Product Description

In years gone by, skiing was a complicated, expensive business, and the only way of going about it was to book a package holiday. Today, things are looking up. With Easyjet, Ryanair and Eurostar constantly adding more routes at cheaper and cheaper prices, it's never been easier to take a short weekend break in Europe. But where exactly should you go if you want to ski or snowboard? Booking the flight is easy, but the rest is a nightmare - which resort should you choose, where will you stay, will the hotel accept short bookings, and how will you get from the airport/station into the mountains?In "White Weekends", Tom Robbins, deputy editor and skiing expert of the Observer, travels from one end of Europe to the other in a bid to discover the best and most beautiful resorts for independent weekend breaks. From powder, parties and budget to romantic, child-friendly and luxurious, there are chapters covering every type of weekend imaginable. Each chapter details Tom's experience in one magical destination and is backed up by 'The Knowledge' - practical information detailing how to get there, where to stay, where to ski, where to eat and where to party - and a 'Best of the Rest' section so you have a variety of resorts to choose from whatever sort of break you're after. Covering over 100 resorts in all, this fresh, funky and flawlessly illustrated book will be the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates the stunning beauty of the mountains and the perfect self-purchase for the millions of Britons addicted to the exhilaration of the slopes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25381 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
An authoritative and temptingly illustrated handbook
--Times, November 29, 2008

From the Inside Flap
It's never been easier to take a short break in the snow. With budget airlines constantly adding more routes at ever cheaper prices, you can now jump on a plane on Friday night, spend the weekend living it up on the slopes of a fabulous Alpine resort, and be back at your desk on Monday morning. But with such a bewildering array of destinations to choose from, actually booking a white weekend can be a nightmare. Which airport should you fly to? Or can you travel by train? How do you arrange your own transfer? Which resort should you choose? Where will you stay? And will the hotel do short bookings?

In White Weekends, Tom Robbins, deputy travel editor and resident ski expert of the Observer, travels from one end of Europe to the other to answer all of these questions and more. Splitting his favourite resorts into chapters covering every type of skiing or snowboarding weekend imaginable – from extreme powder action and the best après-ski fun to budget weekend breaks and the most romantic, child-friendly and luxurious getaways – he talks us though his own adventures and then provides the practical information you will need to arrange the trip yourself.

Covering over one hundred resorts – from Granada in southern Spain to Riksgransen in arctic Sweden –there are trips here for everyone, no matter what your experience, party size or budget. So whether you want to rub shoulders with the rich in Verbier, get away from it all in Champoluc, combine ski and spa in Arosa or dance the night away in Mayrhofen, this book contains the perfect white weekend for you.

About the Author
Author: Tom Robbins is deputy travel editor of the Observer, and oversees all the newspaper's skiing coverage. During nine years at The Sunday Times and the Observer he has skied everywhere from Scotland to Russia and Greenland. As well as writing for the Observer on all areas of travel, he contributes to all the major ski magazines. Photographer: Robin Gautier has a successful career as a cameraman on big budget Hollywood and British films such as Casino Royale and The Bourne Supremacy. Recently he has spent an increasing amount of time shooting stills, including several book projects and numerous travel features for the Observer.

Customer Reviews

Great read and better than the usual 'standard' ski books
Great read for those into skiing. Should have something for everyone and liked the format of the book and the way written. Highly recommend it

Good read
Just like his reports in the papers, he takes you to resorts in ways only he can.

Brilliant escapism, good information
This book works well on a number of levels. I bought it during an out of season lust for snow and found it to be a wonderfully escapist read. The photos and writing style really place you well in each of the destinations. I also like the way the photos are not purely journalistic but quite 'social'.

Now that it's time to go skiing, the information packed into this book is helping me with new ideas achievable in an ambitious weekend. One criticism is that it does rather assume that you are starting your white weekend from London.