If you can avoid school holidays, do so at all costs. Not only will the price of your holiday be up to 50% cheaper, you will also save yourself the pain and anguish of lengthy lift queues and crowded slopes.

Even better, if you can afford to be completely flexible and are not afraid to gamble, then the last minute deal offers some unbelievable value. Booking the week before your departure can land you in a chalet with people who have paid up to four times more than you.

Most of these deals are done on allocation on arrival which means you will know nothing about where you are going, bar the country until the eleventh hour. You might even hit the jackpot and end up in luxury accommodation in a top notch resort.