Prices for skiing families heading to the Alps over the main English February school holiday week commencing 16th February 2019 are up to three times that of low-season weeks for some holidays.
February half-term prices are also currently higher than any other week of the season, including New Year’s week, in most cases. Those lucky enough to find their half term holidays begin the week before (February 9th) or after (23rd) should be able to secure significantly lower prices.
“The UK half-term will be concentrated on just one week again and it will fall in the middle of the French and other European holidays so it will be very busy yet again. Some of our most popular accommodation is booked-up already – by clients who went this year and booked immediately upon their return,” confirmed Francesca Williams of Ski Collection.
According to pricing on SnowCarbon.co.uk a Eurostar direct daytime return ski train to the French Alps on February 16th is currently £540 for an adult ticket, £378 for a child. Prices are less than half that for the same service the week before and the weekend after. For the overnight service in mid-January they’re as low as £150, nearly a quarter of the price, for essentially the same service. Airfare pricing shows a similar pattern and package holiday prices are impacted in the same way.
Many other western European countries share the same week for their February school holiday including much of southern France, parts of Denmark and The Netherlands, much of Western Switzerland including the Geneva region, about a third of Polish schools and those in Southern Sweden.
However there’s not a February school holiday in Belgium, Italy or Spain and German holidays are spread through the month with only a small area corresponding with the British week.
