Ed Leigh's COVID Saving Snow Tips | Ep 42 | Getting There

Forget flying this year. Aside from the Covid risk on the plane, airlines are putting fewer flights on, and often canceling at the last minute if they’re not full, so you could potentially get stuck in the mountains. Getting refunds or amends at the last minute has been a nightmare over the last few months too, even though EU law, which for now still applies, states that you should get refunded for most canceled flights within seven days. I’m just not sure it’s worth the risk at this stage.

The ski train has been canceled this year too and while you can still get to the Alps if you change in Paris, whether Eurostar will stick to their full timetable from London with reduced demand seems unlikely. Plus sitting for long periods in a carriage with other passengers doesn’t feel like the smart move right now, even though I do normally favor the train as the eco option. On the upside, Eurostar will let you amend your booking 14 days before the date you’re due to travel, though if you really are keen for the train I’d advise you look at some of the packages on Snow Carbon https://www.snowcarbon.co.uk/package-finder including the Ski World and Powder White ones, as both those companies are offering Covid refund guarantees.

All in all, driving is your best option this winter. Your Covid risk is low, and Eurotunnel is a top service. At the moment they have returns for under £200 but I always rate the Flexifare option which is £460 but can be canceled with a full refund at any point within 12 months, no questions asked, no Covid restrictions. 

This is the one to get if you want to keep your options open or be prepared for last minute missions if the foreign office advice to France is suddenly lifted and everyone else is trying to book at the same time. NB they do sometimes charge extra for peak day travel.

I also like Eurotunnel’s winter sports travel insurance package, as it covers you on the mountain and your car on the roads:

https://www.eurotunnel.com/…/tickets…/types/flexiplus/ though don’t book this insurance or any insurance while the FCO non-essential travel order is in place as it invalidates the insurance. You can stay up to date with the FCO advice here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france

Having a car in resort this year also saves you getting stuffed into a resort bus. And you can fill your car with food for the journey and your week in resort to minimise your time in service stations and supermarkets. Freezing a bunch of meals, then taking them over in a cool bag is my top tip for money saving and reducing time in crowded mountain shops this winter.

To help free up some room in your vehicle, hire your snow kit in resort. To make things easy for Covid, Intersport are offering free cancellations right up until the last minute and they have some amazing 50% off deals on the site right now: https://www.intersport-rent.fr/