USA & Canada V. Eurozone: where do Brits want to ski? Camping World looks at both options

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 24, 2009 – Surrey, LONDON - 24.10.09 http://www.campingworld.co.uk

1. The Ski Season

In a lot of ski resorts in the USA & Canada the ski season isn’t the short and sweet December-April irregular snow showers we’ve all come to expect from even the best places in Europe. The ski season is well known for easily being November-May, with full on snow dumps ensuring coverage all season long without any need for snow cannons. Instead, to keep everything even, they ‘farm’ the snow fall they get by catching it in giant nets and spreading it across the pistes when needed.

So, first point goes to the USA & Canada – no perilous skidding downhill on icy rocks in April.

2. The View

This really comes down to the Alps Versus the Rockies. Now, in Europe we usually make things well and we make things to last, but we never do really BIG anything. Across the pond they supersize everything and the Rockies are no exception – the views you find breathtaking in Europe leave you gasping for air in the USA & Canada, so skiing down a mountain has never been so picturesque.

Point two to the USA & Canada

3. The Travel Time

No contest. With a bit of planning and a tail wind you can leave work in London on a Friday at 4pm and be skiing by 8pm. Now for a country with no snow, that’s pretty quick. In contrast with the USA & Canada you’re looking at least an 8 hour flight time across the Atlantic to get to your chosen resort, not including transfers, checking in or any delays.

Catching the train to the slopes is now almost a better option, save money, cuts down your carbon footprint and reduces airport waiting times.

Point three speeds to Europe

4. Cost

No use avoiding it, all ski and snowboard holidays cost a packet. If it isn’t the actual holiday (flights, accommodation and lift pass), it’s the kit – ski jackets, salopettes, goggles, gloves, baselayers, furry boots and traditional funky hat – the insurance, the food, the ski & boot hire and the après ski that all add up to quite a large outlay before you’ve even done very much at all.

Ski holidays in Europe can, at a pinch, be done on a budget – Ryanair and EasyJet both fly to ski resorts and there are budget hotels to be found if you book early and are lucky. Not so if you are going to the USA & Canada. Flights alone are going to cost you upwards of £400pp and whilst you can stay in a cheapo motel, because things are so BIG over there you’ll be miles away from the slopes. On the plus side you get more food for your dollar over there, and with the current exchange rate Europe loses it a bit against Canada where you’ll be getting 1.60/£. The trick is to find a resort in a country that doesn’t yet use the Euro.

Exchange rates aside, Europe get’s the point

5. Child Care

In Europe child-care is usually fairly limited. When ski-school is over at 12 o’clock you get to entertain them rather than whizzing down all those steep blacks you wanted to attack whilst you still had your courage. Most ski-schools only take kids from the age of 3 as well, so options are limited to leaving them with the grandparents when you’re away or simply not skiing.

The USA & Canada is much more geared up towards young families, and childcare is generally available for children as young as a few weeks old. It’s all English-speaking, friendly and very safety conscious with vetting and high carer-to-child ratios, so you don’t need to worry as much. Child-care isn’t just tied to ski schools either, so activities are arranged for the older kids and the younger ones are well looked after.

The point goes to the USA & Canada

6. Size, Space and Overcrowding

The USA & Canada resorts are BIG. Fact. Even at peak season there’s enough space for everyone and just like the roads, the pistes are long and wide. I know we like to queue in Britain, so the USA & Canada will disappoint as there are none. Unlike peak season in Europe when you’ll be lucky to pull a quick 15-minute queue for the morning gondola.

The blissful emptiness of the slopes in the USA & Canada win

7. Instruction

There’s two schools of thought on ski lessons: instruction for adults in Europe can be sketchy, with big class sizes and poor English from the instructor leaving you confused even if you can hear them. In the USA & Canada class sizes are generally a maximum of 6 strong and you can (nearly) always understand why you shouldn’t cross your skis. Unfortunately it’s an 8 hour flight away and you may not enjoy the experience. Instruction for kids is the sticking point – pretty good across the pond, and sometimes not so good in Europe. There are exceptions to the rule, however: Andorra has some of the best ski instruction in Europe and a great range of slopes to suit beginners and intermediate skiers (both adults and children). It’s close to home, relatively inexpensive and very good – all of which gets our vote.

Verdict: A draw.

8. Après Ski

Europe is boozier than the USA & Canada and generally better suited to letting your hair down at the end of a long, strenuous day. The après ski party scene has been in full swing every season now for years, and you can guarantee a good friendly and enthusiastic night pretty much every night of your holiday, no matter where you go. The USA & Canada is not so much geared up for the whole après ski scene, but pubs, bars and clubs are emerging which liven up your evening session – but you have to be 21 in the USA and they will ID you.

Europe wins the drinking contest

9. Culture

The USA & Canada is full of charm and friendly staff, but everything is very… um… Americanised. Fast-food joints, Drive Thrus, Big Gulps, National Parks and Californian wines basically sum it all up. Europe is old and steeped in history. By night you can visit any number of cities and take in the great architecture, the history and the atmosphere. Everything is a little smaller than in the USA & Canada, making it that much more personal and full of little querks that make Europe a very special place indeed.

Restaurants and pubs on every corner, Europe beats Goliath.

10. Medical, Insurance and Security

Insurance is a not just an optional extra on a ski holiday – to go without it is just plain foolish. It’s not a huge added cost, but it all adds up. Staying in the Eurozone means you are closer to home and therefore your insurance is that much cheaper. You should also get, and be covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which will entitle you to free or reduced healthcare in Europe. Being closer to home means that to travel home in an emergency will be quicker and easier and, if you’ve broken bones, that much more comfortable. Mobile phone signal is more of a probability and communication is also cheaper.

Once again, Europe scores.


So, our final verdict:

Europe has long been the mainstay of the British skiing holiday providing snow, nightlife and places to stay for as long as the sport has existed. The USA & Canada gives us a vast range of unoccupied slopes, beautiful vistas and pistes we love, but lacks the inherent charm of the European holiday. Above everything, the accessibility of Europe means the ski weekend is now an easy possibility and the travel time wins us over every time.

CampingWorld.co.uk will be holidaying in Europe again this year – hope to see you on the slopes!

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