Easter 2010 (Sunday 4th April) may be late in the ski season but it is a great time to take a second ski holiday, and as Easter is a long weekend, means no days out of the office!  The sun should be warm, the ski clothes shops and ski equipment stores are having their end of season sales, and the ski resorts have a party atmosphere.

We can’t guarantee snow for Easter but look at high resorts and resorts with glaciers, and you’ve got the best chance for plenty of the white stuff!
If you are looking for a chalet complete with cosy log fire in the Alps, an all inclusive ski holiday in the Dolomites, or a ski hotel in Canada, there is still cheap Easter ski holidays available.

Courchevel in France is a world class resort built over four villages of different altitudes (4160ft to 6069ft), well linked by ski lifts and a bus service (free); well used for ski weekend breaks and longer ski or snowboarding holidays. Part of Trois Vallees, Courcheval offers superb après ski facilities, many excellent restaurants, shops galore and two cinemas.

The ski resort of La Plagne in the Tarentaise Valley is a high altitude resort with the added bonus of skiing in the Bellecote glacier. There is the large Paradiski area between La Plagne and Les Arcs, linked by the Vanoise Express cable car. If you fancy something a little different, how about trying your hand on the Olympic bobsleigh run at La Plagne?

Skiing in Obertauern in Austria often doesn’t end until May and snowboarders will love the Longplaypark with its rails, big kickers, kinked boxes, quaterpipe and more…  There is a great choice of bars and restaurants in Obertauern and the resort is in full swing during Easter.

At the foot of the Matterhorn in Switzerland yet on the Italian border, is Zermatt. A car free zone, the streets are cobbled and the favored mode of transport, horse drawn sleighs!  Also boasting a ski season until May, Zermatt is surrounding by a massive 29 mountains and even in the summer ski season has at least nine ski lifts running. Resort facilities are very good and Zermatt has lots of character.

Some of the deepest snow in Canada at the moment is in Whistler Blackcomb with nearly 3 metres at the highest point.  The western resorts and mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb are linked by the Peak to Peak Gondola and are just 75 miles from Vancouver.  Follow in the footsteps of Great Britain Winter Olympic Gold Medalist, Amy Williams, and visit Whistler! You may not win on the skeleton, but with magnificent snowboarding and skiing facilities, three snowboard parks and a super pipe, high speed gondolas and wide open runs, you are sure to have a winning Easter ski holiday!

A great sport for bringing likeminded people together, young or old, experienced and novice – it is the season to snowboard!

Information about snowboarding holidays has increased dramatically over the past few years with tour operators and travel companies recognising that skiers and snowboarders have different needs and require different facilities, such as the amount of off piste available to explore and the quality or number of snow parks.

Learner snowboarders should look for a ski resort with plenty of beginner ski slopes and a snowboard school offering lessons, with a snowboard park being a bonus.  Look at resorts like Fernie, Canada and Killington, USA, Pal in Andorra, Hemsedal in Norway or Risoul in France.  When first experiencing snowboarding, hire your snowboard equipment; boots and board to start with, and wear a helmet, bum pads, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards. Your snowboard trousers and jacket should be waterproof as well as insulated as you may spend a fair bit of time to begin with, on your bottom!

Freeriders will find a piece of heaven off piste area around Alpe d’Huez, France with Les Deux Alpes superb for tricksters with its fun park and half pipe, as well as boarder cross.  In the Trois (3) Valleys ski area there are four half pipes, two quarter pipes, boarder cross and rails. If the mountain resorts are too busy for you, try the exhilarating experience of Heli Snowboarding particularly popular in Switzerland and Canada. Jump in a helicopter and fly to a far off mountain – alternatively Cat Boarding is more reliable during extreme weather conditions.

Other great Snowboarding resorts include St Anton in Austria, Whistler/Blackcomb, Canada, Mammouth Mountain, USA, Chamonix in France and Verbier in Switzerland.

So what will January 2010 have in store for you?

For January holiday ideas how about a relaxing January holiday in the sun or a sporting January holiday in the snow? A city break for January shopping or a spa break in a luxury hotel?

Already (30 November) Canada is reporting superb snow conditions in Kicking Horse and Fernie with ski resorts in the USA opening in the next few weeks. By January you can almost confirm that there will be fantastic snow in North America for skiing and snowboarding, but do be prepared for the cold weather with extra thermals!

In Europe the snow has started to fall and for January ski holidays you should be able to have the pick of almost any ski resort…  Norway and Sweden are perfect for family skiing holidays in January, with France, Austria and Switzerland offering a mixture of popular ski resorts and quaint characterful villages in the Alps and surrounding mountain ranges.

From ice to sun!  How about a luxury January holiday on the gorgeous Indian Ocean island of Mauritius off the south east coast of Africa, to escape the winter in Europe? January in Mauritius is part of the summer season but head to the east coast and the beautiful Belle Mare Beach (home to many luxury spa resort hotels), is where you should enjoy a cooling breeze. Dramatic forests combine with white sandy lagoons and staggering long soft stretches of beaches in Mauritius, perfect for relaxing family holidays or romantic honeymoons. Visit the Black River Gorges National Park, hike the Central Plateau and Black River, picnic on Blue Bay Beach or take a gentle stroll along the coast at Trou aux Biches.

For a January city break idea, how about historic St Petersburg in Russia, close to the Baltic Sea? There will be a guaranteed chill in the air, but wrap up as warm as the natives, and you’ll have no problem exploring the State Hermitage area on the River Neva, shopping in Nevsky Prospekt, visiting the breath taking Russian Orthodox cathedrals with a break at the Vodka Museum.

A January holiday idea closer to home, could mean spending a weekend break in London, England’s capital. Prebook tickets to ice skate at Somerset House, Hampton Court or at the Tower of London Ice Rinks, or tickets for a show or lively Christmas pantomime! Join the shoppers in Oxford Street and Regent Street for the January Sales or whilst in London in January, take a tour along the River Thames, followed by a visit to one of the city’s magnificent museums such as the Science Museum or Natural Museum.

The Canary Islands and Madeira are only a few hours flight away from the UK and during January are popular spots for a little warmth and wide empty beaches too.

Is there snow?  Can we ski or snowboard yet? Where is the snow, if any?

According to various reports, there has already been considerable snowfall in the Alps so prompting an early start to the ski season.  The result of this has meant that skiers and snowboarders are booking their ski holidays early and booking more than one winter sport trip in anticipation of a longer ski season than usual.

With cheap bargain flights from the UK and low cost car hire available at all the key European ski airports such as Geneva, Turin, Chambery and Innsbruck, it only stands to reason that with ski bookings set to increase, that winter sport holidays should be booked as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.  As with the Spring and Summer, we have to expect that car hire providers will not have increased their car rental stock due to the credit crunch, so car hire companies will be urging winter travellers to book their hire car in advance.

Tignes and Val Thorens in France both have a snow hi of 65 cm with more snow due to fall tomorrow. Alpe d’Huez, Les Deux Alpes (reporting good skiing conditions), Argentiere and Chamonix are all reporting 55 cm on the upper slopes with the latter two resorts expecting about 15 cms more in the next few days.

Of the well known resorts in Austria, the Austria snow reports show that Solden has the deepest snow with 80 cm at the top and is reporting good skiing conditions.  There is a high of 60 cm in Kaprun and Obergurgl.

There is no doubt that the best snow conditions in Switzerland are in the ski resort of Saas Fee with a high of 150 cm, although the slopes still have to be machine groomed. Zermatt already has 70 cm of snow with Wengen reporting 45 cm; both resorts expect 9 cm in the next two days.

The Italian resort of Passo Tonale in the Dolomites is enjoying the deepest snow in Italy at the moment with a high of 120 cm, whilst many of the other resorts currently have between 25 and 45 cms although are expecting more any day!

Further afield, the USA is still to receive its first real dump of snow, although snow is forecast at a number of locations this week.  Various ski resorts in British Columbia, western Canada however, have received considerable snow fall. On the high slopes Whistler Blackcomb already has 238 cm of the white stuff with more forecast later today, whilst there is nearly a metre in Sun Peaks and Sunshine Village Banff, with a high of 88 cm in Lake Louise. In the last 48 hours nearly 10 cm more snow has fallen in Kicking Horse.

Booking car rental with easyCar.com from Halifax, Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada means that you will be confirming cheap, FULLY INCLUSIVE car rental rates!

For 7 days in mid October (10th to 17th) prices start from just £153.49 for an Economy 4 door Automatic car like the Vauxhall Corsa, with air conditioning. This easyCar rental car rate booked in advance, collecting from Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) during office hours, includes an online booking discount, free cancellation (check terms and conditions), unlimited mileage, third party liability insurance, collision damage waiver, theft protection, and vehicle licensing fee and location surcharges. The only other charges to consider are fuel, young drivers’ surcharge, charge for paying by credit card, additional driver/s, one-way surcharge, damage or theft excess charges and any optional extras such as baby seats, sat nav etc.  Remember that with all car hire companies, a credit card deposit has to be authorised to cover the excess charges.  Nothing is hidden with easyCar.com.

Having arrived at Halifax Stanfield Airport, the car hire desks together with the pick up and drop off area for rental cars is on the Parkade Lower Level close to flight Arrivals.

Halifax was actually the location for the first British town in Canada, founded in 1749. The modern structure divides Halifax into two areas: Halifax Peninsula, the location of Downtown Halifax and the original settlement, and Halifax Mainland.

A walking tour of Halifax is a must! First stop should be the historic area on the peninsula with its fine architecture dating back to the mid 1700s; however Scotia Square is home to a modern indoor shopping mall boasting over 50 shops.  Look out for Carleton House and St Paul’s Church which are the oldest buildings, and the Grand Parade, Victorian Halifax City Hall and the Old Town Clock, the Georgian Province House on Hollis Street and Art Deco styled Bank of Nova Scotia. For more shopping head for Granville Mall, and for a step back in time, visit Privateers Wharf.  Take the Metro Transit Ferry to Dartmouth for fantastic views of Halifax and enjoy the bustle of live around the port.

September and October are the ideal months to visit Canada, as the fall takes over North America turning the rich green leaves to deep reds and golds.  Autumn is also popular with the locals as it is the start of the ice hockey season with the fans supporting the Halifax Mooseheads Hockey Club.

A few tips about driving in Nova Scotia, Canada; unless otherwise stated, after coming to a stop, it is legal to turn right on a red light; distances are posted in kilometres; it is compulsory too for all occupants to wear seat belts; don’t drink and drive; mobiles or cells must be used in hands free mode; it costs 75 Canadian cents to cross either the A Murray MacKay Bridge or the Angus L MacDonald Bridge.