100 ski instructors located in Pamporovo, with plenty of nightlife and shopping. There are accommodation and restaurants available throughout the season, although given the popularity of the ski resort it is a good idea to book your trip at least six months in advance. And while skiing is the main reason for the resort’s popularity, the summer months offer a variety of hiking and backpacking opportunities as well, so no matter what time of year you decide to come there will be plenty of things to see and do.

Named after the French Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy, who dominated the sport in the late 1960s and was a triple champion, winning all three events at the 1968 Olympics as well as the first two world cup titles in 1967 and 1968, Espace Killy is a renowned area to take your ski holiday. Espace Killy is made up of the two French resorts of Val d’Isère and Tignes and comprises 50 Black runs, 92 Red Runs, 122 Blue Runs, and 44 Green Runs; there is 300 kilometres of downhill pistes with 44 Km cross country trails more than enough for every level of skier.

Val d’Isère ranks alongside St Moritz, Stowe and Cortina in the famous names of skiing category. However it is also in the world top ten for ’ski area size’ as well as name-fame, sharing the huge Espace Killy with neighbouring Tignes. Add to that world class lift infrastructure and a vast array of après ski activity and you have the archetypal world-class resort. ‘Val’ is very popular with the British, and has spawned purpose-built developments at out-of-town La Daille, which boasts an ultra-modern funicular, and le Fornet. Most of the men’s downhill events were staged here for the ‘92 Albertville Olympics and the European leg of the World Cup season generally starts here in the first half of December.

Tignes shares the huge and wonderful Espace Killy with Val d’Isère, but the underground funicular accessed Grand Motte glacier officially belongs to Tignes. The glacier no longer offers skiing 365 days a year, but it is open for a total for nearly 10 months. For eight months a vertical drop of 1400 metres is maintained, with the aid of snow-making if necessary. The resort has five different base areas, the main one being Val Clartet with Le Lac and Le Lavachet nearby. Lower down the mountain is Les Boisses and a renovated old village Les Brevieres, at the lowest point in the system at 1550 metres.

The Espace Killy is a great place to take a skiing holiday with plenty of good restaurants, apartments, and chalets as well as top class French hotels. Night life is epitomised by the famous Dick’s Tea Bar at Val, now also to be found in Meribel, along with other like places where you can party until the early hours!