3 ways to be sure you’re ready for your mountain escape

A wise man (Heraclitus, I believe) once said “the only thing constant is change” - a phrase that seems more apt in the current circumstances than ever. Wider vaccination means more countries are opening up for travel. More crucially, the need for strict quarantine on return to your home country is being reduced.

This is great news for everyone and a bit of canny planning will help you be sure you can take advantage of the times when travel is easier - an undoubted comfort for moments when getting from country to country is a little more complicated. 

Choose a ski property in a four season resort

With rules changing so quickly, you want to be able to enjoy your ski chalet or apartment almost at the drop of a hat - and that means basing yourself in a four season resort. Choosing something like this 1 bed apartment in Tignes or a 5 bedroom chalet in Megeve means you can be sure that whatever time of year you choose to escape to the mountains, you can be sure of all the facilities and fun that make for a great break away.

Whilst purpose built ski-towns have an enormous amount to offer, once the skiing is finished for the season they can become less appealing. A good year-round resort offers plenty of things to do out of season, and you can look forward to whiling away hours gazing at summer alpine scenery from your terrace, all while planning how you’re finally going to conquer the trickiest runs when you next hit the slopes. 

Choose a ski property that’s easy to get to

For most of us, ‘easy to get to’ means a ski property that’s close to a major airport. If you’re looking to buy stateside, then buying a ski property in somewhere like Park City or Aspen means that your journey from the airport will be under an hour and a half. If you’re looking for a ski property in Europe, then resorts like Zell am See, Chamonix or Villars all sit within easy reach of a major airport.

Whether searching with an investor's eye, or looking for a space to spend your own precious time away, buying a ski property that’s easy to get to means it’s easy to take a short break - and take advantage of changes in travel restrictions. We’ve created a range of investment guides which include details about local transport (as well as a host of other useful information) to make it easy to pinpoint your perfect location. 

Choose a ski property that can be your primary residence

Of course, the other way to be sure you can hit the slopes the moment they open, as well as enjoying a year round mountain lifestyle, is to choose to make your ski property your primary residence. For many people remote working has become more accessible and it’s become clear that a daily dash to the office simply isn’t a good use of time. Practicalities aside, it’s hard to imagine anything better than waking up to a mountain view, or heading to the slopes to wind down after a tough day. 

Making a permanent home in the mountains calls for the same consideration as any relocation. You may need to look at things like schooling and social opportunities, as well as things like how easy it will be for family and friends to visit. Choosing a working town like Steamboat Springs - regarded as one of the most livable ski towns in the USA, or making a home in Park City, which has schooling that ranks amongst the top 2% in the country means your mountain dreams can come true for the whole family. You’ll find superb opportunities in Europe too, and places like Samoens are known as being great locations to make a permanent home. We recently went in to some depth on five of the most livable ski resorts in Europe in a separate article.

Whatever type of travel you’re hoping to enjoy this year, be it to get away for a much needed break, or a trip to discover your perfect investment property, then SnowOnly is exactly what you need. We’re a ski property portal, which means we’ve access to thousands of properties worldwide so there’s no need to waste precious time trawling through agents' websites.

Our articles and buyers guides make it easy to understand which ski resort is right for you, and our ski property alert system means you’ll never miss out on your dream mountain escape.