My Alps adventure holiday with endless high-octane thrills Life&Style Simon Miller on an Alps adventure holiday stuffed with high-octane adventuring I’m never going to argue that a good book and a sun lounger isn’t a winning summer holiday formula, but go on enough of those trips and the novelty starts to wane. Seen one swim up bar, you’ve seen them all. I wanted to [...]
Psst… This is how to ski Les 3 Vallées without the crowds Life&Style Les 3 Vallées is the world’s biggest ski area with 600km of runs plus oodles of off piste areas. With over 4.5m visitors per year, amongst them a huge number of Brits, this trip was about staying away from the crowds both on and off the slopes. British skiers will likely be familiar with Val [...]
The under-the-radar Alps spot perfect for a family ski holiday Life&Style Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is in Tyrol – the same region of Austria as the world famous St. Anton am Arlberg – but unlike its neighbour, has precious little name recognition in the UK. I had been on a ski holiday in Serfaus as a child so fifty years later it was high time for a return visit. [...]
The Austrian ski resort offering great powder without the crowds November 4, 2025 I’d never heard of the ski resort of Pettneu am Arlberg in the heart of Austria’s ski region, but I was very familiar with St. Anton, an eight minute drive away. Compared with that more famous destination’s fancy shops and restaurants, Pettneu is more paired back. There are just a couple of bars, a few [...]
A father-daughter trip to Tokyo: Japan from two very different perspectives August 22, 2025 Tokyo is a city of dazzling contrasts — serene temples and tea ceremonies stand side-by-side with sky-high department stores crammed with bizarre electronic gadgets. In one moment, you’re bowing in quiet reverence; in the next, you’re jostling through the famous Shibuya Crossing, camera in hand, swept along with hundreds of tourists filming the human tide. [...]
A sailing holiday in the Bahamas, with perfect beaches, gorgeous food and wonderful marine life August 22, 2025 If you’ve dreamed of stepping into the world of the one percent, there’s no better way to do it than with a luxury sailing holiday in the picture-perfect Bahamas. Recently, my family and I did just that, chartering a 50-ft Moorings 5000 catamaran that came complete with its own skipper. And let me tell you [...]
I did avalanche training so I could ski more January 13, 2025 What do an ex Royal Marine, a former police inspector and a Network Rail team leader have in common? They all recently passed the Ski Club of Great Britain reps course. I joined this trio and 32 others from all parts of the UK to undertake an intense 12-day programme in Tignes, France to become [...]
Bad Gastein: Skiing with a touch of belle époque glamour December 2, 2024 They say first impressions matter, and my goodness, Bad Gastein certainly makes a great first impression. When approaching the resort, visitors are met with what at first glance, looks like a Wes Anderson film set. A spectacular cliff amphitheatre is crowned by elegant and imposing turn of the century palaces and hotels. As our taxi [...]
Ski Club of Great Britain reps return to France after 8-year absence November 27, 2024 Ski Club reps were suddenly withdrawn from French resorts in 2016 after a rep was arrested for allegedly “guiding” without a ski guide qualification, and subsequently fined €10,000 by a French court in January 2015. But after dialogue with French authorities in five resorts, Tignes, Meribel, Flaine, Les Arcs and Val Thorens, the Ski Club [...]
To ski or not to ski: How to plan a trip when snow is uncertain September 27, 2024 You are about to spend a small fortune on a ski trip. The reports from the Alps are of muddy, brown slopes. A huge warm weather zone depositing nothing but rain has decimated the snow coverage between Christmas and into January. What to do? Cancel, shift resort in the hope of finding better snow? Press [...]
