East Midlands Airport – gateway to the Alps

Skiing in Austria

With 30 million people within two hours’ drive of the airport – eight million of them just an hour away - EMA is a convenient and appealing gateway to some of the best ski resorts in the world.

And thanks to its friendly and efficient service, most customers clear security in under 15 minutes and can soon start to switch their minds to the slopes in the departure lounge’s shops, bars and restaurants.

That means whether it is a trip from Matlock to Morzine, Leicester to La Clusaz, Doncaster to Dachstein or Nottingham to Nassfeld, EMA provides the perfect jumping-off point.

Flights to Geneva in Switzerland, Chambery in France and Salzburg in Austria take an average of two hours from EMA, with transfers to some top resorts between an hour and two hours.

Geneva

Jet2.com fly from EMA to Geneva, with flights approximately 1hr 50mins from £78 return.*

·       One of the closest resorts to Geneva at just over an hour away is La Clusaz. It has 125km of pistes, a top height of 2,600m and plenty of bars, restaurants, shops and services

·       The largest ski area from Geneva is the Portes du Soleil, with an all-area pass offering access to 308 pistes and 209 lifts. The main resorts in the area include Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz, all great options for beginners, families and intermediate skiers, with a variety of amenities

·       A popular resort for its apres-ski offering is Samoëns, with 30 restaurants and 15 bars to relax in after a hard day on the slopes

·       A top choice for families for its gentle runs for beginners is Chamonix, which with a top height of 3,842m also has a good snow record and some challenging skiing.

* Based on Jet2.com flight departing Saturday 13 January, returning Saturday 20 January, correct at time of writing.

Chambery

Tui fly to Chambery from EMA, with flights approximately 2hr 5mins from around £176 return.*

·       The fourth largest ski area in France, Les Sybelles, is within close reach of Chambery, offering over 300km of pistes and 71 lifts

·       The skiing at La Toussuire is suited to all standards and snowboarders have the choice of two terrain parks. It boasts a number of restaurants offering traditional Savoyard dishes such as fondue and raclette

·       Saint Sorlin d’Arves has 120km of pistes of its own, as well as being connected to the wider skiing area in the scenic Maurienne Valley.

* Based on Tui flight departing Saturday 13 January, returning Saturday 20 January, correct at time of writing.

Salzburg

Jet2.com and Tui both fly to Salzburg from EMA, with flights approximately 2hrs from £96 return.*

·       Salzburg is the gateway to many of Austria’s top resorts. Among the most famous is Kitzbühel, which hosts the Hahnenkamm World Cup downhill race every January. More than 50 lifts serve 92 pistes that satisfy skiers of all abilities. Excellent après-ski is available among its cobbled medieval streets

·       Soll is the main resort in the Ski Welt - Austria’s second-largest lift-linked ski area covering 284km of runs. The whole area can be reached with a single pass. The resort has plenty of lively bars and restaurants but it’s also developed a good reputation for being family friendly

·       Further afield you’ll find Alpbach is a charming Tyrolean village offering a quieter option to some of the resorts, with all the amenities you need and access to some great skiing.

* Based on Jet2.com flight departing Saturday 23 December, returning Saturday 30 December, correct at time of writing.

For an alternative to the Alps, EMA also offers flights to Krakow which provides access to Poland’s ski resorts. Some skiing is available close to Krakow itself, with larger skiing areas around two hours’ drive away.  Fly with Ryanair or Jet2.com, who have just added Krakow as a new route from EMA.