Letter Response to Inside Tracks Article on European Ski Travel

The relative cost and jet lag issues are a bigger hurdle to overcome when you live in the West.

The drawback you didn't mention was erratic snow conditions. The British ski publications report the growing trend of British skiers coming over here instead of heading to the Alps Their presence was certainly noticeable in both Whistler and Banff my last two visits.

Obviously, the unique attributes of skiing in the Alps should not be dismissed. However, I can state with some confidence that skiers should stick to the prime skiing months (February and March) when dealing with areas of questionable snow reliability. It's penny wise and pound foolish to try to save $100 on the cost of a trip to Europe by going in the off-season, when large chunks of that vast terrain are often closed.

The other issue you should have warned skiers about are national ski holiday weeks - and which to avoid.