THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING

Winter vacations are fun, and much deserved: at the end of a long year, you need to recharge, whether it be at the beach or the snow-capped mountains. However, this is peak tourist season. Prices are soaring, and crowds are thick. Thus can make your supposedly relaxing trip very stressful and expensive. If you want to improve your language skills, you can go to a language school: French course in Montpellier.

But you can help control your expenses and anxiety levels with good planning. Here are 10 tricks to finding discounts and bargains for your winter vacation, wherever that may be.

AVOID THE OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS

In general, winter is considered to be peak tourist season. However, it’s actually divided into 4 mini-seasons. The crowds tend to be much thicker during Christmas and President’s Day. February and March, being school holidays, also draw in a lot of people.

Thus, you are more likely to get good discounts and find better rooms if you book your vacation in November, the first two weeks of December, and January. You can also save a lot of money on resort accommodations by scheduling your trip on the weekday, since businessmen tend to take their vacations from Friday to Sunday.

GO TO THE SMALLER MOUNTAINS OR ISLANDS

Instead of going to the large, famous ski resorts, look for the places that can offer the same level of skiing but may not be spending as much on marketing and publicity. You’ll be spending less, and since they’re not featured in every magazine and talk show in the country, they’re also les crowded. You’ll normally discover these “hidden treasures” in historic towns, or you can go to the Internet for reviews in traveler’s forums. You can also ask travel agencies or look at travel books on a particular country.

The same holds true for those who want to go to the beach. There are luxury islands that charge an arm and a leg, and those that offer similar quality sand and views but for a much lower price. You can also get a lot of discounts by going to a place where the local currency is weak against the euro.

GET A PACKAGE DEAL

Whether you’re headed for a ritzy spa resort or a tiny family-run mountain inn, try to get a package deal. Some places will offer discount packages even during the height of the holiday season. For example, some will offer lower rates during the first three weeks of January. Others wil include free lift tickets or use of the health club, while others drop their rates for weekday stays.

COMMUTE TO THE SKIING AREA

The prices of ski towns are much higher than those tourist accommodations that are even just 10 to 15 minutes away. Consider getting those that are in the general area of the slopes, since they will offer shuttles anyway.

SEARCH THE INTERNET

The web is a treasure trove of discounts and bargains, like combination passes, lift tickets, or group rates for slopeside activities. With enough patience you can find multi day passes, 50% off on weekday stays, and amenities like free dinner buffets or use of the spa.