Major Ski Destinations

Geneva

It’s almost impossible to swing a cat in Geneva Airport on a winter weekend without hitting a Brit heading to or from the Alps! Whilst located in Switzerland, Geneva is less than three hours from almost every major French resort. In days gone by, travellers destined for France would even exit directly into France via a special “French” side to Geneva Airport, but this is now mostly defunct for these purposes as a result of Switzerland’s integration into the Schengen Area. Expect almost hourly flights to major UK destinations, such as London Heathrow, on winter Saturday and Sundays.

Some Swiss resorts are reachable via Geneva, too, but its location at the “wrong” end of Lake Geneva means travel times can be lengthy.

Major Airlines: British Airways, Swiss Air, Ryanair, EasyJet, Jet2, TUI

Lyon & Grenoble

For resorts in the southern French Alps, Lyon and Grenoble – actually located very close to each other – act as perfect gateways. Alpe d’Huez, Serre Chevalier and Les 2 Alpes are all between one and two hours away.

Major Airlines: British Airways, EasyJet

Zurich

The gateway for most Swiss resorts, its direct connection to the Swiss railway network means that almost the entirety of Switzerland can be reach quickly, painlessly and without delay straight from the plane. The same is true of resorts just across the border in Austria, which can be easier to get to from Zurich than Innsbruck.

Major Airlines: British Airways, Swiss Air, EasyJet, Ryanair

Innsbruck

A comparatively small airport, it is quick and efficient to pass through and deposits you in the heart of the Austrian Alps. Some of the biggest resorts in Austria are a mere stone’s throw away, meaning short transfer times – perfect for a weekend away! You can also access some Italian resorts easily, too.

Major Airlines: British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, TUI

Salzburg

Gateway to central and eastern Austria, Salzburg Airport offers quick and easy access to thousands upon thousands of kilometres of Austrian skiing, both within the Salzburg region and beyond.

Major Airlines: British Airways, Austrian Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, TUI, Ryanair

Milan & Turin

Milan (both Malpensa and Linate) and Turin operate as gateways to Italian skiing, serving the Aosta Valley and Piemontese regions. Areas like the Via Lattea are a snowball’s throw from Turin and easily accessible by train – which can get you a 25% discount on your lift pass. The Monterosa area, Cervinia, Courmayuer, and Pila are all within two hours of Milan. Check your Milanese airports carefully; Malpensa is ideally suited for skiers, 50km northwest of the city and closer to major ski destinations; Linate lies in town, nestled into the southeast of the city; and be careful with Bergamo, base for many low-cost airlines, lying 60km to the northeast and far away from ski destinations!

Major Airlines: British Airways, ITA Air, EasyJet, Ryanair, TUI, Jet2

Minor Ski Destinations

Toulouse

The closest airport to Andorra and many Pyrenees resorts, Toulouse is the destination for many packages and the best transfer options.

Venice & Verona

These are the best airports for South Tyrol and Trentino, including the Sella Ronda, Bormio and Livigno, although some of these can be reached almost as easily as from Innsbruck

Munich

The obvious choice for German resorts, several resorts in the Salzburg region of Austria are imminently accessible from Munich, too.

Sofia

Serving Bulgaria’s capital Sofia airport is between one and two hours away from most winter destinations and offers frequent transfers. It is served by a wide variety of airlines but UK origin airports might be limited.

Denver & Salt Lake City

Further afield, Denver and Salt Lake City are the gateways to the Rockies for travellers from Europe. Whilst they may not be your final airports – with connections on to Jackson, Telluride and Vail all available – you will have to pass through to hit the slopes stateside.

Tokyo

Both of Tokyo’s airports, Haneda and Narita, feature regular flights to and from the UK. From both of these, frequent connections operate to Sapporo’s New Chitose airport, gateway to all of Hokkaido, or easy access to Tokyo for connections on to Nagano.

Oslo, Bergen, Tromsø & Narvik

Norway’s hostile landscape is served by a myriad of local airports. Whilst direct flights are normally available from the UK to Oslo and Bergen – a rail transfer away from most Norwegian resorts – those looking to head North will need connecting flights to Tromsø, Narvik or elsewhere.

Flying with Avalanche Airbags

Avalanche airbags are a recent evolution in avalanche safety, and still present headaches for airlines when travelling with them. Broadly speaking, avalanche airbags, both gas and battery powered, are able to be carried on planes safely and freely, although a whole host of potential pitfalls lie along the way. It is essential you follow the appropriate guidance when packing and travelling with your avalanche airbag to ensure it all arrives at your destination safely. Unfortunately, with all the good planning in the world, confusion amongst airline staff can still result in disruption to you or your airbag’s journey.

The following guide is designed to help you understand the myriad of different procedures for travelling with an avalanche airbag. Whilst International Air Transport Association (IATA) rules do allow for the carriage of both gas and battery powered airbags, this is open to the discretion of individual national authorities, airlines and airports to implement the specifics of the rule.

Please Note – Gas powered airbags are not permitted on American carriers or on flights to/from the USA owing to stringent FAA regulations. A small minority of American carriers may allow empty gas canisters, but this is done at their discretion.

The Ski Club advises following the below steps to ensure your avalanche airbag arrives safely.

Gas Canister Airbags:

• IATA regulations allow for an avalanche airbag equipped with one gas canister (full or empty) and one explosive trigger to be carried by an individual.
• Ensure all elements of the system are detached from each other to avoid accidental triggering of the system mid-flight – place each element in clear plastic bags to ensure there is no chance of them linking and detonating.
• Place the gas canister and detonator elements the avalanche airbag – this demonstrates to security staff that the gas canister is part of the avalanche airbag system, and therefore allowed by IATA rules, and not simply an independent canister of gas, which is not normally allowed.
• It is advisable to slip a copy of the relevant part of the IATA regulations in with the canister – whilst this advice is a few years old from when avalanche airbags were not common items, it can help re-assure airport security staff who may search your bag without you present that this is indeed allowable in your bag.
• When travelling with the airbag in checked baggage, place this at the top of the bag to allow you to easily access it to demonstrate it has been packed appropriately to airport check-in or security staff.
• Double-check with your airline whether you need to pre-register your airbag with them – different airlines have different rules on this.

Battery Powered Airbags:

Travelling with battery powered airbags is a much simpler affair. IATA rules allow for one battery below 100kwh rating to be carried in either checked or hand luggage.

American carriers and flights to the USA do allow batteries, but only if the battery or system model has not been part of a previous product recall – this is something that effects a surprising number of battery systems, so check carefully with your airline before travelling.