Something for the weekend

Les Gets is underrated

By the BBC's James Cove Enjoying a weekend skiing trip

To some it is the ultimate in decadence and effort.

But to others jetting off to The Alps to pound the powder for a weekend is no more difficult than visiting friends or relatives back home in Britain.

It does not have to be that much more expensive either.

The growth in budget airlines and cheap car hire means travel is not difficult.

And if you stay in a two star hotel and avoid expensive restaurants it means you can get three days skiing for under £200.

"There has been a real growth in people going off for weekends," said Vanessa Fisher from The Ski Club of Great Britain, an independent organisation with almost 30,000 members.

"Skiers and boarders are a pretty independent bunch by nature so organising a trip to the mountains is not that difficult. It's one of the big growth areas in the ski market."

The moon over Tignes

It starts with careful planning as Easyjet can do a single flight for as little as £11.50 if booked far enough in advance.

As time is precious then hiring a car may be better than using public transport, despite the extra cost.

However by renting from the French side of Geneva airport you can save about 25%.

Catching a flight after work on Friday means you can be checking into your hotel by midnight and on the slopes by 9am.

With a return flight on Monday evening you get a full three days skiing in.

Chamonix in France is a favourite for weekenders.

Skier Claire Robertson said: "It is just fantastic to get away from grey and miserable England and have a few days in the powder and the sun."

But if the hip and trendy Chamonix is not your thing then many resorts in the Portes du Soleil area are just as simple to get to.

"We're having a growing number of weekend skiers from Britain," said Stephanie Joire, the marketing manager for Les Gets.

"As we are the on the edge of the Portes du Soleil we are the easiest to reach".

Verbier, Flaine, Courmayeur, Morzine and Davos are all ideal for a weekend away.

If you have the money there are plenty of companies now cashing in on the boom in weekend skiing but they charge up to £500 for the privilege.

Though they undoubtedly make the logistics easier it really is not necessary.

Go on, stay on the internet, get booking and get more out of the ski season.