Solo trips
Want to go skiing but your friends and family are either busy, strapped for cash or don't ski? Where can you go as a solo skier?
It's not much fun travelling, skiing or eating alone, so joining a group of like-minded skiers is certainly the answer. However, most tour operators and hotels charge large supplements for this. Singles Ski Holidays (singlesskiholidays.com) is just what it says on the tin, offering holidays to a choice of seven resorts all season – including Christmas and New Year. Prices start at £695pp half-board for a single room at Chalet-hotel Bérangère in Les Deux Alpes, including flights. (Prices throughout are for one week unless otherwise stated.)
Alpine Elements (0844 273 5257, alpineelements.co.uk) has chalets in France with en suite single rooms. A single room at Chalet Hannah in La Plagne costs from £504pp half-board, including flights, it's still available for weeks beginning 22 and 29 January.
Stanford Ski (stanfordskiing.co.uk) has two single en suite rooms in Chalet-hotel Rond Point in Megève, from £499 half-board, including ski guiding and transfers but not flights.
Weekend breaks
Can't take much time off work at the moment? Where can you go for a short skiing break that won't cost a fortune?
In these tough times an increasing number of people find it difficult to take a whole week off work apart from the accepted Christmas and August breaks. Serial weekenders are now a significant skier profile.
The big question is how to achieve maximum days on the snow with minimum time out of the office. Look for resorts that are within easy reach of an airport, such as Chamonix, Flaine, La Clusaz and Morzine in France, Verbier in Switzerland, Courmayeur in Italy or Kitzbühel in Austria – or a place where you can get up the mountain easily, such as the French towns of Bourg St Maurice (for Les Arcs) or Brides-les-Bains (for the Trois Vallées).
Specialist weekend tour operators will have your lift pass waiting for you, and make arrangements for you to hire equipment before the lifts open in the morning. With Ski Weekends, (skiweekends.com) you can stay in Brides-les-Bains from £269pp for three days' skiing or £440pp for four days' skiing – both with travel by coach, staying half-board at three-star Club Hotel Verseau.
Alternatively, IGoSki (igoski.co.uk) has a stay close to the slopes from £473pp half-board including flights and transfers, for a Thursday-Sunday weekend at Chalet Hedras in Méribel. This means up to three-and-a-half days on the snow for two days off work, and you can ski virtually to the door.
Taking the teenagers
Where is a good place for a single parent with teenagers?
Start by picking an acceptably cool resort such as Val d'Isère in France, Verbier or Zermatt in Switzerland or St Anton in Austria. If you stay in a large chalet-hotel there will be plenty of other Brits around, which will be what most teenagers are looking for. Ask the tour operator if there will be other families in the accommodation and find out the ages of the children. The larger operators are less likely to be willing to tell you, but the smaller ones will be happy to help.
Supertravel (supertravel.co.uk) offers Chalet Seeberger, which sleeps 24, has TVs in every room and is right in the centre of St Anton. So stopping off for a drink on the way home from skiing, or popping out for some fun after dinner, couldn't be more convenient. From £369pp for four nights' half-board, not including travel.
For a little more, Chalet Shalimar in Zermatt (tinyurl.com/supertravelshalimar) sleeps 20 and has an indoor swimming pool, steam room and sauna, and a TV room. It is ski-in ski-out when conditions permit, and 15 minutes' walk from the centre but close to a bus stop. From £974pp half-board, based on four sharing, travel not included.
And baby came too…
Is it possible to go skiing with a newborn baby?
If you take your baby skiing, it's important to remember that the air is drier in the mountains, so babies will need more fluids than at home. Don't take small babies to a high-altitude resort as this will cause it headaches and dehydration, and don't take them up the mountain as the fast climb and drop on a ski lift will make them very uncomfortable.
A short airport transfer is of prime importance, and make sure the transfer bus has proper car seats – or bring your own. A buggy isn't suitable for pushing on snow, so bring a baby backpack. The best advice of all is to go with a specialist family tour operator, and check the minimum age for their childcare programmes.
The Family Ski Company (familyski.co.uk) has chalets in Ardent (1,200m) and Les Coches (1,450m), which are relatively low resorts but with easy access to higher slopes. Half-board prices start at £519 for adults, £438 for two-12s, £200 for one-year-olds and £100 for babies under 12 months. The baby price includes cot, food (baby and toddler menu of freshly prepared food), high chair, steriliser and baby bath. Nappies and wipes can be pre-ordered. One-to-one care in the Powder Pups club for babies from three months costs £275 for six days (9am to 4.30pm).
Travel by train
Can you get a package that includes rail travel instead of flights?
Switzerland is the best place to do this, as the railways is so good. Flying actually works out cheaper, but the train is more fun. With Inntravel (inntravel.co.uk), a half-board stay at the family-run three-star Hotel Edelweiss in Engelberg costs from £796pp, including flights and transfers. Staying at the same hotel but going by train costs from £908pp including Eurostar, TGV and regional rail. The rail journey takes roughly six hours longer. See our map at guardian.co.uk/travel/skiing for more ski resorts by rail.
Trips for older skiers
Are there any specialist ski holidays for over-50s?
Ski Club Freshtracks (skiclub.co.uk/freshtracks) has more than 25 holidays for mature skiers of varying standards who want to be with like-minded peers. All the resorts have been selected for their good skiing and more laid-back après-ski. These holidays don't come cheap – the best value is Les Arcs on 14 April for £895pp half-board, staying at three-star Hôtel du Golf with swimming pool and spa. The price includes scheduled flights, transfers and a Ski Club leader for six days on the snow. There is no single room supplement.
Something completely different …
You can take your dog skiing with you – provided your pet has its own passport and the required vaccinations. The easiest way is to drive and stay in an apartment. Pierre & Vacances (pierreetvacances.co.uk), whose properties all accept dogs, recommends a large apartment to give the dog some room, and a low resort, so footpaths won't be too snowy. A two-bedroom apartment in Les Fermes du Soleil at Les Carroz d'Arâches, costs from €740pp based on five sharing. The charge for a pet is €55, and you need to bring bedding and bowls.
Felice Hardy is co-editor of ski information website welove2ski.com
