How to get the best out of your ski holiday with Pierre & Vacances

With Pierre & Vacances’ new flexible arrival dates, short stays and add-on packages and services, holidaymakers can now create a tailor-made holiday for themselves and still keep it within their budget. They can also discover the secrets of the Pierre & Vacances’ Premium range as well as the competitively priced Residence range with two new apps for adults and children.

Now, holidaymakers can select exactly which dates work for them, how long they wish to stay and decide whether they would like to cook for themselves or dine at the surrounding alpine restaurants on pre-booked discounted meal packages. They can have their ski lessons, ski rental, lift passes and childcare booked before they travel and can even save money by booking them early. Pierre & Vacances holidays have never before been so well-adapted to its customer desires.

Flexible arrival dates and shorter minimum stays
Pierre & Vacances’ customers are no longer restricted to Saturday to Saturday departures. Instead, excitable skiers can opt for early season short breaks, to get their ski legs back at the start of winter, or they can arrange an extended ski holiday to maximise their time on the slopes.

As well as holidaymakers being able to save money on budget flights and trains that are available mid-week, the flexibility that Pierre & Vacances offers guests is ideal for those who are too busy or restricted on holiday time to ski for a whole week. Since not everyone works a Monday to Friday week and not everyone has children’s school holidays to work around, Pierre & Vacances has modified the holiday time to suit all of its customers. And, with self-employed workers now representing 15.1% of all people in work in the UK*, there is a growing demand for holidays that are more adaptable.

Upgrade your stay with Pierre & Vacances extra services and packages
Pierre & Vacances, the number one provider of holiday residences, resorts and hotels across France, continues to innovate its offering of services to ensure that guests have the most comfortable and convenient stay possible.

A variety of catering options are available so that guests can adapt their holiday in Pierre & Vacances’ residences. When guests make their booking, they can opt for half-board or bed and breakfast packages (half-board priced from 36€ / £31 per person per day, half price for children under 11 and free for children younger than four). They can also choose to have their apartments cleaned during the week and their beds made.

The range of extra services and packages that are available increases the flexibility for guests to ensure their holiday works for them. The following extras are also available:

Formule Hôtelière
Guests who want to keep their apartment clean and tidy throughout the entirety of their stay, but prefer to spend more time on the slopes, can opt to have their beds made and their apartments cleaned everyday from 18 € / £16 per person per day.

Formule B&B
This package includes daily cleaning, beds made and a daily breakfast buffet. Priced from 19.5€ / £17 per person per day.

Breakfast Fauchon
To get the morning off to a good start, guests can indulge on a gourmet Fauchon breakfast, popular with Parisians delivered straight to the apartment. Priced from 5.3€ / £4.5 per person per day.

Pierre & Vacances Ski Packs
Skiers can save time and money when they book their lift passes, ski rental and lessons with their accommodation. The ski passes that guests book online will be available in the residence reception when they arrive, so guests can get up and head straight to the pistes instead of queuing at the Tourist Office on the first morning. Skis, boots and helmets will be ready and waiting in the ski shop when guests arrive and there will be no need to queue for lessons either.

By purchasing lift passes in advance with Pierre & Vacances accommodation, guests can enjoy a minimum 5% discount on a week’s lift pass and up to 20% if booked before the start of November 2016. The 5% reduction applies throughout the whole winter season in Avoriaz and in all areas if booked outside French school holidays. Those booking lift passes and equipment rental can save up to 25%.

Kids Ski Packs
While parents head off to explore the resort, they can entrust their children with Pierre & Vacances’ carefully chosen team of ski instructors. Children aged five to 11 years old will be looked after from 9am to 5pm, having ski lessons and other engaging afternoon activities with lunch included. Priced at 296€ per week with the Village des Enfants in Avoriaz.

Coming soon: Teen Ski Packs
Following the success of Kids Ski Packs when they were introduced last year, Pierre & Vacances are developing a similar package for teenagers. After their ski lessons, teenagers will be able to take part in their own après-ski activities, meeting fellow teen skiers while they try out the luge, laser shooting, bowling and other entertainment. Full details and package prices to be released soon.

Post-Ski Pampering
We all need a bit of TLC after a few days on the slopes and Pierre & Vacances Deep Nature packages provide just that. Guests can have a 25 minute exfoliating body scrub, a 50 minute Deep Nature Immersion body massage and a 25 minute facial treatment. This wellness package is priced from £132.

Discover Pierre & Vacances’ Secrets with Two New Apps
Two new apps for adults and children are available to download for free on android and apple smartphones and tablets. Both apps allow families to get the most out of their holiday with Pierre & Vacances by seeing what is available around the residences and resorts.

Les Aventures d’Happyz is an entertaining app for children with puzzles and games to try as well as recipes from the region surrounding the residences. Children can use the camera on their phone or tablet to scan for the hidden objects in the interactive treasure hunt around the village and residence.

Planet Pierre & Vacances is an informative app which is not only available to customers, but those interested in a holiday with Pierre & Vacances as well. Before the holiday, users can browse Pierre & Vacances’ residences and holiday villages to see what is available. The app will direct users to the relevant page on the website to book their holiday or add extra services and packages to their booking which customers can access by entering their booking reference number. Useful information such as directions to the residences, the receptions’ contact details and opening hours, maps and piste maps are all available and, once downloaded, can be accessed offline.

Kids ski for free at Christmas and Easter
This Christmas and Easter, children can get a free lift pass when one or two adults buy their adult lift passes.
In Les Arcs, one child aged from six to 13 will receive their lift pass for free when two adults buy their adult lift passes for Tignes, Val d’Isère, La Plagne or Les Arcs winter sports areas for weeks beginning 17 December 2016 and 8 April 2017.

In Avoriaz, one child aged from five to 11 will receive their lift pass for free when one adult buys their adult lift pass for Portes du Soleil for weeks beginning 17 December 2016, 1 and 8 April 2017.

In Valmorel, for each adult lift pass bought, one child aged five to 12 years can receive a free lift pass for Le Grand winter sports area for weeks beginning 17 December 2016 and 1 April 2017.

In Isola 2000, for each adult lift pass bought, one child aged five to 11 years can receive a free lift pass for Isola 2000 winter sports area for the week beginning 1 April 2017.

More information can be found on Pierre & Vacances’ website.

Early booking offers

Save 22% at newly renovated 3* Residence Tikal in Val Thorens
This ski-in ski-out residence gives guests direct access to the ski hire shop, restaurants and food shops with the ESF nursery and sport centre also close by. Ready for Winter 16-17, Le Tikal has been given a fresh makeover.
Priced from £198 pp (£792 per apartment down from £1,021 saving 22%) for a seven-night stay in an apartment that sleeps up to four people arriving 7 or 14 January, 18 March and 1 or 8 April.

Save 22% at newly renovated 4* Premium Residence Les Crêts in Meribel
4* Premium Residence Les Crêts has been renovated for this season including its spa. Guests can relax here after their day of skiing. Guests will be just a short walk from the Meribel-Mottaret resort and a funicular railway gives quick access to the centre of the resort and its activities.
Priced from £167.5 pp (£670 per apartment down from £869 saving 22%) for a seven-night stay in an apartment that sleeps up to four people arriving 10 December and 8 or 15 April.

Save 24% at 3* Saskia Falaise in Avoriaz
The 3* Saskia Falaise residence offers ski-in, ski-out accommodation in the car-free, family-friendly resort of Avoriaz. After skiing, parents can take their children to Aquariaz, a tropical themed water park in the mountains, and enjoy the well-being facilities at the Deep Nature® Spa by Algotherm located just 200 metres from the residence.
Priced from £109.5 pp (£438 per apartment down from £579 saving 24%) for a seven-night stay in an apartment that sleeps up to four people arriving 10 December and 8 or 15 April.

Save 22% at 5* Premium Residence Arc 1950 Le Village in Les Arcs
Premium Residence Arc 1950 Le Village is nestled in the heart of the village and an ideal ski-in-ski-out location. The village of Arc 1950 is completely pedestrianised, making it safe for children and families to explore and enjoy. The snow-sure high altitude means the resort is a great early and late season destination.
Priced from £185 pp (£739 per apartment down from £954 saving 22%) for a seven-night stay in an apartment that sleeps up to four people arriving 10 December and 15 April.

Save 23% at 5* Premium Residence Les Terrasses d’Eos in Flaine
In 5* Premium Residence Les Terrasses d’Eos , the apartmens are spacious and perfectly equipped for a ski break with family and friends. The residence offers a fitness room and an outdoor heated pool for guests who like to be active on and off the slopes. It also has an indoor whirlpool tub with panoramic views, a sauna and a hammam.
Priced from £140.5 pp (£562 per apartment down from £733 saving 23%) for a seven-night stay in an apartment that sleeps up to four people arriving 8 April.

Save 25% at Residence Les Constellations in Belle Plagne
The ski-in ski-out Les Constellations residence is located near the ESF building in the centre of Belle Plagne, a family-friendly resort located at the heart of the Paradiski ski area.
Priced from £91 pp (£363 per apartment down from £485 saving 25%) for a seven-night stay in an apartment that sleeps up to four people arriving 10 December and 8 or 15 April.

Save 25% at 3* Residence L’Alpaga in Serre-Chevalier
The L’Alpaga residence is situated in the heart of Serre-Chevalier 1400, a family-friendly resort at the gateway to the Ecrins National Park in the Southern Alps. Only 200m from the ski lifts and 50m from the Tourist Office, ESF, shops, the ice rink and the cinema, guests will be well located.
Priced from £89 pp (£357 per apartment down from £476 saving 25%) for a seven-night stay in an apartment that sleeps up to four people arriving in March and April.

For more information on Pierre & Vacances offers visit: www.pierreetvacances.co.uk or call 0870 0267 145

*data from the Office for National Statistics.