While many see snowboarding or skiing as a social activity, sometimes finding a buddy to go with us is, well… Its a pain in the ass. Coordinating availability, compromising on hotels or resorts, and generally having to work out the logistics of going with a mate when you could just as easily go on your own.
Wait a minute. Can you go skiing or snowboarding on your own?
Short answer: Yup.
Slightly longer answer: Yup. And there are many reasons why you should consider going on a solo snowboarding trip (or skiing, if thats your thing). Which we’re gonna get into right now.
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Is it OK to ski or snowboard on your own?
It’s not just OK to ski or snowboard on your own. Skiing or snowboarding alone is a great way to get time on the mountain and it can also be A LOT of fun.
The great thing about going on a solo ski or snowboard trip is that you can do the runs you want, when you want. You can do the same piste over and over again, or go explore to your hearts content.
You can also book a trip whenever you have the time available. Want to go for a quick long weekend ski trip? Go ahead… Got the free time? Go for the full digital snowmad experience and work remotely (assuming you can) from your pick of snow resort.
If you’re used to solo travel or solo sports such as surfing, you’ll probably find snowboarding or skiing on your own just as much fun as usual.
People who worry about solo snow sports trips tend to be those who have only ever experienced family or group ski trips. So although it often seems alien to them to go on a solo snowboard or ski holiday, at the beginning anyway, they quickly come round to the benefits of solo riding.
Doesn’t it get lonely skiing or snowboarding on your own?
While some people might find the experience of solo snowboarding a bit lonely, I’ve often found it to be a great opportunity to both relax and have fun. When you’re bombing down the mountain, obviously this is where the fun is. But others might pine for company while sat on the chairlifts, or at the end of the day when it comes to apres ski.
Personally, I’ve not found either of these experiences to be lonely.
When staying at a hotel or a ski hostel, you can easily make friends with other people if you want to hang out or enjoy some apres ski.
As for the ski lifts. I’m a big fan of taking in the views and enjoying the mountain air – so sitting on a ski lift on my own is quite a pleasant and tranquil experience. That said, sometimes you end up making ski lift buddies too, which is nice.
So while some people might find the experience of skiing on your own a bit lonely, a bit of mental re-calibration can help you find the fun in the solo experience.
Is a solo ski or snowboard trip cheaper?
Like any solo travel experience, a solo ski or snowboard trip can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. As a solo traveller, you get to pick where you stay, how long for and what you spend out on.
Just want a quick trip to the mountains to get a 2 day snow fix? Book a hostel near the cheapest ski resort you can find, and scratch that itch. Feeling flush? Splash out on a bigger package and treat yourself.
To go snowboarding on your own means you can do things like manage your budget easier by self catering. Or if you wanna go and blow out on a nice meal, why not?
I have had some very cheap solo snowboarding holidays in recent years, with one of them coming in at under £500 (to Slovenia).
Check out our guides:
How can you meet other people on a solo ski/snowboard trip?
While going snowboarding or skiing on your own can be awesome fun, some people prefer the security of going on a singles trip.
The easiest and best way to meet other people on a solo ski trip is to join a ski trip for singles. There are usually plenty of these planned each year on sites such as Snowheads, or Meetup.
You can also join a local Facebook group, or even set up your own solo/singles ski trip on sites like Reddit.
Another way to meet people on a solo ski trip is… Just go on the ski trip and be sociable in the hotel or during apres ski.
This is obviously pretty easy as everyone is in the holiday mode. Apres ski especially is a great way to meet other people.
I have also met people while hanging out in the hotel bar after a long day, or over the dinner time buffet.
If you’re single, why not try the dating apps while you’re away. Hinge, Tinder and Bumble are all full off people enjoying ski and snowboarding and looking to mingle, And hey, what a great way to have a first date?
Where to go on a solo ski trip
When it comes to planning a solo ski or snowboard trip, obviously you can go where you want! That’s kinda the point. Of course it also depends what you’re looking for.
Want to ride the best ski terrain in the world? Well, treat yourself and head to Val Thorens/Courcheval or head to Zermatt.
Feeling flush? Fly to Niseko in Japan! Why not?
Browsing the budget deals on Snowtrex? There are lots to choose from, and some of them can be great value if you’re travelling solo.
Or, maybe you want to find the cheapest place to just hit the mountain and ride some fresh pow. In that case, you might eye up accessible resorts such as Andorra or the Pyrenees, Avoriaz and Chamonix, or cheap options such as Slovenia.
SkiWorld also run regular ski trips for singles and solo skiers throughout the year.
In the past, I have enjoyed solo snowboarding in:
- Grandvalira, Andorra
- Krvavec and Vogel in Slovenia
- Les Deux Alpes in France
How to book your solo snow sports trip
The first thing you’ll need to decide is, what is your budget? The next thing, is where are you going, when, and how long for? With these things in mind you can start to find your ideal solo snow sports holiday.
Check the deals
I usually start by checking package deals on Snowtrex, Sunweb or Estiber for my preferred destination. These are normally in the fairly standard ski package resorts, but can be great value, even for a solo traveller.
It’s worth checking these package providers as they all include lift passes, and might also include meals.
Check the flights
Depending where you are in the world, you access to flights or transport to the mountains might influence when and where you go. For example in the UK, most local airports will fly to Geneva (GVA) and possibly also Innsbruck (INN) and maybe Barcelona (BCN) or Munich (MUC).
These airports line you up nicely for the French, Swiss and Austrian Alps. However, Barcelona is well placed for Andorra and the Pyrenees. And you might even have a random flight option to Krakow (KRK) or Sofia (SOF) – giving you access to the Polish and Bulgarian ski resorts.
If you’re in London or the other bigger UK cities, you probably won’t have this problem.
Run a check on SkyScanner to see what the deal is with flights from near you.
Hotels vs package deals?
Sometimes it is just cheaper ot preferable to do it yourself. I often run a search on Trivago to see what the best deals are on hotels or apartments in my target ski resort. Sometimes this can be a bit cheaper than a made for purpose ski package deal.
Heres a nifty Trivago widget, you can try it out yourself.
However…
Lift pass
You’ll need to also work out what the price for the lift pass is in your target resort. The benefit of using a site like Snowtrex is that they lump the accommodation and lift pass in, so consider this if you are looking for an easy option.
However, you can often find good deals on lift passes, especially if you book early or late in the season.
Transfers
Getting from the airport (or train station) to your ski resort, and back again, can often be the most expensive part of your trip. Especially in the French Alps… Check transfer prices before you commit to booking anything as they can be steep!
I use GetTransfer to check transfer prices.
However, if you’re heading to Switzerland or Austria, you might be able to use public transport and keep the costs to transfer very low. Trains leave directly from Geneva (GVA) airport directly to resorts such as Verbier, Les Diablarets, Portes du Soleil (Swiss resorts such as Morgins) and Crans Montana. And from Innsbruck, you can take buses and trains to resorts such as Mayrhofen and St Anton.
Check public transport options and prices on Omio.
Spain and Eastern Europe can be very cheap for car hire, so this might be a factor too. I use RentalCars for the best deals on car hire.
In fact, in Slovenia and Spain I have paid as little as £30 for 5 days car hire. Worth checking for sure.
Sundries
Do you need to hire equipment? Will you be self catering? Is your accommodation close to the slopes, or will you need to transfer every day? Are you planning any other sightseeing or travels while you’re there?
Add it all up
Even if its a solo ski or snowboard trip, costs can quickly spiral. So make sure you put them down in a spreadsheet, app or notebook, whatever you use, and work out what your costs are.
Once you’ve got it all sussed… Book away!
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