Ski holiday alone?

A snowHead

@James the Last, not if they are buttons or t-bars

A snowHead

Like the OP, I like to (and am able to) ski more than my friends and so I have at least 2 solo trips year and I love them.

Freedom, adventure and peace are all such important parts of enjoying skiing and enjoying the mountains and these are all enhanced on a solo trip. You can so 3 times round the Sella Ronda in a day if you want, or just lap the same run 100 times working on drills.

I can work remotely so that's the evenings taken care of - a few hours on the tablet during drinks and dinner and then 8 hours kip and up for the first lift...

I tend to try to pick places with spas/pools/gyms as that gives extra options, and speaking a bit of French / German also helps

Nothing quite beats the experience of the great group holiday and sharing all the laughs together on the slopes and in the evening - and if you're someone who needs help to blow your own nose then you might struggle on your own - but otherwise a solo trip has its compensating qualities. Smile

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@admin, yes, by "solo" I meant "not couples". I think that's a key distinction in terms of how the situation feels for someone travelling alone. Bashes are ideal for lone travellers.

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Having done plenty of solo skier days (in Scotland), I have really enjoyed skiing where/when I want, especially enjoying the lack of queuing time at tbars when you get the shout of 'single'. You are more likely to meet and chat to others- you are almost forced into it. The dangers of hurting myself on my own never bothered me, maybe because you very rarely get a piste to yourself in Scotland, but mainly because you never ski past someone who has taken a spill without checking that they are okay.
Having said that, I'm not sure I could fly out on holiday on my own, it would be the down time that would do for me. Luckily I haven't had to, I really enjoy skiing with my OH and step daughter, even if we are all at different levels.
I remember we met a guy on a transfer a few years back, turns out he lived 6miles from us, he'd booked a holiday as a couple and split up before departure. We spent a few days and a few evenings together. We are still in touch now, skiers tend to be an accommodating friendly bunch.
And we have had hailstones tonight, not snow but it's a start.... Roll on winter

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I've just split from my partner of 10 years and so will be needing to holiday in my own for a bit. Already got a week booked with friends and we'll be looking to book a last minute long weekend in Jan but think I want another one in April to make the most of the spring conditions, so seriously considering a solo trip! This threads given me some great advice and made me feel more confident about going for it. Probably look for shared accommodation to force the interaction and maybe even find make a friend to tag along with. Mayrhofen end of season looks likely, sunny park laps is what I need right now! Thanks all

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After all it is free

sounds like a call to snow bunnies. The international rescue organisation for the lonely skier.

http://www.ski-bunnies.com/home.html

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Done quite a few weeks with:

http://www.singlesport.com

Normally about 80 or 90 mostly singles of all ages and abilities on the bigger weeks (Courchevel) and 30 to 40 on the others.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I believe it depends a lot on the ski conditions, when its good you dont care a lot and usually people are happy so its easy to start talking on the lifts etc and not get bored. But 1-2 times I was alone in bad visibility and snow it was nice being alone in silence at first but after some time it started getting creepy. If I was to go alone I would stay in airbnb and choose a charming area so worst case I would hit some nice cafes/bars and restaurant.

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As someone has already suggested, I think a lot depends on the individual. I lived on my own for a long time due to a job that involved quite a bit of travel and living abroad. I got to not only like my independence but to almost cherish my privacy.
I'm now settled in the UK and happily married. However, my wife hates skiing so I've done a couple of solo ski trips and loved it. The freedom to plan your own day and then change it on a whim is not something I can indulge in when skiing with others.
But for me, you can't beat the laughs and camaraderie that you get from being in a group both on the piste and in the bars and restaurants afterwards.

You know it makes sense.

@esaw1, did you not check whether she skied first? Shocked

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

It's a mistake I feel very embarrassed about. Though she does have many other redeeming features.

A snowHead

@mk28, I know how you feel. For a while last year there was the opportunity to go skiing alone. I looked at a few options. I'd have said I'd got over the shyness of my youth but there was something I can't quite put my finger on seemed to hold me up. I've travelled a lot on business before so getting there wasn't the problem. And I love having time to myself to ski and have been know to desert my family and take off with a guide. I think that I felt under social pressure to perform. The anticipation of meeting people on a bash or on a solo holiday gave me the same reaction as a job interview or (I think I can remember that far back) a date. Sadly the fridge broke and the opportunity (and the money) went away but I think I would have gone ahead, been nervous and dealt with each bit as it happened.

A snowHead

@esaw1, @admin, my wife married an man who didn't ski but she is very scary and I did as I was told. Can I do the really old joke: she stood at the end of the church and looked down the aisle at the alter, then she looked to the right and saw the hymn board and she thought "Aisle alter hymn".

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Travelling solo is magic!

Do your own thing, be a different person, make new friends...

I'd look for a place that has a social aspect... especially if going over Christmas, or your birthday... or any other potentially emotional date.

Go for a chalet (check it's not full of families first), a hostel.... choose a shared room. That way you have to be social with at least one person... and if you don't like them you'll be forced out to meet the others.

A single room in a hotel is the worst idea. It's too easy to veg out in front of the telly and not speak to anyone else all week.

The idea of travelling solo - but once you do it once.... a whole world opens up to you.

Do it!!

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Having done upwards of 30 solo ski trips, I fundamentally disagree with @hofnar, as a single room is essential. Never sat in front of the telly once on all those trips. Bars, restaurants, lounges no problem at all as a single traveller. Shared room with a stranger? No thanks! Very Happy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Everyone is different Smile

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@LOTA, shared room with some of my mates - no thanks!

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After all it is free

There are some for whom the cost of a single supplement precludes them from skiing or at least, reduces the number of trips possible.
On the bashes, a solo is always an option but nobody is forced to pay one just because they've nobody to come along with.
There are snowHeads who are now bestest ski buddies as a result of a roomshare on a bash - quite a lot actually! Some for as long as a decade now!

Of hundreds and hundreds, rarely has a roomshare actually 'gone wrong'. The notorious exception being the two girls who each, independently asked to be roomed with 'a girl of a similar age'. It's odd, but I've only ever been asked that twice and it was by 2 girls of 23 for the same bash... so I roomed them together: oops! That's a whole other story but suffice to say, it's the first time I earned the title Dadmin rolling eyes

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Last January I managed to book a weeks skiing on my own in Bulgaria basically because it was cheap and at the time of booking I had not found the Snowheads forum. I don't mind skiing on my own and I had a good time on the slopes free to choose which run to do next on a whim. The Apres was the downside but I did meet some friendly people in the bar I used to use.

This year I have booked on the MYAshBash and I a, looking forward to having some people to ski with and hopefully improve my technique.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

The bashes are a great way to go on a trip as a singleton and meet like minded folk (and a few odd ones). Have a large circle of fellow single skiers from a Bash and have been several times with them. Unfortunately my dates rarely fall with the Bashes.

Most of the skiers on Snoworks seem to be single skiers and they use Mark Warner who will do sharers. However quite an expensive chalet company. I used the bargain company Mountainsun Ltd to chalet board with a cheap single supplement.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g196714-d949236-Reviews-Chalet_Hotel_Les_Melezes-Tignes_Savoie_Auvergne_Rhone_Alpes.html

I have been on a few Clubmed holidays with mates and had my own room for a little extra. La Plagne and Chamonix Hotels offer this. You have day long lessons/guiding so you meet folk. Good value holiday.

Have been skiing in Austria with my non skiing wife and used Ski Club GB. Am also doing a single Freshtracks holiday with them this year too.

I must admit I do not like skiing on my own but going a singleton offers a chance to improve my skiing on courses. Makes it more expensive though.

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Interesting comments; So where is a really good place to go if you are skiing solo for the first time? I am on my own from 25th to 3rd January. Any ideas. Have been to La Plagne, and Morzine as well as Andorra. France or Italy, or Austria?

What sort of skier are you?

You know it makes sense.

@esaw1 I am a boarder...... Toofy Grin

Looking to get some time in before the BB13 in Feb.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Perfectly fine to go alone. I went on a UCPA holiday years ago, made great friends and found loads of people to ski with. The other way around, a group of us went to St Anton, and the last room in our chalet was occupied by a girl travelling on her own as her friend had let her down - we adopted her, and she remains a great friend who has joined on subsequent holidays!

A snowHead

If you go on holiday at quite times, like mid January, then many chalet companies will firstly do you a deal for sole occupancy of a room, but also have other similar people on holiday too. So even if you want to ski on your own, atleast you'll get a conversation once back at the chalet wink

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Marvelously insightful article!
The principles of journalism being what they are, one would expect the writer to have had first hand experience of the subject before committing pen to paper, as it were. It just goes to show, a freebie knee-trembler in the boot-room can generate as many column inches in the gutter press as it ever did.

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Ski holiday alone?

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