Posted on January 06, 2017
Bright Eyed and bushy tailed, you’re off on your first Apres Ski extravaganza! Or maybe you’re just jel of all your pals going and are contemplating one next year? No problemo my friend, us ever-caring folk here at Alpha have compiled this jam-packed guide on how to party properly on the Piste!
Best Resorts
There is an abundance of resorts around for Apres Ski, impossible to list them all really. We've highlighted our top picks for their party atmosphere, but ultimately, who you're with is what's going to make your holiday! The Alps are the go-to place for most of us Brits, but let us not forget our friends across the pond in the USA and Canada with their 'Mammoth Mountains' (actual place in CA, USA promise).
Highlights include: Val D'Isere in France, Canadian resort Whistler, Livigno in the mountains of Italy and Mayrhofen in Austria
Best Places to get Ski Gear
Ski gear can be expensive, especially if you're a first-timer on the slopes and you don't know how good you'll be/whether you'll even like it. We've collated together some of the best places to get some great value stuff for you beginners, plus those slightly more advanced skiers are catered for too with the specialist retailers. A personal favourite of ours here at Alpha is Willyfinder...you'll never lose your mates if you're in one of their suits, trust us!
Best Apres Ski
So let's be honest, it's gonna be 50% skiing, 50% parties, so the bars and events are pretty damn important. Apres Ski resorts mid-season are a one-stop shop for all of the above, with things like semi-pro ski and snowboarding competitions, themed nights and even festivals among the options. This year we're super excited about Snowbombing Festival in Mayrhofen, self-proclaimed as the 'Original, Unparalleled and Undeniably Epic' Winter festival and should definitely be on your bucket list.
If you're up for a festival but don't know which one to go to, use our European festival guide to help find out which would be perfect for you.
Food and Drink
One thing to remember, alcohol has a different effect when consumed at high altitudes - basically it mixes and enhances the effects of altitude sickness so you get hit with a double whammy of head-spinning. Not good! Make sure you're watching your limits, also, your travel insurers are unlikely to cover any incident that happens if you've consumed a few too many bevvies. In other news though, there are plenty of tasty treats to warm yourself up with after a long day on the slopes: schnitzels, hot chicken, pastries, pastas, you'll be at a loss for choice!
If we've sold you on the idea of a Winter Sports/Apres Ski holiday with your mates, then don't forget you'll need specialist travel insurance to cover those extra activities and ski-gear you'll need! Check out our Winter Sports policies.
