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Price Hikes Of Up To 15 Per Cent Don't Have To Drive Skiers Off Piste This Season - Santander UK

The average cost of a winter sports holiday is now higher than at any time since the turn of the millennium, with a flight and accommodation package costing on average a hefty £686, new research commissioned by Santander Cards(1) has revealed.

Despite the number of Britons taking a winter sports holiday declining six per cent during the 2008/09 season(2), prices have still increased by up to 15 per cent this season. But even rising costs are unlikely to keep ski fanatics at bay this year, with a great season of snow predicted and some resorts opening early to capitalise on premature snow falls.

However, savvy skiers might be tempted to stray off piste this season away from the premium European destinations, because the weak pound has meant rocketing prices in the popular European ski haunts. Analysis by Santander Cards, whose Santander Zero card offers fee-free foreign usage anywhere in the world, has revealed a 3* package deal to Meribel plus equipment hire and a six day ski pass comes in at an eye watering £1,557 per person, while a similar deal amongst the hoi polloi in Val d’Isere will only cost £45 less at £1,512.

The best deal in a premium European destination can be found in Chamonix where a 3* package, equipment and a six day pass is £300 cheaper at £1,212. The Swiss and Austrian resorts of Zermatt and St Anton represent the middle ground at £1370 and £1386 respectively.

Emma Roberts, Director at Santander Cards, comments: “Winter sports enthusiasts may well be tempted to try somewhere new this year because of the impact of the weak pound on prices for premium European skiing destinations, with little price difference now between the major French resorts and transatlantic resorts.

“The average cost of a winter sports holiday may now be higher than at any time since the turn of the millennium but one way that winter holidaymakers can avoid unnecessary additional costs is to use a credit card that doesn’t charge them a fee on transactions made in a foreign currency. The Santander Zero card has no foreign exchange fee on spending anywhere in the world, making it ideal for holidaymakers looking for the best deal on their spending this winter.”

The information contained in our press releases is intended solely for journalists and should not be used by consumers to make financial decisions.

Notes

1) Research conducted by Alpine Answers on behalf of Santander Cards. All prices based on six days w/c 6th February 2010.
2) Snowsports Analysis 09 as published by the SCGB.

About Us
Santander (MAD:SAN) (NYSE:STD) is a retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with operations in more than 40 countries. At the end of 2008, Santander was the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and third in the world by profit.

In the UK, Santander operates three retail businesses – Abbey, Alliance & Leicester who provide competitive savings and bank accounts products, and Bradford & Bingley. Together they have over 1300 branches, around 4,500 cash machines and they provide a full range of retail and corporate banking services to 24 million customers.

Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and the savings business of Bradford & Bingley will all become known as Santander by the end of 2010. Abbey and the savings business of Bradford & Bingley will be rebranded from the first quarter of 2010 and Alliance & Leicester will follow later in the year. The move will deliver a significant advantage for customers as they will be able to use any of 1,000 Santander branches from early 2010, rising to over 1,300 by the end of 2010. For more information, please visit www.santander.co.uk