"Mum, Can I Go Skiing?" – A University Parent's Guide to Making It Happen (Without Breaking the Bank)

It's 9 PM on a Tuesday. You're halfway through an episode of something you can't quite remember the name of when your phone lights up.

"Hey mum, me and the girls/lads are thinking about going skiing during reading week. Can you help us sort it? Also, can I borrow your credit card? Love you xx"

If you're reading this, I'm guessing you've just received some version of that text. The Winter Olympics are on telly, your 19-year-old has watched Eileen Gu do something extraordinary on a halfpipe, and suddenly skiing has gone from "something other people do" to "MUM I NEED TO GO."

Deep breath. Let's make this happen.

Why They Suddenly Want to Go (And Why You Should Say Yes)

First off, this isn't just a passing fancy. The Winter Olympics have that effect – they make sliding down mountains at speed look not just possible, but essential. And honestly? This is one of those requests you should seriously consider.

Here's why:

They're at the perfect age. University students have the fitness, the freedom, and (crucially) the ability to sleep in airport chairs without getting a bad back. They can eat dodgy pasta for a week and think it's brilliant. They'll never be this resilient again.

It's actually safer than their weekend plans. Would you rather they were on black runs with qualified instructors nearby, or doing whatever they currently get up to on a Saturday night in Freshers' Week? Exactly.

The memories will outlast the expense. I know, I know – easy for me to say when it's not my credit card. But ask anyone in their 30s about their university ski trip and watch their face light up. It's rarely the fancy holidays they remember; it's the chaotic, slightly dodgy ones with their mates.

The Reality Check: What This Actually Costs

Let's talk numbers, because I'm guessing that's why you're here at 9:17 PM Googling "cheap ski trips for students."

Budget ski week for 4-6 students:

• Accommodation: £150-250 per person (€175-290 / $200-315)
• Lift passes: £180-240 per person (€210-280 / $240-320)
• Equipment hire: £80-120 per person (€95-140 / $110-160)
• Flights/transport: £100-200 per person (€115-230 / $135-270)
• Food/extras: £100-150 per person (€115-175 / $135-200)

Total per person: £610-960 (€710-1,115 / $820-1,265)

I can hear you breathing into a paper bag. But here's the thing – this is actually doable if you know where to look.

Where to Send Them (Without Remortgaging)

1. Bansko, Bulgaria – The Budget Champion

Bansko is the student ski trip that keeps on giving. It's proper skiing, not some glorified hill, but at Eastern European prices.

Why it works for university groups:

• Lift passes are laughably cheap (around £25/€30/$35 per day)
• Accommodation is plentiful and affordable
• The nightlife is... well, it exists (which is all they care about)
• Direct flights from UK airports

Real cost: Around £600-700 per person for the week, all in.

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2. Andorra – The "Looks Expensive But Isn't" Option

Sandwiched between France and Spain, Andorra is tax-free, which means cheaper lift passes and equipment hire than you'd get in the fancy French resorts your sister-in-law won't stop banging on about.

Why it works:

• Grandvalira ski area is massive (over 200km of pistes)
• Duty-free shopping (they'll love this bit)
• Easy flight to Barcelona, then a bus
• Good ski schools for beginners

Real cost: £750-900 per person

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3. Les Deux Alpes, France – If They Can Scrape Together a Bit More

If your student has actually been working those shifts at Spoons and has some savings, Les Deux Alpes is phenomenal value for a French resort.

Why it works:

• Glacier skiing (so snow is almost guaranteed, even in March)
• Proper French Alps experience
• Huge terrain park for showing off
• Still significantly cheaper than Méribel or Val d'Isère

Real cost: £850-1,000 per person

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The Conversation You Need to Have

Before you click "book," sit them down for The Talk. Not that talk – the "here's how this is going to work" talk.

Insurance is non-negotiable. European Health Insurance Cards are free, but they need proper winter sports insurance too. It's about £40-50 (€45-60 / $55-65) and it's worth every penny. One torn ACL and you'll be thanking me.

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They need lessons. I don't care if Tom from their halls "went skiing once when he was 12." They need at least 2-3 days of lessons. YouTube tutorials and bravado are not a substitute for actual instruction. 

They need lessons. I don't care if Tom from their halls "went skiing once when he was 12." They need at least 2-3 days of proper lessons.

Let me tell you why: I once turned up late for a snowboarding lesson at Tamworth Snowdome. Running behind, flustered, and not wanting to hold up a beginners' class, I had the brilliant idea to tell the instructor I was "recreational standard" and could just join the main slope.

"When was the last time you went snowboarding?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

I mumbled something vague and confident-sounding.

He let me on. I made it approximately 15 seconds before it became abundantly clear to everyone present that I could not, in fact, snowboard. At all. Not even a little bit.

Off the slope I went, tail between my legs.

"Can we swap to skiing instead?" I asked, because at least I could actually do that.

The instructor fixed me with a look that could freeze water. "As long as you can actually do it this time."

The moral of the story? Mountains are not the place to discover that YouTube tutorials and bravado are not a substitute for actual instruction. The boy who cried wolf eventually got eaten. Your student who cries "I can totally ski" will eventually get helped down the mountain by ski patrol.

Book the lessons. Save everyone the embarrassment.

Set a budget for après. Skiing is expensive enough. The round of Jägerbombs at 4 PM because "everyone else is doing it" can wait until they have jobs.

They must stick together. This isn't you being overprotective (though you are, and that's fine). Mountains are big. Weather changes fast. Nobody skis alone. End of discussion.

How to Actually Make This Affordable

Book as a group. Most operators give discounts for 6+ people. They're already planning this with their mates anyway – make them coordinate properly and they'll save money.

Go in January or March, not February. Half-term week pricing is criminal. Either side of it is significantly cheaper.

Self-catering beats half-board. Yes, they'll live on pasta and tinned tomatoes. They do that anyway. The money saved on meal plans can go toward better accommodation or lift passes.

Equipment hire in resort, not at the airport. Airport ski hire is a scam. Book online with a resort shop instead – often 30-40% cheaper.

Check if their university has a ski society. Many run subsidized trips. Even if your kid isn't a member, it's worth the £20 membership for the group booking discounts.

The "Yes, But..." Clause

You're going to say yes (we both know you are), but here's the leverage this gives you:

• Phone calls. Actual voice calls. Once a day.
• Helmet. Non-negotiable. They'll whinge about helmet hair. Ignore them.
• They contribute something. Even if it's just their part-time job earnings covering their spending money, they need some skin in the game.
• Photos. Lots of photos. Not just for you – for Granny, who will ask about it for the next five years.

Final Thoughts from One Mum to Another

Look, I get it. It's a lot of money. There are approximately 47 other things you could spend £800 on. The boiler is making that noise again. The car needs an MOT.

But here's what I've learned: University goes fast. One minute they're texting you about ski trips, the next they've got jobs and mortgages and suddenly a week's skiing costs three times as much because they need proper hotels now, not hostels with questionable hygiene standards.

This is their time to do the dodgy trips. To fall over 600 times learning to snowplough. To discover that yes, you really can survive on value pasta and enthusiasm. To create the stories they'll bore their own kids with in 20 years' time.

The Winter Olympics will be over in two weeks, but the photos of your kid beaming on a mountaintop in Bulgaria will be on your fridge for years.

So go on. Reply to that text.

"OK, let's look at dates. And you're wearing a helmet."

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Ready to make it happen? Here are your next steps:

1. Get group sizes and dates confirmed (good luck with that)
2. Compare packages on [Affiliate Link], [Affiliate Link], and [Affiliate Link]
3. Book insurance immediately – [Affiliate Link]
4. Send them this article so they know what they're in for
5. Pour yourself a large glass of wine. You've earned it.

Happy skiing! 

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