Pick the right destination
Europe is the most accessible ski-trip destination for South Africans — flights are shorter and more direct and skiers don’t have to spend their first day battling jet lag.

Lew Campbell at the Snow Skiing Centre in Joburg recommends smaller resorts for novices as they’re usually less expensive and often have gentler slopes.

Seasoned skier James Miller suggests taking a package deal to St Anton in Austria for first-timers: "They have great après-ski and if you use a company like SA-based Absolute Skiing they’ll organise the whole package including fun activities like tobogganing and bum-boarding. But you will most likely be with a hard-partying group."

Time it right
Families are usually limited to Christmas and Easter school holidays, but there are good deals to be had in February and March, with the best deals in the first and last weeks of February.

‘Airfare goes up over Easter, so I always go just before Easter,’ says Campbell. ‘People always tell me I’ll have no snow and I tell them I’ll have more snow than they had over Christmas.’ He says March is best for snow, followed by February, April, January and December.

Book strategically
Campbell books at the last minute and says he always gets good deals, but for peace of mind, book as early as possible. Christmas skiers should book their holidays around June, while September is the best time to book for Easter skiing.

"You can pull up the diary on websites such as Alpineelements.co.uk and find out how much each week costs," suggests Miller. "And if you book Saturday-Saturday, you have the slopes almost empty for the whole day on the Sunday because that’s when most of the tourists go home."

Will there be snow?
This is the biggest consideration when choosing a resort.

"For guaranteed snow there has to be a glacier, like at Chamonix in France," says Miller. Snow-report websites usually have more reliable information than the resort’s own website. A good one to try is the Ski Club of Great Britain.

Other factors to consider are how close accommodation is to the ski slopes (transfers can be pricey) and what the goal of the trip is. Those who want to ski all day should stay as close to the slopes as possible, whereas the centre of town is better for socialising and sightseeing.

In Europe timeshare accommodation is often out of the way because it’s a fairly recent innovation there, while America has great, centrally located timeshare options.

Get the right equipment
Hire your hardware and buy everything else,’ says Campbell. The hardware includes poles, skis and ski boots and should be hired at the resort. Booking them in advance, especially for next year, means they will still be charged at 2009 prices. Miller recommends buying all other equipment in South Africa because it will be much cheaper than in Europe — unless bought during the European summer when ski gear can be picked up at half-price.

"Cape Union Mart and Cape Storm have brilliant equipment," he says. Ski.co.za has a full list and explanation of the necessary gear.

Learn to ski
First-timers should take a few lessons before the trip — arriving in Europe and realising that skiing isn’t one’s cup of tea would be a costly discovery. Learning basic moves will also boost confidence and reduce the risk of injury.

The Ski Deck training facility in Joburg has synthetic surfaces where novices can learn basic techniques in a safe, controlled environment — unfortunately it’s the only one of its kind in South Africa, but doing strength training, focussing on quads, will help prevent stiffness come ski time.

Hire an instructor
Hire an instructor at the resort for additional training, advises Campbell. "The better your technique, the more you can build on it and everything you do, you’ll do more safely."

Get insurance
Hurtling down a snowy slope is more risky than sitting in a tour bus, so check whether medical aid offers emergency travel insurance and what the exclusions are. Even if winter sports are included be sure to top up insurance to compensate for the stronger currency and ensure medical bills will be covered.

"If you tell your medical aid you’re going skiing, they should be able to give you the full cover you need," says Miller. "Just be sure to arrange it in advance. You can also try Europassistance.co.za which is the one most travel agents use and is not too pricey." Be sure to pack the medical aid card and have the medical aid’s emergency contact details at hand.