Winter market 'full of great discounts'

The winter holiday market is full of discounts for those hoping to hop on a ferry over to the continent to enjoy skiing or snowboarding, a national reporter has revealed.

According to Sean Newsom of the Times, there was an "avalanche", but not of snow, just low-price breaks to the French Alps.

He noted that demand had stalled for the Christmas period making it a buyer's market, meaning that tour operators were more likely to drop their prices to get hotels full rather than raise prices and book extra places at their advertised destinations.

Mre Newsom added that the only question was which time to buy.

He continued: "So the temptation will be to hang on until the very last minute to see if prices fall even further. That way, you can also target mountain ranges and resorts that have had the best early-season snow."

Last month, the Guardian revealed that Val Thorens and Chamonix in France were two places that got particularly good early-season snow.

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10 November 2008