Student ski trips
The university ski trip is the hardest of all to organise: lots of people, a small budget per head, half of them have never skied and a rep who doesn't want to front the money for forty people. Our pack is built exactly for that: a block of hotel rooms or apartments, lift pass and equipment per person, and a group code so each person pays their share without anyone acting as the bank.
The resorts that work for students are the ones with easy slopes, cheap accommodation nearby and something to do at night: Pas de la Casa and Soldeu in Grandvalira, Pradollano or Granada for Sierra Nevada, Alp and Puigcerdà for La Molina and Masella. For each destination we tell you where the group sleeps and how long the coach to the slopes is.
What we organise
- A block of hotel rooms or apartments near the slopes, in multi-bed rooms when the budget dictates.
- Lift passes for the days you ski, arranged with the resort for the whole group.
- Equipment per person with sizes taken beforehand: the coach arrives and the gear is ready in each name.
- Group lessons on the first morning for beginners, so they don't end up in the bar.
- Coach from campus, with fixed departure and return times.
- Group code: each person pays their share online and the organisers see a single booking.
Where to go
- Pas de la Casa — The student classic in Grandvalira: slopeside accommodation, the first town across the border, duty-free shops and Andorra's nightlife.
- Soldeu — Big hotels on the same street as the gondola, wide slopes for learning and the liveliest area of Grandvalira after Pas de la Casa.
- Sierra Nevada — For universities in Andalusia, Madrid and Murcia: Borreguiles to learn, Pradollano slopeside or Granada 45 minutes away with cheaper rooms and a night out in the city.
- La Molina — Two hours from Barcelona, easy slopes in the lower area and group accommodation in La Molina, Alp and Puigcerdà. The Alp 2500 pass also covers Masella.
- Alp 2500 / Masella — The other half of the Alp 2500 area, with long tree-lined runs and night skiing on some evenings of the season, the perfect plan for a student group.
- Formigal-Panticosa — From Zaragoza, Pamplona, Bilbao or Valladolid: four valleys, group accommodation in Sallent and Biescas and the most famous après-ski in the Pyrenees.
What to know before booking
Fix the number before the hotel
The classic mistake is booking for sixty and travelling with forty. Open sign-ups with the group code first: once each person has paid for their equipment and lift pass, the number is real and the hotel is booked for that figure.
Avoid bank holidays and Easter
The same three nights cost half as much in a normal week in January or March as over the December long weekend or Carnival. If the academic calendar allows, Sunday to Wednesday is the best price of the year.
Helmets for everyone
In a group where half are beginners, helmets are included with the equipment. They are cheap, prevent the first-day scare and are compulsory for minors in Andorra.
One leader per coach
With more than fifty people, each coach has a leader with the equipment list and the room allocation. That is what makes arrival take twenty minutes rather than two hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a student ski trip cost per person?
It depends on the destination, the dates and whether you sleep at the resort or in the village. We send a per-person quote with hotel, lift pass, equipment, lessons and coach itemised, so the organisers decide what goes into the shared price and what each person pays separately.
Does someone have to front the money for the whole group?
No. With the group code each person books and pays online for their own equipment and lift pass; the hotel and coach are secured with a group deposit and the balance on arrival or by transfer, depending on the hotel.
Which destination is best for a student trip?
From Barcelona, Grandvalira (Pas de la Casa or Soldeu) and La Molina–Masella; from Madrid, Sierra Nevada or Andorra; from Andalusia, Sierra Nevada staying in Granada; from Zaragoza and the north, Formigal. For each destination we explain where the group sleeps and how long the coach to the slopes is.
Are lessons included?
They are if the group asks for them. The usual set-up is two hours of group lessons on the first morning for those who have never skied; those who already ski don't need them and don't pay for them.