The harsh reality (and cost) of a last-minute weekend ski holiday

Does any complaint ring hollower than a teacher moaning about their annual leave? If so, break out your tiniest violin.

As a full-time teacher, such is my attachment to the nation’s youth that a long weekend getaway (taking off a Monday or Friday, or both, as a buffer) is possible only during my miserly 12 weeks of holiday allowance – ruining the chance of a quick and affordable skiing break for most of the season.

I’m not the only one with dreams of a quick fix, either. Online operator Heidi (heidi.com) has reported a 58 per cent rise in long weekend bookings over the past 12 months. Co-founder Marcus Blunt said cost was a big driver for four-night breaks, with savings of up to £2,000 for a family of four compared with a week-long holiday. And Crystal (crystalski.co.uk), Britain’s biggest ski operator, has added short breaks to its programme, with new three-night midweek breaks an option among other durations in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Norway and Switzerland.

Determined to find my own solution, I trialled a new approach earlier this season: flying to the Alps on a Friday evening and home on Sunday afternoon. With careful planning, I estimated a potential 13 hours on the slopes, before returning to the classroom on Monday morning.

But would it be worth the effort? Here’s how my quick-fix short skiing break turned out.

Friday

2.55pm

School

For the first and perhaps the last time, I finished the Russian Revolution early and let Year 9 out into the rain. They weren’t quite as grateful as I’d hoped. I then left my harder-working colleagues marking Year 11 mock exam papers and hit the road.

4pm

B269, near Warlingham

Thankfully, I booked the later flight… The van in front of me collided with a truck towing a trailer. Cue 30 minutes of teeth-sucking negotiation and much reversing down an unlit single-track road.

6pm

Gatwick North Terminal

And relax. But not for long, having clocked the prices at Pret a Manger. Top tip for hardened travellers: Black Sheep Coffee next door is much cheaper.

8pm

Gate 104

Gatwick to Geneva must be the most middle-class easyJet flight in history. It would make a fortune if it put on a Waitrose trolley service. Like me, there were several families clearly on an early-season getaway. Unlike me, they’d no doubt get a passive-aggressive phone call from their headmaster come Monday morning, asking why they’re not in school.

Saturday

12.45am

Flaine, France

Arrived at the RockyPop hotel in Flaine after a delay on the Tarmac and a mere nine hours of travelling. Flaine is part of the Grand Massif ski area, together with the pretty villages of Samoëns and Les Carroz, and I chose it on the basis that it was the closest to Geneva with the best chance of early-season snow. It was a good decision. Flaine is just a 75-minute drive from Geneva and, topping out at 2,500m, a safe bet for December snow. I was in luck: it was bucketing it down as I arrived.

9.15am

RockyPop Skishop

I thought having a rental shop in the basement of my hotel would mean quickly picking up some gear before heading straight out on to the slopes. Of course, I was wrong; everyone else thought the same and there was quite the queue. For future reference: have an early breakfast and get there at 8am, when it opens. You can even prebook everything online.

10am

ESF flags, Flaine Forum

If you don’t know the area and have only a short window, booking a guide is also a good idea to maximise your time on the slopes. Myrtille, my Ecole de Ski Français (ESF) instructor, was born and bred in Flaine – as well as pointing out the views and the best places to stop for lunch, she also showed me the wildlife, including a family of chamois that have made the rocky precipice above the blue Serpentine piste their home.

10:45am

Off-piste

Myrtille pointed out the dangers of going beyond the piste markers before leading me into the powder. It quickly became apparent that this would be quite a challenging day. Visibility was closing in and the snow was thick and ungroomed, even on the piste. I complained about my knees to get Myrtille to slow down a bit. “I’m nearly 50!” I pleaded.

12pm

Skiset, Flaine Forum

I succumbed to Myrtille’s pressure and bought a new pair of skiing goggles. They were exceptionally expensive, but the photochromic lens did give the advantage of enabling me to see again. This did not stop me from falling over that afternoon.

3.50pm

Flaine Forum

In plenty of time to catch the last lift up, I decided to call it a day. I was utterly spent. The bar was calling.

Sunday

9am

Breakfast

Some were certainly on the first lift, but I was making my way through a mountain of scrambled eggs at the RockyPop’s excellent breakfast buffet. The bar last night was rammed, with live music and a real buzz for the opening weekend.

9.50am

First lift

Mr Blue Sky finally made an appearance, and what a welcome one it was. At the top of Les Grandes Platières gondola the views over the Grand Massif were tremendous – you can see the imposing hump of Mont Blanc in the distance. I convinced myself it was even better through my expensive new goggles.

12pm

Faust piste

Not all of the resort was open, but enough for a weekend. Having spent yesterday plodding through the murk, I finally started to enjoy myself. Flaine’s red pistes are all named after devils and demons, in contrast to the greens (trees) and the blues (types of rock). Luckily most of the blacks (precious stones) were closed. Faust was a fun run down from 2,480m back to the resort centre at 1,600m.

12.15pm

Lunch, La Pente à Jules

Again, book ahead for lunch, especially on opening weekend. There was a great atmosphere at La Pente à Jules (mains from €23) and the staff were flat out turning tables around. “It’s just what we need,” said owner Manu, who seemed a mixture of relieved and excited. “The snow is good, everyone is happy,” he added.

2pm

Back in the car

I wish I’d chosen a later flight back. Still, I had managed around eight hours on the slopes and enjoyed myself immensely over lunch.

The verdict

If you are tight for time, a Friday-to-Sunday skiing trip does just about work, but I envy those who can extend a weekend skiing break by a day (or two). I felt fine on Monday morning, so if you can face the later flight home, do that in order to extend your time on the slopes. The biggest challenge is matching up your flights with the resort transfer – a private transfer is pricey, but a feasible option if you can share it between four or five friends. With careful planning, you could make it all work, without cutting any corners, for less than £700.

Now I know it’s doable, I’m going to try to make it a regular December treat – but I’ll be bringing some friends with me, whether they need to race back to the classroom or not.

Essentials

Getting there

Return easyJet flights from Gatwick to Geneva from £64; private Geneva-to-Flaine transfer from £150 (fmj-voyage.com).

Staying there

The four-star RockyPop has doubles from £133 per night, B&B (rockypop.com/flaine).

Extras

Grand Massif ski pass from £50 per day; equipment rental is from £21 per day.

Matt was a guest of the Flaine tourist office and the RockyPop hotel. Find out more: flaine.com.